Let us pray. Lord we lift your name high, You are the Almighty. We give you all the glory and all the honors and all adoration. We bless your name, oh King of kings and Lord of lords, You are the Ancient of days, the Unchangeable Lord, we lift you high.
blessed be your holy name.
Thank You Jesus, thank you Father. We worship you; you are worthy to be praised, you are worthy to be adored, please be glorified forever.
Yes Lord we worship you, we magnify your holy name, thank you Daddy, thank you Almighty God, blessed be your name Lord…
In Jesus mighty name we worshiped.
Today we shall look into the topic of the New Creature. I read from the book of second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
In speaking from these words, I propose to show
What it is to be in Christ in the sense of this text.
In what sense they are new creatures.
In what sense they are not new creatures.
Call attention to several important mistakes into which many persons fall upon this subject.
So let us see What it is to be in Christ in the sense of the text.
To be in Christ is to be with him in affection and confidence; to be in Christ is not to be understood here, in the sense in which we employ the term, when we speak of a person being inside a house, or inside a vessel; we do not mean that we are in Christ physically. The language is of course figurative, and means the union of one mind with another. Now two minds may very properly be said to be within each other, when they are united in affection and confidence. When minds are thus united, we speak of them as being one; and morally they are one; they are not physically one substance, but morally they are so united as to have their interests and feelings identical. We have a fine illustration of this in the matrimonial connection. Husbands and wives by being united in affection, interest, and sympathy, become one flesh. And believers are united with Christ in a much higher sense, they are one in the high sense in which persons are one, who are agreed in their views, their sympathy, their affections, and in the purpose for which they live. There is perfect unity in the purpose for which they live, in the great objects in which they sympathize. In this sense, believers are said to be united to Christ, to be in him. This is what is meant by believers to be united to him, he is in us and we in him, as the Bible elsewhere expresses it. When the mind is united to Christ, it has perfect confidence in him, sympathizes with him in all he does, yields itself up in affectionate confidence.
Christians are in Christ in this sense. But it does mean also, that to be in Christ is to be in him, as a covenant head. Christ is the representative of his people, before the throne of his Father; those who have been given to him he represents, before the judgment seat. He is the Covenant Head, of those who are united to him by living faith. They are his people; he claims them, for they were given to him, they were redeemed by him, regenerated by him, saved by him, and considered as parts of himself.
Let us consider In what sense those who are in Christ are NOT new creatures.
First, they are not new to their identity. They have no new attributes of body or mind, they have the same bodies as they had before, and they have the same minds, so far as the substance of the mind is concerned, as they had before; in short, they are the same persons in body, mind, constitution, and nature, as they were before, since there had been no change of the substance, either of the body or soul.
those who are in Christ are not necessarily, new creatures in respect to all their outward actions; sometimes, many of their outward actions could have been, in perfect harmony with the requirements of the gospel, and they may not need to renew their lives, in this regard, when they become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It may be, and will frequently happen, that they will do many things afterward, that they did before, so far as their outward life is concerned.
Now let us see In what sense, those who are in Christ Jesus are new creatures.
Let us first of all, look at the text as in the bible. “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things have become new.” the meaning of the Apostle is fully brought out in the reading of the text. The Apostle says, “If any man is in Christ he is a new creature,” and then to tell you more plainly what he means, he says, “old things are passed away; behold all things have become new.”
Thus we are new creatures in this sense if we have a new purpose in life, one that is radically different from what we had before. Before a man becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus, the spring of his action is self, and the purpose for which he works is self. Self-seeking is the beginning and end of his action, and all that he does is for a selfish reason, either for himself personally, or for those who are regarded as parts of himself. Self-pleasing is the purpose they have in view who are not in Christ. The whole race of mankind acts upon this principle, at the very beginning of life, as soon as they start to exist in this world, The first voluntary act of the child is to seek something to gratify its appetite for food, and this principle of self-seeking “grows with its growth, and strengthens with its strength.” Its purpose and aim is self.
