June, 2003

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" II Cor. 5:17

In this passage (5:11—6:2), Paul made clear what is the center of the message of reconciliation. Believers are compelled by Christ’s love to proclaim this great news that Jesus died for all, and those who live in Him should no longer live for themselves but for the One who died for them (5:14-15). As a result of his conversion, Paul no longer evaluated anything from its external appearance because external value is only skin deep, though that was the way he evaluated Christ before.

In order to effectively proclaim the message of reconciliation, we need to know who we are in Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” The Greek word kaina, translated as “new” in this passage is significant. It is the new of the new kind, not a refurbished kind. No one can reflect the transformation more vividly than Paul who turned from a persecutor to a proclaimer of Christ. He didn’t just know about the change of status, he experienced the metamorphosis in a real and personal way. You and I may not have experienced such a dramatic change similar to his, but we must realize that our transformation is just as definite. We are a New Creation of God, and this new creation isn’t skin-deep—it is a change from within. David prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10). The heart and spirit within drive a person to the right direction with the right motivation, which produces joy and perseverance. On the other hand, performance-bases attitude drives a person to the wrong direction, which produces frustration and complaints.

The characteristic of this new creation rests on the following phrase: “the old has gone, and the new has come.” The Greek grammar of “has gone” points to its finality, which was a thing of the past. Our “old self” was a thing of the past, and now, the “new self” has come. The Greek grammar of “has come” points to a continuous action that started in the past. In other words, we continue to have a new perspective in relating to Christ and to others.

In order to feel like a new creation, it is important to have a paradigm shift on how you view your own identity. You are a child of God. He loves you and His love compels you to keep changing from within, which truly reflects that you are completely reconciled with the Awesome God who we call “Abba Father.” Have you talked to your daddy today?

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