THE NEW CREATION MAN THE ORIGINAL CREATION In

THE NEW CREATION MAN

THE ORIGINAL CREATION – In the Beginning……. . God created the heavens and the earth. v The earth was formless, empty and dark and God restored it through a problem solving process with MAN in mind. Gen 1. v God created the first MAN Adam. Gen. 1: 26 – 27. v Adam was created: 1. In the Image of God. Gen. 1: 26 -27. II. With the Nature of God. III. With the life of God. Gen 2: 7

THE ORIGINAL CREATION – In the Beginning……. . IV. With a purpose, a 5 -fold commission from God. Gen 1: 28 i) Be fruitful; ii) Multiply, iii) Replenish the Earth; iv) Subdue it; v) Exercise Dominion over every living creature. IV. With eternal life. V. With access to all Spiritual, Physical, Material provisions. Gen 2: 9, 12, 25. VI. With Direct Father – Son relationship with God. Gen 2: 19 -20.

THE ORIGINAL CREATION – and ADAM sinned……. . Disobedience! God said: “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die. " Gen 2: 17 The Devil Said: "You will not surely die, " the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. “ Gen 3: 4 -5.

THE OLD CREATION – and ADAM sinned……. . THE DEVIL’S STRATEGY HAS NOT CHANGED! Gen. 3: 6 Eve succumbed to: 1. The lust of the flesh. 1 John 2: 16 She saw that the. . fruit of the tree was good for food. 1. The lust of the eyes. 1 John 2: 16 She saw that it was. . pleasing to the eyes. 1. The pride of life. 1 John 2: 16 She saw that it was. . desirable for gaining wisdom (independence from God).

THE OLD CREATION – Implications of the fall. . 1. Spiritual Death: Adam died spiritually when God took His Spirit (breath of life) away from Him. Rom 3: 23; 6: 23. 2. . Exchange of life took place inside the man: As God took His Spirit (Life), the devil imputed his own spirit (Life) - The Flesh or Sinful Nature which is totally opposed to God was born. Rom 8: 7 -8. 3. He became susceptible to Sickness and Disease: He became mortal as a result of the curse Gen 3: 19;

THE OLD CREATION – Implications of the fall. . 4. Spiritual Bondage: The man Disobeyed God and Obeyed the Devil thus becoming the Devil’s slave. Whatever a slave produces is also a slave. “Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey — whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? ” Rom 6: 16 The man became independent of God but dependent (bound) to the devil.

THE OLD CREATION – Implications of the fall. . Change of Image & Nature: The man bore the image of the flesh (the devil’s workmanship) and continued to exercise his freewill externally even though he was now being manipulated to do evil continually through the flesh on the inside. 5. “This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. 3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth”. Gen 5: 1 -4. 6. Shortness: The man fell short of the height of the Glory of God and the Spiritual (Divine Presence, Power, Fellowship) Physical (Health) and Material (Food, Shelter, Clothing) provisions originally designed for Him. Rom 3: 23; Gen 3: 16 -19. 7. Loss of Commission: The Devil’s strategy was to hijack and de -commission the man before he could reproduce and fulfill his divine purpose and subsequently re-commission him to serve in the kingdom of darkness with a perverted agenda of sin and wickedness. Gen 6:

THE OLD CREATION – Implications of the fall. . Alienation: He was driven out of the garden “ The kingdom of God”. Gen 3: 22 -24. 8. 9. Poverty: He could no longer look above for provisions which are now out of his reach but he now looked abroad for his source and ate only after much toil and sweat. Gen 3: 17 -18. 10. Perverted Business: Shift from divine assignment to self preservation. Gen 2: 15. He started living just to make a living. 11. Broken Marital Relationship: His perspective of marriage changed. Gen 3: 12, 20 vs 2: 23 -25.

THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION. Immediately after the fall of , God set the Plan for his redemption in place. He pronounced: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. “ Gen 3: 15. He gave the Law - a shadow of things to come. God gave the law to guide man in the path of righteousness but the law could not save from sin. Neither could offerings, good works or even tears wash away sin.

THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION. Necessity of Atonement for sin. v Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin (reconciliation with God) Heb 9: 22; Lev 17: 11. v The acceptable lamb for sacrifice under the law must be without blemish or spot. v Since it was a human being that sinned, it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Heb 10: 4. v A human sacrifice was required, but all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God and “”In sin did our mothers conceive us” Ps 51: 5. Therefore the seed of man was blemished from birth and no man was qualified to be used as a lamb to take away the sins of mankind. John 3: 6.

THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION. God became Man. v The Holy Spirit overshadowed a virgin and she conceived without the seed of a man. v Jesus became the only man to be born sinless and as such qualified to take away the iniquity of man. John 1: 29. Gods Wisdom: “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. ” Rom 5: 19

THE NEW CREATION - What Christ has done. Jesus set an example of righteous living for all men. 1 Pet 2: 21 Jesus laid down His life for all men. 2 Cor 5: 14; Knowing this: Our redemptive provisions: v Redemption from the curse of the Law: His means of death had to be by hanging on a tree so that He could redeem us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. He bore the curses of disobedience to God any and every curse possible (concurrent or ancestral). If anyone be in Christ, He cannot be afflicted again with curses because of Christ’s redemptive work at the cross. Gal 3: 13.

THE NEW CREATION - What Christ has done. v His stripes: The Provision for our Divine healing: The stripes He received were for my healing. Each of the 39 stripes He received as they scourged Him bruised His body and represents all possible diseases known and unknown to man. He collected our infirmities and vicariously bore our sicknesses. Divine healing was procured for us at the cross of Jesus Christ. 1 Pet 2: 24; Matt 8: 17, Isaiah 53: 4, 5.

THE NEW CREATION - What Christ has done. v v The Blood Provision: His blood was shed for the cleansing of our sins. 1 John 1: 7. His blood needed to be shed through the scourging, crown of thorns and the nails driven into His hands and feet in order to make a provision for the washing of blemishes, stains of sin upon our lives. He could have been killed without letting of His blood, but we would have remained smelly, dirty and unattractive to God. Soap, Bleach, deliberate bodily affliction, offerings or Tears cannot wash off sin. Only the blood of Jesus can wash sin of whatever magnitude and make you clean. Is 1: 18.

THE NEW CREATION - What Christ has done. v v The Cross Provision: Whereas His blood cleanses sin, it does not terminate the life inside that produces the sin. Until this life is uprooted, crucified and buried we will be perpetually needing washing and our lives will continue to be miserable as we continuously struggle with sin. There is need to terminate the diarrhoea and stop wasting energy, time and money cleaning up and changing diapers. For as long as the Flesh, Sinful Nature is intact inside, sin and its consequences (sickness, poverty, bondage etc) are only a matter of course. Only death can end it. Rom 6: 7. O wretched man that I am, Who will deliver me from this body of death? Rom 7: 24.

THE NEW CREATION - What Christ has done. What God did to Jesus for your sake. “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. ” Isa 53: 5 -6 “ for he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. ” 2 Cor 5: 21

THE NEW CREATION - What Christ has done. 3 times at Gethsemane He cried to the Father: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt”. Matt 26: 39. But who else is qualified. He was the only one fit to bear our sins, the lamb without blemish. It was therefore the will of the Father to afflict Him and siphon our sin nature into Him so that He could carry it and nail it to His cross. Without receiving our sins His sinless nature would disqualify Him from going to hell to recover the keys of death and hades and release all captives of the Devil. Col 1: 14 -15; Heb 2: 14 -15; Matt 28: 19. As soon as He drank the cup, the Father turned His face away from His beloved son because our iniquity had made Him was smelly and filthy. Ps 22: 1; Hab. 1: 13

THE NEW CREATION - What Christ has done. So How will my own sinful nature be terminated? v And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: v 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3: 14 -15. v Look, See and Live – Numbers 21: 4 -9.

THE NEW CREATION - What Christ has done.

LET US PRAY

NEW CREATION MAN II

THE NEW CREATION - What Christ has done. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”. 2 Cor 5: 17. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”. Rom 8: 1

THE OLD MAN, THE CROSS AND THE NEW CREATION MAN.

THE OLD MAN HIS NATURE (SPECIES): Gal. 5: 19 -21. Rom 8: 5 -8. 1. Impure thoughts. 2. Eagerness for lustful pleasure, 3. Idolatry, 4. Spiritism (that is, encouraging the activity of demons), 5. Hatred and fighting, 6. Jealousy and anger, 7. Constant effort to get the best for yourself, 8. Complaints and criticisms, 9. The feeling that everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group-and there will be wrong doctrine, 10. Envy,

THE OLD MAN HIS NATURE…Contd…: Gal. 5: 19 -21. Rom 8: 5 -8. 11. Murder, 12. Drunkenness, 13. Wild parties, and all that sort of thing. TLB. THE MINDSET OF THE OLD MAN “For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit”.

THE OLD MAN THE END POINT OF THE OLD MAN 1. Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever]. Rom 8: 6 2. [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Law; indeed it cannot. Rom 8: 7 3. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3: 6 NKJV

THE OLD MAN GODS VERDICT ON THE OLD MAN. 1. . So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him. Rom 8: 8 AMP. 2. But I tell you this, brethren, flesh and blood cannot [become partakers of eternal salvation and] inherit or share in the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable (that which is decaying) inherit or share in the imperishable (the immortal). 1 Cor 15: 50 AMP 3. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Gal 5: 21

THE CROSS – ACESS POINT INTO THE NEW LIFE Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9: 23 -24 NIV THE CROSS IS NOT 1. A good luck Pendant. 2. A sickness or disease. 3. A troublesome Spouse or child

THE CROSS – ACESS POINT INTO THE NEW LIFE WHAT IS THE CROSS. 1. The means of my Death to the World: “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world”. Gal 6: 14 -15 NKJV. (Cp 1 John 2: 15 -16). 2. The Power behind our Redemption: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”. 1 Cor 1: 18 -19 NIV 3. The Instrument of our Reconciliation: His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. Eph 2: 15 -17, Col 1: 20 NIV

THE CROSS – ACESS POINT INTO THE NEW LIFE WHAT IS THE CROSS. 1. The Instrument of our victory: “having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross”. Col 2: 14 -15 NIV. 2. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Rom 8: 1 -3 NIV

THE EXHANGE OF LIFE BY THE CROSS. “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12: 24 -26 NIV. THE NECESSITY OF DEATH BY THE CROSS. hen he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9: 23 -24 NIV

THE EXHANGE OF LIFE BY THE CROSS. Receive His vicarious Death as yours: What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Dead Men cannot sin: “If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin — because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

THE EXHANGE OF LIFE BY THE CROSS. Reckon yourself as Dead to Sin: 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Sin no longer Has dominion over You: “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace”. Rom 6: 1 -14 NIV

THE EXHANGE OF LIFE BY THE CROSS. Pathway to Daily Victory over sin: Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Rom 6: 1 -2

THE EXHANGE OF LIFE BY THE CROSS.

LET US PRAY

NEW CREATION MAN III

MY RESPONSE TO WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE v CONVICTION v CONVERSION v CONFORMITY

CONVICTION. John 8: 7 -10. v Jesus informed us that the first ministry of the Holy Spirit in a man’s life is to bring him to the point of three dimensions of conviction, the beginning of a lasting divine encounter. v v The Holy Spirit brings : i) Conviction of Sin ii) Conviction of righteousness iii) Conviction of judgement Conviction is the Divine Hook that God uses to draw a man out of the sea of sin unto an abiding relationship with himself.

CONVICTION. A. Conviction of sin. v This conviction results from a personal confrontation with the truth of God’s word, the double edged Sword of the Spirit. Hebrews 4: 12. The Holy Spirit uses the mirror of the word to show yourself as God sees you. Rev 3: 17 You say: i) I am rich, ii) I have become wealthy, iii) I have need of nothing. God says, you do not know that: i) You are wretched, ii) You are miserable, iii) You are poor, iv) You are blind, v) You are naked.

CONVICTION OF SIN. THE RESPONSE OF CONVICTED MEN 1. “For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight – that You may be found just when you speak, and blameless when You judge. Behold I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. ” King David acknowledging his sin after adultery with Beer. Sheba and murdering Uriaih in Psalm 51: 3 -5 NKJV. 2. “So I said “ Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the king, The lord of hosts”. Isaiah when He saw himself through God’s eyes. 6: 5 NKJV.

