Sermon Tone Analysis

A New Species

 

(Doctrine of Positional Truth)

 

 

                                (2Co 5:17)

 

/       Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new./

This is a very familiar passage, which is frequently quoted but often distorted.

The implications of being a new person are usually associated with some experiential change.

When many believers first accept Jesus Christ as Savior, they become the recipients of some type of legalistic bullying; or they may simply be impressed with certain Christian types, and as a result want to do what that person does . . .

they want to imitate.

So they are led or inspired or bullied or coerced or shamed or pressurized into giving up something.

Now, anything that the Word of God causes you to give up is fine; but to give up something simply because of some other pressure is definitely not a bona tide part of the Christian life.

No one ever gives up something in the energy of the flesh, the strength of the old sin nature without wanting to crow about it at some time,

some place, somewhere!

*DISTORTIONS*

 

       I have attended many young peoples’ camps, and they all wind up in the same sad way: inspirational singing around a campfire, a few glowing testimonies, an inspirational message on discipleship; then the faggot-on-the-fire ceremony with the “what-will-you-give-up?” pitch.

When the young people come down from the mountain, they give a glowing testimony in their churches about how they gave up their girl friend or boy friend, and now they have a closer walk with the Lord.

Then they quote (2Co 5:17), implying that they are new creatures because they have given up something for God!

       Their unsaved counterparts are doing the same thing.

They are giving up things in order to go to heaven; they are giving up things because they are unhealthful; they are giving up things because of disapprobation of society.

The idea of making some sort of sacrifice has had appeal to the human race almost since the fall in the Garden of Eden.

Unfortunately and tragically, it is almost impossible to approach this verse without remembering some of the distortions to which it has been exposed.

It is fixed in most of our minds, erroneously so, that we are new creatures because we have changed our lives; because we have changed our behavior pattern; because we have changed our modus operandi; because we have made a supreme sacrifice.

Once we were having fun; now we are not having fun because we are doing this for God and because we are new creatures.

And frankly, it just doesn’t sound like fun to become a new creature, when, as a matter of fact, it is the most wonderful thing in the world when you understand it in the light of its context.

So the interpretation of this passage causes us a great deal of trouble, because we associate it with what we are doing for God rather than with what God is doing for us.

It is one of those passages which, by itself, is difficult to begin because it draws a conclusion.

But let’s start with the word “therefore.”

*GRACE ORIENTATION*

 

       The Greek word, “hoste,” actually brings us to our first conclusion in this passage.

While it is translated “therefore,” it would be better translated “so that.

It is the conclusion of the previous sixteen verses of this chapter in which all of the marvelous provisions of the grace of God have been delineated.

We have now come to the ultimate in the field of grace principles . . .

grace orientation.

“Conclusion” is the best translation here.

“Conclusion: if (first-class condition, ‘if, and it’s true’) any man. .

.” “Man” is a generic term (“tis”) meaning “anyone,” any believer-priest.

“If anyone in Christ” (there is no verb here in the original text).

Before I go any further, I want you to notice an important point: a new creature is IN CHRIST!

You don’t have a “new Creature” first; you have CHRIST FIRST! “In Christ” is referring to positional Truth.

The only sense in this passage in which we are new creatures is through our union with Christ (Gal 3:28).

The reason for that becomes quite obvious in the Greek: the word “new” is an adjective (“kainos"), and it is a word for a NEW SPECIES!

There is another Greek word for “new” — “neos,” which means “new in time.”

But this latter word is not used in this passage.

In the Devil’s world, there is a BRAND NEW SPECIES that has only existed since the ascension of Christ.

The new species came into being with the baptism of the Spirit, which did not occur until after Jesus Christ was glorified.

/       But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified/ ( Jn 7:39).

(Cf.

Acts 1:5).

Although (2Co 5:17) does not contain the word “salvation,” it includes it.

In the Old Testament, billions of people were saved by believing in Christ as He was then revealed.

The pattern is Abraham.

“And he believed in the Lord (Jesus Christ); and he counted it to him (it was credited to his account) for righteousness” (Gen 15:6 cf.

Rom 4:3).

When people were saved in the Old Testament, they were born again just as we are; they were justified just as we are; they were given eternal life just as we are.

