New Life

Water Baptism

Love of Christ = His love for us as seen in His sacrificial death

1 John 4:19 “We love, because He first loved us.”

He loved us when we were unlovely; ungodly - Romans 5:6–10 “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

On cross - Christ proved love for the world - John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Church - Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,”

Individual Sinners - Galatians 2:20 ““I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Consider the reasons why Christ died for you - cannot help but love Him

He died that we might live - 2 Corinthians 5:14 “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;”

When Christ died - we died in Him and with Him - the old life should have no hold on us today

2 Corinthians 5:15–17 “and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

Positive aspect of our identification with Christ - not only died with Him - raised with Him

Romans 6:4 “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

Because we have died with Christ - can overcome sin - because we live with Christ - we can bear fruit for God’s glory - Romans 7:4 “Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”

He died that we move through Him = 1 John 4:9 “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.”

This is our experience of salvation - eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ

He also died that we might live for Him and not live unto ourselves

2 Corinthians 5:15 “and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.”

This is our experience and service

Christ died our death for us that we might live His life for Him

If a lost sinner has been to the cross and now been saved, how can he spend the rest of his life in selfishness

Christ died that we might live through Him and for Him and that we might live with Him

1 Thessalonians 5:10 “who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.”

Because of Calvary - believers are going to heaven to live with Christ forever

He died that we might die, and he died that we might live

Also died that we might share in the creation

2 Corinthians 5:16–17 “Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

Our new relationship to Christ has brought about a new relationship to the world and people around us

We no longer look at life the way we used to

To know Christ “after the flesh” meant to evaluate Him from a human point of view

Hebrews 5:7 “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.”

He has ascended to heaven and is now glorified at the Father’s right hand

Adam - head of the old creation - Christ = last Adam - Head of of the new creation

Old creation plunged world into sin and condemnation because of disobedience

New creation means righteousness and salvation because of the obedience of Jesus Christ

Part of new creation - every has become new

New view of Christ - not a baby in the manager but a glorified savior on the throne

New view of people around us - see as sinners for whom Christ died for - see the way Christ sees - last sheep in need of shepherd

When constrained by love of Christ - want to share love with others

2 Corinthians 5:18–21 “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

reconciliation = Our Rebellion - enemies of God and out of fellowship with Him

Through work on the Cross - Jesus brought man and God together again

God has been reconciled and has turned His face love toward the lost world

God doesnt have to be reconciled to man - that was accomplished by Christ on the Cross

Imputation = put on ones account = Jesus died on the cross - all our sins were imputed to Him - put on His account

result - sins have been paid for and God no longer holds them against us because we have trusted Christ as our savior

More - God has put on our account the very righteousness of Christ

EXTREME MAKEOVER THE JESUS WAY

2 Corinthians 5:17 is a very special verse to me because it serves as a continual reminder of my new life in Christ, a life which is still "new" and amazing, even though my body is beginning to "decay" (cp 2Co 4:16-+). Thirty years ago I choose to quote 2Cor 5:17 as my personal testimony at my baptism (baptizo), for it was a fitting summary of how God had so miraculously delivered me from the darkness and grafted me into Christ (My Testimony).

 One is very much aware in reading 2 Corinthians that for Paul the Christian life means going all out for Christ, or it is not real life at all. The color gray cannot be detected in this book

In Christ describes every believer's new position and new sphere of existence. Before we were born again into the Kingdom of God (Jn 3:3,5), our existence was in Adam (1Co 15:22, Ro 5:12-+ = spiritually dead and under the dominion [supreme authority, power, jurisdiction, sway, control, absolute ownership] of the Sin "virus" we inherited from Adam - see Adam in the NT), in the flesh (under the dominion of the flesh - note, believers can "act fleshly" but strictly speaking are no longer "in the flesh" - see Ro 8:9-+, 2Co10:3-+ Gal 2:20-+ use "in the flesh" to refer to the human body not the "anti-God" influence), in (under the influence of) the world, and in the kingdom of the Devil (under his dominion - Acts 26:18, Col 1:13-+). In the Upper Room Discourse just prior to His crucifixion Jesus alluded to the idea of in Christ when He declared "In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." (Jn 14:20).

Paul expounded on the idea of a believer's new identity, using the phrase in Christ or its synonyms (over 160 times in some form - in Him, in the Beloved, in Christ, in Christ Jesus, in the Lord - study the references below). In Christ summarizes the profound truth that believers are now and forever in spiritual union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, considering the prevalence of in Christ and its synonyms in Paul's writings, this mysterious spiritual truth is one of the most significant teachings in the New Testament.

