You Are A New Creation!

2 Corinthians 5:16-21
"16Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation; OLD THINGS have passed away; behold, ALL things have become NEW."

We are no longer what we used to be!  We've been made into a new creation.  That very phrase, "have been made" shows that it was done TO us BY SomeOne else.  Since it was done TO us, that means it cannot be UNdone BY us.  

The Bible has a lot to say on this subject.  The verse above says "OLD THINGS" have passed away; ALL THINGS have become NEW.  What are these "old things" to which Paul is referring?

Since it is it's own best commentary, let's check out what the Bible has to say about itself. Let's begin at the end. 

The book of Revelation is, for the most part, a book of symbols. We know that because of what John wrote in verse 1:  "And He (Jesus) sent and SIGNIFIED it by His angel to His servant John..."

"Signified" means signs and symbols.  For example, John describes Jesus as "a Lamb having 7 horns."  

Do you really think Jesus looks like that in heaven?  Well of course not!  Horn is a picture of strength; authority; perfection.  Eyes signify discernment; prophetic vision.  Seven means perfect or complete.  This symbolic language is indicating that our Lamb has "perfect, complete and full authority; full discernment, full of the Holy Spirit."

With those things in mind, let's see what these "old things that have passed away" are and what has become "new."  Bear with me as we'll be jumping around a bit.

Revelation 21:2-6 2
"Then I, John, saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband..."

AND...

Galatians 4:24-26.

24"...which things are SYMBOLIC. For these are the two covenants: the one from MOUNT SINAI which gives birth to bondage, WHICH IS HAGAR--25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to {earthly} Jerusalem**which now is, and is in bondage {to the law}with her children..."

These two scriptures are referring to both the Church and Natural Israel.  The Church is the New Jerusalem from heaven.  Natural Israel refers to the Jerusalem here on earth, home to Jesus' natural family.  Most of them are still in bondage.  They believe in the Mt. Sinai or law covenant, typified by Hagar.  But those in bondage to the law are not only unsaved Jews. They are also Law-centric Christians in the Church who gauge righteousness by your performance.  The difference is that they are born again.  Hagar, however is the mother of both.

".....26 but the Jerusalem above is FREE, which is the mother of us all." 

This portion is talking about those who are under grace, meaning the Real Gospel.
"FREE" here refers to Sarah, the free woman.  She typifies the New Covenant;  the Real Gospel of grace which is the segment of the Church who are FREE FROM THE LAW.  

It's interesting to note that God actually reprogrammed the Hebrew language to reflect this.  You see, there are TWO Jerusalems! 

Below is the spelling of Jerusalem in Hebrew:
[ירושלים]  Yerushala-im

Reading right to left, The "im- [ים]" at the end means it is plural:  "Jerusalems," PLURAL:  One on earth--natural Israel and law-centric Christans in bondage to the law, as numerous as the sand on the shore, and one above, the Church, whose citizenship is in heaven, as numerous as the stars in the sky.  

This New Jerusalem has already come down to earth.  It was born 2,000 years ago on the day of Pentecost.     

...Revelation 21:2-6. 2

"And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He {Jesus} will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, God Himself will be with them and be their God.....' "

We, Church, already ARE the tabernacle of God! We are now become the Arks of the New Covenant. We already ARE His people! Amen!  This is NOT a future event.  This shows you that not everything in this book is about future events.  Some had already happened when John wrote it; some things were happening at the time of his writing and some would take place "afterward," meaning at a future time. 

Yes, one day, we will see God face to face.  Yes, one day--soon--we'll get our new bodies.  Yes, one day we will walk on streets of gold. Much is still future.....but not all.  This passage confirms what has already happened by using the past tense: we "became" a new creation.  So, what are the "old things" that have passed away?

Revelation 21:2-6 4
"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the FORMER THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY..."

God is already doing these things. He already comforts, heals and restores.  Once you are a believer, you can never die...you just relocate!  Though your earth space suit may fail and die, you go on to live FOREVER!!!   He takes away pain, He takes away disease, He takes away lack. (More on this later.)

"....5 Then He Who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make ALL THINGS new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are TRUE AND FAITHFUL.' He says, "Behold all things have become NEW!'"

So the OLD THINGS are sorrow, crying due to losing a loved one, pain and suffering".  That begs the question: "If that is true, then why are so many Christians suffering?  

Good question.  I'm glad you asked.

.....Rev. 21:6 "Then He {Jesus} said to me, "It is done! {It is finished!} I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who
thirsts."

Once you are in Christ, you are a new creation. It says in Isaiah 43:18-19:
18 "Do not REMEMBER the former things; that nor consider the things of OLD
19 Behold, I will do a NEW THING, Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it?"

Old refers to the "Old Covenant." New is referring to the "New Covenant."  When you "consider--in other words, bring to mind--the old things, the devil will most happily accommodate you.  You are still "considering" them when you are thinking of them instead of consciously considering them as "passed away."  Paul is saying thar you need to reprogram your thinking. 

He talks a lot in his letters about what the old man looks like.  He point them out not to tell us "Don't do these things," but to remind us what we have been redeemed from.  He was holding up the "mirror" of the word of God to show you and I how to confess the truth about what God says WE ALREADY ARE.   

Try saying "Thank Jesus, under the New Covenant, I have no more pain."  "Thank you, Jesus, under the new Coventry I have no more sickness," or "I have no more disease," or whatever. See what happens.  Start confessing what you already are and what you already have in Christ.

If you go to the doctor and he tells you, "You know, at a certain age, you have to expect this degenerative disease or that chronic illness.  There are certain things that happen to your body as you age," or whatever he says.  If you accept those things, YOU ARE CONSIDERING THE OLD THINGS THAT HAVE PASSED AWAY.......and, like I said, the devil will MOST HAPPILY accommodate you.

So "therefore, from NOW ON, we regard NO ONE ACCORDING TO THE FLESH." 

NO ONE:  Especially ourselves.

You have to BELIEVE that you are a new creation, even though your flesh, the doctor, your friends, your family, or whoever tells you otherwise. You must no longer think of your body according to the "OLD THINGS." That "man" must be consciously "put off," as if removing a garment.
The more you believe it, the more you confess it, the more you will see it.

Fact: your body has a disease.
That is the fact but it is not the truth.
Truth is eternal; fact is temporal.

TRUTH IS IN JESUS:
"You ARE a new creation."
Ephesians 4:22
"....Put off concerning the former CONVERSATION the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts;"

Notice it doesn't say "put off the old man" but put off the "BEHAVIOR" of the old man.  You're a resurrected spirit but you're living in an UNresurrected body.  You're not yet in your new body.

STOP THINKING LIKE YOU DID BEFORE YOU WERE BORN AGAIN.

".....23 and be RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND."

How do you do it? By sweating; by striving, by working to behave differently?
NO!  You "put off" the old thinking, old behavior, old experiences.....by renewing the "SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND.

Confess, like Jesus,"I AM".

....a new creation!  

I AM the righteousness of God in Christ!

I AM healed!

"While we do not look at things which are seen, but at things which are NOT seen. For the things which are SEEN are TEMPORARY, but the things which are NOT SEEN are ETERNAL."  2 Corinthians. 4:18

You ARE a NEW Creation.