A New Creation

Introduction

This morning we are going to look at 2 verses - but honestly, it’s going to be difficult to unpack all that’s contained in these 2 verses in 1 sermon.

What we find in these verses is a Christian way of looking at others in v.16. And in v.17 we have the biography of every Christian.

Hear the Words of God. 2 Corinthians 5:16-17.

2 Corinthians 5:16–17 ESV

16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Gospel Regard - v.16

In each of these verses we are introduced to 2 of Paul’s favourite expressions. In v.16 we come across this phrase - according to the flesh.

It means a couple different things in Paul’s writing. It can refer to the actual physical body. We human beings naturally walk according to the flesh - we follow our whims and desires.

But Paul writes that when we come to Christ we no longer walk according to the flesh, according to our base, carnal instincts - and instead we are to live by and keep in step with the Spirit.

The phrase ‘according to the flesh’ can also refer to a worldly point of view. A worldly point of view would be looking merely at the externals instead of looking past them.

in our day - we regard people primarily based on externals - how people look, how they dress, who their friends are, family heritage, place of employment, education...

In our society how one looks has been elevated to a moral virtue. If you look good, you must be a good person. If you look bad, you must be a bad person.

Sad to say, but even in the church, among Christian brothers and sisters - we regard or look at each other according to the flesh. But Paul writes a cautionary words about judging and regarding someone based merely on the externals.

There was a time in his life when Paul - then known as Saul - misunderstood Jesus - and regarded him according to the flesh; Saul judged Jesus by external appearances.

Before Paul was an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God - Paul was known as Saul of Tarsus - he was a self described Pharisee of the Pharisees - he was zealous…the most zealous among his acquaintances, for the cause of Judaism. He was full of nationalistic pride.

When Saul the Pharisee looked at Jesus according to worldly standards, by the externals - Saul saw a failed attempt at Messiahship.

And he saw Jesus’ death on the cross as the ultimate sign of his failure. After all the Law even said in Deut. 21:23 that anyone who hangs is cursed.

Deuteronomy 21:23 ESV

23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.

in the circles Saul of Tarsus ran in, they had their own ideas of what God’s promised Messiah would do…how he would look. All of their ambitions and desires centered around the Jewish nation. They were unable to see the global scope of what Jesus had brought.

Saul and his friends thought that God’s Messiah would be a political and military deliverer. Remember the Jews were under Roman occupation at this time. The Roman Empire was operating in all of its horrific glory.

The religious elites of Saul’s day thought that the long-promised Messiah would come, over throw the Romans and establish Israel as its own kingdom once again.

When Jesus came on the scene and was announced as the Son of God who takes away the sin of the world…when Jesus came announcing the year of the Lord’s favour…when he was hailed as the Messiah…Saul and his cohorts were wanting to see political and military victories.

But Jesus failed to live up to their external standards. He didn’t deliver Israel from the Romans…he didn’t bring political liberation. He didn’t bring military revolution.

He even died on a Roman cross…and for Saul the Pharisee, when he looked at Jesus life according to the flesh...

When he looked at the cross according to the flesh, Saul the Pharisee saw it as the final sign of falsehood on Jesus’ claim to Messiahship.

But Paul says in v.16…he once…at one point in time regarded Jesus according to the flesh. When he wrote 2 Corinthians he said, “I no longer regard him that way.”

When Saul the Pharisee was on his way to Damascus…on his way to carry out a wave of persecution against Christians there…the text in Acts 9 says that while Saul was breathing threats and murder...

While he was in that state of mind and on his way to carry out arrests, beatings and probably worse…Saul the Pharisee had an encounter with Jesus…the risen Jesus…the risen Jesus in all of his glory!

Jesus took Saul, while he was breathing threats and murder…and called him to be his apostle to the Gentiles. Ironic since Saul the Pharisee was a Jew of Jews…full of nationalistic zeal and pride.

Now, he was being called to take the message of Jesus…the message of the cross - not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles.

This encounter with Jesus changed the entire trajectory of Saul’s life. He became known as Paul - an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.

And instead of persecuting Christians…he became a Christian. Instead of trying to stomp out the church - Paul dedicated his life to growing the church through his missionary journeys.

Instead of seeing the cross as a sign of God’s curse on Jesus, Paul saw it as a sign of redemption and salvation. He saw the cross as a symbol of One dying for all.

And because of that encounter with Jesus on the Road to Damascus, the cross became the driving force behind Paul’s life.

He no longer looked at Jesus, his cross…or anyone else for that matter…according to the flesh…according to worldly standards…according to externals.

He looked at people…he regarded people, not according to the flesh, but according to the gospel.

Because Paul understand that one died for all…and all have died…Paul didn’t judge anyone according to earthly standards, but by their need to encounter Jesus just as he did.

We too need to learn this lesson. Outward appearance rules our day…but appearance isn’t a moral virtue - we cannot regard people simply by what we see.

If we continue to regard people according to the flesh, we are in effect denying that when Jesus died for all, all died in him…and we revive distinctions that were put away in Jesus’ death.

How, Paul like, how Christlike, how Christian…how loving and liberating and empowering…how potent it can be when we regard no one according to the flesh and instead according to the gospel.

In Christ, New Creation

And moving on to v.17 - Paul writes these incredible words. 2 Cor. 5:17.

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Why don’t we regard Jesus, or anyone, according to the flesh??? Because in Christ people are made into new creations.

