okkk lets try something new.... 2nd Corinthians 5:17 a new Creation in Christ .. what does it mean to you?
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- Thread starter forgiven61
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Was thinking of this the other day. Many probably feel the new believer has simply made a decision (for Christ) and has 'decided' to change his or her ways and live differently, thus becoming a 'new' creature.
The first part is true, you do "make a decision" when it comes to trusting in Christ. The second part is not a decision we make, thank God. That part He mercifully takes out of our hands. (Eph 2:8-9). Not only would we completely fail doing it ourself, we would be able to boast about it if we somehow could.
Becoming a new creation is more of a *transformation*. It was for me. Every aspect of my being changed. Thoughts, motivations, speech, etc. Before, I was very much like the people in Noah's day:
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually". Genesis 6
You simply change from the inside out; you have to for the Holy Spirit to be able to work in and through you. I'll leave it at that, I always ramble on too long. Good question btw. God bless
The first part is true, you do "make a decision" when it comes to trusting in Christ. The second part is not a decision we make, thank God. That part He mercifully takes out of our hands. (Eph 2:8-9). Not only would we completely fail doing it ourself, we would be able to boast about it if we somehow could.
Becoming a new creation is more of a *transformation*. It was for me. Every aspect of my being changed. Thoughts, motivations, speech, etc. Before, I was very much like the people in Noah's day:
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually". Genesis 6
You simply change from the inside out; you have to for the Holy Spirit to be able to work in and through you. I'll leave it at that, I always ramble on too long. Good question btw. God bless
To me it means that I have been transformed; my mind has been renovated so that God’s wishes are my wishes. The image of Christ is being etched upon my character so that the image of God, marred by Adam, is being restored in me.
2 Corinthians 5:17 holds a powerful message about the transformative power of faith in Jesus Christ. To me, this verse means that when we accept Christ as our Savior, we undergo a radical change—a spiritual rebirth. We are no longer defined by our past mistakes, failures, or even our old nature. Instead, we become a new creation, shaped and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
As a new creation in Christ, we have a fresh start. Our old self is gone, and we have the opportunity to live life according to God's will, guided by His love and wisdom. This transformation is not just a superficial change, but rather a deep and profound shift in our very being.
Furthermore, this verse speaks to the immense love and forgiveness of God. Despite our flaws and shortcomings, He extends His grace to us, offering us the chance to become something new and beautiful in Him. It is a reminder that in Christ, we can find hope, redemption, and purpose.
As a new creation in Christ, we have a fresh start. Our old self is gone, and we have the opportunity to live life according to God's will, guided by His love and wisdom. This transformation is not just a superficial change, but rather a deep and profound shift in our very being.
Furthermore, this verse speaks to the immense love and forgiveness of God. Despite our flaws and shortcomings, He extends His grace to us, offering us the chance to become something new and beautiful in Him. It is a reminder that in Christ, we can find hope, redemption, and purpose.
The effects of the new birth.
2 Corinthians 5:17, 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. - ESV
Hello drequeen;
I encourage you to ramble on. Someone out there on the "world wide public" will read one sentence you post and could make all the difference in the world regarding their personal growing faith or curiousity about Christ Jesus.
The staff appreciates your fellowship. Keep writing!
I do my share of studying but God's Word has grown me up spiritually through the years and have accepted I'm not perfect but I'm a perfectly new creation in Christ.
An example of the new creation in application;
In the past and today I still get mud on my shirt. The difference is my old creation wasn't conscious of God whereas in the new creation, the more I grew in my faith and am aware of my daily self check. Whether it is mud or a piece of dirt, I can still get on my knees behind closed doors and confess everything between God and me.
When we got back from our recent Princess Cruise we were refreshed, well rested and strengthened. I needed that to deal with some personal business that (BOOM!) hit me from all sides and needed resolve or reconciliation. I laid my confession to God that I was frustrated and gave Him my dilemma and argument. I needed help with guarding my heart and tongue.
God knows me better than I know myself, saw my heart and went ahead of me. On Monday this week God guided me to resolve these snags. The old creation would have taken away His glory and cursed the people involved in my personal business whereas the new creation allows my disposition (with mostly people) to bring Him glory.
I'm learning that I don't limit God in my new creation for He continues to build me up and grow me daily in this area beside other areas in my life.
