I Am a New Creation

Identity Crisis
I Am A New Creation
Ezekiel 36:26-27

God is at work in our lives to change us and transform us from the inside out!

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Review:

• God Created me
• God Rescued me
• God Adopted me
• God Transforms me

3 Truths About My New Identity

1. I Have A New Position
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” (Ephesians 2:4–5)

“So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)

“remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:12–13)

2. I Have A New Potential
“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:12–14)

“But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6:17–18, ESV)

Though sin does not Reign in us, it nevertheless Remains in us. It is Dethroned, but not Destroyed As a new creation in Christ Jesus, I have a new capacity to Obey God in all things “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

3. I Have A New Priority
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

“So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.” (2 Corinthians 5:9)

“and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5:15)

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:18–20)

Questions for Reflection
“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5)

• What is my attitude toward God? Do I gladly acknowledge my dependence on Him and my accountability to him? Am I committed to please Him in all things?
• What is my attitude toward sin? Am I concerned or indifferent about it? • What is my attitude toward Jesus Christ? Do I trust in him – his life and his death – as my only hope for forgiveness and life?
• What is my attitude toward the Bible? Do I truly want to grow in my understanding and application of it in my life? Am I becoming more and more a “doer” of the Word of God and not merely a “hearer”?
• What is my attitude toward prayer? Do I want to grow in this area of my life, or am I quite content to see prayer as an occasional call out to God for help?