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)."
1Corinthians 1-3 (Amplified) says, "However, Brethren, I could not talk to you as to spiritual (men), but as to non-spiritual (men of the flesh, in whom the carnal nature predominates), as to mere infants (in the new life) in Christ (unable to talk yet) I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough (to be ready for it); but even yet strong enough (to be ready for it) For are you still (unspiritual, having the nature) of the flesh (under the control of ordinary impulses) For as long as (there are) envying and jealousy and wranglings and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men?"
Paul was writing to the Church in Corinth who were already born-again and should have been growing in the knowledge of God. Paul chastised them for their lack of growth and maturity, because they should have been much further in the things of the new creation man. The dispute over who was the "better preacher" or who was "the most sought after minister," is similar to what today's denominational churches. Paul saw how the Church in Corinth had stopped in their spiritual growth and had fallen back into traditions and rituals. Those who ministered in the Church at that time, had only a portion of the Truth of Paul's revelation. He expected them to have a more clear and growing Truth of the new man, by combining the revelation he received with their traditions.
Today, we have come upon the same thing. Many have exchanged the Super-natural things of God and have returned to tradition and formality. We've don't need to discard the good traditional things that we've walked in, but we should combine them with further revelation. We don't stop with not sinning, but we must go onto training the senses to move in the things of the Spirit. Of course, the Church should certainly mature in our not sinning, but that should be a starting point.
When the sins of the old man have been put in their proper place, the developing of the new man can grow from "faith to faith." Paul speaks to the Church in Corinth about their making judgments in court cases and civil judgments. As the "called out ones," we are taking our court cases to the unrighteous courts of the land and aren't trusting the Holy Spirit to judge in righteousness. Dare I say that this is still the case for most of the Church, today. When was the last time you saw a people go to the preacher and Elders of the church, to settle a lawsuit? Even if the church decided a case and it didn't set well with the one who lost the case, then they would still go to the courts of the land for restitution. Paul went on in 1Corinthians 6:2,5-6 (Amplified) saying, "Do you not know that the saints (the believers) will (one day) judge and govern the world? And if the world (itself) is to be judged and ruled by you, are you unworthy and incompetent to try (such petty matters) of the smallest courts of justice?"
The new creation people haven't understood the authority of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Paul goes in in Verses 5-6, "I say this to move you to shame. Can it be that there really is not one man among you who (in action is governed by piety and integrity and) is wise and competent enough to decide (the private grievances, disputes, and quarrels) between members of the brotherhood? But brother goes to law against brother, and that before (Gentile judges who are) unbelievers (without faith or trust in the Gospel of Christ)?"
Arriving to the place where we can actually trust in our clergy to make Godly decisions in our "private grievances and disputes," is a long way from where we are today, but this is where Paul expected those Christians to do. The new creation family is something that many of us haven't looked at from the Laws that govern the Kingdom they belong to. We're still wavering between the world and the Kingdom. Paul was given this revelation and tried bringing the people to a place, where they were only dependent on God's Word and the Holy Spirit. This doesn't mean we are supposed to ignore the Laws of the Land, but we're to walk above those laws by a Higher Law. The Laws of the Land tell us "not to steal and kill." These laws shouldn't be deterrents for the Church, because the Laws of the Kingdom already forbid these things. We shouldn't be afraid to steal, because we're afraid of arrest and jail time, but because the Word says, "Thou shall not steal."
We have much to learn about ourselves as new creation people. As the Holy Spirit gives us revelation, we are to grow in Truth. In God's Kingdom, there are Laws that govern His people. We've haven't learned or sought out these "Higher Laws," in order to walk in them. One of these Higher Laws, is the Laws that govern our words. Many see governing their words as "bondage" or as "foolishness." Jesus said in Mark 11:23 (Amplified), "Truly, I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him."
We've been trained in the world to have more faith in the negative words we speak, rather than having more faith in Jesus' Words. We speak words of the world with faith in our hearts, without even thinking about it. These words come to pass in our lives, without our ever being cognizant of it. Even though these are not God's Words, they are faith filled words. We speak words of sickness, death, divorce and lack. We speak words about our children "being lost in drugs" or "belonging to the world." Then we doubt God's Word, when we speak "healing, life, the Blessing and the redemption of our children," even though these are Spiritual Laws and they work.
The new creation man has power in his and her words, that will change things in our lives and in our own family for the good of the Kingdom. There is also power in our words the enemy can use against us, when we speak contrary to our covenant. The world uses political correctness and other things it deems "offensive", to control our words. The world finds it offensive, for us to speak God's Word in public. Most of the authority and peace of the new creation life, must begin with the individual believer's words. Don't be concerned about what someone else says, but only about what you say. Believe what you say will come to pass and it will change the way you speak.
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