BUT .  . .

they were not “kainos,” Why?

Because never before in history had anyone been

put into UNION WITH CHRIST.

Not until the Day of Pentecost (30 A.D.) did the baptism of the Holy Spirit occur.

Old Testament saints are just as much saved as we; but there is a difference between Old Testament and New Testament saints, and that is that Christ had not yet been glorified.

Up to that time, Christ was the target of Satan and the angelic conflict; but now that Christ is glorified at the right hand of the Father, the target is the believer.

Since Christ is absent in the Church Age, the angelic conflict is intensified.

Why?

Because the plan of God is moving rapidly, and Satan sees the time is getting short (Rev 12:12).

Since Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, “Operation Footstool” (Psa 110:1; Heb 1:13) is becoming a reality, when the demons will be removed from the earth (Zec 13:2).

Christ, the Firstfruits (1Co 15:23), is a "New Species" and is the only One at present with a resurrection body.

But we are a new species in Christ!

We are not a new species because we have given up bubble gum or changed our behavior pattern or cut our hair or whatever we do that we say makes us different.

We are a new species because at the moment of salvation, when we were born again, we were “picked up” by God the Holy Spirit and entered into union with Jesus Christ.

This is the baptism of the Spirit.

The word “new” is important here.

We are new creatures — “a new species of creation” actually.

The word “ktisis” means “a creature or a new creation.”

We are a new species in creation.

We have been made that by what God did.

WE ARE NOT A NEW SPECIES BECAUSE OF ANYTHING WE HAVE EVER DONE!

Whatever great triumphs you have in the Christian life, whatever you give up (whether it is bona fide or not), if you give it up in the power of the Spirit and as a result of growth, that is fine; (Rom 8:13) BUT DON’T EVER QUOTE THIS VERSE IN CONNECTION WITH IT!

This verse has nothing to do with what you have done or what you are going to do by way of victorious living.

It has to do with one thing only — a thing God did for you at the point of salvation.

There are approximately forty things that constitute the believer a brand new species.

Now I emphasize this, not to give you a sense of fat-headedness (for certainly, you must recognize that this is God’s grace), but to cause you to realize that you are in the most unusual, the most exciting and the most difficult place in history . . .

that you personally are in an unseen conflict.

There are many observable, known conflicts in history at the present time; but you are a part of a conflict that is so fantastic and so amazing, and yet so difficult, because so powerful is the pressure from demons, to make life look "normal" that you are, to try get all you can! to think and talk as if I just had this:(Job, food, girl, clothing, man, money, power, fame, social life, sex life, house, family) (Mt 6:31-34) I would be happy.

And the angelic conflict has reached an intensified stage never known before in history.

You are in that battle and a part of that conflict.

Everything you see and hear on television, in the news, at work, at school describes life as if it really depended on the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of self! (1 Jn 2:16) One of the first doctrines you must understand in order to withstand the Satanic onslaught is Positional Truth; and this doctrine is also the key to understanding (2Co 5:17).

“Therefore (conclusion) if any man (anyone, believer-priest, male or female) in Christ (positional Truth), he (‘is’ is not in the original) a new creature (a new species).”

You have been created a new species by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

No wonder the baptism is under so much attack!

No wonder we have people who think that the baptism of the Spirit is an experience!

No wonder, when the “holiness” crowd and the “tongues” crowd and all of the cults and isms crowd have an emotional experience, they call it the baptism of the Spirit!

Let us take a look at the doctrine of Positional Truth, or Positional Sanctification, as it is the basis for orientation to the grace of God.

 

       *POSITIONAL TRUTH*

 

       (1) THE MECHANICS OF POSITIONAL SANCTIFICATION (1Co 12:13).

This says that “by means of one Spirit are we all baptized into one body (the Body of Christ).”

Most of you know there are at least seven baptisms.

Here the word (‘baptized’) refers to the moment of salvation a point in time which is perpetuated forever.

At that moment, God the Holy Spirit enters every believer into union with Christ (Cf.

Jn 14:20; Acts 1:5; Eph 4:5).

(2) POSITIONAL SANCTIFICATION BELONGS TO THE CARNAL AS WELL AS THE SPIRITUAL BELIEVER (1Co 3:1).

/       .

.  .

To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord . . .