Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
Paul writes to the church in Corinth, reminding them of the new life and stand that all who are in Christ are called into. Let us break this down further. As you see from the extract above, there is always the power of personal choice. At no time will anyone ever claim that s/he was forced into a decision. Everywhere you see God asking men to come to Him, He always lays it out a a choice and the exercise of freewill. But please note: in every choice is the seed of its own consequences. This is the silent bit in all the choices we are faced with daily: there really is no free lunch anywhere. Whatever it is that is on offer has either been paid for, or the price will be paid for sometime in the future. I get to claim the one already paid for if I respond to the offer in today's extract.
If any man will respond to the offer and come INTO and remain in Christ, the effect or consequence is that s/he becomes a new creature. I note that the secret to the newness is not hearing, reading or speaking about Him alone; these are all good but they are ideal in conjunction with residence: being in Christ. No matter how much I read, know or learn about claiming citizenship of a different country, until I actually put in an application or align with the requirements, I receive nothing. The same applies in the spiritual: God wants to change my life, but He can't do a complete job if I won't submit to Him or become a part of His kingdom. He is the King of kings but whilst I am on earth, He will not encroach into territory that has not freely surrendered to Him.
I may not yet have fully grasped the dimensions of what this new life means, but as I have come to know God, it is a journey of daily discovery of who God is. From the passage above, when a man has discovered God, the old must give way to the new. In Christ, it is NOT possible to mix and match the old and the new. It is the deceit of the enemy to push the theory that the only way you can change the world is to be a part of it. Elijah asked the Israelites: “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
God also told the church in Laodicea: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!" You can never do both at the same time.
The new life is the consequence that follows the decision to be in Christ. I note the old is referred to in the past tense as having passed away, like died. It is never to become important or relevant to my life anymore. It must not be resurrected or given time, space or a foothold in my life again. The new is spoken of here in the continuous present tense: it is happening right now, and it will continue to happen until I become all that God expects. It does not appear that there is an end to the newness, as in Christ, your life never really ends; you just exchange the earthly for the eternal. Christ makes all things new, including any life that has been freely given to Him. Is yours in His hands? God's time of favour is here.
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