“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17)
We are saved when Jesus Christ joins us to Himself. Since He is THE LIFE, then when we are joined to Him, we are ALIVE in Him. We are planted together with Him in His death — and then what is birthed through His resurrection is the new creature in Christ Jesus.
“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:”(Rom.6:5)
If it were possible to mechanically draw a circle around our resurrection union with Christ – inside that circle would be the new creature; the new man; the inward man – it would include all that is saved and born from above. But what is outside of that circle would remain natural. This is the division or separation between soul and spirit that is within each believer.
You will note that when a person is united with Christ that his natural man is not obliterated – the natural man does not cease to exist in this age.“We have this treasure IN an earthen vessel.”
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”(ll Cor.4:7)
But as it pertains to the purpose of God, and that which is eternal, this outward man is in the process of perishing. Only that which is Christ, will, in the end, remain.
During this age, the natural man is to become governed by the new creature that is inside of this imaginary circle. But the natural man will never be LIKE Christ. Rather, the natural man will come under the work of the Cross so that the Christ who is within might be seen through natural man. The natural must be made weak, that He might be strong in us.
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (II Cor. 12:9-10)
Christ is evermore the power of God.
“But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. ” (I Cor. 1:24)
David DePra
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