Lesson for February 16, 2022
The Doctrine of Soteriology
Lesson 7
What Christ Accomplished on the Cross
The Doctrine of a New Creation in Christ
II Corinthians 5:17-21, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
A passage that is often quoted with regard to the doctrine of being a “new creation” in Christ (but one that is not very well understood) is II Corinthians 5:17-21. The context of II Corinthians 5 shows the result of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is placing believers into union with Christ. It is our union with Christ that gives us the potential for everything in the Christian life. It is in light of this doctrinal truth that Paul tells us that we are “new creations” in Christ and that “the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” Contrary to popular belief, this is not a reference to a change in a person’s lifestyle by giving up their “bad habits.” We know this from examining the original Greek language and from many passages of Scripture. Once a person believes in Christ as Savior, their lifestyle does not automatically change. If there needs to be change, then the only legitimate change must come from spiritual growth based on learning, believing, and applying accurate Bible doctrine, not on legalism or religious taboos. As a matter of fact, this passage refers to what God does for us, not what we do for God. Becoming “a new creation” is a matter of God’s grace, therefore all human effort is eliminated. The reason a believer becomes “a new creation” is that they are in union with Christ. This union means that believers share Christ’s destiny and inheritance.
The first word of II Corinthians 5:17, therefore, is the Greek word “hoste” and means “in conclusion.” Paul looks back at the context of the passage and draws a conclusion based on previous doctrinal information. The conclusion is that if any person is in inion with Christ, that person is “a new creation.” Creation is the Greek word “ktisis” and refers primarily to a creative act. It is believers who are being acted upon by God. This act of creation is when God places a human spirit in a believer at salvation. This act by God creates something in a believer that previously did not exist. Before salvation a person is spiritually dead (separated from God); after salvation a person is spiritually alive (reconciled to God). (I Corinthians 2:9-14; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:19; John 1:12)
The old things passed away. “Old things” is actually one word in Greek. It is the word “archaios.” “Archaios” means, “that which is ancient” or that which existed in the beginning.” It does not refer, therefore, to a believer’s bad habits or lifestyle, which did not exist in the ancient past. What exactly passes away at salvation that would fit into the meaning of the Greek word? The context makes the meaning very clear. It is a reference to an old condition – spiritual death and condemnation.
Thousands of years ago our original parents Adam and Eve sinned, and the result was spiritual death and condemnation. Spiritual death and condemnation are passed to every member of the human race as a result of Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience. Therefore, it is spiritual death and condemnation that Paul has in view when he uses the Greek word “archaios.”
Passed away is the Greek word “parerchomai” and means to go, to pass, to come to an end, to disappear or to neutralize. In this passage, it means that at our salvation, spiritual death and condemnation passed away, and came to an abrupt end for us. Once we are placed into union with Christ, spiritual death and condemnation disappear from us forever. We can reject the Christian Way of Life and turn our backs on God and His Word, but we can never be spiritually dead and condemned again. This is God’s grace! (Romans 6:23)
“Behold, new things have come” refers to those who have become new creations in Christ. The truth is that at salvation all things do not become new. After years of spiritual growth and application of Bible doctrine some things become new, but certainly not all things at salvation.
Even the Greek word for new gives us further insight into this phrase. There are two Greek words for new. The first is “neos” meaning new in time or that which is recent. The second word is “kainos” and means new in form, new in quality, or new in its nature. It is this second word, “kainos,” that Paul uses to describe the new creation, which is when believers receive new natures (human spirits). This new nature (our human spirit) does not contain free will, cannot be corrupted and resides in our glorified bodies in Heaven. This nature is from God and is a spiritual nature. Receiving this new nature is not a matter of reformation of a particular lifestyle or behavior. Receiving this nature is strictly a matter of God’s grace provision based upon faith in Christ. The transforming power of God the Holy Spirit places those who believe in Christ for salvation into union with Him and sets them apart to God for all eternity.
If there is any doubt about the true meaning of this passage, II Corinthians 5:18 clarifies it: “All things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” The all things are from God, not man, and it is God Who reconciles mankind to Himself. This eliminates any thought of religious “tabooism” or human merit. You do not give up anything to become a new creation in Christ, nor do you start doing something. You are a new creation because you are in union with Christ and for no other reason. Salvation is a matter of faith alone in Christ alone and has absolutely nothing to do with good works or human merit. Jesus Christ has already done all the work on behalf of us all. His substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross paid the penalty for sin (spiritual death) and set up the potential of eternal life for every member of the human race.
The Doctrine of Regeneration
Regeneration is a theological term for the term being “born again.” This is when God creates a human spirit in the believer at salvation. The Greek words for “born again” can help us understand the meaning. Born is the Greek word “gennao,” which means “to bear or to bring forth a child.” Again is the Greek word “anothen,” which means “anew or from above.” Regeneration is a new birth, a spiritual birth from above (from God). It is the “new creation” of II Corinthians 5:17. It is a brand-new nature, something that did not exist prior to faith in Christ. ((John 3:1-16; I Thessalonians 5:23; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:1,5)
A New Nature
The human spirit provides believers with the ability to have a relationship with God, to learn, to understand, and to apply Bible doctrine. (Romans 1:9; 8:16; Job 32:8) An unbeliever does not possess a human spirit and is therefore unable to have a relationship with God, to understand spiritual things or to produce divine good. (I Corinthians 2:14) It is the human spirit that the Holy Spirit teaches, and this becomes the positive influence in our souls. Divine Viewpoint Thinking is the result of this influence and overrules Human Viewpoint Thinking when properly applied. The soul has the potential to be corrupted since it contains free will. The human spirit, on the other hand, does not contain free will and has no potential for corruption. The creation of the human spirit sets up a battle in the soul of believers. This battle, between the sin nature and the new spiritual nature, is for the control of our souls. ((II Corinthians 5:14-21; Galatians 5:16-17; I John 3:9)
The Work of Christ
On the Cross, Jesus died spiritually as the full and complete payment for the sin of all mankind. Because the penalty for sin is spiritual death, either a person will pay the penalty by spending eternity in the Lake of Fire, or they will accept Christ’s payment on their behalf by a simple act of faith. The person Who paid the penalty of spiritual death for us had to be a perfect, sinless person. He had to have the ability to pay, the willingness to pay and had to be related to the person for whom He was paying the penalty. This had to be done in order to meet the requirements of the kinsman redeemer under Jewish law. Since Christ was born spiritually alive without a sin nature and remained sinless, He was qualified to be our kinsman redeemer. Christ fulfilled the Law of Moses perfectly (even in His death). (Romans 6:23; Leviticus 25:27, 48; Jeremiah 50:34; Matthew 5:17)
Christ also suffered and died physically on the Cross. This was necessary in order for Him to be raised from the dead. The resurrection of Christ was proof that He had conquered physical death. Since we are in union with Christ, we too will conquer physical death. Christ was the first to receive a resurrection body, and we will also receive a resurrection body because we have been regenerated as new creations in Christ and are in permanent union with Him. (I Corinthians 15:12-20, 51-57)