2Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified) tells us, "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."
As Christians, we mostly believe the above scripture refers to our being forgiven of sin and that is all the new creation implies. We still view ourselves and others the way we did before our being born-again. We entered into the Kingdom of our Heavenly Father and became brand new at being born-again. Paul received a revelation of this new creation man and refused to acknowledge the flesh that covers or houses the new man, in 2Corinthians 5:16 (Amplified) where he said, "Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a (purely) human point of view (in terms of natural standards of value) (No), even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a Man, yet now (we have such knowledge of Him that) we know Him no longer (in terms of the flesh)."
It's surprising Paul made this statement to the Church. Most of our teaching and preaching about Jesus has come from His earthly walk as a Man. It seems unthinkable that we can know Jesus "No longer as a Man." We've been taught and have come to know Jesus, almost entirely from a human point-of-view. We've identified more with His death on the cross, rather than with His resurrection from the dead. Many times we only read the Words that are in "Red," from our Bibles. Paul never knew Jesus as a Man. He never knew Jesus from His human viewpoint, but only by His Spirit.
2Corinthians 12:1-5 (Amplified) says, "True, there is nothing to be gained by it, but (as I am obliged to boast), I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago-whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-was caught up to the third heaven And I know that this man-whether in the body or away from the body I do not know, God knows. Was caught up into paradise, and he heard utterances beyond the power of man to put into words, which man is not permitted to utter. Of this same (man's experience) I will boast, but of myself (personally) I will not boast, except as regards my infirmities (my weaknesses)."
Paul distinguishes between the things Jesus revealed to him in the third heaven and what he himself, as knowing the Lord, believed to be what Jesus would do. In 1Corinthians 7:25 (Amplified), Paul says this truth, "Now concerning the virgins (the marriageable maidens) I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion and advice as one who by the Lord's mercy is rendered trustworthy and faithful." Paul makes a distinction between his own advice and the actual revelation given to him by Jesus in the third heaven.
When we preach and teach from the Epistles of Paul, we are quoting Jesus. Paul preached and taught us about the new creation man, directly from Jesus' mouth. In the four Synopsis (the four Gospels), we see that Jesus was limited in what He could preach and teach. He wasn't addressing born-again people, but those who were still under the Law. They were still "dead in spirit," because the new birth and the Holy Spirit hadn't come yet.
There's a difference in the terminology between the Gospels and the Epistles. The Holy Spirit speaks to a new creation people in the Epistles. He doesn't charge them as "sinners," but encourages them, as new born babes, to grow by the Word of God. The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us as the Risen Christ and reveals our position in Him with the Father. We've truly become a new creation people, through our faith in Jesus Christ and His position with the Father.
It's seldom taught to any degree of depth, about who we have now become. We've only taught and dealt with the flesh and continue viewing ourselves, others and Jesus, more after the flesh than the new creation.
In reality, we're a new creation and have entered into a new realm of glory. Jesus spoke about the new creation man who would come to believe on Him, in Mark 16:17-18 (Amplified). Notice, the attributes He ascribes to the new creation man who would believe in Verses 17-18, "And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe; in My Name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; They will pick up serpents, and (even) if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them, they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well."
Jesus describes the new creation man and his "natural ability" in the Spirit realm. He also describes the attributes of the new creation and his character in the New family of God. Notice! that this new creation was given a "new language" to communicate in his new realm with God. This new language is also spoken about in 1Corinthians 14:2 (Amplified), which says, "For one who speaks in an (unknown) tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning,because in the (Holy) Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things (not obvious to the understanding)."
For many years, the Church has struggled with spiritual things and has only recently entered into this new creation men as babes. Sadly enough, we've failed to go onto maturity and adulthood as new creatures in Christ. Everything about you in "new and fresh" when you are born-again. Even our communication with God has changed and we've been given a new language to do so. This new language surpasses the natural mind and can only be spoken by the new creation man, according to 1Corinthians 14:2 (Amplified) which says, "For one who speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not to men but to God."
This new language is the direct line between our Heavenly Father and His new creation family (us). Satan has fought the speaking of tongues with everything he has, because this is direct communication to the Spirit of God from the new man of the spirit. This new language provides access to the "hidden things and secret truths of God." Like Jesus, we can hear and do as we are directed by the Holy Spirit. When we allow ourselves to truly enter into the new way of life, we will walk in the super-natural place of power and ability in God.
