Happy Monday Morning to you all! We ended last week with how the Apostle Paul described the New Creation and now this week we will look at the “fruit of the new creation below”.
The fruit of the new creation is righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24 and 1 John 2:29), being conformed to the image of God’s Son (Romans 8:29), a heart that knows God (Jeremiah 24:7 and Hebrews 8:11), God’s law written within the heart (Hebrews 8:10), a hatred of sin and a love for righteousness (1 John 3:7-10), works of faith (i.e., works produced as the byproduct of faith, James 2:18), good fruit borne unto God (Romans 7:4), brotherly love (1 John 4:7), an active faith in Christ (1 John 5:1), etc.
The Bible presents salvation as a life-transforming experience. Change is one of the distinguishing characteristics of true believers. Yet failure to understand that this change takes place in the spirit first and is then reflected in the outward thoughts and actions proportional to the way the mind is renewed (see Romans 12:2) has caused much confusion.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
This verse makes it very clear where this change takes place. It describes this change as total and complete ( all things are become new, not just some things). Therefore this change has to take place in your born-again spirit (see note 2 at John 3:3). Why is that? Your body doesn’t instantly change. Also, your soulish or mental realm doesn’t instantly change so you must start renewing your mind. The only part of you that is left is your spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
It is your spirit that is instantly changed at salvation. It is perfect (Hebrews 12:23). It cannot sin (1 John 3:9). Everything that is true of Jesus is true of your born-again spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17; Ephesians 1:3, 15-23; Colossians 2:9-10; and 1 John 4:17). Your spiritual salvation is complete. At salvation, you receive the same spirit that you will have throughout all eternity. It will not have to be changed again or cleansed again. It has been sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) and is therefore sanctified and perfected forever (Hebrews 10:10, 14; and 12:23).
Andrew Wommack Living Commentary
The rest of the Christian life is not trying to obtain faith, joy, love, etc., from God, but rather a release of what we already have in our spirits (Galatians 5:22-23) into our souls and bodies. Failure to understand this has caused some people to despair when they don’t see sufficient change in their lives after coming to the Lord for salvation. It must be understood that the change is internal in our spirits, and the outward change will take place as we renew our minds through God’s Word.
Let’s not look to everything the “world” says they have to offer. We all want a good and long life, and this comes from the new spirit that is in us and should dominate our soul , which includes the emotions, will, and thoughts. The born-again spirit has the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) and knows all things (1 John 2:20). It is always believing God and is exactly as Christ is (1 John 4:17). The victory in our Christian lives comes when we believe with all our heart (Acts 8:37). As Christians, our born-again spirits are always believing, so we have to get our souls, or our minds and emotions, in agreement with our spirits, with what Christ accomplished at the cross for each and everyone of us; life, and more life!
Remember, you are Loved, you are Righteous, and you are His!