Ray Stedman commenting on Paul's repeated use of this phrase in Christ in the letter to the Ephesians writes that every spiritual blessing in the believer's life (Eph 1:3)…"is in Christ. All this comes to us in Christ, in the Person and the work of the Lord Jesus Himself. This fact is going to be stressed again and again in this letter (Ephesians). No two words appear in it more frequently than "in Christ," or "in him." Over and over it is emphasized that everything comes to us through Him. We must learn not to listen to those who claim to have God's blessing in their lives, and yet to whose thinking Christ is not central. They are deceived, and they are deceiving us if we accept what they say. The only spiritual blessing that can ever come to you from God must always come in Christ. There is no other way that it can come. So if you are involved with some group which sets aside the Lord Jesus Christ and tries to go "directly to God," and thus claim some of the great spiritual promises of the New Testament, you are involved in a group which is leading you into fakery and fraud. It is completely spurious! For God accomplishes spiritual blessing only in Christ. Physical blessings are available "to the just and the unjust alike," but the inner spirit of man can be healed and cured only in Christ, and there is no other way. (Read full message Ephesians 1:1-14: God At Work) (Bolding added)

Barclay goes on to explain that "A Christian always moves in two spheres. He is in a certain place in this world; but he is also in Christ. He lives in two dimensions. He lives in this world whose duties he does not treat lightly; but above and beyond that he lives in Christ. In this world he may move from place to place; but wherever he is, he is in Christ. That is why outward circumstances make little difference to the Christian; his peace and his joy are not dependent on them. That is why he will do any job with all his heart. It may be menial, unpleasant, painful, it may be far less distinguished than he might expect to have; its rewards may be small and its praise non-existent; nevertheless the Christian will do it diligently, uncomplainingly and cheerfully, for he is in Christ and does all things as to the Lord. We are all in our own Colosse, but we are all in Christ, and it is Christ who sets the tone of our living." Barclay describes an ideal state writing that "There is the life that is dominated by the Spirit of God. As a man lives in the air, he lives in Christ, never separated from him. As he breathes in the air and the air fills him, so Christ fills him. He has no mind of his own; Christ is his mind. He has no desires of his own; the will of Christ is his only law. He is Spirit-controlled, Christ-controlled, God-focused." (Daily Study Bible)

WE ARE IN CHRIST, IN THE FATHER'S THOUGHT (Ep 1:3, 4, 9, 11-see notes Ep 1:3; Ep 1:4, Ep 1:9, Ep 1:11) The disclosures made to the apostle Paul of God's hidden things, hidden from ages and generations, are perfectly overwhelming. He tells us that our connection with Christ, in the thought of God, is not a matter of yesterday, nor of the day before, but of eternity.

The foundations of the earth were not laid in a day. But, ere the aeons of creation began to revolve in their vast cycles, before the earth or the world was formed, God chose us in Christ. He chose Christ, and all those who, down the far vista of time, should answer to the attraction of his Spirit and become one with Him in a living faith.

How startling it would be if, according to a suggestion made by another, the geologist, mining deeply into the earth, should suddenly find, amid the footprints of animals long extinct, the initials of his own name cut in the primeval rock! How came those initials there? They must have been graven by the finger of the Creator! Ah, what a rush of awe would fill the breast! But a greater marvel than this awaits us here. For we learn that our names were engraven on the breastplate of the great High Priest before the amethyst or jacinth was wrought in the laboratory of Nature, among her oldest and rarest treasures.

Is there a doubt that we shall be ultimately holy and without blemish, when the stream that is to bear us thither started in eternal ages from the Father's heart? Let us at least get comfort from the thought that He who foreordained works all things after the counsel of his will…

IN CHRIST THE BLESSINGS OF REDEMPTION ARE STORED. (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,” , 6, 7, 14-see notes Ep 1:3, 1:6, 1:7, 1:13) All conceivable spiritual blessings needed by us for living a holy and useful life are stored in Jesus. We must therefore be in Him by a living faith to partake of them; as a child must be in the home, to participate in the provisions of the father's care. It is only they who know the meaning of the life hidden with Christ in God, and who abide in Christ, to whom God gives the key of his granary, and says, "Go in, and take what you will."