Now everyone that is in Christ Jesus is a new creature in this sense, he denies himself to please God. Before, his inquiry was, how can I please myself; now it is, how shall I please God? He now lives for the glory of God: this is the great purpose for which he lives. “He is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things have become new.” But let me say : when a man has some great purpose in view, he will act in a manner which to himself appears, the most likely to secure it. A selfish man’s efforts are directed to a selfish purpose, therefore, all his acting is selfish. Now when individuals have a different purpose in view, the character of their efforts is changed also. Before they were in Christ Jesus, they were in the flesh and had a selfish reason for everything they did; the great purpose which they had in view, and which they purposed to secure was some interest of their own.
Now persons who are in Christ Jesus, are new creatures in this sense, that they are endeavoring to realize a different purpose and have different reasons for their activity in their endeavors to secure it. Before they had a selfish purpose and selfish reasons for seeking it, now they are living to secure the interests and glory of God. : those who are in Christ Jesus are new to the relations they sustain. They are now God’s children, instead of being rebels against him; they are obedient subjects of his government, instead of being the enemies of his kingdom. Instead of being criminals, they are pardoned and justified and accepted in Christ. : they are new in this respect, that they regard everything in an opposite light from what they did before. Before they judged everything given their relations to the purpose they had in view. When they were pursuing a selfish purpose, they viewed everything in a selfish light, but now there is a radical change in this respect. The great purpose they have proposed to themselves being different, their views of things must necessarily be changed also. Now they regard things in the relations to God, and to the great purpose which they now propose to secure.
The Apostle Paul speaks of having known Christ after the flesh, yet says he, “Now know we him no more.” The fact is, before conversion, men regard everything after the flesh, they see everything with unconverted eyes, with the unregenerated and unsanctified heart. Everything is estimated on account of its selfish relation: even religion itself is looked at in a selfish light; even Christ himself is regarded in a selfish point of view. Unconverted men care nothing about religion unless they can make something out of it; care nothing about God and Christ only as they can make something of it. So supreme is the selfishness of the human heart that it cares not for anything in the universe, in heaven, or on earth, only as it will promote selfish reason.
Now when persons become new in Christ Jesus, there is a radical change in this respect; things are no longer regarded for selfish reasons and looked at in a selfish light. These considerations give way to those of an opposite class of reasons. They come to regard no man after the flesh but after the Spirit. Instead of seeking self, they seek the glory of God, the interests of his kingdom, and the salvation of souls. : when a man comes to be in Christ, he is new in his sympathies, Before, his sympathies were turned in a selfish direction. Watch him, and you will see that his sympathies are alive to all selfish considerations.
If you propose to him to make money, and you will find his sympathies all alive: he will go anywhere and at all seasons to get money: his thoughts and sympathies are all turned in that direction. But when a man becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus, his sympathies are entirely changed; instead of finding that he is easily excited with merely selfish considerations and prospects of worldly gain, you will find that these things have but little effect upon him, while he is quaveringly alive to the extension of the kingdom of Christ, and the conversion of souls.
If our union with Christ has not this effect, How can we say we are in Christ ? What good would it be, if it did not affect our lives? If any man is in Christ, he must be a new creature; and if any man supposes he is in Christ and is not a new creature, he is under a mistake. What do you suppose I should care about, being in Christ Jesus, if I must remain the old creature still? Nothing. But because a man when he is in Christ Jesus is to become a new creature, I see that there is an excellency in being in Christ, and it is a change to be intensely desired. those who are in Christ Jesus are new in this respect: new in temper and spirit,: instead of being crusty, ill-tempered, easily provoked, ready to fly into a passion at everything, they become the reverse of all this, They manifest a new temper and a new spirit. This must be so by natural law.
As I have already said, to be a new creature in Christ Jesus, is to be united to Christ in affection and confidence, and be one with him in the purpose and aim, and how, let me ask, can a man be thus united to Christ, whose temper and spirit are unrenewed? And, what says the Bible” If any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his!”
Those who are in Christ Jesus will be new in this respect, they will thirst after spiritual things. Before they thirsted for the world, its honors, wealth, and pleasures, but now they hunger and thirst after righteousness; their language will frequently be,” My heart and my flesh cries’ out for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God.” But let me say : those who are new creatures in Christ Jesus are new in the sense that they have new hopes. Instead of their hopes being worldly hopes, they are heavenly; instead of being endeavoring in the earth, they are all universally swallowed up in Christ; their sole hope is, that when he appears they may be like him. : they have new fears. Before, their fears related to the world; they found the loss of their worldly character, the respect of the world, the comforts and honors of the world more than the loss of their souls.
