2 Corinthians 5:17

The apostle Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth around AD 55. Corinth was one of the most notorious cities in the Roman Empire. It was a wealthy trade city where sexual immorality, idol worship, and greed were the cultural norms.

Many believers in the Corinthian church came from this background. Some were paralyzed by guilt, feeling like they could not escape who they used to be. Others were falling back into their old ways. Still others were judging each other for their pasts. The Corinthian believers were defining themselves by their past and their struggles.

To address this, Paul writes, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new." To these believers, Paul is telling them that God has already made them new. Their old identity has no claim on them anymore. The same is true for anyone who believes in Christ and belongs to Christ. The same declaration is for you today. God says you are a new creation in Christ.

"In Christ" (ἐν Χριστῷ / en Christō)

The phrase en Christō means "in Christ" or "within Christ." Throughout the letters of Paul the Apostle, this expression describes union with Christ. To be "in Christ" means that your life and identity are now joined to His. Your standing before God is no longer determined by your past or your efforts, but by your relationship to Christ.

"New creation" (καινὴ κτίσις / kainē ktisis)

Greek has two common words for "new." Neos refers to something new in time, while kainos describes something new in kind or quality. Paul intentionally uses kainos to emphasize that God has done more than improved what was there before. The word ktisis means creation. Together, the phrase "new creation" declares that God has performed a creative work in you, giving you a new identity in Christ.

"The old things have passed away" (τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν / ta archaia parēlthen)

Archaia refers to the old or former things that once defined a person's life. The verb parēlthen means "passed away" or "gone," indicating that something has decisively come to an end. Paul is describing a real turning point in identity. The old order of life no longer holds authority over the believer. This means that what once defined you no longer determines who you truly are before God.

"All things have become new" (γέγονεν καινά / gegonen kaina)

The verb gegonen is written in the perfect tense, which describes an action completed in the past with results that continue into the present. In other words, something decisive has already happened and its effects remain. The new life God has given continues to define your standing before Him.

I declare that the words of 2 Corinthians 5:17 are true in my life.

• • In Christ, I am a new creation.
• • The old things have passed away.
• • All things have become new.
• • My identity is defined by what God says about me.

God,

Thank You for declaring me a new creation in Christ.

I have often defined myself by my struggles instead of by Your word. I have at times believed that I could never truly change.

Today I receive Your declaration. I am a new creation. The old has passed away. Through Christ, all things have become new.

When my past tries to define me, remind me that the old has passed away. When I stumble and fall into old patterns, remind me that my identity in You has not changed. I am still a new creation because I am in Christ. Though I am covered in Your grace, may I never take it for granted and return to my old ways. May I have the discipline to grow and mature in Christ. I desire to be more like Christ every day and to let others know about Him.

Thank You that my identity is not based on my effort but on what Jesus did for me. May I live each day growing into the new creation You have already made me.

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.