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The New Creations in Christ Jesus

by Jeremiah opusunju  
9/02/2010 / Salvation

During his earthly ministry, Jesus said: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). As a result of which, Paul said: "Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:23-25).
Let's therefore take a look at the true meaning and the implications of believing in Christ Jesus (those in Christ Jesus).

Once the heart of an individual is fertilized with the seed of life (the truth that Jesus, the first begotten Son of God, was indeed delivered for our sins and raised for our justification); the Holy Spirit immediately purifies the soul of the individual (1 Peter 1:18-22).

This purification by the washing of the water of regeneration breaks the bondage of the spirit of the individual to the soul. The purified and liberated spirit is automatically baptized (buried, hid or planted) into the glorified Body of Christ (in the veil of the Godhead) sited at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Ephesians 2:4-6; Colossians 3:3).

Speaking of this glorious spiritual baptism by the Holy Spirit, Paul said: "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection..Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him" (Romans 6:3, 5-8).

Our spirits have been buried (planted) into Christ, waiting for the day of redemption, of the body of Christ, when these spirits will be resurrected (with Christ-like glorious bodies) and reign with him.

This spiritual baptism into the heavenly body of Christ is what causes celebration in heaven; indeed: ".I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth" (Luke 15:10).

In other to keep the soul and the body of the individual alive on earth, the Spirit of Christ steps down into the heart of the individual as well as that of the Father, they both make their abode in the believer; there and then the Holy Spirit takes up permanent residency in the individual as a seal of son ship.

I do know that many have believed that it is only the Holy Spirit that is dwelling in believers; he is the one representing God in us. Such believe is contrary to the promise that Christ, who is the truth, made: "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to himIf a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (John 14:20-23).

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit completes the process of regeneration (the exchange of life or spirit between a human and the Godhead); the believer then becomes like Jesus (the son of God, the descendent or stooping down of God) on earth; divinity enveloped in humanity.

It is important to know that every human is a son (offspring, derivative or descendant) of God: "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring" (Acts 17:28).

However, this spiritual circumcision (the implanting of the spirit of a believer in Christ at the right hand of the Majesty on high), takes every believer beyond the realm of being off springs of God to being son (descendent or the stooping down) of God as was with Jesus Christ. Therefore every believer is the embodiment of the fullness of the Godhead (the temple of God) on earth.

By regeneration the believer becomes the custodian of the fullness of the Godhead bodily. The glorified spirit of the believer is preserved in Christ while the soul and the body of the believer undergo a process of daily renewal by the Holy Spirit on earth. This process is what Paul meant by: "according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5).

The act of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit transform believers from mankind into God kind of beings; empowered and equipped to fully manifest the divinity in them to their generations.

Whereas the outcome of regeneration (the infusion of divinity into a believer) is instantaneous, the renewing of the Holy Spirit (the exhibition of the divinity in a believer) is a lifelong process, an act of the Holy Spirit (daily renewing the inner man and transforming the believer from glory to glory unto the perfect stature of Christ).

This supernatural being, the aftermath of regeneration (the Godhead enclosed in a unique human body and soul) is what Paul called the new creature: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18).

Many ministers have tried to belittle this new creation by contemplating that the new creature is as a result of character transformation. Although character transformation (the renewing of the Holy Spirit) has its place in the believer, this new creature, is not a product of physical observation.

Paul, in the same chapter, stated this truth: "(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad..For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all deadWherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh,,,

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:7-21).

All the new creatures are to account for their works on earth; be it good or bad. The new creation was a judgment based on the love of God, appropriated by faith and not by sight; it is an internal regeneration achieved entirely by faith. This informed Paul's statement that; 'Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh'. It was not a judgment based on perceived character transformation.

To illustrate this truth, assuming half the content of a bottle of Coca cola was emptied and then filled with petroleum motor spirit (PMS or fuel); can you at this point say that the bottle still contains the same Coca cola as before? Am sure your answer will be no.

Although the bottle and its label might still be the same, the content haven changed, it can no longer be said to be a bottle of Coca cola. That bottle became a new product distinct from its former content. Therefore as a result of the change in its content, it cannot be said to be a bottle of Coca cola any more.

In like manner, as stated above, the spirit of a believer haven been replaced by God's Spirit (although contained in the same body and soul), it automatically means a brown new being (a supernatural infusion of divinity in humanity as was with Jesus) has been created on earth.

Just as a new being was born into the heavenly body of Christ, so also was a new being born on earth following regeneration. Therefore divine personalities are created on earth as a result of each new birth in Christ.

This is the new creation Paul declared everyone, in Christ Jesus, has become. Their physical characteristics might not have changed, but their internal composition has greatly been altered. A supernatural being was given birth to; when an unbeliever accepts the lordship of Jesus Christ.

This is indeed a new creation born out of faith in God. After regeneration the body and soul of an individual houses the fullness of the Godhead, while the individual's spirit dwells in the Godhead. This makes God the dwelling place of every believer and we his habitation on earth.

This exchange of habitation was also prophesied by the psalmist: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty..Because thou hast made the LORDeven the most High, thy habitation" (Psalm 91:1-9).

Confirming the above truth, John said: "Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God" (I John 4:13-15).

Therefore the life which every believer is carrying about on earth is God's eternal life (God's Spirit): "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:13).

And Paul conveyed it in a clear perspective: "I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20). Therefore we are same Spirit but hosted by different and unique bodies and souls.

Throughout human generations, there has never been and never will there be, any set of people like the body of Christ; we are indeed a very unique (peculiar) people (1 Peter 2:9).

A group of people, like Jesus, who though living on earth, do at the same time, exist in heaven. Indeed Christ gave birth to us; he as a single seed died and gave birth to numerous seeds (sons of God) like himself. The only difference between us and Jesus; is that while he had a divine soul we have purified human souls.

However, to ensure that this is not a limitation, unlike the extremely hostile environment he lived and worked in (under the Law of Moses), we are enjoying a more glorious environment as a result of the abundance of graces which we have received from him.

Apart from the abundance of grace, every believer is also empowered to be baptized with the Holy Spirit (as was done on the day of Pentecost) by asking for it in faith (Luke 11:13) or by the laying of hands (Acts 8:12-17).

This baptism with the Holy Spirit empowers believers to accomplish supernatural works on earth: "ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you" (Acts 1:8); just like: "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him" (Acts 10:38).

No wonder Christ said that we shall do greater works than he did, while on earth. This is the nature of those in Christ Jesus.

These supernatural beings that are in Christ and Christ in them are the one's whom Paul said: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh" (Romans 8:1-3). This freedom from condemnation is because Christ has delivered them from the Law of sin and death.

A Nigerian aged 44; Holds a BSc and an MBA degrees in social sciences. A devout christian and a scholar of the scriptures; an anointed teacher of the gospel of Christ. Married with two children

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

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