2Corinthians 5:17-18 (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. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
Romans 12:2 (Amplified) says, "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)."
As new creations, we must learn and renew our minds by the way of our new life and customs of God's Kingdom, instead of allowing the world's culture to determine our way of living. In this world, we are trained by the customs and culture of the where we were born and raised. Everyone who has been born of the flesh, are human beings. They are human beings, because they were born in this world. We might come from different ethnic groups, but we're all human beings.
We were raised in different parts of the world and were trained by the cultures, customs and teachings of that venue. Our minds have conformed to the things we've heard and seen around us. As we grew into adulthood, this was an established way of life for us. Some broke with tradition and grew into a different way of living, but most didn't. Many still live like those who came before them centuries ago and hold to the customs they were raised in. Although we're all human beings, we live in different ways. We don't do this in order to become human beings, but we are developing lifestyles as humans.
The Body of Christ (the Church) comes from only One Source, according to 1Peter 1:23 (Amplified) which says, "You have been regenerated (born again) not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm but from One that is Immortal by the Ever Living and Lasting Word of God." We Christians have all been born of the Same Seed, but we've been trained by the world's culture, instead of the culture of God's Kingdom. We all became one new creation when we were born-again, but we differ in so many ways, because of the cultures we were born into and raised in.
Paul directs us to, "Not be conformed to this world and fashioned after its external customs." This world can and has conformed the new creation family, after its own "external customs." If we look at the different denominations throughout today's world, we find that the customs and cultures of the world determine how and what we believe as the new creation family of God. Even though we are all born of the Spirit, we are still guided by the external customs of the world. This is why Paul tells us to, "renew our minds." The world's customs have determined the teachings of the Church. Not everything we've been taught is wrong, but it's certainly not all right either.
Most of us haven't given this much thought and we're not given this revelation, in order to become Lone Ranger Christians. Revelations tells us that satan is, "he who has deceived the whole world. None of us have been exempt from his lies and deceptions. We've been empowered by the new Life and Spirit within us, to overcome many things of the flesh, but we haven't been trained by our new creation spirit to live in what we've been created to be.
Customs and cultures have determined what we believe and what we are to do, in the Church. We were already Christians, but now the customs are training us, instead of the Word and the Holy Spirit (Who is our Teacher). The external customs that Paul spoke about, have determined the external things to override the eternal things. Many external customs (like the way we are to dress and worship) have been dictated through the world's teachings. Different cultures and customs still offer up sacrifices today and in others, the Gifts of the Spirit and the Super-natural things of God "have ceased." Some believe that God doesn't do these things anymore or that God only speaks to certain people. These are only a few examples of the external and superficial customs of "this age and the world," that have fashioned the Church over the years.
It's seems out of place in the Church, for us to step-out into the things of the new creation, because they go against the external customs and culture of the world's teachings. The Church isn't trying to be antagonistic against the Truth of the Word, but we've been so accustomed to these teachings, that it seems "right" to us. Jesus warned that, "The thief comes only to kill, to steal and to destroy" the liberty of this new creation. Satan's tried his best, to keep God's family under the same bondage he holds over the world.
In these Last Days, the Holy Spirit is breaking through the carnal minds of the Church, with revelation from God's Kingdom. The Super-natural move of the Kingdom is being restored and things are working and operating in the Kingdom principles. The world's customs are being replaced by the Truth of the Eternal God and Father of the new creation family.
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