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 Himself)."
God didn't only forgive our sins and trespasses through Jesus, but He completely did away with them, when our old man was crucified with Jesus. We've still looked at ourselves as just forgiven sinners and not new creations. The old man of sin and trespasses died with the Sacrifice of Jesus, was buried with Him in our baptism and was justified, brought back into right standing, accepted as His Own child and raised up (resurrected) with Jesus in His resurrection. This is the new creation family of our Heavenly Father. This new creation never existed before this time. We are truly new creations.
The enemy would like for us to believe we haven't changed and remain the way we once were, fearing we're on the edge of rejection at all times. The enemy would like to keep us guessing whether God will even hear our prayers (let alone answer them), because we're "still only sinners, with no right to justly petition Him." Once the Holy Spirit reveals who we (the Church) really are in Jesus, things will forever change. My children will always be my children. They have my blood, my name, and my inheritance as their own, for all their lives. My grandchildren and great-grandchildren for a thousand generations, are still my blood. Can it possibly be less with God's Own children now?
As new creations, we've never truly understood what has happened to and for us, when we received Jesus and He received us. We not only received Him (although we finally called on His Name), but He had already made His decision to accept us, when He entered this world as a Child. When Jesus was raised from the pit and seated at the Father's right hand, He had already accepted whosoever would come to Him. When we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He received us. We're not only saved, but we're truly one in Him. If we are one with Him and are in Him, then we are His right standing, His justification and His place in His seating with the Father.
For centuries, we've tried making ourselves right before God by rituals and sacrifice, but to no avail. We always had the sense of unworthiness and condemnation, that held us back from the Face of the Father. This is the carnal mind and a lie of satan, that keeps us from bringing destruction to his dark kingdom, which he rules over with deception. When the Light of Revelation of the new creation comes into God's family, satan's dark rule is done for the child of God.
As God's children begin understanding the work that is now a new creation, satan's rule will be broken on an individual basis in the lives of those who will step out in their new identity. As the family of God begins taking its rightful place in the earth, not only will our lives change, but once I know who I am, I can begin to change lives around me as God's new creation son.
Even Jesus could only be in one place, at one time, in His earthly ministry. His Presence here as a Man, only effected the place He was at the time. His Presence in Jerusalem and His miracles in Bethany, didn't effect anything or bring any healings in Rome. Jesus could only change things, where He was. The Church has been told and believed, that only Jesus could do these things and have viewed His statement in John 14:12 (Amplified) as a mistake. Thus, Jesus said, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do, and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father." Jesus was speaking about the new creation man, that would be raised in His Own Likeness, when He went to the Father. The Same Spirit that came upon and into and empowered Jesus in the Jordan River, is the Same Spirit Who would created this new creation in His Likeness. Jesus mentioned the Spirit of Truth to us, in John 14:17 (Amplified), saying, "The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart) because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him; But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you (constantly) and will be in you."
Before His ascension, Jesus told His followers in Acts 1:8 (Amplified), "But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth." Notice! It was to start in the place where they were at the time. Just like Jesus could only do things where He was, these individuals could only do things where they were. But, now the Holy Spirit was available to whosoever would receive Him and where they went, He went in them. The things that Jesus did, by the Holy Spirit, they could do also and greater things than Jesus did, because He went to the Father for this purpose. Now, instead of having only One Man Who was filled with His Spirit, God could have multiplied millions of men and women who were filled with Him. 1Corinthians 6:19 (Amplified) says, "Do you not know that your body is the Temple (the very Sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received (as a Gift) from God? You are not your own."
You are not your own, you are a new creation who was made, bought, received as a vehicle of honor, to transport the Holy Spirit from "Jerusalem, to Judea, and Samaria, and to the very bounds of the earth." There is no longer just One Man (Jesus) who is filled with God, but millions of men and women are filled with God and taking Him to the very bounds of the earth. Do you think you can still be a sinner and transgressor and still be pure enough for God to live in and empower you as the Temple of God?
Your Creator lives in your new creation spirit. You're not only just forgiven, but you've become a "new creature altogether." God has made us to be a new creature, that is so clean, new and pure, that He Himself can live in us and walk in us. The Holy Spirit, Who is God Himself, cannot and will not make His Temple in union with sin and unclean things. Now we can understand what Jesus meant in John 17:16 20 (Amplified) when He prayed, "They are not of this world (worldly, belonging to the world) just as I am not of the world." Jesus identified us with "not being of this world, even as [He] was not of this world." Jesus was presenting the new creation man, before the Father on our behalf. Jesus makes it clear that He wasn't only praying for His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, but for us too. Thus, He goes on in Verse 20, "Neither for these alone for I pray (it is not for their sake only that I make this request) but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching." Now, through this new creation, this living temple and tangible Presence of God is being taken into all the world. The Church is His temple and we now "do the work that Jesus did," because this new creation is like He was in the earth. The new creation is what Emmanuel God with us, in the world. The Body of Christ have in this new creation, become what the Ark of the Covenant was in the old covenant. Now, though, we are not in a temple, but have become the temple.
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