Made New in Christ Jesus for New Jerusalem

At the beginning of Revelation 21 John says, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth….And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem.” New Jerusalem is new according to God’s newness. It is not modern or recent or up-to-date in the human sense.

We enter New Jerusalem by receiving the redemption, the forgiveness of sins, accomplished by Jesus Christ and believing into Him, receiving Him as our eternal life. At this point, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). This is our change of position from the old creation to the new creation.

This change is like taking a plane from one nation to a very different nation. Our position changes quickly but we need many years to adjust to the language, culture, food, and other aspects of the new nation.

Likewise, we need a long time to fully absorb and adequately live out the newness of Christ. He, as the life-giving Spirit, has entered into us, so now we experience “the renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). The Spirit in us, with our cooperation, accomplishes Romans 12:2, “be transformed by the renewing of the mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and well pleasing and perfect.”

The will of God is eventually to have New Jerusalem on the new earth; this is good and well pleasing to God and perfect according to God.

Posted by Don on December 18, 2023

https://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2023/12/18/made-new-in-christ-jesus-for-new-jerusalem/