December 7, 2024— Shortly after I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, I noticed positive changes in my personality. I was smiling more and rejoicing each day. I thought more positively than negatively. I was more helpful than hurtful, though I always was a sympathetic/empathetic person. Despite this beautiful outcome, I realized that my behavior remained the same and that change was necessary. The realization came to me through the conviction of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8). He brought me to the new creation bible verse, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2nd Corinthians 5:17).
Naturally, I had some questions for the Holy Spirit:
What is the meaning of 2nd Corinthians 5:17?
How can I apply Paul’s statement of a “new creation” to my life?
Unfortunately, I did not know then that I could ask Him for advice. So, I sought the answer by asking people in the church and performing searches on Google. I was not satisfied or convinced with what I heard or found. Yet, there was a hunger to obtain the proper answer.
New Creation Defined
Paul answers what a new creation is, “Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” The old things that have passed away are your previous mindset and perspective on worldly things. When you accept Jesus Christ as your savior, peace descends on you as promised by Jesus, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27). Jesus also promised the Holy Spirit to guide you in your Christian walk:
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
John 14:16-17
The Holy Spirit works in you to make you more of what God called you to be. God called you to be reconciled to Him via His only Son, Jesus Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:18). Since Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, He dwells within you. Those who believe in Him have Jesus Christ within them. Jesus died on the cross so that those who live should believe in Him (2nd Corinthians 5:15). Therefore, you are spiritually renewed, not physically renewed. Thus, you are the new creation that Paul speaks of. The challenge will be listening to the Holy Spirit when He convicts you of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit will tell you if you are on the Christian or the world’s path.
Walking in the Christian Path
Jesus came to earth because God loved the world (John 3:16). Also, God wanted us to be reconciled to Him. No man on earth has ever been free of sin, for all commit sin (Romans 3:23). Thus, no one could fulfill the law God laid out for us in the Old Testament. Therefore, God sent Jesus, who knew no sin, so that we can be His righteousness (2nd Corinthians 5:21). Furthermore, your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is eternal life because of righteousness (Romans 8:10). Now, we are called to be ambassadors of Christ, representing heaven's kingdom here on earth.
God did not call you to be as you were but as a new creation. You are to act like a Christian. Jesus said that if you love Him, you will keep His commandments (John 14:15). What did Jesus teach? Most of His teachings focused on how God truly works: He came in the flesh so you might be saved. His teachings of the original law brought it one step further. To name a few, Jesus had points on the following:
loving your enemies,
not looking at someone with lust,
the sanctity of marriage,
and do not make promises
All of these point to the “greatest commandment” of loving God with your heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37 and Deuteronomy 6:5). His teachings also point to the second greatest commandment, which is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39, and Leviticus 19:18). While Jesus was with His disciples, Jesus Christ commanded them to love one another as He has loved them (John 13:34). For the disciples to be able to love one another, they had first to be shown love.
Biblically speaking, love suffers long and is kind. It rejoices in truth, bears, believes, hopes, and endures everything (see 2nd Corinthians 13:2-7). Loving one another proves to the world that you are Jesus’s disciples (John 13:35) and, by extension, His ambassadors. Apply love to all aspects of your life, and you will meet the plans that God has for your life.
Accepting Jesus
Are you an ambassador of Jesus Christ? Have you accepted Him as your savior? If you have not, I invite you to do so today. Say this prayer aloud:
God, I confess that Jesus came in the flesh and blood, paid the price for my sins, died on the cross, rose on the third day, ascended to the heavens, and sent the Holy Spirit to help me understand Your ways. For that, I accept Jesus Christ as my savior and Lord, and I welcome the Holy Spirit in my life. In Jesus’s name, I pray, amen!
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