TOWARDS NEW CREATION
Genesis 1:27, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 4:22-24
As I am doing thesis work on
the New Creation Theology of Pandipeddi Chenchiah, one of famous Indian
Christian Theologians, I feel comfortable to dwell on the same topic in this
practical sermon also. Then I’ll try to bring out the nature of the phrase New
Creation from Biblical texts and from Theologians. And I frame my topic as Towards
New Creation. In this time, I would like to use the criteria of what,
why and how to explore our topic along with looking our society and our
Christian life today.
What is New Creation?
Let us look what new creation is
and its nature with the following points:
·
New Creation according to 2 Corinthians 5:17:
Here, the new Creation is
referred to the one who is in Christ. If one is united with Christ. The old
things have passed and one is newly created. He has vital union with Christ. He
is radically transformed from his old sinful state. Paul declares that the new
and right relationship to God and life has come. The phrase as we have seen
describes a mystical experience in which we live because Christ lives in us. This
also implies an inner change which is equivalent to a new creation. He is not
merely improved or reformed, or altered in any way; however he is remade and
recreated. The change is radical it goes to the roots of his being. This verse
says that the old has passed away, and then the new has come. The old here may
refers to the desires and purposes of the self centered life; and the new to
the desires and purposes of Christ-centered life. Now the new creation, the new
human lives in a new world because his outlook is changed. When we are made
new, some of the things we once valued lose their appeal. Then love, duty,
brotherhood, services, etc become important and they become our life themes.
·
New Creation according to Ephesians 4:22-24:
Paul now gives a lesson here, that the previous lifestyle
was to be discarded completely. They must forsake their old behavior. The
metaphor of putting on and off of cloth is common in Scripture and in Greek literature
generally. Here also Paul used it. In a contrasting positive statement, Paul
reminds the Ephesians that instead of being subject to progressive
deterioration, they were to be eternally restored in mind and spirit. “To be
renewed” possibly involves an element of restoration, since the image of God, damaged
by the fall, is fully restored in the new creation. The Christian converts are
to undergo a radical reorientation of their mental outlook. This can only take
place under the influence of the Holy Spirit, acting on human spirit as it
affects the realm of thought. The new self assumed by the believer is the
direct opposite of the worthless “old self”. It is not the formal nature restored,
but is a totally new creation. Here it is simply “to the likeness of God”. The
characteristic of the divine image are righteousness and holiness. These are
qualities in God that are reproduced in his genuine worshippers: his love of
right and his hatred to sin.
·
New Creation according to P. Chenchiah:
For Chenchiah, Jesus is the
first born of new Creation. He is a new kind created, a personality resulting
from the union of God and man. He is neither human nor God, he is in between
having separate nature rather than God and human, that is what we called New
Creation, in which he calls us to share the life with him. Then, when we become
born again or Christian, we are newly created and placed ourselves between
human and Holy Spirit. We are no longer the person of Genesis creation who
later fall into sin, but new Creation following the same nature of Jesus
Christ. For him salvation is the process of reproducing the image of Christ (or
reproducing Jesus). It is lifefulness rather than sinlessness. Humans are the
second New Creation.
·
New Creation according to Sadhu Sundar Singh:
To be saved by Christ is to
receive new life from Him, to become a new creature. By faith we are engrafted
into Christ and so we become new Creation, able to live the life in Christ. If
Christ lives in us, our whole life will become Christ-like. The unseen God, the
unseen Christ and the unseen Holy Spirit who dwell in the new created persons become
visible through our life; a life which shall be the nature of new Creation.
·
New Creation according to P.D. Devanandan:
God’s original purpose of
creation as we see in Genesis 1:27 was checked by human sin. It is to be
achieved by new Creation. New Creation comes to those who are in Christ. For
Devanandan, in the new creation all the created universe will participate.
