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New Creation Living
by Joseph LaValley What's ailing you? "New creation" living is God's answer to what's ailing you, me and anyone else. You may be thinking, "What in the world is he talking about?" I'm declaring God's answer, which He revealed to Paul, so we know that we're on firm ground. 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. The word "creature" in this verse means creation. In the Greek text, the word "new" is "kainos", meaning 'new in quality', a new kind that didn't exist before. When anyone confesses Jesus Christ as their Lord, at that moment they become a new creation in Christ (Ephesians 1:7 KJV; Ephesians 2:4-6 KJV). "In Christ" is now their permanent spiritual residence. It is also a heavenly seat of authority given to us in Christ by our heavenly Father. This grants us both eternal life and the legal right to walk in resurrected life. This is part of the life that didn't exist before. Ephesians 2:10 KJV For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. In the Greek text the word "handiwork", used here in that verse is "poiema". It means something made or created. And in this context it's talking about God's hand creating a "new you" in Christ. This the "new creation" spoken of in 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV. There isn't anything in this sin contaminated world that God could use as raw material to build a new life. This new life had to come directly from the hand of God through Christ. This new life is created within those who believe on His Son. Ephesians 1:13 KJV In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. Here we see that God put His very nature in us so that we could bear the fruit of that life. That is the "holy Spirit of promise". 2 Peter 1:2-4 KJV Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Good News! The "exceeding great and precious promises" given by His divine power are the "yes promises" bought and paid for and given freely to all that believe in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:19-20 KJV). They are called "all spiritual blessings" (Ephesians 1:3 KJV) because they were released from God and put in us through Christ. The "holy Spirit of promise" is the incorruptible seed that God put in us (1 Peter 1:23 KJV). The purpose of planting a seed is to produce fruit and to reap a harvest. This is God's intent. So we now, as freewill agents, can choose to partake of His divine nature. In addition to that, we now, through Christ, also have become God's dwelling place. Ephesians 2:19-22 KJV Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God. And ye are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building fitly framed together growth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Read that again! Because He has made us His dwelling place we get God! The blood of Christ puts us in a blood covenant with God. It's not merely a matter of receiving prosperity, a healing, protection, enlightenment etc. What we get is God through His Son Jesus Christ. The wholeness of life all comes out of God who now resides in us. The bridge that takes us from a fallen spiritually dead nature to a nature of salvation wholeness is Jesus Christ. This is what we get; this is what we have. Therefore we can prosper; we can manifest healing; we can receive protection; we can be enlightened and so much more because God through His Son is working in us. God hasn't called you to practice His theology. He's called you to become part of His dwelling place-"builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit." God, who resides in you, has committed Himself to directing you and energizing you to produce the results Christ has paid for. God's heart of love is result minded, and always for your good. Philippians 2:9-10 KJV Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him [Jesus Christ], and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. God has done a mighty work in us through Jesus Christ, who He has seated at His own right hand (Ephesians 1:19-23 KJV). Let's give Him room to work for He truly desires to bring to pass His good will in our lives. Philippians 2:12-13 KJV Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. "Work out your own salvation" is not talking about earning your salvation; that would contradict a whole lot of scriptures. Its' referring to demonstrating your salvation (wholeness) with an attitude of "fear and trembling", meaning reverential awe and respect. Why, the attitude of awe and respect? Because it's God Himself working in you. Philippians 2:13 KJV For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. This is why we can live life to its fullest, its God working in us. The phrase "to will" is from a Greek word "thelo" which means desire, intent. God will lead us (if we allow Him to) by putting His desires and intents, for our life, into our heart. Once it becomes clear to you that this is God's leading, you are to hold fast to that word given and respond by faith action to the directions He gives. The phrase "to do", in this verse is the Greek word "energeo" which means to effect, to put forth. Another words, God will energize the result. Therefore we can achieve the seemly impossible because it's not by our own strength but by His power. It's guaranteed because it is God's power that shall energize the end result. Ephesians 1:19 KJV And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. Once our spiritual eyes are enlightened to these realities we can respond to them. God has laid out your path. He has provided the outstretched hand through Christ. Now it's up to us to take His hand and come walk with the Father. There are many verses in the epistles that instruct us in this walk. Ephesians chapter five instructs us in three major categories; walking in love, walking in light and walking circumspectly. The first verse in this chapter summarizes the entire section. Ephesians 5:1 KJV Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children. A spiritually dead person cannot follow God's ways. In the physical realm, corpses are lousy at imitating living people. A little sarcasm here, but you get my point- God has made us a new creation in Christ so that we can follow His ways. Prior to that we couldn't. We are God's dear children with our heavenly Father's nature in us. One of God's greatest and most emphasized characteristics in the Bible is love. God is all powerful but the Bible doesn't say He is power. God is all knowing but the Bible doesn't say He is wisdom. What it does say is that He is love. 1 John 4:7 KJV He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love. There are many types of love in life and they all have a Godly purpose. There is the love that a mother has for her child. There is brotherly love. There is sexual love. God has given all of them their proper place in life. The greatest of all however is God's love which is the Greek word agape. All the other types of love are conditional. A mother's love is for her own child. Brotherly love is for your friends not strangers. Sexual love is for your spouse. God's love however is extended to all regardless of the conditions. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth" What was the world doing for God at the time? You got it NOTHING! What were we perpetually doing? That would be walking in darkness.... So we see that God's love is not attached to extrinsic conditions but originates and is motivated out of God's very nature. He is love therefore He loves. He doesn't love because of what we do or don't do but because it is His nature. Also note that this type of love involves giving. As the saying goes, "you can give without loving, but you can't love without giving." That's how God loves. As we've seen in the scriptures as "new creations" in Christ Jesus we, the born again believers, have been given His nature. This certainly includes the "God type" of love (agape). The first thing we need to do in following the ways of our heavenly Father is walk in that type of love. Ephesians 5:2 KJV And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for an offering, and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. Where does that love start? Quite simply and wonderfully it starts with accepting His love for you and then responding to it. That is how God set it up. 1 John 4:9 KJV In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. God has shown His heart of love for every individual by offering His only begotten Son as a sacrifice to die on the cross for their personal sins. Then once a person makes Jesus their Lord, God through His resurrected and seated Son empowers that individual to walk in newness of life. He encourages His children to love others as He loves (present tense, as in Now!) us. When I was nineteen years old, I was going to a home fellowship to hear the truth about God's promises and His love. At the time, I had a major problem called "heroin". I would go hear the word of God taught then I'd leave and go shoot some heroin. I had a habit; and my choice was to either get high or be sick. God however had a third option; learn to trust Him and get delivered. The day finally came when I believed He would deliver me. I prayed and simply went to bed. Lo and behold I actually slept and had no withdrawal symptoms. I was healed! It was miraculous. That was 1972 and I've been walking with Him ever since. God had freely loved me into my deliverance. Have I continued walking with God throughout the years just by the shear strength of my commitment and discipline? Honestly I'd have to say no. I've stuck like glue to Him because no one loves me greater than He does. We all want to be loved and no one is better at loving you than God. God has certainly loved me into trusting Him and all that He says. My love for Him and for others is a byproduct of my relationship with Him. When God delivered me of heroin addiction I told anyone who would listen what God had done for me and what He would do for them if they chose to trust Him. I found out later that was called "witnessing", which is something God has called Christians to do. When God's goodness is experienced this becomes a natural outflow. I'm no different than anyone else. Such love from God will and does touch the heart. I've seen God's goodness affect some of the most hardened people. Once they've experienced God's loving hand, they've become walking, talking advertisements for the goodness of God. What had happened to those individuals is that the verse stating "God so loved the world" became a personnel revelation of "God so loves me". Renewing our mind to walk in love then becomes a heartfelt response to our loving heavenly Father. It is our Father that causes the increase of that love to grow in our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 3:12 KJV And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you. 2 Thessalonians 3:5 KJV And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. Paul didn't pray for things that were not available. These are God directed prayers that God answers on a continuing basis. This love is the all-important foundation in our walks. This is why it's listed first in Ephesians chapter five. The next item listed in this chapter is built upon love. It's walking in light. Ephesians 5:8 KJV For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the lord: walk as Children as light. Remember, God has put His nature in you at the moment of the new birth. You have His light residing in you. God is light and we are now "children of light". As we walk in love the light of God grows greater and greater in our walks. Don't be deceived into thinking that walking in light is fulfilling your list of "do nots". Yes we must put off our former sinful ways. But lets' not kid ourselves, there is no such thing as a spiritual vacuum. It's the light of God's presence through His Son that can and does dispel any darkness in our lives. Our job is to turn the light on by responding to who we are in Christ. Responding to God in thought, word and deed will give God room to move in our lives. Though it's your decision, it's His power that changes you. 2 Corinthians 4:5-6 KJV For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Because we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. God desires that we trust His words and not the words of satan. God wants us to bear the fruit of that Spirit that He put within us. Ephesians 5:6-10 KJV Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be