Now their fears are of a different kind. they are afraid of sin because it will grieve Christ and dishonor God. Yet this is not a slavish fear, but a filial fear, a fear of offending one that is greatly loved. : those who are in Christ are new in this respect, that they have new joys. Before, their joys were earthly, but they were not lasting; they were only experienced for a moment, and then they passed away forever. Now, when a man is in Christ, his joys are entirely new. This joy is the joy of faith, the joy of love, the joy of communion with God, and the joy of sympathy with heaven. Thus all his joys are derived from spiritual things. : there is a new sorrow for sin. There is now none of that worldly sorrow that worketh death, but their sorrow is of a godly sort; their language is, “Rivers of water run down my eyes, because men keep not thy law.” Sorrow, joys, hopes, and fears, are all new, they all cluster around one great purpose, and are relative to one object. I cannot dwell upon this: but proceed to say, that those who are in Christ have new habits of life. Before, they were selfish and self-indulgent. To be sure, they might have denied themselves in some things, but it was only that they might indulge in something else, but now all self-indulgent habits are given up. The question a renewed man always asked, will be in connection to all his actions, and what relation do these habits reflect on God’s glory? This will be the great purpose he has in view; and if any habit that he may have indulged in, seems to him likely to defeat this purpose, it will be at once given up, and the man will have new habits of life. : those who are in Christ are new, because they have new reasons for those actions of their lives, which before, were according to the letter of God’s word and requirements.
Suppose that before they were converted, they went to the meeting, read their Bibles, and prayed; suppose they gave alms to the poor or did any of these things, they were all done from a selfish motive: self was the ultimate purpose they had in view in everything. Now they have a different purpose for each of these things. Do they pray, they do not pray for the same reason they did before: they have a much higher purpose in view. Do they read their Bibles or go to the meeting, they have new reasons for their conduct. Although the same things outwardly, they now do them for an entirely different reason. They now aim to please God instead of themselves in all that they do. I do not mean to say that a Christian cannot sin under the force of temptation, but I do mean to say, that a man who is in Christ Jesus has a new reason, for even the most trifling things of his life.
for example, if I go into a shop and I see a young man at work: and I ask what he is doing?. he said Laboring. I ask, What for? he said to earn Wages. What do you propose to do with your wages? he said to Buy books. Why do you want books? He said beacuse he is going to college to get an education. But why do you propose to get an education? he said To prepare him for the ministry. Now with all these questions, I have learnt nothing about the young man’s character. He may desire education and to become a minister and yet be the D man in the world. His character must be seen as the ultimate reason for all this. Supposing he says, I want to be a minister that I may get a living, or I want to be popular as a speaker, or I want to get an easy life, or I want to be respected. Selfishness would be the beginning and end of such a character. All his labor has been from a selfish reason, and for a selfish purpose. But one who was a new creature in Christ Jesus would give you quite a radically different reason for his actions. He would be doing it all that he might glorify God and save souls; for to be a new creature in Christ Jesus is to be devoted to everything to which Christ is devoted: to be one in sympathy, in heart, in spirit, in love, in confidence, and in thorough devotion to the purpose for which Christ stands for.
Moreover, those who are in Christ have new habits in business. Business properly conducted is a noble thing. A man may, if he chooses, make it consistent with the highest purpose of being. But the ungodly man has only a selfish purpose in view, in his business, and he does not inquire into the relations of his business and the kingdom and glory of God. He never inquires whether the business is following the laws of God, if so be that it is under human laws and is a money-making business.
the man who is a new creature in Christ Jesus, the man who has given himself up to Christ, would no longer engage in a business without inquiring, what relation that business has to God, and his Christian faith. He is in Christ Jesus, a new creature, which renders it naturally impossible, that he should give himself up, to anything which was not in perfect harmony with the mind of Christ. He is living for a certain purpose, and is it possible that he would leave this purpose out of view when he entered into business? Impossible! It could not be!