Now that’s the 2nd phrase we encounter in these verses that’s a favour sayings. “In Christ” is Paul’s short hand for expressing salvation and the benefits of salvation.

It sums up briefly and profoundly as possible the inexhaustible significance of our redemption. In Christ describes the most intimate union possible.

Think about what is written about being ‘in Christ’ mostly from Paul’s writing. In Christ you are…forgiven, reconciled to God, redeemed, chosen, free, secure…adopted by God.

You are a citizen of heaven, a member of Christ’s body, sealed by the Holy Spirit…you are loved…and so much more. We could spend years studying the profundity of this two word phrase - in Christ - and still only scratch the surface of its meaning.

but here, Paul writes the answer to the question - why don’t we regard people according to the flesh…because if anyone is in Christ, he or she is a new creation.

There’s actually something explosive happening in the original Greek grammar in this verse. In our English translations, we supply a verb to make it more pleasing to read and understand. Our translations reads, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

Well in the original the verb ‘he is’ isn’t actually there. And what is sense in the Greek grammar is the explosive nature of Jesus coming in to someone’s life.

Literally the verse reads - if anyone is in Christ, new creation! It’s a declaration. It’s explosive. I like to read it this way...

if anyone is in Christ - BOOM! - new creation! Something explosive happens - a detonation or sorts happens in our lives when we come to Jesus.

Sometimes the detonation happens with a bang…like it did for Paul. For others the detonation is more like a long rolling thunder… But no matter how it happens…the truth of it is there. If anyone, not just pastors or missionaries or super Christians…if anyone, that includes you - if you are in Christ - BOOM! - new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 is the biography of every Christian. In Christ, new creation!

we looked at this at the beginning of chapter 4. There we said that at your conversion, God’s creating power, his recreating power- was at work in your life.

At the beginning of chapter 4, as is told in the first few verses of the Bible, God spoke into the void and darkness and called forth light and everything else that was created. Obviously his creating power was on full display.

But Paul writes that same creating power is on display when God calls people to himself. God calls into the darkness of human hearts, and he brings forth his light to shine in the darkness.

When you were saved, when you placed your faith in the saving death and resurrection of Jesus - God creating power was at work in your life.

and here in 5:17, Paul further drives that idea home by writing these explosive words…if anyone is in Christ…BOOM…new creation.

The Old is Gone

Then Paul furthers his point even more with the last phrase of v.17. He writes, ‘The old is gone, behold the new has come.” The sentence speaks of permanence, both in regards to the old and the new. 2 Cor. 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Think about what this means. The old is gone. When you come to Jesus, you become a new creation - that means that whatever you did and whatever you were pre-Christ, is gone.

Your old ways of living, your old habits, your old way of thinking, of acting, of how you looked at people…it’s gone. Old, antiquated, out dated.

The old is gone. Does it rear its ugly head every so often? Of course it does. That’s because as Christians we aren’t immediately made perfect. We still struggling with sin and our sin nature…we always will struggle with sin this side of eternity.

What Paul is saying is that the old - whatever you were and did before you came to Jesus is no longer the driving force in your life. Paul was breathing threats and murders, and Jesus reached him there.

Hatred for Jesus was no longer the driving force in Paul’s life…love for Jesus control and compelled him. Paul’s focus shifted to the message of the cross.

Paul then writes about the new. The word ‘new’ speaks of something that is qualitatively better. It’s also speaks of permanence.

Whenever we get something new…eventually those new things lose their newness. Cars depreciate as soon as you drive them off the lot.

Eventually that new house is going to need some upgrades. Your new tech gear is going to be outdated later this month. New clothes will either wear out or a new fashion trend will sweep the world and you’ll need to buy more new clothes.

When it comes to possessions - eventually the new always becomes old and outdated.

But not the new creation God has made in you. The newness of God’s new creation never fades - he shine never dulls.

It’s never outdated our outmoded. God’s newness is everlastingly new.

Application

These verses should cause you to think about your salvation in a while new light. You don’t just sprinkle a little bit of Jesus - a little bit of church, a little bit of religion in your life and carry on - business as usual. You shouldn’t at least.

If you truly came to Jesus in humble repentance of your sin and in faith that his death on the cross is sufficient to forgive your sin…then your old way of living, thinking, acting, your old habits and lifestyle…haven’t simply been seasoned with a little bit of Jesus...

No, non, no…they are gone. Old…outdated.

But maybe you’re watching or listening and you’re realizing that maybe you have revived the old…or maybe it never really went away.

The good new for all of us is this…its not too late to repent. If you are still on this side of the dirt, then it’s not too late. Ask God to forgive your waywardness. Ask God to forgive you for reviving your old ways and habits.

Ask to feel the newness of God’s new once again.

hear this amazing verse once more. If anyone is in Christ - BOOM! - new creation. the old is gone behold the new has come.

A new way of thinking, of acting, a new way of relating to and thinking about people has coming.

We don’t regard anyone according to the externals, but we see each person according to the gospel…seeing their need for a relationship with Jesus.

Christian rejoice! This is your biography! It happens to each one in a unique way…but rest assured…this happened at your conversion. This WILL happen at your conversion, if you aren’t saved yet. In Christ, new creation!

And even though the old does pop up every so often, know that it is only acting and lashing out in his death throes. The old has already been defeated - and in the here and now we can experience God’s new.

Rejoice that God has brought is everlasting newness into your life.