S17P2 – When Jesus walked in: the new mankind

2 Cor. 5:16-17

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

This passage speaks of two types of newness that we can expect when we come to Christ. First, we view no one from a worldly point of view. Our point of view is a Christ-ly one guided by the Holy Spirit. We understand the mission that Jesus came to fulfill and the impact of salvation on each soul. We understand the realities of this world and this life, and the realities of what awaits us after this life based on our choices regarding faith and Jesus. We are no longer fooled into thinking that our time in this world is all there is, and that this finite life is our only chance to grab whatever happiness we can by whatever means available. We understand the wages of sin and the consequences of living a life separated from God. When we come to Christ, our perspective of mankind and this world shifts from illusion to reality. Because of this, we now have a burden for the world.

Second, coming to a saving knowledge of Christ makes one a new creation. Those who are saved are not merely a little different after their conversion, they are brand new. Paul describes how are new in the previous verses by stating that “one died for all, and therefore all died” [v. 14b]. In his letter to the Roman church, Paul also states that we were baptized into the death of Jesus Christ so that we may live a new life just as Christ was raised from the dead [Rom. 6:3-4]. This speaks of the rebirth that comes from accepting Jesus Christ as one’s savior. The old creation that existed while we were enemies of God was replaced by the new creation that now has been redeemed into a new life. Paul does not tell us that the new will come, he tells us that the new is here. We already are new creations in Christ Jesus.

Accepting Jesus as one’s Lord and Savior ushers in a complete change. Where once we viewed life through the eyes of the world, we now view it through awakened eyes that are guided by the Holy Spirit. Where once we lived as enemies of God, we are now recreated into his friends and his children. The old died with Christ on the cross so that we can live new lives as new creations with new perspective today. Father, thank You that through your son we are able to see the truth of this world, to understand the reality of your Son’s death and resurrection, and to share in that as reborn new creations.