NEW CREATION SERIES
INTRODUCTION
New Creation seeks to examine by divine revelation, the nature and life of the man in Christ and the effect of the regenerative power of Christ in his spirit, soul and body. The New Creation outline will basically examine the totality of the New Creation, which is composed of three major sections:
The life of the regenerated Human Spirit.
The Soul and the Renewal of the Mind.
The body and its discipline (subjection).
THE NEW CREATION
The New Creation is the born again man, created in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” This scripture shows that the new creation is not the “reformed”. He never existed; he has a new life in the spirit, created in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works…” This goes further to show that the New Creation life begins the moment he comes into Christ, because there are no traces of his past. For the New Creation, being in Christ Jesus is the first right choice to life, as traditions of men, and other primordial considerations such as tribe, colour, wealth and age do not count. Galatians 6:15.
BORN OF GOD
The New Creation is born of God. When God gave birth, He gave birth to us, because we believed in Him, we received his divine nature into our spirits. We were given birth to through His word. According to John 1:12-13, the natural man is born of blood, of the will of the flesh and of the will of man unto a perishable life. But the new creation is born of God. 1 Peter 1:23 says, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever
SALVATION BY GRACE
The New Creation did not get saved by his own accord or power. The New Creation got saved because Jesus paid the price for his sins. The New Creation is saved by grace, Ephesians 2:8-9 says that we are saved by grace through faith and not of any man’s good works; it is the gift of God. (Romans 5:17). Grace, which is an unmerited favour, is a divine act that translates one from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His marvellous light.
MAN
Man is a spirit; he has a soul and lives in a body. (1 Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 4:12; Job 10:11). These scriptures confirm that man is a spirit; he has a soul and lives in a body.
THE SPIRIT MAN
The spirit man is that being that communicates with and responds to God by the agency of the Holy Spirit(Proverbs 20:27). The spirit gives life to the body (i.e when the spirit man leaves the body, it cannot continue on its own) and can be allowed to have dominion over the soul and body. The spirit of man is ageless and has a voice, which is his conscience.
THE SPIRIT MAN GOT SAVED
Therefore, if any man (spirit) be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away, behold all things are become new. The human spirit is created anew in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 6:17).
HE LIVES IN THE WORD OF GOD
The New Creation lives on the Word of God. The Word is the meal for the spirit wherein it derives its nourishment to grow and attain fullness in Christ (1 Peter 2:2; Matthew 4:4; Hebrews 5:12-14).
THE FRUIT OF THE RECREATED HUMAN SPIRIT IN CHRIST
The New Creation has the nature of God imparted into his spirit. Hence the New Creation has the character of God in him that he exhibits as the fruit of the recreated spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness and Temperance (Galatians 5:22)
THE SOUL OF MAN
The soul houses the mind, the emotion and the intellect or the will.
The mind (Luke 9:47) is the part of the soul that thinks. A man’s thought is as powerful as his action and word and therefore can control your body and affect its discipline.
The will is the part of the soul that makes decision.
The emotion of man has to do with his feeling.
The soul is the doorway of the spirit; as such if the mind (soul) of a man is blocked, his spirit becomes inaccessible. The soul has control over the body. It is where a man carries out his reasoning and his recording system.
The blocking of this doorway by the devil is the reason that many cannot get saved(2 Corinthians 4:3-4) .The devil has blinded their minds (souls)
THE RENEWAL OF THE MIND
The renewal of the mind is a sanctification that is continual for the New Creation. Our minds need to be renewed (discard the old thoughts and intents and be filled with knowledge of His will) that we may know the mind of Christ and walk in His will. (Romans 12:1-3; Ephesians 4:22-24). Renewal of mind brings total transformation to the New Creation.
The mind also becomes renewed as you focus your mind to think the right thoughts. The Bible prescribes the thoughts to think for a Christian to think. (Philippians 4:8)
SANCTIFYING THE THOUGHTS
Temptation does not come from God, it is self contrived by reason of man’s lustful thought, which gives birth to sin and death. It originates only because our thoughts gave birth to it. Hence, cleansing the thoughts keeps the right intents in the heart (James 1:13-15).
