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NOTES
Heaven-aimed Christianity distorts God’s goal for humanity, but new-creation Christianity aligns us with God’s mission.
Now, what do I mean by distort? Well, by thinking that God made you for heaven, you are very likely to downplay God’s purpose for you on earth. If you become a Christian and begin living for heaven, it’s easy to assume that God doesn’t care much about what you do before you die. For some people, that very idea even keeps them from becoming Christians because Christianity seems irrelevant. Or worse, for some people, that idea even deceives them into thinking they’re friends with God when they actually aren’t. They’re still living without God in their lives because they think God is beneficial for you later, only in heaven. Not on earth. So I urge you to think carefully and biblically about this topic.
God is very clear in his word about what Jesus actually accomplished for us on the cross. God is very clear in his word about the cosmic importance of Jesus’ resurrection as well as the personal importance of the resurrection. Right now, I want to point your attention to a few statements made by Paul about the personal importance of the resurrection. In a letter he wrote to the church at Corinth, Paul claimed, “if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come.” In this verse, Paul articulates not a Christianity aimed at heaven, but a new-creation Christianity. So, what does he mean?
Well, first of all, he is talking about Christians. Paul says something supernatural, something eternal, something mysterious happens to a person when he or she turns away from a life without Jesus to pursue a life with Jesus. When people trust in Jesus to forgive them, to save them, to restore them, to keep them, to lead them . . . a miracle happens. God’s power and presence is put into that person like a divine battery. Their spiritual switch is turned flipped and their spiritual currents start flowing. This power frees a person to live a new life. That new life is marked by things like trusting God, truthfulness, purity, patience, forgiveness, courage, self-control, acts of kindness. The new life is marked by supernatural peace, joy, hope, goodness, gentleness.
In the future, God will completely annihilate the cosmic power of Satan and personal power of sin. The earth will be empty of sin and Satan. But now, when you trust in Christ, God frees you from the chains of sin and Satan so can live begin to live as a new creation within the old creation—until he makes all things new. Now, please note, as new creations within the old creation, we still battle the internal desires of sin and the external temptations of Satan. We aren’t perfect. But neither are we old and enslaved. The new has come.
New-creation Christianity aligns us with God’s mission because it enables us to live out God’s earthly purpose for us—right now! He made the earth for you and designed you for the earth. Grant it, the earth is chaotic. But that doesn’t mean God will forever let it sit in chaos. He will renew it so that it is perfect. For now, he’s renewing people. That means you don’t have to go at life on your own or by own thoughts or in your ways. God is very specific about his purpose for you. His plans are good, fulfilling, joyful, and right. And his plans start right now through your connection to Jesus. Thank you for listening. I’m Aaron Massey.