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! All things are made new. 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 with Him (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
I've been using the above scripture for our text in many lessons. Let's read what Paul writes in Verses 13-16 of 2Corinthians 5 about the new creation family, saying, "For if we are beside ourselves (mad as some would say) it is for God and concerns Him; if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. For the Love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that if One died for all, then all died. And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake. Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a purely human point of view, in terms of natural standards of value. No, even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a Man, Yet now we have such knowledge of Him that we know Him no longer in terms of the flesh."
Paul received this revelation directly from Jesus and we can read Verse 17 in light of this revelation. Thus, it 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."
We might have read these scriptures many times, without grasping what Paul said, because we've been taught and trained to see ourselves as still "being after the flesh" and "just forgiven sinners." We continue seeing ourselves after the flesh, as the old man, which leaves us focused on our weakness and short comings. Paul instructed us to "estimate and regard no one from a purely human point of view and in terms of natural standards only."
We've been taught to focus on humanity and not the Spirit, so we haven't seen who we were created to be. Using human standards and abilities, we always lead to falling short of the new creation. We are more aware of our own disabilities, instead of His ability. In the humanity's natural state, we cannot simply lay hands on the sick and expect them to be healed. But, we're not only human any longer. We tend to forget that God's Holy Spirit is now living our vessels of flesh and it's no longer us, "but the Father in us, Who does the work."
Jesus stated this many times, in many ways. It wasn't His flesh, but the Holy Spirit within Him, Who worked all of the miracles that Jesus performed. Jesus' body (the flesh and blood humanity that He lived in) was born from God and was without sin. Through Him, the sinful part of you (spirit, soul and body) was laid on the cross with Jesus and died. This is what Paul said in 2Corinthians 5:14-15 (Amplified), where he said, "For the Love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that if One died for all, then all died. And He died for all, so that all those who live no longer live to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake."
God now sees even our mortal body as "being without sin ," like Jesus was. Our old, mortal and sinful flesh, was crucified and died with Jesus, leaving the new creation man holy, blameless and without sin in God's eyes. This isn't saying that we should continue in sin without repentance, but that we won't allow the weakness of the flesh distract us from who we've become in this new creation. If we concentrate only on the body, then we will never rise to the full standards of who we are in Him. We learn from the Word and our Teacher, the Holy Spirit, how to bring the body under subjection to the spirit and see ourselves like God sees us.
2Corinthians 3:16-18 (Amplified) says, "But whenever a person in repentance to the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away. 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, as 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 every increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord Who is the Spirit."
We can never become the new creation manifested to the world, without God's Word and the Holy Spirit. We will never "see in the Word of God, as in a mirror" what we've now become, if we read it with a carnal mind. Reading with a carnal mind, will leave us to only see ourselves as who we once were. If we allow the Spirit to reveal God's Word (like in a mirror), then He will show us who we've now become.
The Super-natural things of God are impossible to the natural man, but the Super-natural has been ingrafted into the new creation man. This allows us to carry out the work and ministry of reconciliation to the world. Romans 8:29 (Amplified) tells us that Jesus was the Firstborn of many brethren. Thus, Paul writes, "For those whom He foreknew (of whom He was aware and Love beforehand), He also destined from the beginning, fore-ordaining them to be molded into the Image of His Son and share inwardly His Likeness that He might become the Firstborn among many brethren." Hebrews 12:23 (Amplified) says, "And to the Church, assembly of the Firstborn who are registered as citizens in Heaven, and to the God Who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, the redeemed in Heaven, who have been made perfect."
Satan and his system, have tried keeping the Church in spiritual blindness, to the Truth of what Jesus has actually done when through Him, God brought forth the new creation. This new creation is no longer subject to the old, spiritual bondage that came upon them through Adam, but we've been created new by Jesus Christ. We've been redeemed from the entire Law of Sin and Death and have been restored into the perfection of the Father's heart. From the very beginning, the Father's heart was for family. Through Adam's fall, God momentarily lost His dream for that family, but He set into motion a way to redeem mankind and return His children back to Himself, from captivity.
We've been created new, through Christ Jesus. We're not just simply forgiven sinners (like in the old covenant), but we've been made brand new. Not a trace of Adam's sin has been left to tarnish God's family and bring shame upon Him. The Very Spirit of God, Who loves, heals and makes whole is now living in our own spirit, to do whatever is needful to set the captives free.
It's the Spirit Who gives these Gifts as He will and He will deliver which of these Gifts is needed to set someone free, through you. He knows what Gift is needed for the person you are ministering to. This doesn't mean that you "have the Gift of Healing," but that you do "have the One Who has these Gifts." He will manifest them through you, as they are needed.
Don't lock yourself into the same thing we've been deceived into believing for over two-thousand years. We've been taught that "These Gifts aren't for everyone," for far too long. Not everyone might have the Gifts, but all do have the One Who has these Gifts. He gives these Gifts as He wills, so that "these signs and wonders followed those who believe." Not all (if any) were of the five-fold ministry, but these signs followed those who believed.
We must allow the Holy Spirit to do what He wishes to do through us, in order to set at liberty all who are bound (spirit, soul, and body). If it requires healing, then He will heal them. If it requires deliverance, then He will deliver them. Whatever the need is, the Holy Spirit will deliver these Gifts as He wills. In Jesus' ministry (and that of Paul and others), we witness the Holy Spirit "as He healed them all."
In some instances, like in Nazareth with Jesus, the unbelief of the people, caused Him "to do no mighty works." This isn't something we judge, but the Spirit. For all who would believe, though, deliverance was always there. Jesus could only heal, restore and minister to those who would believe and this is true for us today. Don't allow yourself to fall into the thinking that has plagued the Church for centuries, believing that, "It might not be God's will to heal them." It was God's will to heal them all, but it was their will not to receive it. It's the same as it is with the Word of salvation. God would that "all should be saved and come to the knowledge of Him," but there are those who refuse God's will.
Don't fall into the religious habit of trying to determine "which ones God would deal with." Do what we are created to do and allow God, through His Spirit, to do His will. Not everyone Jesus preached to, believed His Message, but all had the same opportunity to receive. This is the way man was made and God will respect it. You have a choice to make (as far as doing what we've been created to do) and we must make it wisely.
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