More Than Saved

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

I was listening to one of my favorite radio talkers the other day and Franklin Graham was being interviewed. The host asked Franklin a question and Franklin responded by giving a cool, but unrelated answer.

Franklin started talking about how we are all sinners and that Jesus came and died on a cross, rose again, so we could be saved from our sins and have eternal life if we put our trust in Him.

I don't disagree with anything he said. (except he left out baptism)

But a little later as I reflected back, I thought "That seemed so simplistic. Jesus didn't die on the cross just to save us from our sins...He did so much more than that."

If we are in Christ, we are a new creation.

That word creation is a really awesome word. It means to make something out of nothing.

Only God can create.

When we are creative, we are not making something out of nothing. There is paint, canvas, brushes, pencils, a computer, paper...

We at least have something to work with.

But not God. When He creates, He has nothing to work with.

We were 'dead in our transgressions'.

Dead. Get it? Dead!

But we are made alive in Christ.

"But 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" Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV

In Christ, we are not merely saved. Oh no! We are new creations. We are God's prized workmanship.

We are the crown of His creation. We have become His sons and daughters.

So then, if we are all those things, why do we act as though we don't matter to Him?

Like He has better things to do than listen to me. Or my sin is too great for Him to love me. Or I are not worthy of His love. Or I've done too many bad things to be used by God. Or...

C'mon already.

We are His new creation.

We are His flesh and blood.

His DNA is stamped into our spirit just like our DNA is stamped into our own children.

That is why we can call Him 'Abba Father'. He truly is our Father. He created us out of nothing and placed His Spirit in us to prove we are His.

What an amazing revelation.

I don't want to believe the lie that God doesn't care.

That lie comes from Satan... and he's just jealous.

We have what he always wanted and will never attain.

A place at the right hand of God.

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus," Ephesians 2:6 NIV

Amen and amen.

RP