Tag: What the Bible says about being a new creation in Christ

Bible Verse of The Day – 7-22-24

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

As I look back on my life, and on the lives of others that I know, the transformative power of Christ becomes clearer every day.

I sometimes think back to who I was as a teenager, and remember some of the things that I did, and it makes me thankful for the blood of Jesus and the mercy of God.

I am ashamed of some of the things I did when I was young. But I know that they were washed away, and I was made a new creation on December 12, 1982, my spiritual birthday.

And so have we all done things that we look back on and wish we had not done.

But God is mightier than our sins and the darkness we once walked in. And He offers His redemption through the sacrifice made on the cross.

In addition to my own transformation, I have witnessed the power of the blood of Christ in the lives of so many others; people I knew when I was young, and others that I have met along the path of my life.

It is mind blowing to see God take truly messy human lives that seemed beyond hope and completely make them new. It defies all odds and confounds human logic.

But I know this one thing; it is real.

God is above human thinking. And He operates outside the boundaries of our understanding and our finite ideas and ponderings.

Let us all reflect on what God has done in our lives and be infinitely grateful for His redemption and for making us new creations in Christ!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 10-20-23

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

We have been made new in Christ!

Sometimes it can be easy to forget this.

He took our old, sinful self and made us new by the washing of His blood.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel anything but new.

Life can wear on us and cause us to forget who we are, and Who we belong to.

Then the enemy whispers in our ear and reminds us of our old life and our old self, telling us that nothing has really changed. He may even remind us of some of the things we did in our BC (before Christ) life. And that can really cause us to stop and think.

But instead of thinking about how bad and dirty those things make us feel and getting caught up in the negative side of that, we need to use that as a weapon to remind the enemy that we are no longer that person.

If we have truly repented, and we have been washed in the blood of Christ, then we are forgiven. The old self has been made new.

We are no longer condemned. We are no longer sentenced to death and eternal separation from God.

So, don’t let the devil drag you down a road that takes you backwards.

We cannot allow him to take us back to those times when we were dirty and separated from God, living a life that revolved only around ourselves and satisfying the desires of the flesh.

So, the next time the enemy begins whispering in your ear about who you used to be, remember these three phrases; washed in the blood, saved by grace, new creation.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 7-14-23

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Let’s talk today about being what the word of God calls, “a new creation” in Christ.

If we have put our faith in Christ and embraced Him as our Savior, then He has made us new through the washing of His blood. Our sins have been forgiven.

The old self has been laid to rest. He has breathed new life into us!

This is what Jesus referred to as being “born again” as He conversed with Nicodemus during the evening hours.

John 3:3 (NKJV) 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

So, as blood-washed sinners, we are given a fresh start; new life as new creations.

But here is an important question for each of us to answer.

Are we living as though we are new creations?

Have we allowed God to “clean us up” and help us shake those old habits, those things that we saw in ourselves that we needed forgiveness for to begin with?

We all know what these are in each of our lives; the words we use, the way we treat others, the behaviors we habitually fall into, the things we choose to indulge in, etc.

Are we behaving like a new creation, or are we still clinging to the old self?

Some may view this kind of questioning as being legalistic, relying on behavior to “make it into” the kingdom of God.

But this is about much more than just “being a good person”.

It is about how we view our salvation, or whether we value it for what it really is, and whether we really understand what it means to be a new creation in Christ.

We do need to understand that some of our old habits may take time to fall off. They might cling to us for a while as God teaches us and convicts us.

But if we are years into our walk with God as a follower of Christ, and we have yet to allow God to change anything about us, still behaving as we did before Christ, we need to sincerely check ourselves.

We need to allow God to touch our heart and let Him put His finger on those things in us that are holding us back; those things that we know are not pleasing to Him.

This is a hard thing for us to hear. It might anger us. It might cause us to lash out at the one speaking it to us.

But maybe, just maybe we need to hear it, and that’s why it angers us so badly.

Let us all listen for God’s voice in this matter. And let us also heed what He shows us, that we might finally shake off those things that have held us captive for so long. That we might allow Him to lay to rest the old and usher in the new creation that Jesus died to make possible.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 9-9-22

Romans 8:1 (NKJV) 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Happy Friday! Let’s wrap up the work week with one more short study on some verses from Romans.

On Monday and Wednesday we discussed the power of God’s grace, faith in Christ and how applying them to our lives will help us obey God and break free from habitual sin that leads to death.

Today, let’s talk about the results of obeying God, and what that means for us.

Verse 1 above states that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Let’s dig into that.

Condemnation: the finding of fault, guilt or an unfavorable judgment. Denunciation, disapproval.

Now, some translations don’t include the second half of verse 1, “who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit”.

That phrase is basically a qualifier that helps us better understand what the first half of the verse means.

But let’s look and see what is meant by the first half of verse 1 so we can get a deeper understanding of what it really means, even without that second half.

Being “in Christ Jesus” insinuates or infers a relationship; something that is genuine and active, not just a casual, occasional or intermittent on-again-off-again faith that is not visible, active or being genuinely walked out in one’s life.

If we are “in Christ Jesus”, we have a functioning, healthy relationship with Christ. Our life will reflect it by the fact that we walk “according to the Spirit”, not according to the flesh.

