Understanding Our New Creation in Christ through Salvation
The concept of being a "new creation" in Christ is rooted in several key biblical passages, including 2 Corinthians 5:17, which states, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new" [1]. This idea is echoed in Galatians 6:15, where Paul writes, "For in Christ Jesus neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation" [2].
The new creation is understood as a work of God, effected through the person and work of Christ Jesus. According to Ephesians 2:10, "For we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we may walk in them" [3]. This creation is not merely a reformation but a radical transformation, as indicated by the contrast between the "old" and the "new" in 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Colossians 3:9-10 [1, 7].
The process of becoming a new creation involves regeneration, or the new birth, which is attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5 describes this as "the washing of the new birth and the giving of new life in the Holy Spirit" [4]. This new life is characterized by a departure from sin and a transfer into the realm of life and purity, as seen in Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 5:17 [10].
The theological understanding of the new creation is closely tied to the doctrine of salvation. According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, salvation refers to the deliverance from the guilt and pollution of sin wrought out by Jesus Christ [5]. The new creation is a result of this salvation, where believers are united with Christ and share in his resurrection, both now and in the future, as explained in Ephesians 2:5-6 [6, 8].
Different Christian traditions interpret the new creation through the lens of their understanding of salvation and the work of the Trinity. For instance, the Tyndale House commentary on Ephesians 2:10 notes that good works are the result, not the cause, of salvation, highlighting the gracious nature of this new creation [9]. Similarly, John Gill's commentary on 2 Corinthians 5:16 emphasizes the union of believers with Christ, both in their election and in their conversion [11].
The new creation is thus a comprehensive transformation that encompasses the believer's identity, life, and purpose, rooted in the salvific work of Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. As such, it represents a fundamental aspect of Christian doctrine, underscoring the radical change that occurs when one is "in Christ" [1].
Sources
- 2 Corinthians “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. -- 2 Corinthians 5:17”
- Galatians “For in Christ Jesus neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. -- Galatians 6:15”
- Ephesians “Ephesians 2:10 (LEB) — For we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we may walk in them.”
- Titus “Titus 3:5 (BBE) — Not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but in the measure of his mercy, he gave us salvation, through the washing of the new birth and the giving of new life in the Holy Spirit,”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Salvation — This word is used of the deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians (Ex. 14:13), and of deliverance generally from evil or danger. In the New Testament it is specially used with reference to the great deliverance from the guilt and the pollution of sin wrought out by Jesus Christ, "the great salvation" (Heb. 2:3). (See [546]REDEMPTION; [547]REGENERATION.)”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 2:5: 2:5 gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead (literally made us alive together with Christ): Joined with Christ, believers share in his resurrection, now and in the future (see 2:6; Rom 6:4-14; Col 3:1-4). • It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved: See Eph 1:2; 2:8-9.”
- Colossians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Colossians 3:9: 3:9-10 your old sinful nature . . . your new nature: Paul contrasts old and new identities (see also Rom 5:12-21; 6:6; Eph 4:22-24). Believers strip off their old life and put on Christ’s new life, allowing him to be Lord and to guide the way they live.”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 2:6: 2:6 united with Christ Jesus: Because of this union, believers share God’s glory and blessings, and experience resurrection both now and in the future (see Rom 6:4-14; Col 2:12-13; 3:1-4).”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 2:10: 2:10 He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us: Good works are the result, not the cause, of salvation. God’s Spirit, working through a transformed heart, produces a good life (Gal 5:22-23).”
- Titus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Titus 3:5: 3:5 not because . . . but because: The contrast is between human actions that might be thought to merit salvation and God’s grace (see Gal 2:16). Salvation is through faith in God’s mercy alone (Eph 2:8). • He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth: See Ezek 16:9; John 3:1-15; Eph 5:26; Heb 10:22; 2 Pet 1:9. • and new life through the Holy Spirit: This signifies a complete departure from the life of sin and death and a transfer into the realm of life and purity (see also Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 5:17; Col 3:10).”
- 2 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Corinthians 5:16: Therefore if any man be in Christ,.... There's a secret being in Christ from everlasting; so all that are loved by him, espoused unto him, chosen and preserved in him, to whom he was a covenant head, surety, and representative, are in him, united to him, and one with him; not in such sense as the Father is in him, and the human nature is in him, but as husband and wife, and head and members are one: and there is an open being in Christ at conversion, when a man believes in Christ, and gives up himself to him; faith does not put a man into Christ, but makes him ”