If a man loves Christ supremely, can he serve the devil in his business? The man who professes to serve Christ on Sunday and serve the devil in his business is a hypocrite. There can be no doubt about it. “No man can serve two masters;” he “cannot serve God and mammon.” If he has been in the devil’s business before his conversion, he will wash his hands of it. His language will be, “I will sooner die than lift my hand against society by engaging in a business that will injure my fellow men and ruin their souls.” : not only is he a new creature in respect to the kind of business, but also in the manner of conducting lawful business. He is keeping shop for Christ, and he knows that his Master does not want him to lie, cheat, and play the knave in his dealings with men; and, therefore, he will act as he knows his Master desires that he should. He will seek to act like Christ to represent Christ. The Spirit of Christ will be seen in all his dealings. If a man comes to his store, he will not try and cheat him: he will not speculate out of a brother, for he is a new creature in Christ, Christ will have all his servants honest; therefore, he will not cheat a brother or anyone else. Let this then be understood.
Furthermore, He is new in the sense of depending upon Christ. To call attention to several important mistakes into which many persons fall upon this subject.
Many people say they are depending upon Christ while they neglect their duties. Now I say and let it sink into your hearts that no man who depends on Christ does or can neglect his duty. Any man who is resting, leaning upon Christ, will without hesitation do what Christ tells him.
Those that are in Christ understand also that their relations have changed, that Christ sustains to them the relation of a covenant head, that they are represented by him and therefore, are Christians. Now when the Apostle says” If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things have become new”. he undoubtedly means what he says: and means, of course, that if old things have not passed away and all things have not become new, they are not new creatures.
However, the Apostle says, “If any man is in Christ”, not was once in Christ, but is so now, “old things are passed away; all things have become new.” Thus, a radical change of character is the universal and unalterable condition of being in Christ. That we shall repent and believe is not a ground of our acceptance, but it is a condition; and those who suppose that they are in Christ and shall be saved by him, while they are not new creatures, are guilty of most dreadful wickedness, and are under a most awful delusion. : another mistake is this many persons depend on what they call their “experience,” at the time of their supposed conversion, while their subsequent lives prove that they were never converted at all.
I have many times since I have been in the ministry, conversed with people about their spiritual state, and when I have asked them what hope they have of salvation, they would refer back to their experience at the time of their supposed conversion. But ask them about their present experience and they have nothing to say. They depend entirely upon their experience years back: they suppose that they were once converted and they look back to that.
This reminds me of a circumstance I once heard of concerning a man whose hope of heaven was based on a very remote experience. Whenever he felt any doubts about his safety, he would go back in memory and think of his experience; and this was the only way he could obtain any degree of peace. As he increased in years, his memory somewhat failed him and so he wrote down his experience on a sheet of paper and put it in a drawer, that if he should ever forget it, he might be able to read it and find comfort. One day he was taken sick and being greatly in doubt of his life, he requested an attendant to go to the drawer and get his experience and read it. The attendant went to fetch it but found out that a mouse had been there and had eaten it nearly all up! Whether this is true or false I cannot say, but it is as I heard it, and will do very well to illustrate what I am now saying that a great many people are living on what they can remember of their experience.
Now the text does not say if any man is in Christ, he was a new creature once, but that he is a new creature. Now if a man is not in his soul conscious of being a new creature, it is vain for him to talk about being in Christ. Have they changed the great purpose for which they live, and have they come into full sympathy with Christ? If not, they are not owned by the Savior as his children. : another delusion into which a good many persons fall is what they call “the perseverance of the saints.” Their idea is, that persons once in Christ are sure to be saved, no matter what they do.
Now, I believe in the perseverance of the saints, but not in that sense. I believe the saints will persevere in holiness, as the Apostle John teaches in the third chapter of his first epistle, “Whosoever is born of God doth not sin; for his seed is in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God.” This is what we may call the true “perseverance of the saints?” Those persons to whom I refer, say they believe in the perseverance of the saints, and yet argue that the saints will be saved whether they persevere or not! Listen, this is an outrageous idea! I believe in the perseverance of the saints, but it means that they will be saved because they persevered. I do not affirm that saints will never fall into sin, but they will not live in it. This is universally true, that the people of God hate sin.