We can take heart in the fact that Christ has paid the price for our sins. And because our faith in Him sets us free from our old, sinful ways, we are no longer condemned.

We have been found not guilty!

This is amazing when we consider who and what we used to be and who God has made us.

We were rescued from death and brought into eternal life through His blood and His sacrifice.

This in itself is miraculous and unexplainable by natural standards.

Only the blood of Christ can do this.

Thank you, Father, we give you glory and honor for your incredible grace over our lives. Amen.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 9-5-22

Romans 6:1-2 (NKJV) 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Sometimes the way various translations word a verse, or a group of verses, can make it harder to understand than is necessary.

These 2 verses are an example of that. But I’d like to break this down to make it clear and easy to know what is being said.

Verse 1 starts off with a question; “What shall we say then?”.

The wording of the question indicates that it is referring to something that was previously stated.

In this case, Paul is referring to the last part of Romans chapter 5, where he reminded the Roman people that, through Adam, sin brought death into the world, but in Christ came new life through the grace of God.

Under God’s grace, through the obedience of Christ (and our faith in Him), our sins can be forgiven.

Some of the Romans mistakenly thought that the abundance of God’s grace gave them a license to also abundantly sin, knowing that forgiveness was available.

Paul corrected them in the first section of Romans 6. This explains his question in the opening lines referred to above.

I remember reading these verses 30 or so years ago. It was life-changing for me because it showed me that God’s grace does not give us a license to sin, but that He actually desires that we live righteous lives.

The end of Romans 5 explains it very thoroughly. But verse 2, above, sums it up nicely in very few words when Paul states, “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”.

If we have put our faith in Christ, we have died and been born again.

When we died, our old (sin-laden) self also died.

The new person in Christ is no longer bound to the old, habitually-sinful self. The chains were broken and the new man/woman is no longer bound to their old lifestyle.

The new creation in Christ has an obligation to leave their old sins and their old lifestyle behind. That might be hard for some to accept.

Again, Paul stated it very plainly saying, “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”.

God’s grace is indeed abundant and sufficient for our sins.

But He wants us to let Him show us how to live lives that are no longer built around the old self, the old habits and the old way of life.

Very simply put, as people who have died to sin (in Christ), let us no longer live under the bonds of sin.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 7-14-21

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

We are new creations in Christ. Not old with new clothing. Not old with new habits. Not old with a new coat of paint. Brand new, from the inside, out.

Why is this so important for us to understand?

Because once we grasp it, it will impact us deeply. It will change the way we think and the way we act. And if it doesn’t, then we don’t truly grasp what Christ has done.

How will we know that we’re at least starting to get it? Because we will see ourselves changing.

Our thoughts will change. The things we say (and don’t say) will change. The way we act will change.

Some things will change quickly. Others will take time. But change will be evident in our lives on a day-to-day basis as we grow and mature.

And because we’re each unique, with different sins that we wrestle with, we will each change in different ways, at different paces.

What’s important, though, is that we do see change happening. Not because we’re legalistic and have specific steps or timetables to follow, but because that outward change is evidence of God working inside us, changing our heart and transforming our minds.

Romans 12:2 (NKJV) 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Embrace God. Allow Him to work a miracle in your heart. Let Him bring change in you. Let Him do it in His way, and His timing. For His ways are perfect.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-30-17

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

We are all broken in one way or another. None of us is perfect or complete, especially if we are trying to fix ourselves without God’s help.

There is a reason that God’s word says that Jesus makes us a new creation. Why is that? Because the old us is broken and in need of being made new.

We can never be fixed until we realize that we are broken. This was true before we found God and it is true even now, after we know Christ.

Even though God has made us a new creation in Christ, we can still be in need of His incredible skills to make new things out of broken vessels. Just because we have given our lives over to Him doesn’t mean that we are a finished product with no blemishes or problems.

On the contrary, when we came to Christ, we confessed our faith in Him. And in doing so, we admitted that we can’t handle everything on our own. So it’s important that we continue every day to place ourselves in His hands and let Him proceed to mold us and shape us into who He wants us to be.

Remember, it is not the well who need a physician, but the sick. And just as the sick need a physician, so do the broken need a Master Builder to make us new again.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 10-9-15

Galatians 6:15 (NKJV) 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

The verse above is often quoted when referring to or teaching about racism, denominations or other things that can divide people. And that is appropriate, to be sure.

But look at those last 3 words; a new creation. That‘s what it’s really all about!

As humans, we’re full of flaws and brokenness.

We say stupid stuff. We do stupid stuff. We make messes that need cleaning up. We hurt people. We hurt ourselves. We hurt God.

But wait! Here’s the good part!

God takes us; beaten down, dirty, dysfunctional, broken vessels, and makes us brand new. Rebuilt and renovated is good. But brand new is even better 🙂

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

The God of the universe cares about us infinitely. So much so that He takes the time and effort needed to take broken people and make them new, from the inside out.

And we are all a work in progress. Some of us may move along more quickly or more slowly than others, but it’s all about letting God work with us as He sees fit.

Philippians 1:6 (NKJV) 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

So trust God to clean us up and make us new, no matter what we’ve done or how bad we think we are. There’s nothing that He can’t handle.

We just need to submit ourselves to the Master Builder and let Him do His work in us. It won’t always be easy and it won’t happen overnight.

But it will happen if we let it.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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