In 2Corinthians 5:16-17 (Amplified), and in other scriptures , Paul speaks about being a new creation in Christ Jesus. For centuries, we've not understood the revelation about the new creation we've become. Good men of God have taught the Word from a purely carnal point of view. Because the Word and the whole concept of the Word is Spirit, the carnal mind cannot do more than simply read the words, without discerning the Spirit and Truth of those Words.
Jesus said in John 6:63 (Amplified), "It is the Spirit Who gives life (He is the Life-Giver); the flesh conveys no benefit whatever (there is no profit in it). The Words (Truths) that I have been speaking to you are Spirit and Life." Paul writes in 1Corinthians 2:14 (Amplified), "But the natural, non-spiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them (of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them) because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated."
We've learned and been taught by carnally minded believers, for many years now. These teachers weren't unsaved, but hadn't renewed their minds by the Word of God. They were born-again, but hadn't allowed the Word to become alive and Spirit like Jesus taught, the Word was just words. They read the words and comprehended what they meant by their intellect, but couldn't receive the Truth and Spirit of what was being said.
This has returned us to the carnal realm of bondage, through religious things dictating our dress, our food, the fellowship we should belong to and has made us constantly aware of who we used to be instead of the new creation we've become. We've allowed the carnal mind to raise a spiritual family, that has become dysfunctional in God's Kingdom.
We've spent centuries trying to become righteous or in right standing with God, in the carnal realm with miserable results. We haven't become (or at least understood) the righteousness we've sought after, because we didn't allow the Word to become Spirit in our hearts, but have followed the dead letter of the Law instead. When we allow the Word to become Spirit and Truth like Jesus said, we discover that we were granted the gift of righteousness when we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Our righteousness is not by works or religion, but by faith in His Word and His Sacrifice on the cross.
Romans 1:17 (Amplified) tells us, "For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith (disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith). As it is written, the man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith." This righteousness or right standing with God, is a gift that was given by God to His new creation family.
The above scripture must be spiritually discerned, because the natural man or the carnally minded believer cannot accept their being "righteous," after everything they were and had done. Only the Truth and Life Jesus spoke about in John 6:63, can ever set a man free from the condemnation of the Law of sin and death. One can't do enough good things or live right enough, to become righteous without the Gift of righteousness. This is a Spiritual Truth and must be Spiritually discerned.
2Corinthians 5:21 is likely a scripture that many Christians have read many times, but if it's read only with the natural mind of man, then it still beings no revelation of it's Truth. 2Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified) says, "For our sake He made Christ (virtually) to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him, we might become (endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of) the righteousness of God (what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness)."
This is what God intended for man in the beginning, when He made him in His Own Image and Likeness. After the fall of Adam, man lost his right standing and was always trying to find a way to restore it. Since man can't make himself in right standing with God, he must by faith, accept his righteousness as a gift of God. You must understand this by the Spirit of God, because your natural mind cannot understand it.
Men might tell you that this is "imputed righteousness" and he is correct. This righteousness was imputed unto us, by faith. If your faith is still contaminated by your carnal mind, then you will continue striving on your own to be in right standing with God by your own efforts and you will fail. We didn't become righteous through our works and we cannot retain our right standing by our works. It is a gift and must be received as such, by faith.
We must do what Paul instructed the Church in Rome. Thus, he says in Romans 12:2 (Amplified), "Do not be conformed to this world (this age) (fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs), but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind (by its new ideals and its new attitude) so that you may prove (for yourselves) what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the things which is good and acceptable and perfect (in His sight for you)."
When your mind is renewed by the Truth of the Spirit (and not the world), you will able to see that righteousness by faith, is what isn't only good, but acceptable to God. This new righteousness is the only righteousness that is now acceptable to Him and this is His will. Prove this now in your own life, by proving by faith and receiving your right standing with our Heavenly Father. It ends the struggling of man's religion and delivers us into God's Throne Room of Grace.
We've mostly viewed ourselves as flesh and blood people, who have a spirit. But, according to the Word, we are a spirit that has a flesh and blood house it resides in. When our body (house) dies, then our real self leaves earth and returns to the Father, Who is also a Spirit. Jesus said in John 4:24 (Amplified) that, "God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (reality)." You are a new creation who is perfect, flawless, clean and sinless. You are a new creation who is born again of God's Own Spirit. You are no longer a forgiven sinner, but are a new creation. You are a spirit, made in the Very Likeness and Image of our Father. There is no past to overcome, in our Father's eyes, you are a new creation.
We have majored on our past life in the flesh, instead of pursuing our new life in the Spirit. We've wasted so many years trying to rise above (mostly by our own efforts) who we once were. By faith in the reality of God's Word, we can walk into our new creation, without guilt, shame or condemnation. We can come boldly, by faith in the Truth of what God did for us through Jesus.
A new creation is exactly that, a new creation. We've not revamped, made over, cleaned up or even forgiven, but we're new creations. When something is new, it doesn't need to be made over again. 2Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous, moral and spiritual condition) has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come."
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