“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
“Oh my goodness, I just did it again! What’s wrong with me?” I grumbled in guilt and disgust. I had just yelled at my daughter, who wouldn’t get ready for bed. Maybe you’ve been there too. Have you ever wondered if there might be something wrong with you?
I was convinced I had missed a step when I became a Christian because I didn’t act like a Christian. I was too angry. My temper was too short. And no matter how often I asked my children nicely to do something, I always ended up yelling at them. Perhaps I wasn’t good enough to be a Christian. After all, even though I’d heard this verse a thousand times, I didn’t feel like a new creation: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV).
But feelings aren’t truth. Paul wrote this verse to encourage us, not to beat us down. Yet, that’s precisely what the enemy wants us to believe. The enemy is the father of lies (John 8:44). He deceives us by twisting God’s Word (Matthew 4:6). This verse means Jesus died to cover the penalty of our sin, so our old life is dead. Thus, as followers of Christ, we no longer need to live by the letter of the law to be free from sin.
The new creation this verse speaks of is the rebirth of our spirit. But humans consist of three parts: spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The spirit is our innermost part, the source of our identity and connection with God. This is where the Holy Spirit dwells. When we first believed in Jesus, our spirit became a new creation. It was reborn and forever changed.
However, we still have the same soul and body. Our soul is our mind, emotions, and personality. It has the power to choose our actions and control our physical body. But our old thoughts, habits, and behavior patterns still reside in our souls. Our Spirit is reborn, so we desire to live a sin-free life. However, sometimes, our body falls back into old habits and reacts otherwise.
This can be disheartening at times. We may feel conviction. That’s why the Bible instructs us to “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19, NIV). But guilt is not from God. It is the enemy who wants us to feel guilt and condemnation. He is the one battering our minds with lies, saying something is wrong with us.
God merely convicts us so we repent and become more like Jesus. Why? Because He loves us. In fact, He has made us His children. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1a, NIV).
We are God’s children; God loves us despite our failings. Just as I love my daughter, who finally fell asleep after three stories and two drinks of water. As I pulled the covers over her, I looked down and sighed. No matter how she behaved that day, I was filled with awe and love for her. And that, my friend, is just a small view of how God sees us. But it doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of God’s love for us. Why? Because we are his beautiful new creations, righteous and holy in His sight.
Dear Heavenly Father, never let me forget how much you love me and how that love covers a multitude of sins. Please protect my mind so the lies of the enemy no longer have the power to take away the identity, peace, and love I have in you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
For Further Study:
Is that guilt conviction of sin or condemnation of the enemy?
