ALL THINGS NEW?
Apr 11, 2019
READ TIME: 1-2 MINUTES
“Dave, does 2 Corinthians 5:17 (about all things being new) guarantee a changed life for a believer?”
2 Corinthians 5:17 – All Things New
There is no statement in biblical texts on regeneration guaranteeing a changed life. Some might argue that 2 Corinthians 5:17 guarantees a changed life: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” But what is this verse teaching in context? Certainly “old things” couldn’t refer to sin, because all Christians will sin, and likewise, “all things” that “become new” can’t refer to one’s conduct, because again, all Christians retain their personality, aptitudes, some habits, and even sins. The context is not speaking about changed conduct. The apostle Paul is telling the Corinthian church that he no longer views people “according to the flesh,” or according to their human circumstances (such as whether they are Jew or Gentile) because his new relationship to Jesus Christ has radically changed his perspective (5:16). Paul reflects how he had previously dismissed Jesus as the Messiah because of His human circumstances (for example, His lowly birth, vulnerability, humiliating death), but now he has a new perspective on Him. Likewise, he wants the Corinthians to realize this new perspective that comes from their new reality of being reconciled to God and declared righteous in Christ (5:18-21). So, the change spoken of is a change in the believer’s standing before God and the resulting change of perspective toward the world and others.
For more information, see Charlie Bing’s excellent article “Regeneration and a Changed Life” (http://www.gracelife.org/resources/gracenotes/pdf/gracenotes64.pdf).