ye not partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.) We can see from these verses that a Christian can, if he chooses, partake of darkness. But God tells us that such a choice comes from believing vain deceptive words. You have been made a new creation in Christ Jesus. In that new creation seed we have eternal life and the empowerment to walk out a more than abundant life. Because of who we are we can choose to put on that new nature, the "new man". Ephesians 4:22-24 KJV That ye put off concerning the former conversation old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. As we walk in love, God's light will increase in our walk. The more light we have in our lives, the clearer God's leading becomes. This brings us to the third thing; walking circumspectly. Ephesians 5:14-15 KJV Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, In the Greek text the word for "circumspectly" is akribos, which here means to walk diligently, or accurately. We all understand diligence. Here we are being encouraged to give forth our best effort. However if we are to get God's desired results, we must learn to walk accurately. When we confessed Jesus Christ as our Lord we acknowledged His expertise in guiding our lives. If we are to walk circumspectly or accurately we must now continue to seek His guidance and train our ears to hear and recognize His voice. Words that come from the Lord are life filled words that are given to bring about God desired results. John 6:63 KJV It is the spirit that quickenth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. These words were spoken by Jesus Christ when He was personally present on this earth. They are just as true today as He carries out His ministry as the head of the body of Christ. Ephesians 1:19-23 KJV And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. When we receive instructions from our God in and through His Son these words will carry the right answer for the situation or need, and the power to get the job done. As a young man I had gotten serious about walking for the Lord. I had a lot of zeal but not a whole heap of experience or wisdom. We had a Vietnam veteran in our fellowship who had some major problems. He had been involved in some horrific fighting and had seen some terrible things while serving in Vietnam. Every once in a while something would trigger those memories and he would forget where he was and become very violent. Sometimes the police would be called to subdue him. It would take three or four of them to do so. He wasn't that big of a guy, so I'd more or less surmised that he may have been tormented by spirits. At that time I wasn't sure if the Lord had told me this or whether it was a senses conclusion. However, as time went on it did turn out to be spiritually true. One day when he had a very bad attack they brought him to the psych ward at the Veteran's Hospitable to try and help him. Now I knew that God loved this man. He wanted to and could deliver him. These things were true, so a friend and I went up to see if we could help him. When we got there I began speaking God's word to him. As I did so he began to pace back and forth. I kept in step with himthe faster he paced the faster I paced with him, and the more of the word of God I spoke to him. I knew the light of God's word can deliver people. Is that true? Absolutely! Did it work at that moment? It certainly did not. We were interrupted when they called him to lunch, where he proceeded to flip over tables. This was not what I'd expected. What had happened? Plain and simple, at the time, I knew how to walk in love and light but I didn't know much about walking circumspectly. I should have sought the Lord for His wisdom on how to help this man. The good news is that God, who will hold back no good thing, taught me and still is regarding walking circumspectly. Let me give you an example that will show you how impacting it is when you walk circumspectly. Years back, my soon to be wife was in a missionary program. She had witnessed to a young woman we'll call Shelly (name changed). One day when my wife was working her shift as a waitress, Shelly showed up and sat in her section. She was ashen white and was visibly shaking. She said that her heart was racing and that she could hardly breathe. She asked my wife to pray for her. My wife took her aside into the break room to pray for her. She asked God what to do and she spoke to Shelly's body as God instructed, in the name of Jesus Christ. The results were immediate. Shelly calmed down, and the color was restored to her face. God then gave her a very specific word to speak to Shelly, "Don't ever take those pills again, because if you do they will kill you." Shelly seemed taken aback but then recovered enough to say "What pills? I didn't take any pills." Then God instructed my wife to bang her finger on Shelly's jean jacket pocket, the very pocket where the pills were hidden, and declare, "These pills." That ended that argument. This really impacted Shelly's life, and all because my wife sought God's wisdom for the situation. Shelly got healed, confronted, and warned by God, which probably saved her life. All this happened because a believer had walked circumspectly. Shelly began seeking God even more in her life. Later on she likewise committed to a missionary program. She has since gotten married, had children and has continued to grow into a very committed believer in her service for God. Did my wife know by her senses that Shelly had taken speed? No! Shelly didn't live a life of drug addiction. Did my wife know the exact way to handle this situation? Of course not. However the Lord did, and she sought Him. This is "new creation" living. We are a new creation in Christ Jesus. God through His Son is more than willing to take our hand and grow us up into the reality of who we are. It is because of His spirit within us that we can learn to walk in love, to walk in light and to walk circumspectly. My name is Joseph. I became serious about walking with the Lord back in 1972. My wife and I have been married since 1975, and have two grown daughters. We presently live in Texas. Our e-book -"Come Walk With The Father" is available at amazon.com. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |