New Creation

            “… and be turned into a different person.”

      Jesus Christ is not a pharisaic legalist. If that were the case, he would only look at our external behavior and become an inflexible judge; in fact, we would be destroyed by his righteous wrath because of our sin.

      But doesn’t our Lord abhor sin?

      Jesus hates sin so much, that he endured death on a Roman cross, in order eradicate it.  When he examines the life of a particular person, he goes beyond a mere superficial look at words and actions— Jesus probes the heart, for it is there where the process of change begins.

      Jesus our Lord, wants to impart salvation to people all over the world.  Those who believe in Him, are brand new spiritual creatures (2 Corinthians 5: 17).  This process of regeneration and renewal, begins when our spirit is justified by faith in Christ.

      Later on, the Holy Spirit takes over the second part of our salvation, also known as sanctification.  In the first stage, we are free from the penalty of sin; now we are being saved from the power of sin in our lives.  This change proceeds from the inside (e.g. spirit and soul) out (actions, attitudes, words, habits, etc.).

      This is God’s plan for our lives, and it should be our primary goal. A healthy Christian is always changing (for the better!), growing, improving, and allowing the Spirit to mold him in Christ’s image. This is what it means to be a new creation in Christ.