New Natures
Welcome to the “essentials of healthy community” series. Here is an essential truth as we grow in the grace and love of God together:
That we would be a people who walk in the newness of Christ and reminds one another of their new creation identity.
Throughout scripture God renames people, granting them a whole new identity. This foreshadowed what would take place in Christ. In Jesus, God breathed upon the human race a new name and identity. He prophesied of this day coming when he said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). That day dawned in the god-man Jesus who took away the sins of the world, and bestowed on the human race a new identity.
Paul boldly declares that we are new natures/creations in Christ; that “old things have passed away, and behold, new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17). The word choice of Paul is deliberate. He could have used the word “neos” which generally means “not having long been,” like new clothes that have not been worn. But instead, Paul uses the word “kainos” which means “not yet having been.” It means a new form that has never been seen or experienced. It’s unprecedented, novel, and unheard of and never witnessed. Paul is saying, that there is a “new nature” that is an altogether brand new being, not merely an old being changing, slowly maturing or becoming new with time; but a brand new being in every way!
And to whom is this new identity granted? Paul clarifies by making three universal statements preceding the big statement found in verse 17. He first says “one died for all, therefore all died.” He then reiterates that “He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died…” The next statement is “therefore (as if to say “with that in mind”) from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh…” Paul then declares that we have a new nature in Christ.
Paul is declaring a universal, new humanity! As he says in Eph 2:15 that Jesus abolished “in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace.” Christ is the one new nature! He is the one new creation. And the human race is single-handedly identified by this new man. We have been crucified with Him, laid buried with Him, and now raised to new life in Him! As sin entered the world through Adam, and death through sin, so righteousness came to humanity through Jesus, a brand new human race!
So we are free to break attachments with everything that used to define us. Paul says that we are “holy and blameless.” Peter says we are “living stones…built up as a spiritual house.” The most holy place on earth, is the human standing next to you. The new “holy of holies” is the human race. We are invited to think differently about ourselves. All the old thoughts, emotions, and manners that used to define our lives have passed away. Every past mistake has been swallowed up. All of our sins have been washed away. We are forgiven! We no longer identify ourselves as “sinners” but our names have forever been changed to “saints.”
Even the good things that used to define our merit and value have passed away. Paul lists his resume in Phil 3. He says “If anyone has reason to put confidence in their flesh, I far more!” He lists his qualifications not his failures: “of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee,” “as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.” It’s only after these POSITIVE identity declarations that he says “but whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ…I count all things as loss/garbage for the surpassing value of knowing Christ.” To know Christ is to let go of every bad or good thing by which we used to define ourselves and rest in the identity freely given to us by the work and person of Jesus. We are brand new boys and girls!
We do recognize that there are many passages that seemingly suggest growth and maturing. In Romans 12:2 we are encouraged to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” This is not an appeal to become new, though. In fact, Jesus Himself was transformed or “transfigured” (same greek word). In Jesus’ transformation, he didn’t change to become someone new. In his transformation he didn’t all of a sudden become God in flesh. This word is only used a few times in scripture, and it means to be illuminated and unveiled. Jesus was unveiled as he was already and has always been, the perfect son of God. When we are “transfigured” or transformed it means that we are revealed as we have always been.