How can mortal man exhaust the wonderful gifts of our Father's grace? But they are all freely bestowed in the Beloved, in whom we also stand accepted. Who can estimate the meaning of redemption, which begins with the forgiveness of our trespasses, and ends in the rapture of the sapphire throne? But it is to be found only in Him and through his blood. What do we not owe to the sealing of the Spirit, by which our softened hearts get the impress of the Saviour's beloved face, and are kept safe until He comes to claim us? But the sealing is only possible to those who are in Him. All things are ours, but only when we are in Christ.

WE ARE IN CHRIST AS THE SPHERE OF DAILY LIFE AND EXPERIENCE (Ep 1:1, Ephesians 3:17 “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,” -see notes Ep 1:1, 3:17) It is the intention of God that we who believe should ever live in Christ Jesus, as the very element and atmosphere of our life; never travelling beyond the golden limits established by his Love, or Life, or Light: in Him as the root in the soil, or as the foundation in the rock. Always in his love, because never permitting in speech or act what is inconsistent with it. Always in his life, because ordering our activities by the laws of his being. Always in his light, because saturated by his bright purity, and illumined by his gentle wisdom. Oh to be always one of the faithful in Christ Jesus, and to be able to say with the Psalmist, "I have no good beyond Thee"! (Psalm 16:2)…

IN CHRIST AS THE CENTRE OF UNITY (Ep 1:10-+) It is the evident purpose of God to finish as He began. He began by choosing us in Christ. He will end by summing up all things in Him, both the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth. All the landscape focuses in the eye; all creation finds its apex in man; and all the story of the ages shall be consummated in our Lord, the Divine Man. (For Meyer's full discussion of "In Him" click Chapter 3 - "In Him")

NOT REFORMED BUT TRANSFORMED!

MacArthur notes that…

Everyone who is in Christ becomes a new creature (cf. Ga 6:15). Kainos (new) means new in quality, not just in sequence; believers’ “old self was crucified with Him” (Romans 6:6 “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;” -+); they have therefore laid “aside the old self…and put on the new self” (Ephesians 4:22 “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,” -+, Ephesians 4:24 “and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” -+; Col. 3:9-+, Col 3:10-+). (MacArthur, J. 2Corinthians. Chicago: Moody Publishers)

Old things passed away - Paul has just described some of the old things that have passed away in 2Co 5:16+. Does this mean we never have an resurgence of those old prejudices, those old habits and hang ups, etc? Of course not. At least not as long as we're still breathing! But what it does mean is that now in Christ, the general tenor of our life, the direction of our conduct, the bent of our behavior are all upward, Godward, heavenward, toward the eternal, the holy, the God glorifying, etc. Is this transition perfection? Absolutely not, for although we are free from the penalty of sin, (Ro 6:23-+, Ro 8:1-+) and no longer constrained to obey sin (Ro 6:12, 13, 14-+, Ro 6:16, 17-+, Ro 6:18-+), we are nevertheless still in these corruptible bodies (2Co 4:16) that have the "sin virus" (the flesh) and therefore we will commit sins (cp 1Jn 1:8). The difference is that before when we were in Adam (Ro 5:12-+) we continually, willingly chased after sin, but now that we are in Christ (cp 1Co 15:22) we have a new power to resist pull of Sin (cp Gal 5:16-+, Gal 5:17-+, Ro 8:13-+) and now the difference is that Sin "chases" after us! By creation, we have life in Adam; by redemption, we have life in Christ (Col 3:3-+). As new creatures by justification ("have been saved") through faith we have entered into the process of progressive sanctification also by faith ("are being saved" = present tense = a continuous, progressive process in our present earthly life - 1Co 1:18, 2Co 2:15, Php 2:12-+; Php 2:13-+) and not into the consummation of our redemption, which is our blessed hope, the sure promise of our future glorification ("will be saved" - see Ro 8:23-+, 1Jn 3:1-+, 1Jn 3:2-+, 1Jn 3:3-+)! (See Related Discussion of the Three Tenses of Salvation)