: there is another delusion into which many people fall about the Divine Sovereignty. They depend for salvation on the election and the Divine Sovereignty. Now let me say, I believe in election and Divine Sovereignty. I believe that men are saved by Divine Sovereignty; but I believe those who are elected will give God their confidence like the elect, and live like the elect, will be holy like the elect, will persevere in holiness like the elect, will serve God like the elect, and not be content to live a sinful, self-indulgent life in the service of the devil, and talk about being saved by-election!
How absurd is it, When people fly to God’s Sovereignty, when they do not have the Spirit of Christ in them. If the Spirit of Christ was in them, they would seek to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit through the belief of the truth. Those who are saved are to be saved by “faith, which works by love and purifies the heart.” “This is the victory that overcomes the world, even your faith.” : many persons, when the truth comes home to them, seek to put it away from their minds. How many times have I known an individual do this. When the truth is presented, they will often say, ” Well, I certainly am not in Christ, if what the minister says is true; I have not that sympathy with God, that he speaks of; this is not my character.” When they have got thus far, the devil will suggest some text of Scripture to delude them, and prevent their thoughts running on, in the right direction of self-examination. How many times have I known the devil to quote Scripture to persons under such circumstances? Whenever the truth is presented to your minds and you begin to think that you certainly are not a true Christian, if any passage of Scripture is suggested to your mind to make you believe that you are, you may be sure that it is the devil who suggested it to you; and if you suffer yourself to be so comforted, you will in all probability lose your soul. be watchful, for the devil, will deceive you if he can.
Let me conclude by saying, true faith always gives peace of mind. There is “joy and peace in believing.” This is universally true. : if you find by your consciousness that you are new creatures in Christ Jesus, you are bound to take the promises and consolations of the gospel to your souls, for they are all yours. you may take them all, and write your name on every promise, to every declaration that is made to “God’s dear children,” and rejoice in all the great and glorious things, that God has spoken to his redeemed family.
: if you are not God’s children, beware that you do not appropriate these promises, laying them as a flattering unction to your souls, for they are not for you. You have “neither part nor lot in the matter”, until you repent of sin, renounce it, and come into sympathy with Christ. : it is absurd to build your hopes of heaven upon an old experience. It is only the backslider who is living in sin that relies on hopes and experiences, only those that are new creature, can obtain comfort and eternal life.
: I have often thought that the great reason why professors of religion do not have more comfort is that they are not in a state of mind that deserves comfort. If they were, God would not leave them without it. Unless we have faith, we have no business to have comfort: unless we have that “faith which works by love and purifies the heart; “
If any man should have that faith, he shall be sure to realize the promises. Let us ask ourselves, what a different standard of religion the apostles held up, from that which is now common to hold up. Are today ministers now afraid of cutting themselves, off from all hope of salvation, by making the standard too high? and so they bring it down to their level; Are they not in a position to hold up the gospel as the apostles did? This is the game of the devil, and a path to destruction. The standard is brought down to the level of the church, instead of the church being elevated to it!
Though the is not universally the case, and I praise God that it is not, but I have very often found it true, and my soul has been deeply grieved on account of it. But I cannot enlarge.
I must now close: you and I will have to meet, at the judgment seat of Christ, and I call heaven and earth to witness that I have set before you, life and death, blessing and cursing. If you are not a new creature in Christ, you will never be saved! If you take hold of any hope short of this, you will find it to be a hope of sand, and when you are swung out over the vast abyss of eternity, it will suddenly fail you and your soul will be eternally lost! May God have mercy on us all for his name’s sake.
Remember that Salvation is God’s free gift. But, you must receive this gift before you can enjoy it.
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name”
Are you ready to respond? Are you willing to receive God’s free gift now? Will you decide to receive Christ now?
If you are willing to give yourself to Jesus completely, and you would like to experience the power to become a child of God.
What you must do.
Admit that you are a sinner.
Be willing to repent.
Believe that Jesus died for your sins.
Go to God in prayer, repent and invite Jesus into your life.If you ready to receive Christ now, repeat this prayer after me.
Almighty God, I thank You because You love me. When I was lost in sin, You sent Jesus Christ to die for me. I believe that the blood He shed was for my pardon. Today, I repent of my sins and ask for forgiveness. Lord Jesus, come into my heart and be my Savior and Lord. Thank You for coming into my heart according to Your promise. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.