6to7Life

The Biblical Truth:
God has created a new creature in you
A verse to point us to that truth:
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Look, all things have become new.

One of the most asked questions I have received is “Who am I? What is my identity in this world?” It seems like a basic question. Many may quickly answer with a list of titles to cover the truth that they may not really know who they are. They may answer something like this: Father, Mother, son, daughter, boss, employer, nurse, waiter, secretary, or Grandparent. But these are labels about what we do and our position in life. But does it really answer who we are?

Sadly, many Christians have absolutely no confidence or even knowledge of who they are.

The Holy – completely unique – God had a plan for mankind to be redeemed before He even created the world. Part of God’s Eternal Redemptive Plan is – at the moment we believe and trust in His Plan we receive Life (salvation) and He creates a new creature in us. He exchanges our old nature for a new nature and comes and lives in us!

Who we are in Christ needs to be a part of our core value system! It ought to be a fundamental teaching in our Churches and in our homes. When a child who has been saved for a while is asked “Who are you?”, the first answer off of their head should be “A child of the King of kings!” The opposite is usually taught – who we are is based on what we do, and if we don’t do right then who we are … is flawed and broken!

Who we are is not a mystery. God tells us and desires us to believe His Word about who we are!

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Look, all things have become new.

He literally made a new creation in us!

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

This phrase “in Christ” is used to characterize our identity. “In Christ”, “in Him” or “in whom” can be found at least 27 times in Ephesians!

As Paul said, “the old is gone”…

Romans 6:6 knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we should no longer be slaves to sin.

… and “the new has come”

Romans 5:17 For if by one man’s trespass death reigned through him, then how much more will those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Peter says it this way:

2 Peter 1:4 by which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that through these things you might become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Our salvation is more than just an improvement on what was already there, it is not a renovation project. We have been re-created new and different. Made holy (unique – different) in our spirit! We were born having a spirit, who has a soul, and lives in a body. Our identity is in our spirit! When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are “born again” and our spirit is “made alive with Christ”.

Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has resurrected together with Him, having forgiven you all sins.

Understanding our identity is so absolutely essential to our success in living the Christian life because none of us can consistently behave in a way that is inconsistent with the way we perceive ourselves. Our behavior comes out of what we believe about ourselves. That is why it is so important to come to understand the truth about who you are in Christ.

Those who are believers have something that the world doesn’t have – Christ in them! The nonbelievers do not have the One who is Life living in them to give them Life!

What does God call those who believe in his Eternal Redemptive Plan?

Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

• Saints” – meaning set apart ones, or separated, or holy ones!
• We are no longer labeled sinners, but saints. Our identity has been changed.

Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirits that we are the children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him.

• “Joint-heir” of Christ!

Galatians 2:16 yet we know that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, rather than by the works of the law. For by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

• “Justified” is derived from the Greek word ‘dikaioo’. Which means, “to render, that is to show or see as innocent – righteous.” You are more than just being innocent – you are made as if you never sinned!

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Ephesians 4:24 and that you put on the new nature, which was created according to God in righteousness and true holiness.

• We are declared righteous.
• Without blemish and completely made unique – holy in Christ!

1 Corinthians 6:11 Such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus by the Spirit of our God.

• We are washed, and made clean, and set apart, and declared innocent, and righteous!

If you have believed and trusted God’s Eternal Redemptive Plan, He calls you a saint, a child of His, a joint heir of Christ, justified, righteous, holy, washed, and sanctified! But often we think that saying these truths sound arrogant or egotistical. Which is more arrogant – agreeing with God about who He declares you to be and speaking it out loud … or disagreeing with God and calling yourself something different than what He declares you to be? It is not arrogant to speak truth from God’s Word!