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). Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ has reconciled us to Himself (brought us into harmony, received us into favor 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)."
We must always hold fast our new identity in Christ Jesus, in order to fully walk in this new creation being. One of satan's favorite traps is keeping us focused on who we used to be, instead of what the Father has made us to be. The enemy is an identity thief and doesn't work only in the world to steal someone's identity, but also works in the spirit realm to keep us from seeing our identity in Christ Jesus.
James 1:23-25 (Amplified) says, "For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it, and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his (own) natural face in a mirror; For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like. But he who looks carefully into the faultless law (the law) of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer (who obeys), he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience)."
2Corinthians 3:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom) And all of us, with unveiled face (because we) continued to behold (in the Word of God) as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His Very Own Image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another (for this comes) from the Lord (Who is) the Spirit."
The very first things satan did to seduce Adam and Eve, was getting them to see themselves as different than what God made them to be in Genesis 2:27 (Amplified) which says, "So God created man in His Own Image, in the Image and Likeness of God He created them." Genesis 3:4-5 (Amplified) goes on, "But the serpent said to the woman, you shall not surely die For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity."
They were already like God and only needed to know good and blessing. God never intended "evil and calamity" for His children. When Eve began to have her God-given identity changed, she saw herself as different than what God had created her to be. Satan did the same with the Israelites in Numbers 13:30-33 (Amplified) which says, "But Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once and possess it [the Promised Land]. We are well able to conquer it. But his fellow scouts said, we are not able to go up against the people (of Canaan), for they are stronger than we are. So they brought the Israelites an evil report of the Land which they had scouted out, saying, The Land through which we went to spy out is a Land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the Nephilim (the giants) the sons of Anak, who come from the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."
Satan had stolen the image of their identity in God from them and reduced their identity as being "as grasshoppers." The Israelites no longer viewed themselves as being what God made them to be, but saw themselves like satan portrayed them. In Luke 4:3 (Amplified) Jesus was on the Mount of Temptation and, "Then the devil said to Him, If you are the Son of God, order this stone to turn into a (loaf of bread)." Satan even tried to make Jesus question Who He was and steal His identity.
When we read about the new creation throughout the Word, we see ourselves as we truly are in God's eyes. We conflict the identities of the outer-man and the inner-man. The outer-man is the flesh and bone body (or house) that our inner-man lives in, while we're on this earth. Your inner-man, the new creation is the real you. If you get born-again, but continue seeing only your outer-man, then you're not seeing the real you and satan will robe you of your new identity as God's Own family. We never see ourselves as what our new creation man really is.
The new creation man is once again made in the "Very Likeness and Image of God." The new creation man is righteous, redeemed, sanctified, holy, consecrated and purified, by the Sacrifice of Jesus. These aren't attributes of our new man for "when we die," but are the NOW attributes for while we remain on earth. We have failed the Church, by identifying our true nature and preaching to the outer-man. The Church has lost sight of who we truly are in Christ. We've actually postponed our new identity, for being "when we get to Heaven."
When are you made righteous? When you die in the natural or when you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior? When does the things God says about you, become "true" in you? After you die or when you were raised with Christ Jesus? When is what God says about you going to become who you really are? Our new creation man is identified through Jesus, not by the world or religion, but by faith in what Jesus has done for and through us. We don't have the old sin nature in our lost spirit man. We have the Very nature of God, Who now lives in our new creation being.
The new creation man is the one we're supposed to see in the "perfect Law of Liberty," not the outer-man. This mirror is supposed to reflect our new identity in Christ Jesus. If what God did through Jesus on the cross, wasn't enough to purify you, then there is no hope left for mankind.
We've never learned to walk in our new creation man and were taught by man, instead of God. Natural man can only teach natural things, but the Holy Spirit will now teach the new creation man. We've failed in the Church, because we never saw ourselves in the new creation man and taught ourselves only the outer-man. We've tried walking in the Spirit, by the same Laws that govern the world and the outer-man. Romans 6:11 (Amplified) says, "Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God (living in unbroken fellowship with Him) in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:16 (Amplified) says, "The Spirit Himself (thus) testifies together with our own spirit, (assuring us) that we are children of God."
Paul goes on in Romans 8:29 (Amplified) saying, "For those whom He fore knew (of whom He was aware and loved beforehand), He also destined from the beginning (foreordaining them) to be molded into the Image of His Son (and share inwardly His Likeness) that He might become the Firstborn among many brethren."
Do you read the New Testament as a new creation man, who is made in "the Image of His Son" or do you read it, while identifying with the old man you were before receiving Jesus? This identity crisis in the downfall of the Church. Paul writes in 1Corinthians 4:4 (Amplified), "I am not conscious of anything against myself, and I feel blameless; but I am not vindicated and acquitted before God on that account. It is the Lord (Himself) Who examines and judges me."
Jesus met all the requirements of the Law of Sin and Death, on our behalf. He is the Total Fulfillment of our new creation being. The Curse of the Law was placed upon Him, so that the Blessing of Abraham can be ours. The stripes Jesus took for our healing and the chastisement needful for our obtaining peace of mind and well-being, was also placed on Him. Jesus paid the price that was required by the Law of Sin and Death for our salvation and the new creation being has been raised by the new Law of Life. Romans 8:2 (Amplified) says, "For the Law of the Spirit of Life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the Law of our new being) has FREED ME from the Law of Sin and of Death."
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