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“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!”
-2 Corinthians 5:17
King Jesus' message wasn't "Ask Me into your heart" when He walked the earth. Instead, the Eternal Son of God, humanity's exclusive Savior, preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Biblical repentance isn't a feeling of sadness or sorrow. We know this because the Bible reveals, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." Therefore, King Jesus wasn't compelling people to feel bad about their situations, family histories, addictions, poor choices, missed opportunities, and life circumstances. Heaven's Glorious Star (Rev 22:16) came in the flesh to shine the light of truth and salvation upon every man, but humanity neither recognized nor received Him. King Jesus wasn't telling us to feel bad; He was revealing that we all desperately need to turn to Him.
Throughout Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, we see humanity's ongoing rejection of God again and again. God exposes our chronic addiction to autonomy and egregious proclivity for rebellion. Despite God's Presence, miracles, signs, deliverance, power, care, compassion, wonders, and supernatural provision, as a dog returns to its vomit, we eagerly dive right back into death's familiar arms until we have a supernatural encounter—not with religion—with Jesus Christ. The Bible exposes that religious people are most often the furthest from God. Their misguided confidence is in the customs and traditions of men rather than in a redeemed identity in Christ.
Nicodemus was a big shot in the religious community of Jesus' day. He was something on par with a seminary president of today. Despite all his knowledge, accolades, accomplishments, status, and recognition, Nicodemus couldn't shake the nagging feeling of dissonance, i.e. a profound disconnect between how things were and ought to be. He went to Jesus under the cover of darkness, and King Jesus answered the question Nicodemus didn't know how to ask by saying, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
The LORD didn't tell Nicodemus to pray a prayer, recite a creed, go to church, read Scripture, make a pilgrimage, or feel bad about his sin. Messiah told him that a transcendent supernatural transformation was needed in order to be born again as a wholly new creation. We don't know the details of Nicodemus' transformation, but the biblical testimony suggests it happened. The religious guru too embarrassed to be seen talking to Jesus at the start of His ministry was eventually bold enough to request His body after His public crucifixion (John 19:38-40).
Nicodemus was supernaturally transported to a place where his new identity was no longer defined by his status in the Jewish religious community. While he and Joseph of Arimathea still feared the Jewish leaders, their new identity was defined by their love for the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.
Saul was a Jewish religious zealot, a Pharisee of Pharisees. We know that Saul was a key player in the execution of early Christians based on biblical testimony (Acts 8:1). It wasn't enough that Christians fled Jerusalem out of fear for their lives; Saul sought to track down every last follower of Jesus and put them to death. On his journey to Damascus (about a two-week trek on foot) Saul had a supernatural encounter with the Risen LORD.
Acts 9 reveals that as Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” “Who are You, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do...” After Saul went into the city, God commanded Ananias to go and lay hands upon him. So Ananias went to the house, and when he arrived, he placed his hands on Saul. “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” At that instant, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and his sight was restored.
Neither Nicodemus nor Saul (now the Apostle Paul) continued to identify as Pharisees. They didn't go to Pharisee recovery groups. They weren't part of a Pharisee Twelve Step Program. They didn't meet with other Pharisees and talk about how many days it had been since the last time they did Pharisee things. They became new creations in Christ Jesus. They had new identities defined exclusively by their love for and relationship with Jesus.
Church programs today seem to encourage people to continue being defined by their old selves. Where in Scripture does it tell us to "Celebrate Recovery" rather than to worship Christ? If we're going through life counting the days since we had our last drink, hit, fix, high, or relapse, what we're doing is hanging on to the old self King Jesus died to nail to His cross. We're allowing a hurt, habit, or hangup to be elevated to the status of an identity-idol rather than allowing it to be torn down once and for all.
If we've been born again by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, then God's Word states emphatically that we are new creations in Christ Jesus. It reveals that our old selves are crucified with Christ and that we no longer live. Does that mean we suddenly become impervious to the allure of old temptations? Absolutely not! The appeal of old habits often fades slowly into obscurity or oblivion, but not always. Hebrews 12:2 doesn't tell us to keep our eyes fixed on Satan or our sins. Watching what you want to avoid is the best way to ensure you'll have a head-on collision with it. Instead, Hebrews 12:2 states, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Instead of making it about you and celebrating your recovery... instead of getting together with a bunch of others who want to allow their old problems, hurts, hang-ups, and habits to linger on life-support... instead of keeping a running tally of how long it's been since your last trainwreck... celebrate Christ. Celebrate the fact that He's made you a new creation and that the old you is dead and buried. Celebrate His invitation for you to do the work He's prepared in advance as your new way of life (Eph 2:10). Celebrate that being born again means you can stop looking in the rearview mirror—and start looking forward to how soon it'll be when He returns in glory!
The Lamb of God died to give you the new identity of REDEEMED SAINT. You are a holy one set apart by God Almighty for the ministry of the Gospel. The Cross of Calvary wasn't to celebrate your recovery (how can we recover something we never had before Christ?), it was to give new life and to give it abundantly.
“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
-Matthew 9:16-17
Blessings and love,
Kevin M. Kelley
PS: If you've been part of a church ministry that has helped you find your identity in Christ and move beyond the hurts, hang-ups, and habits of the past—praise the LORD! But if you're part of a religious program that's not helping you leave all that behind and move into the abundant life Christ has for you, please reach out to me at LVNFIT68@icloud.com or 214.735.1551 and I'll help get you connected with folks who will.
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