The Christian is a New Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)

This sermon was preached on 19/5/2013

In this section of his letter the apostle Paul is dealing with the great doctrine of reconciliation that describes how God and his rebellious creatures are brought together. The process involved two crucial elements, both arranged by God.

First, the reason for the separation had to be dealt with, and the way God dealt with this aspect was by his Son, Jesus Christ, paying the penalty for sin when he suffered on the cross. Obviously this was a painful experience for Jesus in a physical way because crucifixion was an extremely painful form of execution in which every nerve in the body screamed in agony. Yet the Bible also reminds us that the pain of the cross includes far more than the physical aspect. Jesus also suffered penal punishment in his soul as he endured the penalty God required before sin could be forgiven. This penalty was paid by Jesus. We cannot describe what it was like. Yet he did what was required and so the basis for reconciliation was provided.

Second, the details of how to be reconciled with God had to be conveyed to those who were separated from God. How this was to be done was stated by Jesus in what we call the Great Commission. He charged his apostles to go into all the world and make disciples by informing them about what Jesus had done and of what they should do. They were called to repent of their sins and to trust in Jesus in the sense of depending upon him for deliverance from the deserved judgement of God. Those who did so discovered that they were at peace with God. It is those people that Paul is describing in our text. So what does he say about them.

In Christ

As has often been pointed out, there are three different ways of describing the relationship each believer has with Jesus: at one time, they were without Christ, now they are in Christ, and in heaven they shall be with Christ. Although that description is true, it does contain the danger of not realising what it means to be in Christ, because it by itself covers the past, present and future of each believer.

What does Paul mean when he says that they are in Christ? He means by this description that each one of them was united to Jesus Christ. This union was personal and permanent. The link with Jesus is brought about practically by the Holy Spirit. Obviously we can use illustrations such as the Spirit being a cord or similar that joins together what is separate. Yet the Spirit is more than a cord – he is the omnipresent God and because he is always so he unites believers and Jesus. He is also the omnipotent God and because he is always so he can prevent anyone or anything from damaging in any the permanence of this union.

Moreover, to be in Christ means to have access to benefits connected to the spiritual blessings God has given to his people. In another is his letters, the one to the Ephesians, Paul informed them that they had been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Those blessings are connected to the past, the present and the future. They are also connected to each person of the Trinity. And all of them are freely given to every believer.

So we can say that not only are the believers reconciled to God, they also enjoy the riches that God has freely given.

New creation

The first detail that this description asks is, ‘Who is the Creator of this new creation?’ The answer to this question is that the Creator is God himself. It is inevitable that we will make comparisons between this new creation and the original creation. The original creation revealed God’s abilities, including his power, wisdom and loving attention to detail. It is not difficult for us to see parallel features in the new creation. A person who becomes a Christian is enabled to do so by God’s power, what happens to him is the outcome of God’s wisdom, and he goes through experiences in which he discovers the wonderful loving attention that God shows towards him.

This change or new creation is comprehensive. By this is meant the fact that when God remakes a sinner he changes every aspect of his personality. His mind is illuminated in the things of God, his affections are kindled towards God, and his will is renewed and desires to obey God. The Bible uses many pictures to illustrate the comprehensiveness of the change. It is like being brought from death to life, from foreigner to resident, from slave to son, and others. These illustrations highlight the comprehensiveness of the change a sinner experiences on believing in Jesus.

Further, this change is continual. Although it is comprehensive at conversion, it is not perfect. The new creature still has sinful tendencies and needs to go through the ongoing process of sanctification. This continuous changing of the believer takes place all along the path between his conversion and his death. This is a reminder of the determination of the Creator to finish what he his begun. Each believer living on earth is currently in this stage of continuous change.

Moreover, this change is communal because after all each Christian lives with other believers in the church. No two of them are at the same stage, yet as they look at one another they see individuals who have been remade by God. Therefore they respect what he is doing in the lives of each and when one fails the other recognizes that God will change that flaw eventually.

Another aspect of the life of the new creature is that it is Christlike. Each one of them is being remade in the image of Jesus. They are progressively becoming more and more like him. Those who are in Adam are declining spiritually whereas those who are in Christ are improving. Often they don’t sense the change because they see the remaining defects. But the fact that they can see the defects is evidence that they are alive and are becoming increasingly like Jesus.

One way in which people have explained the change is by using the various features of a human body as illustrations of new life. Both the physical and the mental aspects of a person can be used. Here is a list containing some of them: a Christian has new eyes and sees God in providence; a Christian has new ears and hears God in his Word; a Christian has a new tongue and speaks to God and about him; a Christian has new arms and hands and uses them to help others; a Christian has new feet and walks in the Lord’s commandments; a Christian has a new appetite and a new taste for spiritual food; a Christian has a new mind and thinks about the contents of God’s Word; a Christian has new longings and thinks about heaven; and a Christian lives and breathes in a new atmosphere.

This leads us to consider the next detail Paul mentions, which is that the life of the remade Christian reveals itself clearly.

The visible change

What does Paul say about those who become Christians? He says that their new life is very different from what they used to be. In what ways have they changed? Here are some suggestions.

First, they no longer have a focus on sin. The mention of the word ‘sin’ can cause different ideas in people’s minds. For many, it refers to big acts of wrongdoing such as murder or robbery. For others, it refers to occasional mishaps in their behaviour. In reality, sin affects people all the time because it is either a failure to do what God wants or it is a transgression of what God requires. Sin is lodged in our desires by nature and our outward behaviour is an expression of who we are inside. Those who are new creatures have a changed inward attitude towards their former behaviour and now love to obey the commandments of God.

Second, they no longer have a focus on self. This is connected to the previous point, but it is helpful for us to consider this aspect on its own. Life comes down to one of two perspectives: each of us either lives for God or lives for himself or herself. This basic focus will show itself in a wide range of ways, according to our personal interests or intentions. But if people are with us long enough they will soon work out if we are living for God or living for ourselves. The new creature generally takes God’s revealed will into account and he does this because he now loves God.

Third, each is a sign of a better world to come. The history of the world, in one way, can be described as the process by which more and more people are becoming Christians. They are doing so because they want their past forgiven and their future secure. But what kind of future will it be? The Bible informs us that for Christians the future will involve a perfect environment in which they will dwell with God and enjoy his blessings. And every believer is a small sample pointing to the fact that one day the perfect creation will appear.