RENEWED BY THE WORD OF GOD
The New Creation is transformed by the Word, as we meditate on the word of God we become like Him and exactly what His word says we are, by the transforming power of God’s word. We get to see ourselves as in a mirror (James 1:23-25) . 2 Corinthians 3:18 also says, “but we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”.
THE BODY AND ITS DISCIPLINE
The body is the covering of the spirit man (Job 10:11, 2 Corinthians 5:1-6, 2 Peter 1:13-14). It’s with his body that a man contacts the material or physical world and attends to daily life issues. The body like all other perishable things that exist on earth is limited by time. The body also gives man the legal right to exist and function here on earth.
BRINGING THE BODY UNDER SUBJECTION
Now that the New Creation is alive in Christ, and has a renewed mind by the word of God, there is a need to discipline (domesticate) the body. In 1 Corinthians 9: 24-27; Colossians 3:5, Roman 6:13-15, Apostle Paul tells us that conscious effort has to be made by the New Creation to discipline his body, that is to bring his body under subjection in order to fulfil the purpose of his life.
THE NEW CREATION’S EVIDENCE AND ASSURANCE OF SALVATION
The New Creation was translated from darkness (ignorance) into light (knowledge). The New Creation should be conscious of the realm in which he lives. Colossians 1:13. The primary evidence and assurance that one is truly born again or a new creation is premised on the following grounds:
a. The Word
The Word of God confirms that we are the children of God by reason of our confession and belief. (Romans 10:9-11, 1 John 5:9-13, Matthew 12:37 says, “For by the words they shall be justified…”)
So the evidence that you are saved is the Word of God that you acted on. If you have confessed the Lordship of Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him form the dead, you are saved (Romans 10:9-11)
b. The witness of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children (sons) of God. (Romans 8:16).
REMISSION VS FORGIVENESS OF SIN
REMISSION FOR THE UNSAVED
According to Acts 2:38; Ephesians 1:7; Matthew 26:28, the scripture says that remission (washing away of sin or blotting out of sin) is for the unregenerate i.e. the unsaved. This is necessary for them to become part of the commonwealth of God’s children in Christ Jesus.
FORGIVENESS FOR THE CHRISTIAN
The Christian belongs to God and has the grace of God that ensures his citizenship of the commonwealth of God’s people. When he commits sin he has an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins (1 John 1:9-10; 1 John 2:1-3).
HANDLING SIN
The New Creation has the power of God to live above sin by the help of the Holy Spirit that is at work in us. He also has the grace to ask forgiveness if he does sin. However, the Word of God does not encourage sin, rather it builds and strengthens the Inner Man (New Creation) to live and enjoy a glorious life in Christ.
CONCLUSION
The New Creation is the man born anew in Christ. He could be transformed by the renewal of his mind through the word of God. And he is required to mortify and domesticate his body by doing the word of God.
REVIEW OF THE CLASS
1. Who is a New Creation and how does one become a New Creation?
2. Who is Man? State and describe the various components of man as taught.
3. What are the things required for his total healthy living.
4. How can one know that he is saved?
5. How can the converted handle their mistakes?
6. What is the difference between forgiveness of sin and remission of sin?
7. There are 2 ways to be Born of God. True or False?
8. What is “The Spirit Man”?
9. What are the characteristics of “The Spirit Man”?
10. Briefly explain the Residents of the Soul.
11. What are the Rights and Assurances for the New Creation?
12. What distinguishes the Old Testament and the New Testament on the basis of sin?
13. How then can we handle sin?
GROUP DISCUSSION AND ASSIGNMENT
How will the study of the Word of God affect a man’s:
a) Spirit
b) Soul
c) Body
RECOMMENDED MATERIALS BY PASTOR Chris
CD/VIDEOS
The new man in Christ
Explaining Christianity
Growing in the Word
The new Superman
The newness of life, volume 1 & 2
The Essence of Christianity
BOOKS
Now that you are Born Again
Recreating your world
How to make your faith work