New Creation (2)

The New Creation (2)
Open your Bibles to the book of 2 Colossians 1:21–23. Let’s read it together. 
“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.” (Col. 1:21-23)
 
Review
Last Sunday, as we welcomed the New Year, we shared a message about the new creation.
The concept of the 'new creation' is a unique Christian perspective on human existence. As the term suggests, it refers to a being that has become fundamentally new, completely different from the past. This doesn’t merely refer to a person who has become morally better. The transformation of a new creation is not a change in outward appearance or behavior, but a radical and essential change in one’s very being.
A concept of transformation exists in other religions and philosophies as well. They suggest that a person can become a better being through deep enlightenment, nirvana, which means the extinguishing of desire, asceticism, or self-discipline.
However, the transformation spoken of there is not a change in the essence of one's being. In contrast, the Christian concept of transformation is different. It does not simply mean that our thoughts, words, or actions have changed. The 'new creation' described in the Bible refers to a being that has been made completely new in every area of life, starting from the most fundamental root of human existence.
What is more important than the concept itself, however, is how this transformation becomes possible. Here, too, Christianity differs essentially from other religions. Other religions seek the conditions for transformation in individual effort or actions—stating that change comes when an individual attains enlightenment, through asceticism and abstinence, or through specific religious practices.
But Christianity speaks of the total depravity of humanity. Because humans are completely fallen and living under authority of sin, we cannot reach salvation on our own. This is the state of humanity following the Fall caused by disobedience and sin described in the opening chapters of Genesis.
Yet, the Bible does not stop there. It tells us that while humanity was completely fallen, living in sin, lacking the power to save themselves, and living in ignorance without even perceiving their own total depravity, the Son of God came into this world to save mankind. And it also says that the Son of God bore all human sins and their consequences, dying on the cross to deliver them from sin.
So now, a person becomes a righteous being not through meditation, enlightenment, asceticism, fasting, religious practices, or good deeds, but through faith in Jesus Christ. Through faith in Him, the relationship with God is restored, and the image of God—once lost in sin—is recovered.
This is the meaning of the 'new creation' that Paul speaks of. A new creation refers to those who have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ, whose relationship with God is restored, and who now live holy and righteous lives according to the image of God.
Therefore, the sole condition for becoming a new creation is nothing else but believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is to abide in Him and to be united with His death and resurrection. As Paul said,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor. 5:17)
The faith in Jesus and union with Him brings about an essential transformation starting from the deepest level of our existence and extending to our hearts, thoughts, values, speech, actions, and every part of our lives, both great and small.
 
This radical change into a new creation is vividly captured in the biblical tension between 'Once' and 'But Now.'
"Once," we were away from God due to evil behavior and acted as His enemies. We were all under sin and in a useless state. We acted as slaves to sin and Satan and were heading toward death. We were dead in our transgressions and sins, living according to the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air—the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient—and according to the desires of our flesh, being by nature objects of wrath. We lived in darkness.
This was the appearance of our lives before believing in Christ. However, the work of Jesus Christ’s cross changed all of this. We have been reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus' cross. We became His children. We became people who please Him and are useful to Him. We became slaves to righteousness and slaves to God. Now, we no longer dwell in darkness. As the Lord shone His light upon us, we became light in the Lord.
This is our current state. All these spiritual blessings were given to us freely by grace when we believed in Jesus.
 
The Life of A New Creation
This is what we explored last Sunday. Today, we will continue our study of the new creation, focusing on the mindset, direction, and purpose that define how we live as new creations.
As mentioned earlier, the transformation spoken of in Christianity is fundamentally different from that of other religions, in that it is entirely unrelated to individual enlightenment, effort, or deeds. The Bible tells us that our transformation into a new creation is based solely on the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Jesus Christ died on the cross, bearing all our sins to save us from sin, curse, and God's wrath, and to make us God's beloved children who recover His image. This wonderful salvation was given to us freely. That is what the Bible calls 'grace.' Salvation is given only through God’s grace and our response of faith to it.
However, the efficacy of God’s grace does not end simply with rescuing us from sin and renewing us. The power of the blood of Jesus Christ doesn’t stop at simply making us righteous. The power of the blood works within us even now to make us more pure and holy, allowing us to serve God and glorify Him and live as His true people.
Hebrews 9:13-14 says, “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Heb 9:13-14)
This is what I want us to focus on today. Those who have received God's grace must live worthily of it, aligning their lives with the purpose for which that grace was given.
 
Last Sunday, we looked at some scripture passages where the expression "But now" appears. What the phrase implies in the Bible is that a fundamental change has begun. It means a new life, completely different from the past, has started. So, after using the expression "but now," the Bible describes the lifestyle that those, who have become new creations through the grace of Jesus Christ, should live.
First, Paul wrote this in today’s text, “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (Col 1:22)
In the past, we lived as enemies of God through evil behavior, but now we have been reconciled to God through the death of Jesus Christ. However, there is a purpose to this being reconciled. It is so that we may live a holy life without blemish and free from accusation before God. This purpose is found identically in other biblical texts we talked about last Sunday.
After writing, “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Pet 2:10) the Apostle Peter added,
“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Pet 2:11-12)
In Ephesians 5:8, after saying, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord…” (Eph 5:8), the Apostle Paul wrote, “…Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)” (Eph 5:8-9).
 
We also looked at how the first part of Ephesians chapter 2 describes our state before we believed in Jesus and how God saved us from it. We were dead in our transgressions and sins, living as objects of God’s wrath by nature, following the ways of this world, the power of Satan, and the desires of our flesh. However, God, who is rich in mercy, delivered us from sin and death through Christ Jesus and made us partakers of His life.
After explaining this, Paul reveals in Ephesians 2:10 the purpose for which God saved us with His great love and wonderful grace.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:10)
The purpose for which God gave us grace is clearly written here. The reason God created us anew in Christ and made us into a new creation is to enable us to do 'good works'.
Here, the 'good works' spoken of in this verse differ from what the world considers 'good works.' We can find the meaning of biblical 'good works' in verse 7, which says: 'God raised us up with Christ… in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus' (Eph 2:6-7).
Here, ‘good works’ are presented as an act of bearing witness to the incomparable riches of God’s grace. It is about testifying to the goodness of God—who alone is good—through our words, our actions, and our very lives. Therefore, in a biblical sense, good works essentially refer to actions that reflect the goodness of God.
This purpose of grace is also clearly recorded in the Book of Titus.
“For the grace of God that offers salvation to all people has appeared. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:11-14)
Here again, Paul states that the purpose for which Jesus Christ gave Himself—to redeem, purify, and save us from all wickedness—was to make us a people of His own who are eager to do good works.
 
This represents another vital role of God’s grace. What do you think is the role of God’s grace? Usually, when we think of grace, we connect it with forgiveness of sin and salvation. That is correct. We were saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
But that is not the full extent of the role of God’s grace. Receiving forgiveness of sins and becoming righteous is not the only role of grace. God’s grace also functions to train and nurture us. It not only makes us righteous but also continues to work in our lives to establish us as beings who can actually live righteously.
God’s grace enables us to restore the image of God lost through sin, transforming us to resemble Jesus Christ more deeply each day as we grow in Him. God's grace is still working in our lives today to make us God's people who are eager for good works.
This is the dimension of grace that we must consider with great care. God’s grace doesn’t stop at forgiving our sins and justifying us in the past. From the very moment we first experienced that grace and responded in faith—receiving forgiveness and salvation—until the moment we reach our final salvation in the Kingdom of God, His grace continues to work within our lives. It continues to nurture and train us, transforming us to resemble Jesus Christ more deeply, to reflect God’s goodness, and to live with zeal for good works. This is what the Bible calls 'Sanctification.'
However, many believers neglect this transformative power of grace. They treat justification as the finish line rather than the starting point, failing to realize that the 'after'—our sanctification—is just as vital to God's purpose for us.
So they are not really interested in how to live as those who are saved, or the purpose for which God saved them first. They don’t try to have a deeper dimension of faith. They don’t even strive to resemble Jesus Christ. They just maintain a moderate religious life, confirming their faith by coming to church once a week, and they stay there.
There is no daily devotion. There is no intentional pursuit of God through His word and prayer. There is no passion for sanctification. They make no effort to share in the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus, nor do they seek to participate in His ministry and mission for the world.
In such a merely religious life, there can be no real growth. So, even after attending church for decades, they remain immature in faith, like children.
Sadly, many Christians live out their faith in this way—half-heartedly, walking a tightrope between the world and Jesus. God didn’t give us His grace so that we might live such a life.
If we recognize and use God’s grace only in this way, we are limiting His grace. We are making the grace of God cheap, despite the fact that God sacrificed what was most precious to Him. To cheapen God’s grace in this way is to render the sacrifice of Jesus worthless—made in vain.
Of course, receiving salvation is very important. However, we must also know the purpose for which God saved us and strive to live accordingly. This is because God is the one who gives us salvation.
If we intend to receive only the parts of salvation we desire while neglecting the purpose for which it was given, we must examine ourselves to see whether the God we believe in is truly the God revealed in Scripture, or a god we have altered and reduced to suit our own convenience.
When the Israelites worshiped the golden calf after the Exodus, it was not truly idolatry—they were not worshiping a different god. They were still worshiping the God who had delivered them from Egypt. The real problem was not that they failed to worship God, but that they sought to worship Him not in the way He deserved as clearly revealed in His word, but in the way they wanted.
Because they were so terrified of God who descended upon Mount Sinai amidst thunder, fire, and a loud trumpet, they reduced Him to the image of a golden calf and worshiped before it in the way they wanted to worship—eating, drinking, and enjoying themselves in a way that was comfortable for them. That is the essence of the Golden Calf God.
And this continues even now. Many Christians today still create and serve various versions of a "Golden Calf God." They do not worship Him in the way He deserves, but in the way that is comfortable for them.
We must quickly turn away from such a life. We must remember the grace God has given us and turn away from our dead works and move toward repentance so that we can live truly as those who have received grace.
We must always remain close to the Bible to discern God’s will and obey His Word, so that we do not stray from His standards and His holiness. We must long for the grace of God that nurtures us and move into that grace every day. That is the way to live worthily of God’s grace.
 
