God Makes All Things New
14. For Christ’s Love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
15. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.
16. 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.
17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here.
18. All this is from God, Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:14-18
Are You Done with the Old?
There is a saying that needs to be challenged for the mere reason that it contradicts what the Bible declares. Somewhere this statement has been made that “if it is new it is not true and if it is true it is not new.” While it is catchy and certainly is a warning against false teachings, it is not true in itself. This very passage in Revelation 21:5 disproves the theory that if it is new it is not true, when God clearly says, Behold, I make all things new. And He said to me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. As a matter of fact, the promise to make things new was made by God long before the Apostle John received this Revelation on Patmos Island. God also spoke to the prophet Isaiah about this powerful promise to make things new. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth: shall you not know it … I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19. God planned for something new to replace the old. This leads us to the conclusion that God’s plan is to do something totally new and for the new to be true.
As a matter of fact, in keeping with the Revelation 21-5 Plan, God spoke through Isaiah again and said, in Isaiah 65:17, Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. The ultimate plan of the Omnipotent God is for everything to be brand new. The old will be totally done away with and everything will become new. By the way, there are not many synonyms for “new” because “new” much like the word “all” are self-explanatory. New means just that the same as all means just that. God Almighty will make everything in His creation brand spanking new and that will mean that everything will change. The stars will change to something new and more glorious than the former stars. The sun and moon will be new also. Everything on the earth will change including the earth itself. This new will not be limited to just being better – it will be perfect. Not one flaw will be found anywhere and it will be the kind of new that never grows old. It will remain new for all eternity.
Right now I am watching the question marks form in your mind. The first one is the simple idea of “what was wrong with the old?” The second one has to do with, “how will this happen and change the old to the new?” The third question that is really bothering some is “when will these things happen?” Let me start with the last question because the last shall be first and the first shall be last. The Revelation 21-5 Plan has started already and it started when Jesus Christ rose again from the grave.
When our Lord died on Calvary, He took away the old that was our sin. That sin separated us from God. That sin condemned us to death, but before death could place its chilly hands on us, Jesus got in the way. He Who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God through Him. In other words, Jesus got rid of the old by taking sin away. His death was substitutionary in that He gave up His life on our behalf in order to free us from the old. As the verse says in 2 Corinthians 5:14, we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. At this point, we should all ask ourselves a critical question. Are we done with the old? Are we ready and willing to lay down what Jesus died for? Are we willing to give up the addictions and habits that held our lives in bondage and brought misery to self as well as to our relationships? Let me go a step further and simply say that our sins caused the death of Jesus in as much as He died for all. Why in the world would we even entertain the thought of continuing something that was responsible for the Savior’s death? We must be done with the old and be ready to move on with what God has planned for our lives.
So, what we are arguing is that God’s New has already started. It started when Jesus rose again from the dead. What we are saying is that the old ended at the Cross, where every transgression, every evil deed, every ungodly act, was removed from your record when you confessed Jesus Christ as Lord. That ended it. The old was done. Now it is encumbered upon us to be done with the old. So much has been completed by our Savior’s holy sacrifice. He has given so much, now it is our turn to give and it all starts with being done with the old.
Living in the New
What better place to demonstrate “new life” than here on this earth. Should we wait until we get to Heaven to enjoy the New of God’s Revelation 21-5 Plan? Of course not! We are to begin that incredible journey now. 2 Corinthians 5:15 states that He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. Now if Jesus is alive, which He is and if we are alive in Him, then our life should no longer be dominated by the old. That is the whole point. The new has come and the old no longer applies. Now is the time to live in the new.
Some may still be entertaining the question of what’s wrong with the old? There are two answers for that. The first is brief: the old brought about death. Yes, Jesus died for your sins (that’s the old), but you were dying in your sins and getting nowhere. Romans 3:23 warned – the wages of sin is death. But that same verse gave a promise. But the gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. This whole Easter thing is not about bunny rabbits and jelly beans, it is about living this new life through Jesus Christ. That brings us to the second reply to what’s wrong with the old. The new life is ready for use now. Why in the world would anyone keep ingesting the venom of iniquity, when the Fountain of Life is ready at hand? Why would we consume the garbage and filth of rebellion against God when every person has been offered God’s free gift of Grace? It is time to embrace the joy of living in the Newness of God and be done with the old.
Some may be apprehensive about starting something that they don’t understand so let this encouragement open the way for “your new.” First, there is a need to understand exactly what new means. New is not the restoration of the old. New is not resetting the clock to an earlier more pleasant time in your life. New is not starting all over again as many have referred to as their walk with God. New is something you have never experienced before and will never experience anywhere else except in Christ. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they become a new creation, the old is passed away and all things become new. When Jesus rose from the grave, He rose with all power in Heaven and in Earth. It is the good pleasure of the Heavenly Father to make everything new through Jesus Christ. That is the Good News out of Heaven. God wants everything new. God has made available the new and living way through Jesus. God has also sent the Holy Spirit to usher everyone who believes into this “newness of God.” Does this help? Does it help to know that God is pleased with the new? Does it give you joy to know that as much as God delights in His Son Jesus, He now delights in you because you are “new in Christ?” Now you are the children of God and it does not appear yet what you shall be but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him. Now that is new.
If people could only realize the wonders in being new, in living new, and becoming new in the Lord, it would give them great joy. Many have not fully explored the wonder of becoming new by the power of Jesus Christ. Even as they acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior, they have not investigated the full meaning of what God has performed in their life. So, this Easter, we will definitely go there and see what wonders the Lord has done. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they have become a new creation, the old is passed away and all things become new.
Notice first the splendor of the glorious relationship with Christ. We are not merely called alongside of Christ. Nor are we called simply by the Name of Christ. For the believer this is a relationship of abiding in Christ as He abides or lives in us. The power of Easter shouts to the believer that you are inseparable from the Lord. Nothing can separate the child of God from the Presence of the Lord. It came with the newness. This had never happened before, but it has happened now. With the Resurrection of Jesus, all believers now share a special union with the Lord that can never be severed by time, by trials, by things present, or things to come. Now we are new in Him.
Not only are we new in Christ through this inseparable relationship, but we are also new in the Lord by God’s creation. Our faith in the Lord is not a religion or some belief system. It is a life changing experience where the mighty power of God has translated the child of Adam out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Dominion of His own Son. That is what new means. We no longer belong to this world. Here is what Paul says in this verse about this creation. Those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. The very purpose for living is new and the very source of how the believer lives is totally different. It is new through the new creation. What do you call these new creatures? They are called the Saints of God, the Chosen, the Royal Priesthood, the Body of Christ, and Servants of the Living God. The fact that we are made to be new creatures means there has never been anything like us before. We are different than all other creation. We are set apart for God’s own Glory. Our way of life is different and unique from anything else God has made. This creation did not take place in the beginning but it has now taken place in the new beginning by the same Power that raised Jesus from the dead. That power now resides in the believer forever. Amen.
Isn’t this wonderful to know that we are completely new? Our total transformation is not a continuation of the former life. Completely new means just that. The old life was done away with and nailed to the Cross with our Lord. The new life was the life generated when Jesus arose from the grave with complete victory. That is the full meaning and the full measure of being in Christ. Hallelujah to the Savior!
What to do with the New?
Have you ever gotten something new and you began to think about how wonderful it was and how you looked with that which was new? If the new thing was a garment, you thought about how you would look and wear you would show off the new clothes. If it was a vehicle, you would be thrilled to visit your friends and share with them your joy of having that new car. What you have in the Lord is newer than anything else you have ever received in your life. There is nothing like it on earth. Eyes have not seen. The ears have never heard such a wonderful creation. Our thoughts could never go that far to even imagine the blessings that God has prepared for His children. That is the magnitude of God’s newness. Now that you are new, the first thing on the agenda is to tell God “thank you for His unspeakable gift.” If you have ever been grateful for anything, you should certainly be grateful for you being a new creation. God owed you nothing but He had you in mind before the beginning of time. Now, you have received something that could never be performed by anyone else except God. You are new so be thankful for it.
Not only are you to express gratitude to God for the newness, you are to also use the newness to live your life fully. The old life had limited you to earthly things and to becoming only what you could make of yourself. In Christ, there is no such limitations on what you can do. Literally, all things are possible for you now because you have become new in Jesus. Your faith can take you places where you could have never gone before and now you can grow into the fullness of Jesus. Those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. You are new so live like it.
What do you do with the new? You do the same thing you did when you received so-called “new things” from the world. You showed it off. Its time to show off now because you really have something new to talk about. That is the heart of the ministry of reconciliation. All this is from God, Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. God has reconciled us to Himself and now has positioned us so that we will be able to reconcile others. There are people living in the old, just like you and I use to live. There are people who don’t know that they can be “new” just like you but they will never know unless you tell them. Don’t just tell them with your lips. Show them with your actions that your life is new. Then, as they observe the wonderful change in your life, they will ask, “what must I do to be saved?” You can then bring them to the Father and ask that He would make them “new.” Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they have become a new creation, the old is passed away and all things become new.
Be blessed until next time.