CONVICTION OF SIN. THE RESPONSE OF CONVICTED MEN 3. “ I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father I have sinned against heaven, and before thee…Luke 15: 18. Prodigal Son after brokenness. , 4. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do? " Response of broken men to the first sermon of the church Acts 2: 37 NKJV. 5. “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus knees, saying, “ Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O lord” Luke 5: 8. NJKV. 6. ” O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ” Saul during his personal struggle with sin, Rom 7: 24 NKJV.

CONVICTION OF SIN…. . "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice. ' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. " Matt 9: 1213 NKJV v Those who have not realized the eternal danger of cherishing, harbouring, tolerating, managing, accommodating and living in sin will not seek for deliverance from its stranglehold. v Poverty of Spirit a fundamental condition for possessing the kingdom of heaven. Matt 5: 3 v He came to seek and to save sinners, v He always bye-passes the self-righteous.

CONVICTION OF SIN…. v Conviction of Sin is the compelling force that God uses to pull a man to the Cross. v If what brought you to Christ are the consequential and temporal pursuits and pressures of life (sickness, poverty, demonic oppression, marital problems etc), you can receive solutions to these from Jesus’s benevolence and unlimited storehouse without encountering Him personally at the cross and so still remain in your sin thereafter. v Being a recipient of miracles does not justify a man. v Being used to perform miracles does not justify a man.

CONVICTION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS Jesus always side steps the self righteous because He didn’t come for such. Indeed, He alone is God’s standard (Plumb line, Yardstick, Pattern) for evaluating a man’s right standing with God. Conviction of righteousness as the only (permanent) way of life comes as a man receives the exchange of life at the cross It is only at and by the cross that you have the opportunity to become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor 5: 17). Otherwise God’s righteousness becomes a frustrating and unassailable pursuit and you end up with at best a supervised righteousness that is borne out of fear of condemnation, reprimand punishment rather than a way of life. (e. g. obedience to traffic lights when the road is free). Righteousness becomes a cloak that is worn when convenient.

CONVICTION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS God has defined what a man should pursue: “ But seek ye first i) the Kingdom of God and ii) God’s righteousness (Jesus. 2 Cor 5: 17) Then all these things that Gentiles pursue shall be added unto you Pursuing these temporal things necessarily turns your back on the kingdom of God and Jesus, the righteousness of the Kingdom A conviction of righteousness narrows a man’s focus on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our Faith. Such a man has burnt the bridge of alternatives to righteousness. His prime concern is wha would Jesus have me do? What would Jesus say in similar circumstances. How would Jesus act in this situation. As he hears, he judges… John 5: 30. “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded (convinced) that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day”. 2 Tim 1: 12.

CONVICTION OF JUDGEMENT Eternal judgement is one of the six elementary (foundational) principles of Christ”, but is not commonly preached today. Heb 6: 2. Apostle Paul carried a deep conviction of judgement as he laboured: “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him, for we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad”. 2 Cor 5: 10. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; …. 2 Cor 5: 11. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, after this judgement. . ” 9: 27.

CONVICTION OF JUDGEMENT For the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God: and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear”. 1 Pet 4: 17. “ But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement”. Matt 12: 36. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. Conviction of eternal judgement keeps a man’s feet steady on the narrow path that leads to life.

CONVICTION – OPENING THE EAR. Sin blocks, deadens and insulates the hearing faculty with spiritual wax which can only be melted by God in Christ. v “ And he touched my mouth with it, and said v Behold this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away and your sin purged”. v Also, I heard the voice of the Lord, saying v “whom shall I send, and who will go for us. v Then I said, here am I, send me”. Isaiah was in office, but did’nt hear the advertisement of his own position all along until he repented and his sin was purged. “He that has an ear, let him hear”. Lord, open my ear that I may hear.

