Lesson for June 7, 2026  |  Our Spiritual Assets  |  Lesson 13

A New Creation in Christ

A passage that is often quoted with regard to this doctrine of being a “new creation” in Christ (but one that is not very well understood) is II Corinthians 5:17–21. The context of II Corinthians 5 shows the result of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is when He places believers into union with Christ. It is our union with Christ that gives us the potential for a personal sense of destiny (knowing that we have a place prepared for us in Heaven). It is in light of this doctrinal truth that Paul tells us in verse 17 that we are new creations in Christ and that “old things” have passed away and all things have become new.

Contrary to popular belief, “new things have come” is not a reference to a change in a person’s lifestyle or the giving up “bad habits.” We know this from the original language and from many other passages of Scripture. Once a person accepts Christ as Savior, their lifestyle does not automatically change. If there needs to be change, then the only legitimate change must come from spiritual growth based on learning and applying the Word of God, not on some religious taboo.

As a matter of fact, this passage refers to what God does for us, not what we do for God. Becoming a new creation is a matter of God’s grace. Therefore, all human effort is eliminated. The reason a person becomes a new creation is they are in union with Christ. This union means that a believer shares Christ’s destiny and inheritance.

A New Spiritual Classification

The first word of II Corinthians 5:17 is therefore. The Greek word for therefore is “hoste,” and can be better translated “conclusion.” Paul looks back at the context of the passage and draws a conclusion based on previous doctrinal information. The conclusion is if (first class condition — meaning if and it is true) any person is in Christ (baptism of the Holy Spirit), that person is a new creation. Creation is the Greek word “ktisis” and refers primarily to the creative act in process. It is a believer who is being acted upon by God. This act of creation is when God, at salvation, creates a human spirit in a believer. In order to better understand what Paul is teaching, we will use the term “a new spiritual classification” since this describes more precisely what occurs at salvation. This creative act by God creates something in a believer that previously did not exist. It is “new” and it is “spiritual” in nature and a believer becomes a different “classification” (Royal Family of God). (I Corinthians 2:9–14; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:19)

Prior to salvation, a person is merely God’s creation, but not a part of God’s family. Becoming a member of God’s family is a matter of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior. This act of faith places a person into union with Christ, and they instantaneously become a child of God. No longer is this person merely a creation of God, they are now a “new creation” of God, which is a different classification, spiritually. Before salvation a person is spiritually dead, but after salvation a person is spiritually alive. (John 1:12; Romans 6:23)

The old things passed away. Old things is actually one word in Greek — “archaios” — meaning that which existed in the beginning. It is a reference to something that is ancient (really old), something in the past. It does not, therefore, refer to a believer’s bad habits or lifestyle. It refers to something that is thousands of years old. Passed away in Greek is “parerchomai” and means to go, to pass, to come to an end, to disappear, or to neutralize. What exactly passes away at salvation that would fit into the meaning of these words? The context makes the meaning very clear. It is a reference to an old condition — spiritual death.

Thousands of years ago our original parents, Adam and Eve, sinned and the result was spiritual death. Spiritual death passed to every member of the human race as a result of Adam and Eve’s disobedience. It is spiritual death that Paul has in view when he uses the Greek word “archaios.” This means that spiritual death has gone, passed away, or come to an end. A believer can reject the Christian Way of Life and turn their back on God and His Word, but they can never be spiritually dead again. This is grace!

New Things Have Come

Behold new things have come. The Greek word for new gives us insight. There are two words in Greek for new. The first is “neos,” and means new in time, young, or that which is recent. The second word is “kainos,” and means new in form, new in quality, or different in nature. It is this second word, “kainos,” that Paul uses to describe the new creation. Believers receive a new nature (a human spirit). This nature is from God and is spiritual. Receiving this nature is not a matter of reformation of a particular lifestyle or behavior. Receiving this nature is strictly a matter of God’s grace provision. The transforming power of God the Holy Spirit places you into union with Christ and sets you apart to God for all eternity upon faith in Christ.

In case there is any doubt about the true meaning of this passage, II Corinthians 5:18 clarifies it: “Now all these things are from God, Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ.” All these things are from God, not man, and it is God Who reconciles mankind to Himself by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. This eliminates any thought of religious “tabooism,” which is giving up certain “bad habits” to be saved. You do not give up anything to become a new creation in Christ, nor do you start doing something. You are a new creation because you are “in Christ” and for no other reason. Salvation is a matter of faith alone in Christ alone and has absolutely nothing to do with good works or human merit. Jesus Christ has already done all the work on behalf of us all. His substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross paid the penalty for sin and set up the potential for eternal life for every member of the human race.

Christians do not lose their sin nature the moment they believe in Christ for eternal salvation. Therefore, their behavior may or may not change after salvation, based on their response to God and His Word. The moment you become a Christian, a battle for the control of your soul begins. This battle is between your sin nature and God the Holy Spirit. Paul the Apostle, like many of us, was perplexed by how his desire to do right could be manipulated to do wrong. The answer, as he discovered after he became a believer in Christ, was this battle between the sin nature and the new spiritual nature. (Romans 7:18–25)

The sin nature is inherited genetically from our human father and is the center of our rebellion against God, according to Genesis 5:3, Psalm 51:5, and I John 1:8. The sin nature began with Adam in the Garden of Eden when he (and Eve) rebelled against God and lost their perfection. Because of the Fall, every person is born with Adam’s original sin, resulting in spiritual death. (Romans 5:12–14)

The sin nature is where the temptation to commit personal sin originates. However, your personal volition is the source of committing personal sin. The temptation to commit personal sin is not a violation of God’s laws, but succumbing to the temptation is. (Hebrews 12:1)

The true character of a believer is determined by what they think, not by what they do. God never forces us into any course of action. We determine what our own spiritual life is going to be, based on what we think. Divine Viewpoint Thinking prevents satanic influence and “takeover” of our souls. In order to have Divine Viewpoint Thinking, we must know what the Bible teaches. The more Bible doctrine we know and apply, the more Divine Viewpoint Thinking we will be able to utilize. The less Bible doctrine we know, the more Human Viewpoint Thinking we are going to utilize. The more Human Viewpoint Thinking we use, the more insecure and unstable we are going to be. Thinking our way through life with Divine Viewpoint Thinking will bring victory, peace, power, and stability. (Isaiah 26:3–4, 33:6) Vacillating between Divine Viewpoint Thinking and Human Viewpoint Thinking makes a believer unstable and plays into Satan’s hands to control our souls. (James 1:8)