The Christian Counter
![Text Box: weekly sermon
5-27-07
If you read last week, you recall that we spoke about why ministers do what they do. This week we will get into that subject a little deeper. Not particularly the minister or what he does, but what happens when he does what he does. Being a minister is not usually a very rewarding job in the eyes of most, because the ministers reward awaits in Heaven. The reward they receive is seeing the end result that transpires mankind into a new creature once they have received salvation.
To find this in the Bible we would have to go to 2 Corinthians and look at chapter 5 verse 17, which says, "Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Let's break this verse down and look at a few things. First, if you are already in Christ you know, as well as I, that this does not refer to your physical body, because nothing about you physically changed, except that your face might have looked happier. So we have to understand that this verse is talking about our spiritual being. So looking at, "Therefore if any man be in Christ...", we can understand that this is talking about us spiritually being in Christ. So now throughout the rest of this verse keep in mind that the transformation has nothing to do with the flesh, it has only to do with the spirit. Next, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:...". How can you become a new creature? Of course this verse here says you must be in Christ, but to look at it in life, it is saying that the spirit inside of us, which was once evil, has now become a new spirit. Just as it says in Job 5:7, "Yet man is born unto trouble,..." meaning that he was born evil and of sin, as it states in Psalms 58:3 "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." As it says we are wicked from the womb, and go to sin by (speaking lies). So becoming a new creature is meaning that we are getting rid of the evil and the sin inwardly and outwardly. "... old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Old here in the Greek, is archaios meaning ancient, original, or old or such things are no more. So we can see here that the old spirit in us is no more, again inwardly and outwardly. Remember I'm still not talking about physical being. I'm talking about outward sin and inwardly sin, or the power which causes us to do those sins. "...behold, all things are become new." All things are new. The life is just the opposite of the old life. It was impossible for man being born with the evil spirit to have a relationship with the Almighty God. But once He sent His Son and we being in Him, making us a new creature, it reconciled us with God. So looking at this verse as a whole, first, we must be in Christ, which means we must get rid of the old inwardly and outwardly, and second, becoming the new creature so that we can have the relationship with God as the Bible discusses. At the first I asked about why a minister does what he does, and told you of his reward. This truly is my reward. Watching the human soul transform from the old sinner to the baby Christian, who is full of fire, to the adult Christian, who is full of wisdom, is my reward. It is miraculous to hear of someone who was healed, or was able to hear who couldn't, or who was once blind but can now see. But the greatest miracle is watching a soul go from hell to heaven before your eyes.
If you have never cleaned house and gotten rid of your old and became new, then I want to give you an opportunity to do so. Just say this simple prayer with me. Dear Jesus come into my life and let me be in you so I can be a new creature, getting rid of my old, making me walk in your light and making you my personal saviour. Amen.
If you said this simple prayer please let us know so we can rejoice with you on your new walk in life. We would also like to send you a few things to help you in your new Christian walk.
With Love in Christ,
Pastor Stone](sermon52707_files/image001.gif)
