The man had the same name, and looked exactly the same as he did a few years earlier when some of his casual friends and acquaintances had last seen him. Now there was something different about him. It was like he was a new person. In a very real sense, he was a new person, since accepting the Lord Jesus as his Savior. This is something that the Apostle Paul explains in our Scripture passage today in his letter to the Corinthian believers. Let’s take a look at what the Lord is telling us in His Word.
How can someone change from being a real rascal or even worse, into a good and godly man or woman? This is more than just making a New Year’s resolution to be a better person, as we all know how long those resolutions last. Paul opens our passage today by telling us that when we come to Christ, accepting Him as our Savior, we become a new creation (vs. 17). As we read throughout the New Testament, Scripture teaches us that before we were saved we were children of darkness, children of the devil. When we become saved, though, we are now a new creation. We are now sons and daughters of God, children of the Light (Ephesians 5:8; I Thessalonians 5:4-5).
The new birth is a fresh beginning. Our sins are forgiven. We receive the Holy Spirit, who indwells us, and lives Christ’s life through us. We have a new spirit and a new nature. Christians are brand new people on the inside (vs. 17). The Holy Spirit gives them new life, and they are not the same anymore. Because of that, our desires and goals should be conformed to those God has for us.
Though we become a new creature, there is no automatic delete button to get rid of all of our old bad habits and behavior. Depending on how long we had lived in sinful behavior, those habits and actions may have a stronghold on us. We need to replace those habits with new and godly ones, renewing our minds with God’s truth (Romans 12:1-2). After a person is saved, and the more they cling to and abide in Jesus (John 15:4-8), the more old value systems, priorities, beliefs, and loves are gone, and they are replaced with things of God’s Spirit. Evil and sin are still present, but should no longer control them.
A good example of this in the Bible was with many of the believers in the city of Ephesus. When they were saved, they turned dramatically from idol worship, the occult, and other pagan practices. This change was so striking and complete that the local idol makers and occult stores noticeably lost business. Because of such a large drop in their revenue, these pagans started a riot because so many were turning to Jesus and giving up their old practices (Acts 19:17-41).
In addition to becoming a new person in the Lord Jesus, when we are saved we are reconciled to God and made righteous (vs. 18-19) We are no longer God’s enemies, strangers, or foreigners. Paul continues, telling us that our trespasses or sins are no longer imputed to us. That means that they have been forgiven, no longer held to our account. Instead, God has imputed, or charged our sins on to the account of Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God. Jesus took our sin upon Himself, even though He was sinless. God then imputes, or charges the righteousness of Jesus on to our account (vs. 21). We do not have to bear the penalty of our sins. Instead, we receive His righteousness. Our sin was poured onto Jesus at His crucifixion. His righteousness is poured into us when we accept Him as our Savior. The sinner is declared righteous, based on the merits of Jesus.
Because of this, we have the privilege to bring this message to others (vs. 20). The message we bring from the Bible is the message of God. We are Jesus Christ’s ambassadors, sent with His message of reconciliation to the world. We have the job of telling others what God did through Jesus, making it possible for everyone who has faith in Him to have eternal life. Let’s spread that message to others today!
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