1. Raised With Christ: Living as a New Creation
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Introduction: Who Are We in Christ?
One of the most important truths every believer must understand is this: Christianity is not merely about becoming a better version of your old self. It is about becoming a new creation in Christ.
This teaching began with Colossians 2:12, where Paul explains that through faith we are buried with Christ and raised with Him. Baptism points to a real spiritual truth: the old life has been put to death, and a new life has begun through the power of God.
“Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”
Colossians 2:12 NKJV
Baptism is not just a religious tradition. It is a public declaration that we now belong to Jesus. It says, “My old life has been buried with Christ, and I have been raised to walk in new life.”
1. If Anyone Is in Christ
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV
Paul does not say, “If anyone tries harder.” He does not say, “If anyone improves himself.” He says, “If anyone is in Christ.”
That phrase is the foundation of our identity. To be in Christ means that we have been joined to Him. Our life is now connected to His life. Our standing before God is no longer based on our past, our failures, our family background, our reputation, or our own ability to perform. Our identity is now found in Jesus Christ.
This means the most important thing about you is not what you have done, but who you are in Christ.
2. You Are a New Creation
Paul says that the person who is in Christ “is a new creation.” This is much stronger than simply saying we have been forgiven. Forgiveness is wonderful, but God has done even more than forgive us. He has made us new.
A new creation is not just the old life with better behaviour. It is a new life that comes from God. The believer has received a new identity, a new nature, a new spiritual position, and a new direction.
This means we no longer have to live from old labels such as:
- “I am a failure.”
- “I will never change.”
- “I am controlled by my past.”
- “This is just who I am.”
- “God could never really use me.”
In Christ, those labels are no longer your true identity. You are not merely a sinner trying to survive. You are a child of God learning to live from the grace and power of Jesus Christ.
3. Old Things Have Passed Away
When Paul says, “old things have passed away,” he does not mean that a Christian will never face temptation, weakness, or struggle again. He means that the old life no longer has the final authority over you.
The old master has been dethroned. Sin may still tempt you, but it no longer owns you. Fear may still speak, but it no longer has to rule you. Condemnation may try to return, but it no longer has the legal right to define you.
“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Romans 6:14 NKJV
This is an important truth: the Christian life is not pretending the old struggles never existed. It is learning to stand on the truth that they no longer have dominion over us in Christ.
4. Behold, All Things Have Become New
The word “behold” is important. It means we must stop and look carefully at what God has done. Many believers still look at themselves mainly through the eyes of their past, but Scripture calls us to behold the new work of God in Christ.
In Christ, we have a new relationship with God. We are no longer far away, but brought near. We have a new source of strength, because the Holy Spirit lives in us. We have a new purpose, because we no longer live only for ourselves, but for the One who died for us and rose again.
“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:11 NKJV
To “reckon” means to count it as true. We must learn to agree with what God says about us. Even when our emotions feel old, even when our habits feel familiar, and even when the enemy reminds us of the past, we answer with the truth: I am alive to God in Christ Jesus.
5. Living From Your New Identity
The Christian life is not about trying to earn a new identity. It is about learning to live from the identity we have already received in Christ.
When we face temptation, we can ask, “Does this agree with who I am in Christ?” When fear rises up, we can ask, “Does this match the new life God has given me?” When old habits call us back, we can say, “That is not my master anymore.”
Repentance is therefore not merely feeling bad. True repentance is returning to agreement with God. It is saying, “Lord, I turn away from the old way because that is no longer who I am. I turn back to You because my life is now in Christ.”
6. Practical Application
Here are three simple ways to apply this truth:
First, believe what God says about you. Do not allow your past to speak louder than Scripture. Say it out loud if necessary: “I am in Christ. I am a new creation.”
Second, bring your choices into agreement with your new identity. Before reacting, speaking, deciding, or giving in to temptation, ask: “What does a new creation do here?”
Third, walk daily with the Holy Spirit. The new life cannot be lived by willpower alone. God has given us His Spirit so that we can walk in the reality of who we are in Christ.
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:25 NKJV
Conclusion: You Are Not Who You Were
2 Corinthians 5:17 is one of the strongest identity verses in the New Testament. It reminds us that being in Christ changes everything. We are not simply patched up, improved, or religiously adjusted. We are made new.
The old life has lost its ownership. The old labels have lost their authority. The old guilt has lost its voice. In Christ, we have been raised to new life, and now we are called to live as people who belong to Him.
You are in Christ. You are a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You that through faith we have been buried with You and raised with You. Thank You that in You we are a new creation. Help us to stop living under old labels, old guilt, old fear, and old habits. Teach us to believe what You say about us and to walk daily in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.