“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV)
Have you ever closely examined a diamond, or a precious stone, under proper lighting condition and under a microscope or gemscope? If so, then you were able to view the depth of the diamond (or any precious stone)–its sparkling beauty–and every other characteristic available to you.
As we examine this verse today, let’s allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of our understanding regarding depth of this precious treasure verse. I will write the verse in the following format. As you read the verse, meditate on each word, words or phrase. Read it slowly on purpose. Don’t rush through it.
Therefore [under the circumstances]
if anyone [that means you]
is in Christ, [current position…IN CHRIST]
he is [present tense, in reality]
a new creation; [never existed before, different]
old things [former lifestyle]
have passed away;
behold, [recognize and understand, notice, look, focus, get the picture]
all [ALL]
things
have
become
new.
WOW! The new birth, made available to us by faith in Christ Jesus!
“To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:1-4, NKJV)
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12, NKJV)
Translation: As a result of putting your faith in Jesus Christ, believing in your heart what He has done for you, and confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you have now been given the right to become a child of God. The old you no longer dominate you. Your spirit man is now alive unto God and you can live your life with that revelation. Christ is living in you.
Think about that. What does that mean to you?
As we live this new life, it is imperative that we renew our minds with the Word of God on a daily basis. Do not be controlled by your old way of thinking any longer. Instead, allow the Word of God to shape your thinking!
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Romans 12:1-2, MSG)
Now that we understand that old things have passed away, in tomorrow’s session, we will examine the following:
1. What does it mean to put off the old man?
2. What does it mean to put on the new man which was created according to God?
I encourage you today to be Christ-centered in your thinking! Be Kingdom of God minded! As you do so, you will walk as giants of faith in the land and you will take hold of all that God has ordained for you to possess! Walk in the strength of the Lord and allow His Spirit to do exploits through you! Remember, the new you is MORE THAN A CONQUEROR! Begin your day from the standpoint of victory. With Christ on your side, you are already poised for victory. Now, let’s walk it out together!
Walk in the full blessing of the Lord!