CONVICTION - KEY TO REPENTANCE v v The return of the Lord is imminent! From that time Jesus began to preach and to say ”Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. Matt 4: 17. v He has not stopped preaching the same message. v Conviction is the first essential step towards repentance. Without conviction there can be no repentance and without repentance there can be no real conversion. v Supervised conversion only produces superficial believers without any root in Christ. v

CONVICTION - KEY TO REPENTANCE v v The return of the Lord is imminent! From that time Jesus began to preach and to say ”Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. Matt 4: 17. v He has not stopped preaching the same message. v Conviction is the first essential step towards repentance. Without conviction there can be no repentance and without repentance there can be no real conversion. v Supervised conversion only produces superficial believers without any root in Christ. v

THE NEW CREATION - What Christ has done.

LET US PRAY

NEW CREATION MAN IV

CONVERSION. THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF MEN: 1. THE NATURAL (OLD MAN) 2. THE CARNAL BELIEVER. 3. THE SPIRITUAL (NEW MAN)

THE NATURAL MAN. 1 Cor 2: 14 KJV says: …… the natural man i) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: ii) for they are foolishness unto him: iii) neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. A man who is an unbeliever, un-regenerated, alienated from God, does not and cannot know spiritual things because of his nature/specie which lacks the required capacity.

THE SPIRITUAL MAN. 1 Cor 2: 15 KJV …. . But he that is spiritual i) judges all things, yet ii) he himself is judged of no man. iii) He compares spiritual things with spiritual (vs 13 b). iv) Possesses the mind of Christ (vs 16 b).

THE CARNAL BELIEVER. 1 Cor 3: 1 -4 KJV And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you i) envying, and ii) strife, and iii) divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as (natural) men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

THE CARNAL MAN. Definition: Carnal Man q A believer who is still living in the flesh. q Case Study: Acts 8: 9 -24. Simon the Sorcerer. Vs 9 -10: Simon was a successful sorcerer, nicknamed “The great power of God”. Vs 13: Simon believed, was baptized, followed Philip. Vs 18: Offered money to receive power to distribute the Holy Spirit. Vs 20: Peter said “Thy money perish with the. . ” because you want to purchase the gift of God with money (SIMONY). Vs 21: You have no part or lot in spiritual things because your heart is not right in the sight of God.

EVIDENCE OF CARNALITY. Case Study of Corporate Carnality: The Corinthian Church. (1 Corinthians). Conflicts addressed by Paul’s letter: Chp 1 -3: Enriched by Christ in all utterance, knowledge not lacking any gift. Yet contentious, divided. Chap 5 -6: Harbouring Fornicators. Taking each other to court. Chap 11: Covering of hair – eating the Lord’s supper unworthily. Chap 12 -14: Manifesting Spiritual Gifts without love, unity, order. Chap 15: Tolerating another gospel.

THE FLESH - MANIFESTATION OF CARNALITY. Gal. 5: 19 -21. Rom 8: 5 -8. 1. Impure thoughts. 2. Eagerness for lustful pleasure, 3. Idolatry, 4. Spiritism (that is, encouraging the activity of demons), 5. Hatred and fighting, 6. Jealousy and anger, 7. Constant effort to get the best for yourself, 8. Complaints and criticisms, 9. The feeling that everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group-and there will be wrong doctrine, 10. Envy.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF CARNALITY YOU CAN’T PLEASE GOD. Rom 8: 5 -8 KJV 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF CARNALITY REJECTION Luke 13: 24 -27 KJV 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF CARNALITY REJECTION Matt 22: 11 -14 KJV 11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF CARNALITY REJECTION Rev 19: 7 -9 KJV Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

CONVERSION – WHAT IT IS. Luke 22: 31 -32 KJV 31 And the Lord said, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted , strengthen thy brethren.