We've allowed religion and lack of insight into this new creation, to keep us from developing into God's Image and Likeness. We are called to walk simultaneously, as masters in two realms. We are called to change the natural into the super-natural, by the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus did in His earthly walk and this is the ability He gave to His new creation man. We read Jesus' description of the new creation in Mark 16:15-20 (Amplified). Verse 17 says, "And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe."
The only qualification to the super-natural, was believing the new birth and new creation man. Religion says that, "This isn't for everyone" or "These things were only for the Apostles." These are excuses and the only requirement is to believe. Believe in what? You might say, "I believe and am saved." If you are saved, then you're a new creation. And, if you're a new creation, then these signs will follow you into the earth, as you preach and show forth the Light of the Father.
Paul speaks about the old covenant and the new covenant in Galatians 6:15 (Amplified) saying, "For neither is circumcision (now) of any importance, nor uncircumcision, but (only) a new creation (the result of a new birth and a new nature) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah)."
We also find the example of the new creation people in Ephesians 2:15 (Amplified), "By abolishing in His (Own crucified) flesh the enmity (caused by) the Law with its decrees and ordinances (which He annulled); that He from the two might create in Himself one new man (one new quality of humanity out of the two) so making peace." Paul says too, in Ephesians 4:23-24 (Amplified), "Be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude) And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's Image (God Like) in true righteousness and holiness."
The old self, the natural man, cannot understand what the Holy Spirit is saying to us. Romans 8:10 (Amplified) says, "But if Christ lives in you, (then although) your (natural) body is dead by reason of sin and guilt, the Spirit is alive because of (the) righteousness (that He imputes to you)." We must learn to walk outside of the natural and into this great new creation fellowship with our Heavenly Father. Very little has been taught in our modern churches about this new creation that we have become. We've been trained from the pulpit to focus on our short comings, instead of our new man.
Colossians 3:10 (Amplified) tells us, "And have clothed yourselves with the new (spiritual self) which is (ever in the process of being) renewed and remolded into (fuller and more perfect knowledge upon) knowledge after the Image (the Likeness) of Him Who created it. Jesus, our Lamb and our Lord, never intended us to remain babes in Christ, but to grow into His Image by true knowledge of who we've been made to be.
Many hold the ultimate goal of being born-again and if you must choose a place in God, then getting someone born-again is the most important thing. This means they've escaped hell and are now God's children. I cannot help but wonder why we've stopped short of raising the new babes in Christ to be laborers, kings and priests for God. We've somehow taken the truth of a new creation to mean we are saved. Very few have gone on in the Spirit to raise and mature these babes to be citizens of the Kingdom of God. We've created nurseries full of infants who are dependent upon the pastor, instead of the Master.
We've spent much time telling these new babes what to do and what not to do, but we've forgotten how to train them up in righteousness by the Holy Spirit. We already knew that we were living the wrong way, otherwise we wouldn't have been open to the Holy Spirit. I don't need to be taught about sinning, I already knew how to do that. What I needed to know was how to walk above the sin and how to walk with God in the Spirit.
We're not called to tell a sinner that he is a sinner. We are called to reveal a new creation of men, through Jesus, and to reveal the way out of sin and the misery it brings. Colossians 3:1-3 (Amplified) says, "If then you have been raised with Christ (to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead) aim at and seek the (rich, eternal treasures) that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things) not on the things that are on the earth. For (as far as this world is concerned) you have died, and your (new, real) life is hidden with Christ in God."
We've been working hard to become what Jesus has already made us to be, in this new creation. Instead of developing our new man, we've been trying to become a new man. We've worked hard at trying to become righteous and by so doing, we've failed to simply believe that Jesus has already make us to be the righteousness of God, in Christ Jesus. Now, we must understand that this new creation is already righteous in God's sight. This is what the new creation man is all about. Man couldn't do what was required of him to be in right standing with God. So, our God, through Jesus, declared in Romans 8:3-4 (Amplified), "For God has done what the Law could not do (its power) being weakened by the flesh (the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit) sending His Own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an Offering for sin, (God) condemned sin in the flesh (subdued, overcame, deprived it of the power over all that accept that sacrifice) So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move, not in the ways of the flesh, but in the ways of the Spirit (our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit)."
Our new creation man is "Now righteous, just, consecrated and set apart, unto all good works in Christ Jesus." The problem we've had is we've failed to believe that what Jesus did on our behalf, is is that was needed to do the job. We continue trying to become on our own, what Jesus and Jesus alone, could and has already done. We must finally believe who we are and learn how to walk in this heavenly realm of the Kingdom of God.
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