Today’s New Covenant nugget is from 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (an entirely new species of being); old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are spiritually born again... in other words, your spirit man that was dead and separated from God became alive and you were made alive spiritually, or born spiritually. Your new spirit man is called a ‘new creature’ in 2 Corinthians 5:17. The Greek can actually be translated, “If anyone is in Christ, he is an entirely new species of being”.
The Passion Translation says, “If anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new creation. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.”
The Mirror Bible says, “In the light of your co-inclusion in His death and resurrection, whoever you thought you were before, in Christ you are a brand new person! The old ways of seeing yourself and everyone else are over. Acquaint yourself with the new!”
DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CREATURE
Galatians 3:26-28 (AMP)
26 For you [who are born-again have been reborn from above [spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified and] are all children of God [set apart for His purpose with full rights and privileges] through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For all of you who were baptized [immersed] into Christ [into a spiritual union with the Christ, the Anointed] have clothed yourselves with Christ [that is, you have taken on His characteristics and values].
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you [who believe] are all one in Christ Jesus.
THE NEW YOU IS NOT BLACK OR WHITE OR BROWN OR RED. THE NEW YOU IS NOT MALE OR FEMALE.
THE NEW YOU IS PERFECT, THE NEW YOU IS RIGHTEOUS, LOOKS LIKE JESUS, ACTS LIKE JESUS AND HAS THE POWER AND AUTHORITY TO DO THE WORKS OF JESUS!
AS A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST, YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING THAT JESUS DID, IN HIS NAME!
THE NEW YOU IS PRE-PROGRAMMED WITH THE DNA OF JESUS, THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS AND THE MIRACLE WORKING POWER OF JESUS...
Just think about it, in Christ you have been born again and, by grace, as a child of God, you have access to everything God has... the question is... If believers are spiritually born again and fully equipped to do the works of Jesus, then why do we not see believers operating at full potential as new creatures in Christ?
Firstly, most Christians do not even know that being born again is more than “bullfrogs and butterflies”. They do not have the revelation of who they are in Christ. They have no idea what they are capable of in Christ... so, lack of revelation knowledge is one reason that we do not see Christians operating at full potential in Christ!
PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING PREVENTING BELIEVERS FROM FULLY OPERATING IN THE POWER OF THE NEW MAN IS AN UNRENEWED SOUL!
UNRENEWED THINKING, UNRENEWED EMOTIONS, UNRENEWED VALUES AND UNRENEWED DESIRES WILL BLOCK YOUR NEW YOU FROM OPERATING AT FULL POTENTIAL!
Your soul, (your mind, your will and your emotions) can either block you from operating in the power of the new you, or it can give you greater access to who you have become in Christ and to the power of the new creature that you have become.
A soul that has not been renewed or transformed is a deceived fleshly, worldly, carnal soul... this unrenewed soul cannot embrace the new you and will fight it. A miserable Christian is a born- again believer with a carnal, unrenewed soul! Romans chapter seven is a great example of what such a believer deals with on a daily basis.
A renewed soul fully cooperates with your born-again spirit man. The more that you focus on renewing and transforming your soul, the more that you will operate according to the power of the new man in Christ!
THE THREEFOLD CORD OF TRANSFORMATION
There is a threefold cord of transformation that will transform and renew your soul.
1. WORSHIP
You become what you worship. Set aside time daily to worship the Lord... as you do your soul will be transformed and renewed.
2. MEDITATE UPON THE WORD (STUDYING AND CONFESSING THE WORD)
Scriptural meditation is a combination of studying the Word, thinking about what you have studied, and then confessing and declaring the revelation result of your word study, over and over again. Scriptural meditation is transformational.
3. PRAY IN THE SPIRIT
As you pray in the spirit, you build up your inner man (your soul). Praying in the Spirit transforms your soul and infuses and then releases power into and through your spirit.
The devil hates it when Christians worship, meditate upon the Word, or when they pray in the Spirit... he hates it because believers who do those three things every day end up with renewed, transformed emotions, minds and desires. With their souls renewed, they begin to operate in the power of the new man, and that is his worst nightmare.
We have to rise up in these last days as a church and begin to operate as kings and priests in Christ... make room for the Lord and begin to worship Him every day, meditate on His Word every day, and pray in the spirit every single day, in Jesus Name!
CONFESSION
“I am a new creature in Christ!
I am fully equipped to do the works of Christ
I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength and the ability! This is my season...
This is my time to rise up in the power of Christ!
I shake off the limitations of the old man, in Jesus Name!
I live in the New, I am empowered, equipped and supernaturally charged by the power of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus Name!
Blessings on you, Nick