In the Bible, the concept of new creation in Christ is a profound and powerful one. Jesus declared that He was the “beginning of a new creation” (Revelation 3:14), and Paul wrote about God’s provision for us to become part of “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). But what does this mean?
In short, new creation in Christ is all about transformation. Just as God made the world from nothing to create something beautiful, so too does He make something beautiful out of our lives when we accept the gift of grace. This means that those who place their faith in Jesus have been given a clean slate – their old life has passed away and they are now made whole through Jesus’ sacrificial love. This brings with it an assurance of redemption and adoption as children of God, along with access to His kingdom, peace, joy, spiritual connection and more.
The Bible is full of verses which illustrate what this process looks like and how it affects believers. Romans 6:4 tells us that “we were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life”. This same verse also says that we have been freed from sin’s control over us – thanks be to God! 2 Corinthians 5:17 speaks to the idea of being reconciled to God by becoming a completely different person than before – reflecting Jesus rather than ourselves.
Ephesians 2 talks about how we have been ‘made alive’ through acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf while Colossians 1:13-14 speaks further on how we have been redeemed through His death so that we may be presented holy and blameless before Him. Finally Revelation 21:5-7 paints a wonderful picture of what it looks like to take part in this glorious future – this passages reminds us that there will no longer be any pain or sorrow but only rejoicing in His presence for all eternity!
New creation in Christ is one of God’s most beautiful promises – one which carries incredible potential for true transformation if accepted and embraced by His children. It is important to remember however, that although this gift allows us to transcend our earthly existence and experience total freedom from oppression or guilt; it does not give us license to disobey or ignore God’s laws. Instead by humbling ourselves before Him we can utilize this power for good – allowing it shape our character as individuals striving towards holiness whilst also aiding others in doing likewise!
Source: All Things New Sunday School Curriculum
Source: Devotional on the New Creation