Who are we in Christ?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Our old self was unrighteous (Romans 3:10-11), and "dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Yet when we enter into a personal relationship with Christ, we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). We also receive a new heart (Hosea 2:23), become God’s child (Galatians 3:26), are considered an important member of God’s body (1 Corinthians 12:18; 25-26; Romans 12:5 NIV) and as we become more like Christ, can focus more on others rather than just ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4). Instead of experiencing condemnation, we are made alive in Christ and can set our mind on the Holy Spirit rather than our flesh (Ephesians 2:4-5; 19; Romans 8:1; 6-8). As an adopted child, we are conformed to “the image of (God’s) Son” (Romans 8:29), and through His transformative work in our life, we can reject conforming to this world and instead experience the renewal of our mind (Romans 12:2) as we become more and more like Christ Jesus.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Hosea 2:23 (NIV), predicts: "I will say to those called 'Not my people,' 'You are my people'; and they will say, 'You are my God.'" Everyone, including non-Jews are welcome to become part of the family of God and thus be “in Christ.”

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Romans 3:10-11 describes the old self: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God." However, in our relationship with God, we are no longer His enemies—we are His children.
• In Christ, we endure no condemnation (Romans 8:1). Our new self is released from the bondage of sin and death and we are free to follow God (Romans 8:6-8) Who has already conformed us to “the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29).
• As our hearts are made new in Christ, we care less about worldliness and become more concerned with pursuing the will of God (Romans 12:2). While our old self is alone, our new self is part of "one body in Christ, and individually members one of another" (Romans 12:5 NIV).
• We are not only a part of God’s family, but an irreplaceable part (1 Corinthians 12:18) of a cohesive whole (1 Corinthians 12:25-26).
• The changes we experience as we accept Christ are so radical we are considered "new." Second Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." This "new creation" is the Greek kainos, which means something just made and which is uncommon or novel or unheard of. We are not cleaned out or covered over; we are new. This newness manifests itself in our spiritual condition, our relationships, and our hearts.
• In Christ, we are made sons and daughters of God (Galatians 3:26).
• Spiritually, in Christ we are alive for the first time. Ephesians 2:1 describes our old self as "dead in [its] trespasses and sins” but our new self is alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5).
• We were once "strangers and aliens," but in Christ we are "fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19).
• As we become more like Christ, we must strive to care less about ourselves and more about others (Philippians 2:3-4).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

“New and Improved!” Advertisers like to say that to entice us to buy something that we’ve tried before with just “meh” results. When it applies to laundry detergent or deodorant, that claim isn’t as exciting as marketers want us to think. But something we should all be excited about is our newness in Christ. In that, we’re not just “improved”; we’re a completely different “product.”

In Christ we are a new creation, and this newness affects every area of our life. For the first time, we are made spiritually alive. Galatians 3:26 announces this arrival of our new position in Christ: "for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith." We go from being God's enemies to His children. We have a new life as a part of a new family. And we are free to follow God and care about others. God automatically adopts us as His child and establishes us into His church family. As children of God, we do well to put our faith into action in our daily life: “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love” (2 Peter 1:5-2).

UNDERSTAND

• Those who accept Christ as Savior become new creations.
• Christians are no longer slaves to sin.
• Accepting Christ as Savior means becoming part of the family of God.

REFLECT

• How does being a new creation in Christ play out in your everyday life?
• What are some benefits you’ve experienced from being part of the family of God?
• What are the challenges of living out a new life in Christ with those who knew you before you accepted Christ?

ENGAGE

• How might the message of being a new creation in Christ appeal to people of today?
• How can the world’s fixation with “identity” be leveraged to share the new identity one can find in Christ?
• What are some ways Christians can show our newness in Christ as part of our witness?