Question:
What is your views on 2Corinthians 5:17? Some one stated to me that you can’t see the wind, but you can see the effects of it. Can we see the faith that it takes to believe? Or can we see the effects of Salvation? Like it talks about faith without works is dead. Can faith without works, which is dead, save someone? Look and see who the book of James was written for. Wally God Bless!
Answer:
II Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” This verse speaks of the old conditions, which existed for the unsaved man, as passed away, and behold, all brand new conditions exist for the saved man – the one who is born again. The verse is not saying that your life has necessarily changed. It ought to reflect your new position in Christ, but this verse is talking about our new position in Christ as seen by God. When the new birth takes place many irreversible things take place. The Bible states that the one who is born again has: 1) Received everlasting life (John 3:16) 2) Been born again (I John 5:1) 3) Been born of incorruptible seed (I Peter 1:23) 4) This incorruptible seed remaining in him (I John 3:9) 5) Become a son of God (John 1:12) 6) Become a new creation (II Corinthians 5:17) 7) Been passed from death unto life (John 5:24) 8) Been exempted from future condemnation (John 5:24) 9) Been redeemed from under the law (Galatians 4:5) 10) Been redeemed from the curse of the law (Galatians 4:5) 11) Become dead to the law (Romans 7:4) 12) Received an eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12) 13) Been reconciled to God (II Corinthians 5:18) 14) Peace with God (Romans 5:1) 15) Been justified (Romans 5:1) 16) All trespasses forgiven him (Colossians 2:13) 17) Been delivered from the power of darkness (Colossians 1:13) 18) Been translated into the kingdom of the Son of God (Colossians 1:13) 19) Been perfected forever (Hebrews 10:14) 20) His sins no more remembered (Hebrews 10:17) 21) His sins removed as far as the East is from the West (Psalms 103:12) 22) Been made complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10) 23) Been accepted of God (Ephesians 1:6) 24) Been born of the Spirit of God (John 3:6) 25) Been baptized by the Spirit of God (I Corinthians 12:13) 26) Been indwelt by the Spirit of God (I Corinthians 6:19-20) 27) Been sealed with God’s Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) 28) Become the object of God’s love (Ephesians 2:4) 29) Become the object of God’s grace (Romans 6:14) 30) Become the object of God’s power (Ephesians 1:19) 31) Become the object of God’s faithfulness (I Corinthians 1:9) 32) Become a citizen of heaven (Ephesians 2:19, Philippians 3:20) 33) Been seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) 34) Been already glorified (Romans 8:30) 35) Been given a home in heaven (John 14:1-3) 36) Been kept by the power of God (I Peter 1:5) 37) Been crucified with Christ (Galatians (2:20) 38) Been buried with Christ (Romans 6:4) 39) Been resurrected with Christ (Ephesians 2:6) All of the above plus many other things are true about one who has trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior and as a result become born-again. Not a single individual who has been born into the human race has been able to remove himself from it. Many have committed suicide, but all they have done is to shorten the days of their earthly existence. Their existence still continues on and on into the eternity of the future. Still some teach that one who has been saved can be lost. By analogy with the human race, this is impossible. A person cannot become unborn physically, nor can he become unborn spiritually. No provision is given in the Word of God for one to become unborn. “That which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of Spirit is spirit (John 3:6).”