Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Developing the New Creation Lesson 69

     2Cor.5:17(Amp) 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 away. Behold, the fresh and new has come."  When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we weren't just forgiven.  We were made new creations, without sin or guilt from our past lives and complete in Him, without the stain of sin in our new man/woman.  Jesus' complete Sacrifice didn't cover our sins, like those in the old covenant, but completely removed them.  We were created new and are righteous and holy in God's sight.

     The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church, about renewing our minds with God's Word.  This is something each born-again person does on his/her own.  Paul wrote about studying to show ourselves approved in 2Tim.2:15(Amp), saying, "Study and be eager and do your upmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing (rightly handling) and skillfully teaching the Word of Truth."

     Here's what Paul told the Church in Rome, saying in Rom.12:2(Amp), "Do not be conformed to this world (age), fashioned after and adapted to it's external (superficial) customs, but be transformed (changed) by the entire renewal of your mind, by it's new ideals and it's new attitude so that you may prove for yourself what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect in His sight."

     Every new creation person are responsible to do this on his/her own.  The only things remaining from our old man/woman are the memories stored in our minds over the years in the world.  We thought like those who were unsaved and lost, until we became new creations in Christ Jesus.  Our renewed minds still remember the things our flesh enjoyed and participated in, before we were born-again.  Our old man/woman has stored memories our flesh partook of.

     Eph.4:22-24(Amp) says, "Strip yourselves of your former nature, put off and discard your old unrenewed self which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion. And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind, having a fresh mental and Spiritual attitude and put on the new nature, the regenerate self created in God's Image, God like in true Righteousness and Holiness."

     After reading the above scripture, we can understand why Paul warned us about "adapting to this world (age) and it's external and superficial customs."  The worldview of Christianity and what The Bible tells us about Christianity, are two very different things.  Some Christians haven't renewed their minds by God's Word and don't understand the new creation person they've become in Jesus.  They struggle with their past lives, along with the guilt and condemnation of their old man/woman, because they haven't renewed their minds by the Truth of the new creation being they've become.

     The mind didn't get born-again when our spirit did, so it still think like it did before.  We were trained up by the world, the good and bad, and our carnal mind is still hostile towards God and His Word, according to Rom.8:7(Amp), which says, "That is because the mind of the flesh with its carnal thoughts and purposes is hostile to God and it does not submit itself to God's Law; indeed it cannot."  Our carnal mind will stayed fixed on who we once were, with the habits of our old man/woman.  We must train it by our new creation spirit, as described by God's Word and His Spirit. 

     Paul describes our looking into the Word of God, like looking into a mirror, in 2Cor.3:17-18(Amp), saying, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom). 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 ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord Who is the Spirit."   

     The worldview of a Christian, is an old sinner saved by Grace.  God's Word says that Christians are new creations, who are without any stain or blemish of sin, to the Glory of God.  We seldom see ourselves like God sees us, because we haven't renewed our minds, which were programmed by the flesh.  The world establishes habits and thoughts in our minds, which must be replaced by God's Word and the Holy Spirit.  

     We weren't born as flesh and blood people, with corrupt minds.  Everything in our minds aren't wrong, but the things that oppose God are.  Learning to drive a vehicle isn't offensive to God,  The old, sinful things our minds learned over time, must be replaced by our new creation mind of Christ.  We retain such things as spelling and doing math, because they're not in opposition to God or His Word.  The condemnation and guilt that our mind continues to bring up, must be renewed and replaced by God's Word, which tells us that we've been made new and without sin, in Jesus.  

     God never intended that we are miserable in this life, but wants us to fully enjoy life, even more than we ever thought was possible.  We can be new creation people, who enjoy camping with out family or going to the fair with our friends.  These things aren't sinful.  Jesus said in John10:10, "I have come that you may enjoy life abundantly, to the fullest."   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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