God bless you, drequeen, and your entire family.
i agree %100 the reason of this about a month ago a couple the wife and i know posted they got saved. since that time not much has changed they still live together . then on face book she makes a post in her at the gym her top was the form of a bra ( im not politically correct ) her short was semi gaped at the bottom.. sitting on a incline bench press . in times she has posted some rather semi exposed photos of her back side.
to understand a incline bench im sure we all seen flat bench presses . the incline you sit up at a angle
see things like this throws up red flags ( something is not right ) i preach very heavy on the new creation in Christ .. i have a couple in the church i pastor living together thinking they are ok.. one good thing i do there marriage ceremony this Sunday night a step in the right direction . it stops the sin .but the other step of Change which only comes from being born again,
we all need that work as a new creation in Christ . we all need to be placed on the potters wheel and be fashioned by the masters loving hand.. HE is the potter and we are the clay ,
so odds are no real change no conversion proverbs 26: 11As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
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as a old time preacher man use to say shell down the corn . we all find ourselves like this.
just today i had to resolve a deal that was fixing to go south of the border .. i worked in a different department 3 of us. one was a young man ..guessing in his 20,s he was getting rather high strung telling me what i should do. load part on the table. it got a bit intense and he was rather lived throwing things kicking things. making hand gesture as this is what You should be doing. lol wrong answer for me i had tell him to just drop it before it grew to something it should not.
see my nature is i have a my bad side to i was starting to brew my self. i knew if i blew it would not be good . he finally come to me said lets work together. music to my ears at the end of the day.. i had to mop my side the floor was nasty .. he went on doing something else.. i moped my side and the rest of the work area. he came back and in shock asked did i mop his side to ? i said yeupper i did he shook my hand thanked me . then said i tend to get upset over little things.. i laughed and said i have that problem to .
this was not me it was a God moment He fixed it . so every one of us has Moments and our new creation gets dents in it
It's times like this when the 'new creation' can shine forth...when confronted (in love), if they still buck up against the correction then red flags are called for.
they live 30 miles from me the red flags comes from not changing .i have seen spiritual miscarriage's at the altar before . so i cant confront them i have told them after they said they got saved. they need to get married.. her mom and sister attends the Church i pastor .. mom says i have to see it to believe it
Thanks so much for your kind words, bobinfaith. This has been kind of a difficult week for me. I have definitely backslidden to an extent; I have read my Bible very little and have prayed very little. I have basically spent this week doing mostly what I want to do. Which would have been a wonderful thing a while back before I was saved, but now I'm miserable if I don't feel like I'm doing God's will (another side effect of salvation). I'm just waiting for God to use me somehow, some way. I'm down to two days of work a week now because of my driving situation (lost license 4 years, hopefully only 2 years. 2 dwi's). I know God is working out all the details, I just need to be patient. Please pray that I properly seek God's guidance for my life.
I noticed you haven't been on here for some time so I checked some of your posts and saw that you were on a cruise. I'm glad God blessed and you're back. I'm glad that your business dealings were dealt with properly. God bless
Whew...that's a tough one. But I agree, no change, (most likely) no conversion. We never can really know the condition of anothers' heart. All we can go by is the scriptures. I'm glad that's something I don't have to deal with.
i have couple in my church living together..i have dropped small bombs on living together. mothers day i was given a message on the order of the family courtship engagement marriage then children . no we cant judge another's heart . but as watchman we are to sound the trumpet of warning . we will see how fathers day goes
I’m under the conviction that God chooses the time and circumstance of their changing through conviction by the Holy Spirit. It’s when their resistance to God’s truth spoken in love (Eph 4:15) takes place that I see red flags.
Hello drequeen;
God bless you for your honesty. That gut wrench feeling of the "lost license of 4 years due to consequences of 2 dwi's" is what I felt when I was hit from all sides last Saturday. The frustration and anger lingered with me because I didn't know what to do.
But as crossnote shared in Ephesians 4:15-16,
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. - ESV
My wife and I were studying 2 Chronicles 34 where one of the kings hit rock bottom with the things he brought on himself, with no way out. But God heard his entreaty and was moved by his honesty, humbleness and plea. God revealed His glory and gave the king resolve.
The new creation gave me a prompting spirit of honesty with God. It's not easy confessing my bruised ego, instead I laid my heavy weight at His feet. God is amazing and provided the right solutions.
Like forgiven said, our new creation won't be without those moments and dents. The question is, how do we apply ourselves in those circumstances?
drequeen, with your honest confession and prayer request to God, He has already gone ahead of you and will do an amazing work to compensate for your lack of driving situation. We don't know what that will be but God does.
God bless you, brother.
we go to our advocate follow 1 john 1:9 all that come to him will not be cast out
there resistance is showing thus red flags