Now that the mystery is revealed, we can focus on what it means for us today: our identity, our place, and how we live each day as part of Christ’s Body. Phase 3 is not about trying to become something new, but about understanding what God has already made us in Christ and living from that truth with clarity, confidence, and joy.
Good morning. Today’s verse is 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
There are only two kinds of people in the world:
• those who are spiritually dead
• those who are spiritually alive
A spiritually dead person may outwardly resist sinful desires yet still crave them inside. They might avoid acting on those desires to protect their reputation or avoid consequences, but before a holy God, both the desire and the action are equally sinful.
A spiritually alive person — someone who has believed the gospel of grace — has been made new in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. They have a new nature. They possess the ability to resist sin. They do so not to earn forgiveness, but because they are forgiven, accepted, and loved.
This is why Paul’s words matter so deeply.
We are not trying to become new.
God has already made us new in Christ.
The old life no longer defines us.
The past no longer controls us.
The sinful nature no longer rules us.
Yet even as new creations, we who are of the Body of Christ still have the old nature residing in our earthly bodies.
Yes, we still feel its pull.
But we are no longer bound to obey it.
Dear brothers and sisters, know this:
Our salvation is instantaneous — by faith alone in the gospel of grace.
Our sanctification is a lifelong process of learning to live in what God has already done for us.
So today, walk as spiritually alive people.
You are a new creation.
Live from that truth according to the teachings and doctrines of Paul. Move forward today with purpose and conviction, letting your new identity in Christ guide your actions and choices. Choose to walk confidently in all that God has made you to be.
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), 2 Co 5:17.
Meditation:
Lord, thank You that I am a new creation in Christ. Help me rest in what You have already finished and walk today in the power of the new life You’ve given me.
Reflection Question:
What part of your “old life” tries to speak the loudest, and how does the truth of being a new creation quiet that voice?