Faith Group 7/30/26

New Creation

2 Corinthians 5:11–21 NIV

11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Exposition:

None of this is accomplished by our efforts but by God’s creative power

God reconciles us to himself not because of our distinctives or accomplishments, but because of the unique distinctives of the one who was made sin even though he knew no sin.

We don’t reach up to God, but God reaches out to us.

We do not save ourselves, rather it is God who saves us because He is the only one who can.

Notice this phrase: New Creation

All the prophets spoke of what God would do in the future - the renewal of all things, all wrongs made right. All of God’s enemies defeated

This would be accomplished by the king, the messiah.

Yet we see the messiah crucified.

Just like an Alfred Hitchcock film that has a surprise ending that then causes us to reinterpret the entire movie in “hindsight”, God surprised the world with the incarnation, crucifixion, and subsequent resurrection.

The resurrection being the very promise of New Creation, it was the bursting in of God’s New Creation project. It was not done all at once but the New bursting forth in the midst of the old.

For the disciples, we become part of this new creation project. We as New Creations are to live in the midst of the old age the way we would live in the new age… Walking in love with eyes on Jesus.

3 Characteristics of our “New Creation”

Freedom

“Christians believe that they have the absolute truth that everyone else has to believe - or else, that attitude endangers everyone’s freedom.”

“The Christians I know don’t seem to have the freedom to think for themselves. Each individual must determine truth for him or herself.”

One woman who said of Christianity, “There’s no room for me in Christianity. That would be my death! I don’t want to live for God. I will not. I want to live for my own sake.”

In other words freedom is the absence of external demands and rules the absence of constraint and confinement.

Yet, as we have in our own life experiences, this concept of freedom is an oversimplification of vast proportions.

The only way this concept of freedom is valid, is if there was no overarching purpose for which we were created.

The biblical sense of freedom is within purpose which causes confinement and constraint to actually be the means of liberation.

For example, a fish who is designed and has purpose, is only free as long as it limits and constrains itself to water. With the right constraints, it is free to enjoy it’s life.

A potential athletic superstar must practice and practice and practice, thus limiting his/her freedom from other things for a richer kind of freedom to accomplish greater things.

True freedom in the Biblical sense is as Tim Keller puts it, “Is not so much the absence of restrictions as finding the right ones, the liberating restrictions.”

Galatians 5:13 “13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”

Free Forgiveness:

Forgiveness is completely and utterly free. No cost to you but at a great cost to Jesus.

The cross wholly and unquestionably dealt with our sins forever. Jesus so thoroughly obliterated our deserved punishment for sins that God will never refer to our sins again. Our judgment day has passed - the cross of Jesus. We are on the other side of judgment.

Therefore, we can forgive ourselves. And we must (for healing sake) forgive others.

Often the one that hates us and holds us to a high standard - is ourself.

We can end up internalizing standards of success, performance, perfection that we don’t live up to. We are mad at ourselves because we don’t. We can then see ourselves subconsciously as unworthy.

The path forward involves reorienting one’s identity away from worldly metrics. Self-hatred rooted in failing to meet worldly standards actually expresses anger toward God, who created you as you are; instead, loving yourself mirrors the command to love neighbors and honors the sovereign God who placed you in your circumstances.1 Moving from performance-oriented self-consciousness—where you hide limitations and fear others’ judgment—to genuine participation in life, where you’re fully present and accept your limitations, liberates you from the self-surveillance that breeds self-hatred.

Identity

You as an individual are New. And you are part of a New community, a new family - the church.

Who you are at the core of your being (which is entirely unique) is a gift. Our identity is received NOT ACHIEVED. You did not create yourself.

You are more than what you have done, you are more than what has happened to you, you are more than what people say… It isn’t that any of that matters, but that we recognize that all that does not define us.

We are the handiwork, the masterpiece, the poetry of God. He loves his work of art: you.

If I was to ask, who are you?

What you do, work/vocation

What you do in a negative sense: I’m a drug addict, I am a terrible person because of what I have done.

This is true in a sense.

But it is shallow.

Make your way out of the shallow waters and move into the depths of the sea of identity.

Look at the universe, when God creates something there is vast depth and beauty to it.

You are the pinnacle of His creation. For we are the only blessed ones in all creation called imagers of God.

We are not “Human Doings” We are “Human Beings”

Human nature assumes:

I do in order to be.

Doing precedes being.

But God has divorced who we are from what we have done or do… in truth: I am who I am by birth!

You are more than the job you have

You are more than the amount of money you have

Your are more than your success or failures

You are more than what you’ve accomplished

You are more than your mistakes.

I am His creation and I am created in His image - all by his creative power.

All Eyes on Jesus

Transformation occurs, change happens when we move our attention. In other words, where I give my attention will shape my thoughts, attitudes, and behavior.

I am giving my attention to the grace and mercy, and goodness of God.

I am giving my attention to his love for me.

I am giving my attention to what He has done and will do for me.

The New has come, all is of God - We are invited to live a life now in the present to celebrate with gratitude and place our eyes on Jesus.