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 has 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)."
The new creation is exactly what God's Word says it is, a new creation. When speaking about the new creation, we've speaking about the Body of Christ Jesus Himself. We were so created by our Father in this new creation, that when He raised Jesus from the dead, all who would believe in Him, would also (at that time) be raised and resurrected with Him. Colossians 1:17-18 (Amplified) says, "And He Himself existed before all things, and in Him all things consist (cohere, are held together) He also is the Head of (His) Body, the Church; seeing He is the Beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead, so that He alone in everything and in every respect might occupy the chief place (stand First and be pre-eminent)."
This new creation family of God was raised from spiritual death, with Jesus and is now living and acting on Spiritual Life on this earth, as the very Body of Christ Himself. Many of us have believed that our spiritufal life with God begins at our death in the flesh, when we enter into spiritual union with God in Heaven. God's Word says that this has already happened, in Colossians 1:21-22 (Amplified) saying, "And although you at one time were estranged and alienated from Him and were of hostile attitude of mind in your wicked activities. Yet now has Christ (the Messiah) reconciled (you to God) in the Body of His flesh through death, in order to present you holy and faultless and irreproachable in His (the Father's) Presence."
We find the entire key to walking in this new creation family, which is knowing and believing the Father's Love for us. 1John 4:16 (Amplified) says, "And we know (understand, recognie, are conscience of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in, and rely on) the Love God cherishes for us. GOD IS LOVE, and he who dwells and continues in Love dwells and continues in God and God dwells and continues in him."
We read that, "God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son," in John 3:16, along with 1John 4:16 that, "God is Love," but do we know and believe this Love that He has for us? Ephesians 3:19 (Amplified) says, "(That you may really come) to know, (practically, through experience for youselves) the Love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge (without experience); that you may be filled (through all your being) unto all the fullness of God (may have the richest measure of the Divine Presence and become a Body wholly filled and flooded withGod Himself)."
This is for the Body of Christ, but it's also for each individual who makes up the Body. When one person doesn't know and believe this Love, that doesn't mean another part of the Body must wait for him to know and believe, in order to experience that Love. We have witnessed this Love in the scriptures and have mentally accepted it as Truth, but it's another things to believe this Love by faith and revelation in our spirit.
Much of our doctrine and teaching through the years, shows a lack of revelation of this Love, when compared to what we now believe. Some of what we've been taught, has come from reading about the former covenant between flesh and blood men and God. We have likened ourselves to the old covenant, by not having the True revelation of this new creation family. Even though God loved them, He couldn't deal with them, like He can now deal with His new creation. The old covenant people were abiding in spiritual death they inherited from Adam's transgression in the Garden. Sin and death were locked in them and had placed them under a Law of the Spirit realm called, "The Law of Sin and Death." This Law was one that God (being Just and Righteous), couldn't simply ignore. He had to adhere to, until He could fulfill this Law and supercede it by a Higher Law.
The laws that govern Heaven and the Spirit realm, are laws that cannot be overlooked or ignored. This is why satan had such confidence in his hold over mankind and this world. Satan didn't see a way for God to fulfill this Law and believed God couldn't retain what He intended in the Kingdom. Without revelation from the Holy Spirit, satan had locked himself into only knowledge of the natural man.
Ephesians 2:4-5 (Amplified) says, "But God-so rich is He in His mercy! because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense Love with whih He loved us Even when we were dead (slain) by (our own) shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; (He gave us the very Life of Christ Himself, the same new Life with which He quickened Him), for it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation)."
This new creation man was (and really still remains) a mystery to the world and even unto many in the Church. Ephesians 3:3-6 (Amplified) says, "(And) that the mystery (secret) was made known to me and I was allowed to comprehend it by direct revelation When you read this you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. (This mystery) was never disclosed to human beings in past generations as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles (consecrated messengers) and prophets by the Holy Spirit."
Satan had no idea the depth that the Father would go to actually fulfill the Law of Sin and Death and bring His family back to Himself, because satan had no understand of the full and unchanging Love of God. Satan couldn't understand God's Love that was so great that He would send Jesus to actually die in our place, in order to receive the entire weight of this Law and reclaim His family to Himself. God's Love for the family He created, is still a mystery to satan today.
The revelation of the depth of God's Love for His new creation family is found in Romans 8:1-3, but it remains a mystery to many in the Church. We read about how "God Loved us so much that He sent Jesus," in John 3:16, but we haven't believed it. It's like we're waiting for the other shoe to drop and God will pour His anger out on us, because of our shortcomings. I'm not saying that it doesn't matter how we live in this natural body, but we must believing God's Love will bring everything into focus for the new man.
Paul was given revelation about God's Love for the believer, in Romans 8:1-3 (Amplified) which says, "Therefore; (there is) now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live (and) walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit [the flesh is still in opposition to this scripture and has no revealed Truth of what His great Love has done] The Spirit will dictate, or reveal to you the depth that Love has gone to set us completely free. 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."
God didn't simply put aside the Law, but being a Just Judge, He had to judge those who were under the Law. The devil had no idea that Love would actually die, become sin, pay the penalty of separation from God, and suffer the full debt, in order to reclaim His family. Satan is selfish, rebellious, fearful, and destructive, so even though he knew of God's Love, he never truly believed it. Satan could never understand that Love Himself would go this far, in order to deliver humankind from his hands and bring them back to Himself. The Father justly paid and fulfilled what the Law of Sin and Death required. He Himself paid for man's sins and rebellion, in order to establish a Higher Law, which is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. It was just, legal and everlasting, in order to satisfy the legal claims of Heaven.
Verse 3 goes on, saying, "For God has done what the Law could not do, (its power) being made 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 its power over all who accepts that Sacrifice)." Now you can better understand, know and believe this Love. We must learn what Paul meant in Ephesians 3:19 (Amplified) when he wrote, "That you may really come to know (practically through experience for yourselves) the Love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge (without experience), that you may be filled throughout your being unto all the fullness of God (may have the richest measure of the Divine Presence, and become a Body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself."
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