This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17
When we place our trust in Jesus as our Savior, we are considered to be “born again” as new creations in Christ: “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23).
This means that we are now God’s children (1 John 3:1), and we belong to Christ permanently—after all, who can be unborn once they are born? It also means we are newly alive in Christ!
In our fallen state, we were spiritually dead, but God has raised us to life in Christ. The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:4-5, “because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.” This new life has given us a living hope. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
Now that we have become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17) in Christ, we have been declared righteous. When God sees you, He’s not looking through the filter of your past or your sin—not even your current sin. He’s looking through the filter of His own Son’s blood, redeeming work and righteousness (Isaiah 61:10, 2 Corinthians 5:21). You are covered!
This is called justification. The moment you placed your faith in Christ, God through His grace declared you “not guilty” and adopted you as His child and heir (Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:17). We are also His friends (John 15:14-15).
You are in a new position, declared forgiven, with your slate wiped clean, no longer under the penalty of condemnation, because Christ has paid it for you: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). And because your salvation was received from Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9), not achieved by your own works, there is nothing you can do to lose it (Romans 8:38-39) and nothing you have to do to keep it.
And yet, in your new state, changed by God and filled with His Holy Spirit, you have the new ability to know what is good and to do it, and to overcome sin. Previously you were a slave to sin (Romans 6:20), but now “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” (Romans 6:18).
“Apart from me, you can do nothing,” Jesus said in John 15:5, but you are no longer apart from Him. Now that He indwells you, you have the power to desire what is good, make right choices, and work through His strength (Philippians 4:13) to live a life pleasing to Him. While your choices may not change overnight, God will be faithful to help you grow more and more into His likeness. What great news!