45. New Creation Series

[IN GOD’S IMAGE 45 – NEW CREATION]

This message is part of a series of 90 sermons based on the title, “In God’s Image – God’s Purpose for humanity.” This series of free sermons or the equivalent free book format is designed to take the reader through an amazing process beginning with God in prehistory and finishing with humanity joining God in eternity as His loving sons and daughters. It is at times, a painful yet fascinating story, not only for humanity, but also for God. As the sermons follow a chronological view of the story of salvation, it is highly recommend they be presented in numerical order rather than jumping to the more “interesting” or “controversial” subjects as the material builds on what is presented earlier. We also recommend reading the introduction prior to using the material. The free book version along with any graphics or figures mentioned in this series can be downloaded at www.ingodsimage.site - Gary Regazzoli

We have been looking at the implications of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

• The resurrection of Jesus is living proof that we serve a God who has power to raise someone from the dead.

• And not only to raise them to immortality, but the resurrection of Jesus proves the nature of a finite person, their unique identity or “personhood” can extend beyond death into immortality.

• Last time we talked about the Father’s validation or stamp of approval on Jesus’s cry on the cross, “It is finished”(John 19:30).

• By raising Jesus from the dead, the Father was acknowledging Jesus had successfully fulfilled every task the Father had assigned Him in order to provide salvation for humanity.

• And we finished last time talking about God’s purpose to create through the saving work of Jesus Christ, one new humanity.

• Salvation is not only offered to Israelites but also to Gentiles under the New Covenant.

Today we are going to continue this theme of “one new humanity.”

• Much is made of the creation event in Genesis, but as far as God is concerned, this creation of the “new humanity” in Jesus Christ is the one that really counts.

• The resurrection of Jesus to immortality has heralded a new creation event.

• It is more than coincidence that here at the beginning of this new creation as at the old, Jesus is the central figure.

• John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

• And so it only fitting when it comes to the pinnacle of God’s creative event, man in the true image of God, Jesus is key to the process.

• With the incarnation, the Creator lovingly inserted Himself into our corrupt and fallen world in order to create the perfect union between the Creator and the created.

• Then from within our corrupt and fallen existence, Jesus creates a new humanity the pinnacle of which is His own resurrection from the dead.

• A new creature now exists in God’s spiritual world that has not existed before.

• For the first time a human truly in God’s image exists, one who through His sinless life, His death on the cross and His resurrection on the third day has opened the way for mortals to join God in eternity.

• In the symbolism of the Old Covenant, Jesus, as the Pascal Lamb sacrificed at Passover, has saved us from death so that we may be granted “life”! We have “passed over” from death to life.

• Romans 5:18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.

• Jesus the Creator, and our mediator, has restored access to the source of true life so that eternal life is now available to all those who seek it.

We should not underestimate what Jesus’ resurrection from mortal to immortality means for humanity.

• The course of the created world including humanity is set on a whole new trajectory as a result of the resurrection.

• Because of Adam’s sin, mankind’s destiny was set on a trajectory of decay, corruption and death. Not just physical death, but also spiritual death, because they lived under God’s righteous judgment.

• Also in this corruptible state, they became easy prey to the forces of darkness and evil arrayed against them.

• And as we have seen, they had no means within themselves to free themselves from the process of decay, corruption and death or the hold the evil forces exerted over them.

• Under this scenario, humanity would cease to exist and descend into “oblivion.”