Old (744) (archaios from arche = beginning) is strictly speaking that which has been from the beginning. Archaios reaches back to a beginning, whenever that beginning may have been. TDNT says archaios "means “from the beginning,” then “past” or “old,” often with a reference to origins and with something of the dignity of “ancient.” In the LXX it can sometimes have the sense of pre-temporal, as in Is 37:26… in 2Co 5:17 pre-resurrection (Ed: Before our "co-crucifixion" and "co-resurrection" with Christ) religious relations and attitudes are in view. Archaios is used of Satan the "serpent of old" [from the beginning] in Rev 12:9+ and Re 20:2+. In the beginning of creation, at the time of the fall of man, sinless Adam became sinner Adam, and henceforth gave birth to a continual stream of "little sinners" for all were in a spiritual sense born "in Adam" (cp Ro 5:12-+, Eph 2:1-+, 1Co 15:22). At regeneration, the new birth, sinners were taken from "in Adam" and transferred to our new spiritual position as saints who are now and forever "in Christ" as described in the present passage. Archaios when used of things, as here, means "old-fashioned, "antiquated" or "worn out". Archaios can also mean that which is ancient or old and thus speaks of former things or of what was long ago…

GOOD NEWS: YOU HAVE PASSED AWAY!

Passed away (3928)(parerchomai from para = beside, near + erchomai = come, go) means to pass near, pass by or pass away and is used in both a literal and figurative sense, with the figurative uses predominating in the NT.

This old way of "creation", dominated by its old way of thinking has passed out of existence. As Hughes says this passing away includes "the distinctions, prejudices, misconceptions, and enslavements of the former unregenerate way of life (which now) assume the character of pastness. (Paul's Second Epistle to the Corinthians)

Passed away is in the aorist tense and indicative mood (mood of reality) which signals this passing away as an actual (real) historical event in the life of every believer. When did this occur in your life history? The instant that you confessed Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;” , 10+) and received Him as Savior, all by grace through faith (Jn 1:11-13, Eph 2:8, 9+), you were born again (Jn 3:3-8+) and were irreversibly transferred (your salvation made eternally secure - cp Jn 10:27, 28, 29) from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of God's beloved Son (Col 1:13+, Acts 26:18+). At that glorious, miraculous moment in eternity, the "old you" ceased to exist in God's eyes, and henceforth and forever and ever, He views you as "in Christ".

While the context is different in Isaiah, the supernatural power of God in the following declaration gives us a picture of what God is able to do in the dry, dark, barren, stony heart of an unregenerate person who believes the Gospel…

Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new (Lxx = kainos). Now it will spring forth. Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. (Isa 43:18, 19, cp Isa. 65:17, Rev. 21:4, 5)

Behold - Don't scan over this word too quickly. As discussed below, behold should always cause one to pause and ask "What is there about which we should take special note?" John Wesley's answer was "The present, visible, undeniable change!"

J Philip Arthur asks "The word behold is intended to convey a delighted sense of surprise and pleasure: 'Look at this—isn't it amazing! Here is a person who has altered for the better right across the board!' It is alarming, then, to observe that some who claim to be Christians seem virtually the same as they always were. (Welwyn Commentary Series – Strength in Weakness: 2 Corinthians Simply Explained)

Marvin Vincent comments that Paul's use of behold is "As if contemplating a rapidly shifting scene. As in a flash, old things vanish, and all things become new."

Behold(2400)(idou) is the second person singular aorist middle imperative of eidon which means to see, perceive, look at. In the NT idou is used as a demonstrative particle that draws attention to what follows. Idou in the middle voice means "you yourself look, see, perceive!" The aorist imperative is a command emphasizing "Do it now! Don't delay!"

In 2Cor 5:17 Paul uses idou, to get his reader's attention as he introduces the truth that the one who in now in Christ is a qualitatively new person. (see also notes above on "behold")

Spurgeon reminds us that "Behold is a word of wonder; it is intended to excite admiration. Wherever you see it hung out in Scripture, it is like an ancient sign-board, signifying that there are rich wares within, or like the hands which solid readers have observed in the margin of the older Puritanic books, drawing attention to something particularly worthy of observation." I would add, behold is like a divine highlighter, a divine underlining of an especially striking or important text. It says in effect "Listen up, all ye who would be wise in the ways of Jehovah!"

James Butler does delineate 3 new things that do occur to everyone who becomes a new creation in Christ…

(1) The change in devotion. One's interests will greatly change. A saved person will have interests in spiritual things which an unsaved person will not. A saved person will have devotion for Christ which an unsaved person will not.

(2) The change in deportment. There will be a change in the person's behavior when he is saved/reconciled to God. This change will especially be noted if the person was saved in his adult life.

(3) The change in destiny. This is the greatest and most important change. The eternal destiny of the reconciled soul is heaven. The unreconciled soul is headed for eternity in hell. (Analytical Bible Expositor - 1 & 2 Corinthians)

Ephesians 2:4–5 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”