The Nugget:
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
My Comment:
The key to have the new life in Christ is to actually be in Christ. This is something that cannot be earned or worked for. We are placed in Christ when we believe on Him for salvation. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. If it has happened to you, you will know it. Old things are passed away. Our whole outlook on life is changed. That change will produce the fruit of the Spirit in our life. All things will become new. That does not always mean that all our problems are solved and that we never experience trouble or disappointment anymore. But this newness of life that God enables us to walk in lets us keep close touch with God. It lets us have fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a Gospel song you may have sung in Sunday school that in part captures the idea, “Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.”
For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:
(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 1335 for 2 Corinthians 5:17.
(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 1357 or in Logos 5 Bible software for 2 Corinthians 5:17.
(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:
2 Corinthians 5:17. if. FS184A, 1 C +15:2. in Christ. ver. 19, 21. 2 C 12:2. Is *45:17, 24, 25. Jn +14:20. *15:2, 5. 17:23. Ro +*8:1n, 9. 16:7, 11. 1 C *1:30. Ga 1:22. 3:28. *5:6. Ep *1:3, 4. 2:13. Ph 3:9. 4:21. Col 1:19, 20. 1 P 5:14. 1 J 2:5. *4:13. 5:20. he is. or, let him be. or, he is created. FS63E2, 1 S +13:8. Ps 102:18. Is 43:7. Ep 1:19. 4:24. Col 3:10. a new. Gr. kainos, new in quality, not time, Mk +*2:22n. Dt *30:6. Ps 51:10. Ezk 11:19. 18:31. 36:26. Mt 12:33. Jn +*3:3, 5. Ga *6:15. Ep **2:10. Re +*2:17. creature. Gr. ktisis (S#2937g, Mk 10:6). FS121I1, Ge +3:7. T#591. Dt 30:6. Jb +2:3 (T#645). Ps 102:18. Ezk *36:26. Jn 1:13. +*3:3, 5. Ro 2:28, 29. +6:4. Ga 5:24. 6:15. Ep 2:15. T 3:5. Re 21:5. old. ver. 16. Is 43:18, 19. 65:17, 18. Mt 9:16, 17. 24:35. Jn 3:6. Ro *6:4-6. 7:6. 8:9, 10. 1 C 13:11. Ep 2:15. *4:22-24. Ph *3:7-9. Col 2:11. *3:1-10. He 8:9-13. 2 P 3:10-13. Re 21:1-5. become new. Gr. kainos (S#2537g), Mk 2:22n. 2 C 3:18. Ps 45:13. Is 55:13. 66:17, 18. Mt 5:20. Lk 5:38. Jn 13:10. Ro 12:2. Ep 4:24. He 11:1, 25. Ja 2:18. Re 21:5.
jer 33.3 call unto me, and i will answer thee, and show
thee great and mighty things which thou thou knowest not
2 cor 5. 17 therefore, if any man be in christ, he is a new creation:
old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new.
we are not told to be a new creature. this is not a command to
obey but a fact to believe!!
there are some encouraging cross referenes on this verse!
1. isa 45.17 but israel shall be saved in the lord with an everlasting salvation;
ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
2. isa 24. 24 surely, shall one say, in the lord have i righteousness and strength;
even to him shall men come, and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed
3. isa 24.25 in the lord shall all the seed of israel be justified,and shall glory
4. jn 14.20 at that day ye shall know that i am in my father, and ye in me, and
i in you.
5. jn 17.23 i in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one: and
that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou
hast loved me.
6. col 3.9-10 lie not to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man
with his deeds, vs10 have put on the new man, that is renewed in knowledge
after the image of him that created him: notice that paul does not tell us to
put off the old man and put on the new man although he does tell us this in
ephesians chapter 4. in colossians 3 the emphasis is upon positional truth and
paul says that putting off the old man is not something that the believer needs to
do, because it has already been done.!! “ye have put off the old man” and that’s a
fact! we must claim gods fact by faith !!!!
1 thess 5.18 in everything give thanks, for this is the will of god in christ jesus
concerning you.