God rejoices that we have believed in Jesus and have been born again as His children. However, He does not want us to remain as spiritual infants. He desires for us to grow and mature in that relationship. He wants us to continue growing until we reach the full measure of the stature of Christ.
For that work, God continues to pour out His grace into our lives even now. We must continue to remain in that grace.
Let’s read today's text, Colossians 1:22-23, one more time together.
“But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel...” (Col 1:22-23)
Here, Paul wrote what is necessary for us to be presented holy, without blemish, and free from accusation before God. It is to continue in faith. It is to stand firm on the foundation of the gospel and not be shaken. That is the response we should have toward God’s amazing grace.
At this time, I invite us to re-examine our lives in the light of the Word given to us today. Are you truly living according to the purpose for which God saved us? Or are you living in a way that limits God’s grace and are satisfied with that cheap version of grace?
Please think about the question. And, if there are any lacking areas in our faith, I hope we move toward repentance before God at this time. I hope we move forward in true faith, seeking even more of God’s grace. When we move forward in that way, God will pour out even greater grace upon us. He will nurture us with grace and make us grow to the full measure of Christ. He will fill us with the power to do good works.
I bless you all in the name of the Lord, that your lives may be blessed as you experience that grace of God today, live within it, and are built up by it. Let’s pray.
 
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for letting us know Your will through Your Word. We thank You for Your unconditional love and grace in sending Jesus to save us, who were living as weak sinners with no merit and as enemies opposing God.
Lord, let us now live lives worthy of that grace. Let us not settle or be satisfied only with the fact that we are forgiven, but let us continue to dwell in faith in Jesus, being nurtured and growing through the grace You grant every day.
We want to move forward relying on the power of the precious blood of Jesus Christ’s cross. Work in our lives every day and make our thoughts, hearts, and actions clean and holy day by day, and establish us as Your people who are holy, without blemish, and free from accusation.
We pray all these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
 
 
[Reflection Questions]
1. God saved us by His grace through Jesus Christ in order to make us His people—holy, pure, and devoted to doing good works. Do you have a desire to do what is good? In what good works do you hope to glorify God in 2026? What kind of preparation can you make for that?
 
2. The grace of God not only rescues us from sin and declares us righteous, but even now continues to nurture and train us to live righteous and holy lives in accordance with God’s own righteousness, as those who have been justified. Are you experiencing this grace? What do you think a life worthy of this grace looks like? How will you live this year so that you do not receive this grace in vain or nullify it, but instead live in a way that is worthy of it?