Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. II Corinthians 5:17
Interesting question. After all, is there really a difference between the two? And if there is a difference, does it really matter to me? I trust that after a little exploration we will see that the difference can literally be life or death. Let’s start by contrasting a new lifestyle with the new creation:
New Lifestyle
- Everyone tries to act alike, do things alike, talk alike and be alike
- It is man’s work – God’s not in it (Isaiah 64:6)
- Requires conformity – man’s effort to meet a set standard
- Results in religion – doing specific works in order to be accepted by God
New Creation
- Everyone is changed from an “old man” into something entirely new (Ephesians 4:22-24)
- It is God’s work – man cannot do it
- Results in uniformity – each of God’s new creation is in His image (Romans 8:29), with His mind (I Corinthians 2:16)
- Functions as a Kingdom – doing specific works because you are accepted by God and want to please Him
- Results in relationship – man communing with the Father and with other members of the Kingdom
Jesus did not suffer and die in order to earn for us a specific lifestyle. And (this may surprise some of you) He did not even come to create a new religion. He suffered and died to destroy every work of the enemy (I John 3:8) thereby releasing us from death’s stronghold so that He could take our “old man” on that tree (he did our dying for us) so that we could be raised to a new life, one that Satan no longer has control over. Now I can say as Paul did, “I no longer live, but Christ lives within me!” (Galatians 2:20)
I believe this to be an area that causes great confusion within the churches and to be one of the more serious causes of divisions within the body of Christ. Individuals and/or churches who are caught up in the religiosity of lifestyle choices will quickly reject and condemn others who don’t “work out their salvation” (Philippians 2:12) in the same manner as their group perceives it should be done. They see in terms of “us and them” creating divisions within the body of Christ, thereby weakening the church.
Those who are new creations living in a Kingdom where the Creator is the head will “bear with each other in love” (Ephesians 4:2) as they support and encourage other members of the Kingdom who perceive differently or are less mature in their walk, doing everything to build up the body in love. (Ephesians 4:16) They see in terms of one body where each member is working in unity toward fulfilling one purpose. (I Corinthians 12:14-20) In such an environment, the eye won’t even conceive such a thought as to say to the hand, “I have no need for you” (I Corinthians 12:21) because its own needs will not be the focus, only the needs and proper functioning of the whole body.
New lifestyle or new creation? I was challenged with this question and meeting the challenge resulted in a realization that I was not renewed in Christ, but instead had been working hard to clean myself up so that Jesus would accept me. Once I realized He is the only one who can clean me and make me acceptable, and that He has cleaned me, and that I am fully accepted before the Father, then came the outward behavioral response. It was natural to the new creation, not a work. Things that never bothered my “old man” greatly trouble me as a new creation. This then affects my moral behavior, dress, vernacular, and all those things that “religion” wanted me to work hard to change by my own efforts.
Let us, therefore, strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall… Hebrews 4:11
I encourage you; strive to enter into His rest. Keep your focus, your efforts and your life completely trained on Jesus Christ and He will make you a new creation. He does the work. Our “striving to enter” is done in yielding, obeying and believing every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. A new creation in Christ is a different life altogether – an abundant life (John 10:10) that greatly exceeds any lifestyle man can create of his own efforts.
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