New Creation

Galatians 6:15-16 - Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Philippians 3:6 - For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

Conclusions:

• In Christ man undergoes a transformation that results in an entirely new being
• Creation again takes place
• In Christ means united with Christ through faith in Him and commitment to Him
• Redemption is the restoration and fulfillment of God's purposes in creation, and this takes place in Christ, through whom all things were made and in whom all things are restored or created anew
• Israel of God is a contrast to Israel according to flesh. The New Testament church, made up of believing Jews and Gentiles, is the new seed of Abraham and the heir according to the promise--though some limit the phrase to Christian Jews
• Circumcision's true, inner meaning is realized only in believers, who worship God with genuine spiritual worship and who glory in Christ as their Savior rather than trusting in their own human effort
• Everyone is a boaster, either in Christ or in himself
• Flesh is weak human nature
• Although the term flesh in Paul's letters often refers to sinful human nature, it speaks in Philippians 3:3 of the frailty of human nature: It is not worthy of our confidence; it cannot save

Application:

• Have you been transformed into an entirely new being?
• Are you united with Christ through faith and commitment to Him?
• Do you worship God with genuine spiritual worship? Do you glory in Christ as your Savior?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

These Last Times

1 Peter 1:20 - He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

Ephesians 1:4-6 - For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Acts 2:17 - " 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

1 John 2:18 - Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.

Conclusions:

• Divine election is a constant theme in Paul’s letters
• In Ephesians 1 divine election is emphasized in the following ways: (1) He chose us; (2) He predestined us; (3) we were also chosen; (4) having been predestined
• Holiness is the result—not the basis—of God’s choosing
• Holiness refers both to the holiness imparted to the believer because of Christ and to the believer’s personal sanctification
• In the passage quoted from Joel in Acts 2:17 the Hebrew has “afterward” for last days and the Septuagint “after these things”
• Peter interprets the passage in Joel as referring specifically to the latter days of the new covenant in contrast to the former days of the old covenant
• The age of Messianic fulfillment has arrived
• With other New Testament writers, John viewed the whole period beginning with Christ’s first coming as the last days
• New Testament writers understood the last hour to be the last of the days because neither former prophecy nor new revelation concerning the history of salvation indicated the coming of another era before the return of Christ
• The word last in last days, last times and last hour also expresses a sense of urgency and imminence
• The Christian is to be alert, waiting for the return of Christ
• John assumed his readers knew that a great enemy of God and His people will arise before Christ’s return
• That enemy is called antichrist, the man of lawlessness and the beast
• But prior to that enemy, there will be many antichrists
• Antichrists are characterized by the following: (1) They deny the Incarnation and that Jesus is the divine Christ; (2) they deny the Father; (3) they do not have the Father; (4) they are liars and deceivers; (5) they are many; (6) in John’s day they left the church because they had nothing in common with believers
• The antichrists referred to in 1 John were the early Gnostics
• The anti in antichrist means against

Application:

• Are you being made holy and blameless in His sight?
• Has God's Spirit been poured out on you?
• Are you alert, waiting for the return of Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible