A New Creation

 “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

(2 Corinthians 5:16–17 ESV)

As believers, we know the desire of God, for the salvation of all people. And we know that, in Jesus, God has provided just that. He’s provided for all people the forgiveness of their sins. He’s provided for all people salvation from death and hell. And he’s provided for all people the blessing of everlasting life.

This blessing must be received by faith. It, however, is available to not only a select few, but to all. There is no distinction.

We, however, are prone to making distinctions. We are prone to judging people based upon their past and their present sins. We are prone to determining, in our own mind, who is deserving of these blessings and who is not.

If someone had a rough past, and once lived a life of sin and rebellion, we deem him unworthy. If someone is struggling with a certain sin, right here and right now, we deem him unworthy. And if someone is not growing in faith and holiness as fast as we believe he should be, we deem him unworthy.

We, then, shy away from such people. We fail to share with them the comfort of the gospel. And we regard them as pariahs in the church.

We make distinctions in other ways, as well. We make distinctions in terms of appearance and dress. We make distinctions in terms of a person’s education level. We make distinctions in terms of his wealth. We make distinctions in terms of his speech. We make distinctions in terms of his race. And we make distinctions in terms of his culture.

As we look at the verses preceding the passage above, we find that people did the same with Paul. They judged him by worldly rather than godly standards. They judged him based on their outward impression of him rather than his heart and faith.

Paul even points out that he and his companions once did this with Christ himself. They looked at him according to the flesh. They looked at him in terms of worldly standards.

As we look at the passage above, we find that this is wrong. We find that it makes us guilty. We find that, in this way, we fail to display the heart of God.

Paul says that he no longer regarded anyone according to the flesh. This means that he no longer regarded them according to a worldly point of view. He, rather, regarded them according to the gospel. He regarded them according to God’s point of view.

He, then, lays out that view for us. If anyone is in Christ, he says, he is a new creation. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature.

In Christ, we have been made new. In Christ, we have been given a new life. And as his faithful, we must regard both ourselves and others as such.