Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

October 24
Thursday


RE-CREATION

READ:
2 Corinthians 5:12-21
_____________________________________________________________________________
Therefore, if anyone is
in Christ, he is a new
creation; old things
have passed away;
behold, all things have
become new.
__2 Corinthians 5:17
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Chris Simpson's ife used to be consumed by hate. After he and his wife lost their first child, he was confused and angry. He directed that anger toward various ethnic groups and covered his body with hate-filled tattoos.

After listening to his son mimic his hatred, though, Simpson knew he needed to change. He watched a Christian movie about courage and began attending church. One month later he was baptized as a follower of Jesus Christ. Simpson is now a new person and is leaving the hate behind him, which includes the painful and expensive process of having his tattoos removed.

The apostle Paul knew something about this kind of deep transformation. He hated Jesus and persecuted His followers (Acts 22:4-5; 1 Cor. 15:9). But a personal encounter and spiritual union with christ (Acts 9:1-20) changed all of that, causing him to reevaluate his life in light of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. This union with Christ made Paul a new person. The old order of sin, death, and selfishness was gone and a new beginning, a new covenant, a new perspective and way of living had come.

Following Jesus is not turning over a new leaf; it is beginning a new life under a new Master. __Marvin Williams

````````````````````FOR FURTHER THOUGHT`````````````````````````
``````````What is the evidence that my union with Christ``````````````````
```````````has transformed my old humanity? are there```````````````````
````````````indicators that I am not the me I used to be?```````````````````
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Being in Christ is not rehabilitation, it's re-creation

**********************Today's Bible Reading __ 2 Corinthians 5:12-21******************************

12 For we do not commend
ourselves again to you, but
give you opportunity to boast
on our behalf, that you may
have an answer for those
who boast in appearance and
not in heart. 13 For if we are
beside ourselves, it is for
God; or if we are of sound
mind, it is for you. 14 For the
love of Christ compels us,
because we judge thus: that
if One died for all, then all
died; 15 and He died for all,
that those who live should
live no longer for
themselves, but for Him who
died for them and rose again.

16 Therefore, from now on,
we regard no one according
to the flesh. Even though we
have known Christ according
to the flesh, yet now we
know Him thus no longer.

17 Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away;
behold, all things have
become new. 18 Now all
things are of God, who has
reconciled us to Himself
through Jesus Christ, and has
given us the ministry of
reconciliation, 19 that is, that
God was in Christ
reconciling the world to
Himself, not imputing their
trespasses to them, and has
committed to us the word of
reconciliation. 20 Now then,
we are ambassadors for
Christ, as though God were
pleading through us: we
implore you on Christ's
behalf, be reconciled to God.

21 For He made Him who
knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Second Corinthians 5:21 is the heart of the gospel. This verse
summarizes the doctrine of substitutionary atonement. Even as
God took the condemnation for our sins and placed them on the
sinless Christ, He imputed, or credited, Christ's perfection and
righteousness to us.