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News of the ministry
Yes, this is our 100th email issue of Positive Words! The first email issue appeared on 24th November 1998 (you can view it online at http://peterwade.com/archive/pw01.shtml). Printed versions of "Positive Words" were first distributed in the late 1970s and continued through the 1980s.
We thank God for you, our friends and subscribers, who have encouraged us, prayed for us, and stood by us over these years. We plan to keep sharing God's positive Word with you in this way. If you want to tell us how it has blessed or helped you, then use our Feedback form at http://peterwade.com/modules.php?name=Feedback.
Another huge celebration is on the horizon in less than 8 weeks -- that is our 10th Anniversary on the Internet. Yes, the first web page went online on 1st October 1995 and has developed over the decade to the huge site we have today. More about this later!
We are already celebrating a first in our book ministry. The first book by Peter Wade to go into a third edition is now available. First published in 1984 as "You Are A New Creation" and based on a seminar Peter Wade taught in several places in Australia, it was revised and reprinted in 1999 as one of the "Positive Principles" books. Now in 2005 it has again been revised, reprinted, and re-titled as "In Christ: A New Creation", the first of a new series of "In Christ" titles we have planned.
Our thanks to Guy Vieira who designed the magnificent new cover picture (you can see it on our Home Page) and also set out the book and guided it through the printing process. Every word has been prayed over and pondered over; every Bible verse has been checked against the latest word-for-word translation. And remember, we print something for everyone, including those who always look for mistakes!
We need your help to get this book into the hands of Christians everywhere... the copies cannot bless anyone or change lives while they sit in our storage area! Buy one for yourself and one to share with a friend. Full details on the Home Page.
In our next newsletter we will continue our thoughts on chapter one of Paul's letter to the Colossians. In this issue we are sharing some significant paragraphs from the first chapter of the new book "In Christ: A New Creation"... enjoy!
Nothing Else Matters
There are a number of verses in the New Testament concerning the New Creation in Christ. This first verse is vital, for it clearly demonstrates the place of the New Creation in the life of a believer. "For [in Christ Jesus] neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation" (Galatians 6:15 ESV). "For both circumcision and uncircumcision mean nothing; what matters instead is a new creation" (CSB). Your understanding of the truth of the New Creation in Christ will determine your success in every aspect of your life. The distinction is vital and vibrant, and when seen and applied can change a Christian believer into a powerful force for God.
In this verse the New Creation is shown in its relation to religious ceremony. The Jewish rite of circumcision is given as an example of all religious practices based on works. All works-based acts are worth nothing in God's sight, regardless of whether it is putting flowers on the altar or serving fellow man or tithing to the church. Giving up a works-based religion is not the full answer either, for "Nothing else matters but the New Creation." The passage continues, "To all who live by this principle... may there be peace and mercy!" (verse 16 Phillips).
The foundation for the truth of the New Creation in Christ comes from a passage in II Corinthians 5 that is quoted often in the church world, yet believed less often, and acted upon quite rarely. The passage under discussion starts in verse 17 with these power-packed words... "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (II Corinthians 5:17). And the passage concludes with verse 21, where the extent and greatness of the New Creation is made clear... "For our sake he made him to be sin [a sin offering] who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (II Corinthians 5:21).
I find it thrilling to observe that once a man or woman is said to be "in Christ", the scripture states there is "a new creation". There is no suggestion that this is a promise to be fulfilled in heaven or that the result described will become a reality when certain conditions are met. It does state that the moment we are "in Christ" a New Creation is a reality.
I notice also that it is not a "re-creation" that is spoken of here in II Corinthians 5. God does not take the old things of my life and make them new in appearance. God places within me something entirely new, for verse 17 continues by stating that "his old life has disappeared..." (Knox); "the past is finished and gone..." (Phillips). And then the word "behold" ["look"] causes us to stop for a moment and take in what has replaced the old: "a new life has begun..." (Living Bible); "a new order has already begun..." (NEB). How much has become new? "Everything has become fresh and new" (Phillips). There is nothing of the old spiritual life left. And the scripture also declares that, "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation" (II Corinthians 5:18).
All three things of verse 17 -— the placing in Christ, the removal of the old, the placing of the new -— are "from God", and since God is spirit (John 4:24) then the New Creation is a spiritual inside job. It was God, not you, that took out the old and put in the new, making you a new creation! "He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus" (I Corinthians 1:30). It is all from God. This is the new birth, and you are in God's forever family now.
These two verses have nothing to do with your fellowship with God, but everything to do with your birthing as a child of God. Some teach that "Christ in" refers to salvation, while "in Christ" is a term describing the times your walk is in the truth. Take for example this quote, "You become a new creature as you renew your mind according to The Word", so by implication when you are not renewing your mind you are not a new creation. However, that distinction is foreign to II Corinthians 5:17–18, where everything is "from God"; He did the work, not you. Your walk does not rate a mention. You do not go in and out of the New Creation like pistons in a car engine. Once God has done His work, its done!
So God has done a wonderful miracle for those who believe in their heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess with their mouth Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9). Since God is the Creator of the New Creation, then it must be perfect, for God is perfect.
Everything that I do and believe is basically an outworking of this philosophy of ministry that could be termed the New Creation message. Others speak of the Christ life and of our union with Christ, which are also excellent terms. The New Creation message has made a significant change in my life and is the foundational and consolidating truth that can change your life also. The impact of this truth can perhaps be better understood if examined in three parts. It is a message of completeness; it is a message of contentment; it is a message of confidence.
-- Peter Wade. [From "In Christ: A New Creation"]
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