A new creation
Series: Metamorphosis | Bible text: 2 Corinthians 5:17
Summary: In the midst of thousands of questions and answers in the topic of «identity», the Bible asks us one question that is much more important than all the others: Are you born again? The new birth redeems us from our old condition – death – and gives us new life through Jesus. This identity floods all other facets of our being.
At the Lifegroup Weekend a year ago, you – Selina, Svea, Immanuel, Janik, Peniel and Timon – wanted us to talk about «identity» this morning. Now the time has come!
You are probably familiar with the many questions that go with them. In the years in which you now find yourselves, they take on greater and greater weight. They are questions like: What are my values? Where do I want to go? Where do I come from? To which group of people do I belong? Where do I meet like-minded people? How do I answer the question about the meaning of life? What clothes do I wear? What interests me? And of course: Who am I? – Identity has many facets.
There are so many ways to see and define oneself that it is very easy to get lost in them. So where do we want to start this morning? We will look at the most basic question in the whole catalogue of questions. Unlike our choice of clothes, for example, there are only two choices here and the only question – in terms of identity – that really matters at the end of our lives.
Today we read a single verse from a letter written by Paul, who wrote large parts of the New Testament. It is in 2 Corinthians 5:17 ELB: «Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, new things have come into being.»
When we read the text, we notice: there is something old, something new and a condition for the transition. This may seem a bit puzzling at first – so today we ask ourselves five questions: first, what the old is – second, when someone is a new creation – third, what the new creation is – fourth, why all this is important at all – and fifth, what this means for us.
What is the old?
When the Bible speaks of the old in this context, it means a state into which all people are born – even today! Everything began with the first human beings: Adam and Eve. They rebelled against God and wanted to seek their happiness outside of him. In doing so, they infected themselves with a deadly disease that separated them from God and is called «sin». This hereditary disease was passed on to all subsequent human beings. All are spiritually dead from birth and unable to live as God pleases and certainly not to live in communion with Him.
Paul expresses it this way in his letter to the Christians in Rome: «Therefore, just as through one man [Adam] sin entered the world, and death through sin, so death has come through to all men, because they have all sinned.» (Romans 5:12 LUT).
How do we recognise this state of affairs? All we have to do is look at the history books, newspapers, our classrooms and – above all – our hearts. Something is wrong with us humans. And that on several levels: We start wars – we betray people we actually love very much – we spread untruths to make ourselves look good – we envy others for things we don’t even need – we cover up our missteps. This list could be extended indefinitely. If there is one constant in human history, it is this: We have always suffered from this hereditary disease.
But it does not remain with interpersonal matters. We think that we don’t need God – our Creator – but can find our own way and our own rules. Honouring God is thus not on the daily agenda, nor do we even think about it any more. We are thus cut off from real life.
When is someone a new creation?
But: there is hope! Paul does not simply write in 2 Corinthians about an improvement of man, about a medicine against hereditary disease or the like. No, he describes that there is a new creation, a new birth! We are at the second question: When is someone a new creation?
Paul says it himself: «When if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation». (2 Corinthians 5:17 ELB). Now the only question is what this means: to be in Christ. John writes a very similar sentence in a letter that gives us a clearer picture: «Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God». (1 John 5:1a LUT). All who believe that Jesus is the Christ – that is: the anointed of God, the Saviour and our only hope – have been raised to new life by God and are thus a new creation. These persons belong to him and shape their lives out of him.
The new creation is a work of God, which he works through his power. When someone trusts completely in Jesus, lives from him and for him, the new creation has happened.
What is the new creation?
Now that we have a sharper picture of when someone is a new creation, we come to our next question: What is the new? Before we dive into that, I want to say two things upfront: First, the new involves much more than I can say right now. And secondly, it is even much better than I could ever portray.
Paul sums up the contrast between old and new in his first letter: «For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.» (1 Corinthians 15:22 LUT). In the old state, we are spiritually dead, have no access to God and His grace, nor to eternal life. The new creation, on the other hand, comes alive through Jesus! True life exists only and solely in Christ! This is the new: one is no longer dead, no longer bound to sin and cut off from God – but alive: able to honour God and grow in love.
We spoke earlier of a «second birth» from God. The new creation happens through a new birth – a birth that places us in the midst of God’s family. Again, it is John who expresses this in several passages. One we read: «Behold, what love the Father has shown us, that we should be called children of God – and we are! Therefore the world does not recognise us, because it has not recognised Him. (1 John 3:1). All who believe are born into God’s family.
Our family – our origins, history and relatives – is a big part of our identity. Although we are God’s enemies from day 1, through Jesus he invites us to become part of his family.
That does not yet mean that you live a life like Jesus exemplified. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. But by being born again, a person receives the Holy Spirit. Through him it becomes possible to become more like Jesus. C.S. Lewis puts it in a nutshell: He writes that God does not want to make better people – but new people, «little Christs».
Why is this so important?
Of course, the question slowly arises as to whether this is important at all. Is this aspect of identity really as important as I put it at the beginning? Jesus himself gives a conclusive answer to this in a conversation with Nicodemus, a Pharisee: «Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.» (John 3:3 LUT).
Our life has an end. And only those who are born anew in this life can enter the kingdom of God, eternal life. Nor can we walk into Buckingham Palace and draw a bath – we are not part of the royal family. But all who are born anew are incorporated into the royal family of God and thus have access to his kingdom. And that is much better than Buckingham Palace! In short: no new creation, no eternal life. That is why this identity is so important.
What does that mean for us?
Before the last question, let us briefly summarise. Between the old state and the new life there is a contrast that could hardly be greater: Death – Life. Those who believe in Jesus have been born by God into the new life and they – only they – will enter into eternal life.
We move on to the final question: What does this have to do with us? What does it mean for us? How can we respond to it? Paul writes at the end of his second letter to the Corinthians: «Examine yourselves, whether you stand in the faith; test yourselves! Or do you not recognise in yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? If not, then you would not be proven.» (2 Corinthians 13:5 LUT). As said at the beginning, at the end of our lives there is only this one question and only two possible answers. The answer determines whether we are allowed to enter God’s kingdom or are rejected forever. Because this question of identity is so important, I take the liberty of asking it to you bluntly: Are you a new creation? Are you a child of God? Paul asks us to examine ourselves. What about you?
If your answer to this question is no, I want to encourage you: Knock on God’s door, ask him to let you join his family and learn with others what it means to live by it. God is waiting for you. He would very much like to welcome you into his family!
If you can answer this question with a yes, I would like to give you the following to take with you on your journey through life. All of us – especially you who are celebrating today – ask ourselves: Who am I? Who do I want to be? What do I believe? What values do I live by? To which groupings – based on clothing, music, hobbies, politics, profession… – do I belong? These questions can really confuse us! Where do we start? All those who are born again have a starting point to address these questions. What really matters is the question of whether we belong to Jesus – or not. All other questions take on a secondary role. We can approach the other questions from this identity, the filiation of God, and look at them in this light. How do you do that? By soaking oneself in the Bible and seeking God in prayer.
And – as Paul says in the following verses – tell the message.
Possible questions for the small groups
Read the Bible text: 2 Corinthians 5:11–6:2
- Are you a new creation? How can you tell?
- If so, how does this new identity – being a child of God – colour your view of yourself and how you live?
- How can we respond to God’s grace?
- How would you describe the subsequent consequences for our lives due to the new identity?
