In the beginning ...
In the beginning ...
light … darkness
In the beginning ...
light … darkness
… the first day
In the beginning ...
light … darkness
… the first day
… breath of God that animates life
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God
light … darkness
… the first day
… breath of God that animates life
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God
light of all people ... shines in the darkness, and
the darkness did not overcome it.
… the first day
… breath of God that animates life
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God
light of all people ... shines in the darkness, and
the darkness did not overcome it.
on the first day of the week ... Mary
Magdalene came to the tomb
… breath of God that animates life
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God
light of all people ... shines in the darkness, and
the darkness did not overcome it.
on the first day of the week ... Jesus came
and stood among them
… breath of God that animates life
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God
light of all people ... shines in the darkness, and
the darkness did not overcome it.
on the first day of the week ... Jesus came
and stood among them
he breathed on them and said to
them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
new
creation
... sin came into the world through one man, and death
came through sin, and so death spread to all because
all have sinned ...
Romans, Chapter 5 verse 12 (NRSV)
... sin came into the world through one man, and death
came through sin, and so death spread to all because
all have sinned ...
Romans, Chapter 5 verse 12 (NRSV)
Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s
curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward
to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious
freedom from death and decay. For we know that all
creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth
right up to the present time.
Romans, Chapter 8 verses 19-22 (NLT)
“(B)ehold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and
the former things shall not be remembered or come
into mind.”
Isaiah, Chapter 65 verses 17-25 (NRSV)
The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie
down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling
together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and
the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child
shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child
shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt
or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be
full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the
sea.
On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the
peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling
shall be glorious.
Isaiah, Chapter 11 verses 9-10 (NRSV)
If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised
dominion through that one, much more surely will
those who receive the abundance of grace and the free
gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through
the one man, Jesus Christ. Therefore just as one man’s
trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act
of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.
For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many
were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the
many will be made righteous.’
Romans, Chapter 5 verses 17-19 (NRSV)
‘As Adam represents humanity, so Jesus as new Adam
represents a new humanity. … Such pairs tempt us to
think of balance. … Yet balance ignores the God of the
equation. For God, life engulfs death. The new
representative overwhelms the old representative.
Such is grace.’
Steve Taylor, in Proclaiming the Scandal of the Cross (2006)
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:
everything old has passed away; see, everything has
become new!
2 Corinthians, Chapter 5 verse 17 (NRSV)
“Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of
God without being born from above. ... no one can
enter the kingdom of God without being born of
water and Spirit. ... The wind blows where it chooses,
and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know
where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with
everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
John, Chapter 3 verses 3-5 (NRSV)
new
creation
love
endurance
generosity
kindness
patience
hope
goodness
new
creation
gentleness
self control
power
peace
joy
faithfulness
soundness of mind
arguing
impurity
gossiping
bitterness
+ revenge
love
endurance
generosity
kindness
patience
quarrels
goodness
new
creation
hope
power
peace
gentleness
self control
envy
jealousy
factions
joy
faithfulness
soundness of mind
things like these
drunkenness
speaking God’s words of
encouragement + hope + comfort
+ welcome
caring for creation
love
loving your
family, your
neighbours
+ even your
enemies
reading
Scripture,
being part of
Church
endurance
generosity
kindness
patience
hope
running businesses
that treat employees,
clients + suppliers fairly
goodness
new
creation
gentleness
self control
power
praying for
the sick to
be well
peace
joy
giving generously
faithfulness
soundness of mind
helping the poor,
the suffering +
the lost
So what…
There are three stages of life:
Death masquerading as life
New life as a new creation
Resurrected life in the New Creation
Unless we understand the power of the Spirit - the
new creation mystery alive in us - we have grace
from God for the past and grace from God for the
future and nothing but ourselves for the present.
Jesus Christ
attentive,
present,
endlessly
self-giving,
loving to all
he’s made
complete, full,
whole & right
in all he is & all
he does
beautiful,
creative,
rejoicing
powerful,
unconstrained
by the limits of
human reason
& capacity
inextinguishably
self revealing &
invitational,
calling up his
image in all
respond
Christ in us
compassion
for people
and care for
creation
ongoing
transformation
of my personal
character +
behaviours
creative
expressions of
love, joy, beauty,
wonder & the
majestic
things that are
impossible to
explain by
looking at the
observable
inputs
welcoming,
explaining &
encouraging
... where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And
all of us ... are being transformed into the same image
from one degree of glory to another; for this comes
from the Lord, the Spirit.
2 Corinthians, Chapter 3 verse 17 (NRSV)
‘So this old nature of mine – the one that was
constantly pulling me down and causing me to live in
ways I wasn’t created to live – has died. And no matter
how many times the old nature raises its head and
pretends to be alive, it is dead. And not only did that
old person die, but I have been given a new nature.
The issue then isn’t beating myself up over all the
things I’m not doing or the things I’m doing poorly;
the issue is my learning who this person is who God
keeps insisting I already am.’
Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis (2006)