New You
New Creature
(Romans 5:12 KJV) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
(Romans 5:18-19 KJV) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. {19} For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
There is a need for God to make us a new creature in Christ. When God created Adam (Genesis 1:20) he was created in God's image. When Adam sinned, sin entered in and was passed on to all men. By virtue of Adam's sin, condemnation and judgment came. We are all sinners because of Adam's sin; we are all in Adam's image. Adam's offspring now bear him image, sinful. The body cannot compensate for this sin.
(Ephesians 2:1-3 KJV) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: {2} Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: {3} Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
(Colossians 3:6 KJV) For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
The justice of God come against those of the fallen nature and this happened because of one man's disobedience.
(Romans 5:6-10 KJV) For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. {7} For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. {8} But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. {9} Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. {10} For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Because our flesh cannot compensate for the sin without strength of ts own, Christ died for us. We are unable to attain to the glory of God. We are sinners, that is we miss the mark because of who we are and what we are. We need to be made a new creature.
(Galatians 3:26-27 KJV) For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. {27} For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
God's answer is not found in a "make over", you trying to start over in your own strength. There is nothing that we can do in our own strength to compensate for what and who we are in Adam. Though we are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, not by works (Romans 11:6)
In Romans 4, we learn that we cannot save ourselves. The work has been done for us: Christ died the sinner's death so that we might be made righteous.
(Romans 5:18-19 KJV) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. {19} For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
One sin plunged the human race in a lost sinful condition, one man's obedience gives every person the chance to be made righteous.
We are justified by the faith of Christ, He learned the plan of redemption and went to the cross.
Just as we were made sinners by Adam's disobedience; we are made righteous by the obedience of Christ, a new creature.
(Romans 5:1-2 KJV) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: {2} By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
We are saved by grace and have a standing in grace. When we trust in Christ as personal Savior, the question of sin is taken care of forever.
(Romans 5:8-10 KJV) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. {9} Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. {10} For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Christ died for us while we were sinners. MUCH MORE, we are saved by His wrath; not because of anything we have done but because of who He has made us to be.
New Identity (Life)
(Romans 6:3-6 KJV) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? {4} Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. {5} For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: {6} Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
We need to note that in this passage there is no mention of water. God takes the nature of who we are in Adam and crucified him. Christ not only paid for the sin by He took our old identity and crucified that. God takes that old man and buries him with Christ. As Christ did not stay on the cross, He rose from the dead: He rose from the identification of sin and death. We now have a new life.
God's Workmanship
(Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: {9} Not of works, lest any man should boast. {10} For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Workmanship is a product, something that is produced, something that is created. Created means to manufacture, which is the process in which something is brought to pass.
(Ephesians 4:24 KJV) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
A new life is brought into an existence. A new life = eternal life. The new man, which is after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. In Genesis 1:1, we see trees yield after their kind; there is a duplication.
In Ephesians 4, the new man is created after God, having the very righteousness of God. Our righteousness is after the law. (Philippians 3:9)
In Genesis 1:11, trees yield fruit after its kind; there is a duplication. In Ephesians 4, the new man is created after God and we are to have fruit after God's kind: the righteousness of God.
(2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
That we might be made the righteousness of God. Made is used with the idea of workmanship. The Lord Jesus Christ was made sin for us; he was transformed.
Psalm 22 depicts Christ on the cross when he was made sin, a curse for us. He did this so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. As Adam became a living soul, we are made the righteousness of God in Christ. This righteousness is divine not human, it is not of ourselves.
We are no longer in Adam but in Christ. We are now called SAINTS
(Ephesians 4:30 KJV) And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
To grieve the holy Spirit of God is to cause tremendous sorrow. God no longer sees us "in Adam" and it brings sorrow when He sees us not reaching our full potential of who we are in Christ.
Three Words
In Romans 6, there are three key words to help us understand the execution of our walk in our new life, the Christian life, which is the life of Christ manifesting itself in us.
Know:
(Romans 6:3 KJV) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
- Know the fact that you have a new identity in Christ. Know who you are! If you think like you are still "in Adam" you will never exercise your new identity.
(Romans 6:6 KJV) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
- Know that you are are free from the old man, which has been destroyed not taken away but put out of commission. The body of sin does not cease to exist but is put out of operation.
Reckon:
(Romans 6:9-11 KJV) Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. {10} For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. {11} Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- Reckon that you have died to sin. To reckon means to conclude it to be so; thinking it through to declare it to be so; to come to a conclusion. If we reckon something we believe it to be a fact. We need to realize that we are dead to sin. We have freedom from sin even though it is still in our body of flesh we do not have to give in to it.
Romans 8:9-12 KJV) But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. {10} And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. {11} But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. {12} Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.{13} For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
- The Spirit of God can bring life because of the spirit of Christ dwelling in us. Therefore, we are not debtors to the flesh but rather mortify the deed deeds of the flesh. Live like you have been set free. Reckon yourself dead to sin.
Yield:
(Romans 6:13 KJV) Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
- We need to make a choice that we will live according to who you are in Christ. We need to make what God has said about us to be true in our lives. We need to reckon it to be so. We need to think like who we are in Christ!
We do not need a "makeover"; we have been "madeover" in Christ Jesus. We are no longer a children of disobedience.
Salvation is not something we do; it is resting in what God has already done.
It is possible to live a "Christian" life because of what Christ has done for us not because of the things we do. We are God's workmanship - He does the work in us.
my notes from teaching by Ted Fellows