2Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed away. Behold, the new has come."
In the revelation scripture above, given to Paul by the Holy Spirit, we get a view of what God has done for us by Jesus. We are not simply sinners who have been forgiven, but we are new creation. In order to be a new creation, it must be something that has never previously existed before. We've been taught and trained throughout the years, to view ourselves as just "old sinners who were forgiven by God when we got saved."
It's true that Jesus destroyed and completely removed even the existence and every trace of our sin, but God (through Jesus) declared us clean before Him and righteous with Jesus' Own righteousness. Paul stated in 2Corinthians 5:20 (Amplified) that we have missed, saying, "So we are Christ's ambassadors, God making his appeal as it were through us. W (as Christ's personal representatives) beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor (now offered you) and be reconciled to God."
God has shown His grace and favor toward us through Jesus and has declared that He holds no malice or ill will toward us who are in Christ Jesus. Even though He has opened the way into His Throne of Grace, many are reluctant to enter in and be reconciled with Him. He has made to us the reconciliation from His point of view and has already declared our reconciliation through Jesus. Many of us have never considered being reconciled to Him.
One might wonder whether or not these are the same thing. The answer is "No." Have you ever tried being friends with someone who won't be your friend? It doesn't matter how well you treat them or how friendly you are towards that person, he still refuses to be reconciled to you. You can do everything you know how, but that person refuses to enter into friendship with you. God has done everything He can to demonstrate His acceptance and Love His heart holds for men, but many still stand offish and distrust His Word of reconciliation. We've been reluctant to enter into His Throne Room of His grace.
Jesus said in Luke 2:14 (Amplified), "Glory to God in the Highest (Heaven), and on earth peace among men with Whom He is well pleased (men of good will, of His favor)." John 1:17 (Amplified) says, "For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ." These scriptures tell us that God's favor and peace toward mankind has already been offered to all who will reconcile themselves to Him. From the grossest of sinners, to those who have already received Jesus, this reconciliation has been offered to all who will believe
Many of us have received His offer of being forgiven, but have never reconciled ourselves unto His Presence. We still stand in the Outer courts of His Presence like the old covenant people, and never understand we are now God's Temple. We seen afraid to truth the Truth of His Word concerning our old life and allow that fear to hold us back from being reconciled to God. Reconciliation must come from both parties, in order to be made complete. Even though God has reconciled Himself with mankind through Jesus, many (including Christians), have never reconciled themselves unto Him.
We continue to find ourselves standing afar from and trying to find the favor God has already offered us through Jesus. Were we all sinners? Of course, we were. Did we deserve to be made righteous? Of course not. However, by His divine favor, He has made this possible through Jesus. We're not to arrogant about entering His Presence, but we are to be comfortable in His Presence, by faith in what He Himself has made available to us.
I wonder how many of speak and act like friends and family in the Presence of our Father. Do we come to Him as though we are "right" in His eyes? Or, do we distrust His offer of righteousness and stand aloof not daring to reconcile ourselves to Him? I never thought of my children as being arrogant for calling me, "Dad." Nor did I consider them being boastful for believing I would always accept them into my presence. Even when they were wrong, they could come to me and together we would make things right again. This is how we reconcile ourselves to God. Even though He's done everything He can to reconcile Himself to us, we must accept His gift of reconciliation and reconcile ourselves to Him.
It seems strange that as children of God, we still distrust Him to do what He promised, when He could swear by no Higher, He swore to Himself. We confess we believe God's Word and refer to ourselves as being the same as before being saved, instead of about who God has made us to be. Do we really believe we are a new creation or do we see ourselves like we were and never reconcile ourselves to the One Who has promised reconciliation to us?
We are always welcome to God's Throne of Grace and even better, His Very Presence has come to dwell in us as the Temple He has chosen to reside in. The Feast of Tabernacles has come to pass in this new creation, according to John 14:23 (Amplified) where Jesus said, "If a person (really) loves Me, he will keep My Word (obey My teachings) and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (above, special dwelling place) with him." When we don't understand what the Father has done to reconcile Himself to us, we remain reluctant to reconcile ourselves unto Him. This always keeps us from being able to have complete faith in His desire to do for us, everything He wants to do.
Having the "Fear of the Lord" doesn't mean we have a cringing fear or dread of His Presence, but rather having reverence and respect for Him and believing His Word of reconciliation unto us and being reconciled to Him. The truth of the new creation brings boldness to approach Him on His Own terms and not on our terms. We've spent two-thousand years trying to find way of being acceptable to God, instead of placing faith and receiving what He has already done and reconciling ourselves to Him. We must reconcile ourselves to Him by faith and put faith in His way of doing and being right.
All of God's promises work by faith in what He has already said and done. When we try finding our own way to receive from God, we are actually living by unbelief in His Word. The only way to approach Him, is by His Own standards of faith in what He has done through Jesus. Any other way is by the flesh and is useless in God's New Covenant. We can never be "good enough" in our own righteousness to approach Him. This is why faith is so important to the new creation.
God has already made the Way for us to enter into Him at any time. Jesus said in John 6:29 (Amplified), "This is the work (service) that God asks of you; That you believe in the One Whom He has sent (that you cleave tom, trust in, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger)." Hebrews 11:6 (Amplified) tells us, "But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him, For whoever would come near to God must (necessarily) believe that God exist and that He is the Rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him.
God has a prescribed way for us to obtain the promises and rewards of Grace and Covenant. All of these way require faith to obtain. From being saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8) to being found righteous in His eyes (Romans 1:17) which says, "For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith."
2Corinthians 5:20 (Amplified) says, "So we are Christ's ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us, We (as Christ's personal representatives) beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor (now offered you) AND BE RECONCILED TO GOD.
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