NEW LIFE IN CHRIST
By: Randy Kea
In II Corinthians 5:17, the apostle Paul said, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.” Please consider the following analysis of this verse.
“Therefore if” – This phrase sets forth the conditional nature of gaining and maintaining a right relationship with God. The word “if” is found throughout the New Testament denoting the fact that salvation is conditional. For instance, in John 8:31, the Lord said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples in deed: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
“Any man” – This phrase clearly shows that God’s offer of salvation is universal in scope. Note the following phrases found elsewhere in the New Testament: “every creature (Mark 16:15); “all nations” (Matthew 28:18-20); “every man” (Hebrews 2:9); “all” (I Timothy 2:6; Matthew 11:28-30).
“In Christ” – This specifies the precise location of all the wonderful blessings that God offers throughout the gospel of Christ. For example, Paul says in Ephesians 1:3 that “all spiritual blessings” are in Christ. In II Timothy 2:10 he affirms that salvation is found in Christ. John the apostle indicates that the promise of eternal life is found in Christ (I John 2:25; 5:11-13).
“New creature” – When a person obeys the gospel, thereby becoming a Christian, all things become new. The new Christian has a new life, a new destiny, follows a new standard, enjoys new blessings and has a new purpose. The process of becoming a Christian includes faith to change the heart, repentance to change the life, confession as an expression of change of allegiance and baptism to change the state (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 22-26; Galatians 3:26-27; Acts 15 7-9; Romans 10:9-10).
The parallel verse to our text, under consideration, is Romans 6:1-4. It reads as follows: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized unto his death? Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” This is clearly a reference to water baptism. Please seriously consider these points. Water baptism stands between every lost person and a new life in Christ. It is when a person is buried or immersed in the waters of baptism that they contact the soul-cleansing power of the blood of Christ shed in His death. Compare Acts 22:16 and Revelation 1:5. Also compare Acts 2:38 and Matthew 26:28.
The question is have you been baptized into Christ as a penitent believer (Galatians 3:27).