CONVERSION – WHAT IT IS. Luke 13: Matt. 22 Rev 19 - marraiage ofhe la John 3: 3 -7 KJV Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

CONVERSION – HOW IT HAPPENS. . Rom 6: 3 -7 KJV 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

CONVERSION – HOW IT HAPPENS. . RECEIVING THE GOSPEL. 1 Peter 1: 23 -25 KJV 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

CONVERSION – HOW IT HAPPENS. . RECEIVING THE GOSPEL. 1 Cor 15: 1 -4 KJV Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

CONVERSION – IMPLICATIONS. CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP 1. NEW BIRTH (Specie). - You become a spiritual man because Christ is now birthed inside of you, as a babe (1 Pet 2: 2) but with every potential to grow to become like Christ. (2 Cor 5: 17; Ephe 4: 11 -14. Rom 8 : 37 -39). 2. CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP. 1 COR. 6: 20 – Bought with a price. ROM 8: 1 -3 - Now no condemnation for you. 3. CHANGE OF PURPOSE, DIRECTION. 2 COR. 5: 14 -15 – You no longer live for yourself. GAL 2: 20 - Crucified with Christ to live Christ’s life PHIL. 2: 13; God works in you to exercise His will.

HAVE YOU RECEIVED GENUINE CONVERSION. Jesus said to Peter: When you are converted. . ! Are you Converted?

THE NEW CREATION - What Christ has done.

LET US PRAY

NEW CREATION MAN V

. v CONFORMITY TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST

. The Word “Conform” is defined by Encarta Dictionaries as: to be or make similar: To be the same as or very similar to something or somebody or make something similar to. To Conform to the image of Christ is to be made the same as Christ who is the same as God.

. v. The Divine Purpose since the Beginning had always been to have an agent that will represent God on Earth who is exactly like Himself in all things. This was the decision of the Godhead at the beginning: “God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth” Gen 1: 26 AMP Even after the fall, it was still the will and strategy of the Godhead to make man in His own image and likeness: “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers”. Rom 8: 29 -30 NIV

IN THE BEGINNING God said: Let us make Man …. God wanted to multiply His image and fill the earth with His likeness as the waters cover the seas to the end that His will shall be done all over the earth, so He made the first man. The fall of man led to the loss of the Divine Image he bore from creation. He became another man and bore the resemblance of the image introduced by the devil – the FLESH. Man began to multiply this Image and likeness. “”This is the written account of Adam's line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man. " When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. Gen 5: 1 -4 NIV

. THE MAKING PROCESS Man could not recover the lost image by Himself because it was lost and no one knew what it was like except God. Therefore every effort of Man to be like God was futile. So God became man (Jesus) in order to reveal what the original man (Adam) looked like before the fall. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Col 1: 15 -16 NIV After the fall, the redeemed man needs also to be made IN HIS likeness before he can be used of God to fulfil His unchanging purpose. Gen 1: 28. Jesus is the said: “Follow me and I will make you. …” Matt 4: 19 Making is not an event but a systematic process of growth.

. THE MAKING PROCESS Like Father Like Son. John 8: 44 For you to resemble Him, you must be born of Him i. e. of same stock John 1: 12, 13; Heb 2: 10 -11. The potential to grow into Him is received with birth through conversion, not by training or laying on of hands. E. g. A baby girl growing into a woman. All the female organs are complete in a baby girl but exist in an immature state. She has potential to grow into a woman but will not become a woman unless this potential capacity is translated into kinetic growth. Each reproduces according to his kind. That which is flesh. That which is spirit. John 3: 6

. WHAT IS THIS IMAGE LIKE THE PORTRAIT OF CHRIST 2 Cor 4: 4 -6 NIV “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness, " made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ”. v His Birth & Growth v His Devotions v His Lifestyle (character) v His work (Ministry) v His Power v His leadership Style

. HOW DO WE RECEIVE AND GROW INTO THIS IMAGE Matt 11: 28 -30 NIV 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. "

Rom 6: 6 -14 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

. HOW DO WE GROW INTO THIS IMAGE 2 Cor 3: 16 -18 NIV 1. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

WHY WE MUST CONFORM TO HIS IMAGE Growth unto His likeness is the end point of your salvation journey, the qualification for divine use here on earth and ultimate entrance into heaven. Rom 8: 28 -29; Ephe 4: 11 -16 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

WHY WE MUST CONFORM TO HIS IMAGE No one will enter heaven who is not bearing the resemblance of God. Matt 22: 1114 NIV "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 'Friend, ' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes? ' The man was speechless. 13 "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ' 14 "For many are invited, but few are chosen. " Whose Image do you bear?

THE NEW CREATION - What Christ has done.

LET US PRAY