New Creations
When we think and talk about the nature of salvation in the Christian faith, we often think of and refer to heaven. And, to be sure, heaven is an important part of the Christian story of salvation. However, it is not the complete story. The full story is that at the moment of salvation, we become new creations and begin to experience our eternal lives even in the here and now. Then, if we pass from this life before Jesus returns, we will enjoy the presence of God in heaven. And finally, once Jesus comes back, all believers will rule with him, and then with resurrected bodies, we will dwell with each other and the Lord on the New Earth. Yes, heaven is an important part of the salvation story, but it is only a part, and most importantly, we get to experience tastes of our eternal life in Christ here and now as new creations. C.S. Lewis had this to say on salvation, “Christianity is not, in the long run, concerned either with individuals or communities…. But a new creature.”[1]
Yes, Jesus came to seek and save the lost, so, yes, he came for individuals. But, the story of salvation is not merely about becoming a better individual. In fact, the gospel demands that we deny and die to self. And yes, as we are transformed, our communities will and should also be transformed. But, the story of salvation is not merely about our cities and communities becoming more habitable. That won’t fully happen until Jesus comes back. The story of salvation is about how a gracious and loving God can take you and me, who are desperately broken, and form us into new creations through his Son, Jesus.
And, there is no better picture of this than baptism.
In baptism, we confess publicly what we have already committed to in our hearts… to follow Jesus in a life-defining way. In the act of being baptized, we symbolize being buried with Christ in his death and then raised to new life as a new creation in the power of his resurrection. The water of baptism reminds us of how we have been wiped clean of our sin and given a new nature.
The glorious story of Christianity is that through God’s grace and immense love, he has made a way for us to be made new. And that gift of being a new creation is totally free and available to all!
[1] C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, “Membership,” (1945), p. 120.