In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus gave a parable of two men who went up to pray that reads as follows:

“Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men–extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.'”

One could probably get up several lessons from this one parable but today Let’s concentrate on one specific aspect of the story – the need we all have to become a new creation in God’s sight.

In two places in the New Testament we read of our need to become a new creation, a new spiritual being.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17 NKJV)

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcised avails anything, but a new creation.” (Gal. 6:15 NKJV)

The phrase “new creation” in the Bible and in other versions of the Bible means “a new creature” “a new person and “a new being. You get the idea. In Christ a new person is created. The old man of sin is done away with and a new creature comes into being, a spiritual being whose desire is to live a life of faith and dedication, of commitment and obedience to Christ.

This new creation has a specific time and place of creation or birth, of coming into being, of coming into existence. Paul said, “This is a faithful saying: For if we died with him, we shall also live with him. The old man of sin must first die and be buried before a new creation can come into existence. When and where does this occur? Paul answers.

“How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.”-Rom. 6:2-8

Where and when does a person die with Jesus -2 Tim. 2:11? Paul said in the Roman passage just quoted that when we were baptized we were baptized into Jesus’ death thus that is the location and time of our death with Jesus. “We were buried with him through baptism into death.”-Rom. 6:4. When then do we become a new creation? Read the Roman passage again. The answer is when we arise from baptism.

“For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him.”-Rom. 6:5-6

To become saved we must become a new creation. To become a new creation requires faith, repentance,and confession of your need for Christ….Baptism alone does not save.

Faith is the energizing agent that leads to all further obedience to Christ. Without faith absolutely nothing else follows. In the sense that “faith” is the source of all allegiance and obedience it can be said that such faith saves but we have to remember that the reason faith saves is that it does lead to an acceptance of a king (King Jesus) and of a Lord (Lord Jesus) to whom we must give our lives in total acceptance and obedience. It leads to “obedience to righteousness” thus leads to repentance, confession of Christ, and to the baptism that results in a new creation in Christ Jesus. The NAS reads “obedience resulting in righteousness.” Only when one comes to understand that the faith that saves is the faith that acts in obedience will he understand the subject of salvation by faith as taught in the New Testament.

Do you remember the account of the nobleman in Luke 19:11-27 who left his citizens to go to a far country and receive a kingdom? The Bible says “his citizens hated him” and said, “‘We will not have this man to reign over us.'” (Luke 19:14 NKJV) When he returned what happened? He said, “‘Bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'” Jesus told this parable. Read it closely and make the application. Jesus is the nobleman and the enemies are all who refuse to accept him as King and Lord.

Do we accept Jesus as King and Lord and accept his rule over us? The faith that saves says yes we do and we will die with Jesus in baptism and arise a new creation. The faith that says “no we will make our own decisions about baptism quite apart from your commands Lord” is the faith that dooms and is the faith held by way too many people today.

There are two classes of people in the world, one who believes in God and one who does not. Those who do not believe in God and does not accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and savior will never become new creations. Those who do not believe in God or Jesus see them self as self sufficient. You cannot teach them about spiritual matters for they are set in their ways and fully satisfied and are convinced their way is right. Sin does not bother or trouble them for they are convinced that what they do and what they are doing is Not sin. They alter rules and spin things according to their heart’s desires and likewise interpret their life to get the result they desire – personal self righteousness and selfish fulfillment. They are satisfied with life as it is being satisfied cannot be brought to repentance.

This is where most of the world is at today – satisfied. There are people still worshiping idols today, others teaching violence is God’s will, others praising a man they call God on earth to the point that what he says becomes law to them and yet they have to vote him into office. But whatever the religion and even when there is no religion the majority of mankind are satisfied. That includes many who believe they are Christians but have never become new creations in Christ.

The Bible teaches that the person who is satisfied is the person who is in trouble as per the parable from Luke 18. Every person who reaches an age of accountability sins, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”-Rom. 3:23 and thus needs forgiveness. “There is none righteous, no, not one.”-Rom. 3:10. Every man, woman, and boy or girl who is old enough to know right from wrong, sin from righteousness, needs to have those sins forgiven and become a new creation.

Only those whose hearts are good and honest will be convicted of sin and thus willing to repent. “Godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation.”-2 Cor. 7:10 . It is godly sorrow thus it is preceded by faith in God and in Christ. Faith leads to believing the word which leads to repentance, confession with the mouth of Christ, and the baptism from whence one arises a new creation in Christ. Salvation is in Christ-2 Tim. 2:10 and not outside him.

Are you a satisfied individual? Have you invited and accepted Jesus Christ to come in your Life to become your personal Lord and Savior? Has the problems of life numbed you up to God’s word, God’s plans and God’s ways of doing things? True satisfaction in life comes from God. If you’re not satisfied with life, perhaps it’s time to go back to the drawing board again with God and ask Him to “Make you a New Creature in Christ”. Constant dissatisfaction with your life if you’ve already accepted Jesus Christ into your life or if you’re following God, is a sign that it’s time to become a “New You”. You don’t have to be dissatisfied with life, stay dissatisfied with life or be fed up and tired of having to constantly go through with the same old problems day in and day out. Jesus has a cure for you, Let Him make you a New Creation and let God download and implant you with New DNA that will nullify and cancel OUT the old you’s programming so that you can become a new creature and walk into the new start that God has for you.

Want to accept Christ’s offer to become a new creation? If so, join us in this simple prayer;

Dear Jesus,
I am tired of life as I know it and I don’t want to be like those in the world and of the world, who do not know you, do not follow you, and do not invite you into their life to become their personal Lord and Savior. I invite you to come in my life to become my personal Lord and Savior to make me a new creature, with new desires, a new mindset and new DNA..so that I can begin to experience satisfaction in life as God originally purposed and planned for my life, I humbly ask and pray – Amen!

Written by D. Smith & “The WIN International Ministries” Team