Christ is the True man, and human becomes a new creature in him by response and
commitment. In Christ we have a forecast of what God intends man to be from the
beginning of creation. Christ is the role model of the original plan of
creating man. When man commits himself to Christ, he becomes a new creature,
and is able to share with God in the carrying out of God’s purpose for the whole
creation.
Summary: Then from these
different understandings of new creation, I would like to sum it up. Yes new
Creation is a theological term of restoration of human being by renewing human
nature through the Holy Spirit. It is spiritual rebirth through Christ. The
humanhood of original creation in Genesis is already spoiled by human beings.
In order to regain we have to be recreated. When we become born again, we are
not only reformed but we are recreated. We are filled up with the Holy Spirit.
That is what we called Christ lives in us. For example, one becomes born again,
then that means he is no more that old one, he is a new being and nature. He is
not only himself, but he becomes Holy Spirit filled person. He is in Christ and
Christ lives in him, then he acts and he tries to act like Christ as much as he
can. Then the transformed life that he had attainted is what we called New
Creation.
Why is New Creation?
Then why do we need to know New Creation? Why do we need to
know that we are new creation? There are some purposes in New Creation
theology, which can provide us the answers to ‘why’ question.
·
To live Christ-like life:
Yes this is one purpose of new creation. We often say that
Jesus is our role model, and we have to imitate his life. It is very true; but
in reality, we rather choose human ways of life. Paul says the old has passed
and the new has come. For those who attain new creation must have new life, what
is called Christ-like life. This is lifefulness according to Chenchiah.
Lifefulness brings Christ’s nature in reality and in praxis. We cannot become
the real Jesus, but by attaining new creation we become the parallel partners
of Jesus.
·
To be real human:
Our humanity can be seen from the way how we see things. No
need of more telling about human creation, of course we are created to live in
this Earth. In our context, there is great lack of putting important to day to
day life. We put more emphasis on eschatological hope, and spiritual life. We
are satisfied already when our churches are happy with the dancing environment.
We claim other things beyond are worldly. We like to be spiritual, but we don’t
make proper balance with physical life. However the reality is, Christian life
is for this world, here. All the Christian teachings are to be observed in this
Earth. All the abilities of human beings are made for our life in this Earth.
But we tend to neglect it. So it is difficult to be real human as long as we
neglect our daily life situation. But the New Creation provides an
understanding to have fruitful life, which is the source of making us to be
real human.
·
To re-fulfill the purpose of the
creation of humankinds:
Through new creation one has to
re-fulfill the purpose of God’s creation of human in his likeness. The spoiled
nature of human being is reconciled through Jesus. Jesus first re-fulfills
Adam’s nature (before eating the fruit). Then when we live in Jesus, Jesus also
lives in us; this brings new way to fulfill God’s purpose again in same way of
Jesus Christ’s.
How is then?
How new creation is occurs? How shall we know that we are
new Creation?
·
By knowing:
One important thing in new creation is the coming of new
being and the passing of old being. Yes, salvation leads us into the
re-fulfillment of original humanhood. Too much emphasis on human sinfulness is
one harmful idea for new creation, because it can prevent us from knowing that
we are new creatures. Therefore to know is very important. We have to know it first,
and to let others know of what we are is the next step.
·
By acknowledging:
New Creation is a Biblical teaching, in which we all
Christians are included. From the time of accepting Jesus Christ as our
personal savior, we already attained new creation. We have to acknowledge it.
Our part is to acknowledge and to accept.
·
By experiencing:
Then again knowing and
acknowledging are not enough for the success of new creation in our life. The
next step is to experience, that is, to live according to it. Since then we are
now new being; some things like new approaches, new ideas and new conceptions
are to be there in our minds, and then we will experience newness in us.
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, as we are already the
Holy Spirit filled, and as we are the second born of new creation, we can enjoy
God’s love once again, we can live in the loving family of God. Let us accept
that we are new creation; let us know, let us acknowledge and let us experience
this Biblical truth, in order that we may have more fruitful life, and we may
have lifefulness in this world.
Amen.
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