2 Corinthians 5:17 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

Navigator

2 Corinthians 5:17

Comments

‘Therefore if any man be in Christ’ – trusting in him; if you like, plugged in to his death for sinners – ‘he is a new creature,’ says the King James Version. Creation is what it means. He is a new creation. Like creation in the first place, you have been newly created. God has transformed you and changed you.When God created all things in the beginning, he meant man to live in fellowship with him. But mankind fell into sin and now there is the division between God and man. But when we come to Christ and we find the Lord and we are converted to him, it is as though creation happens all over again in your life. You are changed; you have a new understanding, a new nature and character, a new beginning, spiritual life and communion. You receive the gift of prayer. You are totally different in the way you look at things and you have power and help from God on high.‘Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ The apostle Paul uses this new creation language a good deal: a new character, a new spirit. The old has gone – your old opinions, your old judgements, your old aims, your resistance to the rule of God, the mastery of sin over you. You were bound to sin. That is now broken and you can resist it. You are not just a work in progress (you are of course) but you have been dramatically changed from the time of conversion.

Application

Sometimes it is true in the church that there are many people who are not truly saved and think they are. That is because, often when the message of salvation is preached, repentance and faith are not emphasised: turning away from sin, and total trust in the atoning death of Christ. It is made easy for people to come in and they are not truly converted. They just make an intellectual assent. The doctrines of Christianity appeal to them intellectually. Even ministers sometimes, are not converted.

Sometimes you see it in a young person. You hope that they have come to Christ, but then you begin to sense that the old gossip is still there, all the talk about boys or girls is still predominate in the life. Entertainment is still desperately important, parties and excesses which belong really to the old life. The great change has not taken place and you have to urge people like that to really come to Christ and seek him and find him. You cannot bring about conversion by training a person into it.

Questions

Outline

Purpose

Introduction

2 Corinthians 5:17 Commentary and Bible Study