A New Me In Christ

James W. McManus

With the start of a new year, we enter the promise of “newness”. In the days before and after January 1st, I have heard and seen many commercials with the promise of a “you”. “Join _____ gym to become the new you … come be a part of _____ exercise group to bring out the new you that is waiting to come out … ready to feel new again? Get on board with ______ eating plan.” Add on the numerous resolutions to start something new … renew a relationship … begin a new project - and it can feel like “newness” is in the air!

This brings to my mind the promise of “newness” in the Bible, especially in God’s people. We can think of Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” and Romans 6:4, “4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” What a precious promise of newness we find in God’s word! A promise of being a new creation that walks in the newness of life - a flame of God’s word that stirs and warms the heart!

Of course, this should cause any reader to ask where does this newness come from? More specifically, how does one become a new creation in order to walk in the newness of life? Those questions lead us straight to the glorious doctrine of union with Christ, that doctrine that is so vital to justification and sanctification, and one that has done much wondrous work over the course of human history.

It was almost 24 years ago that I started seminary at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte. I came in, pretty fresh out of college and thinking I had a good handle on Reformed theology because I was pretty well-versed in subjects such as predestination and election (plot twist - I was nowhere near as well-versed as I thought I was). In my mind, it was those ideas and discussions that would be the major points in most of our classes. So, it was to my shock that they weren’t. Yes, they were discussed and dissected and explored and read. Yet, they weren’t the foundation of studies as I thought they would be. Rather, my professors would often come back to the doctrine of union with Christ. In systematic studies, to Biblical studies, even in language studies, our union with Christ was referenced over and over again. That was the one path we kept on traveling on, staying on, exploring over and over again.

What a path it was! To spend that time in our classes to explore this union that summarizes redemption in Christ - that God’s people are are elected in Christ, justified in Christ, sanctified in Christ, and glorified in Christ (in Christ being Paul’s shorthand for union with Christ) - was a paradigm shift for me. To be honest, I couldn’t really explain what my paradigm was before that … but, now, I had a paradigm to work from - the paradigm of union with Christ.

Having this a foundation of faith and learning, I was now able to begin to discern how central and important this is to the Christian. One of those central truths is the intimate relationship of the Christian faith. God’s people aren’t just saved by some benign but far-off deity. Rather, we are saved by the Incarnate God who unites us to Himself. He is a personal, knowable God who personally saves His people to Himself, literally unites Himself to His people. How can I pray to God as my Father? Union with Christ. How can I know Jesus as Lord, Savior, Elder Brother and Friend? Union with Christ. How can I know the Spirit as Comforter, Teacher, Guide? Union with Christ. How can I have assurance that the Triune God is good, loves me and is working all things good for me? Union with Christ!

From that personal understanding of the faith through union with Christ, I can now better understand that I am a new creation in Christ. Because it is no longer I who lives, but Christ Jesus who lives within me. The life I now live, I live in and for Jesus Christ. Because of union with Christ, I am a new creation. And, as a new creation, I walk in the newness of life.

Part of my testimony is greatly struggling with faith and obedience as a teenager and Christ calling me back during my college years. I can vividly remember the night I got on my knees to pray that I wanted to now live as a faithful Christian - and how “new” everything seemed to me after that. Worship, reading my Bible, friendships, even nature just seemed “new” - like going from black and white to color, from mono to stereo, from blurry vision to corrected vision with glasses. It was all so wonderful because I was now seeing life through the eyes of a committed follower of Jesus Christ and it all looked so wonderful! That newness of life as a new creation was beyond wonderful.

Now, 27 years later, I am older, more seasoned, more experienced, yet that “newness” is still there because I am still a new creation. I’ll be honest, sometimes my struggle with cynicism threatens the enjoyment of the newness, but, thanks be to God, that is something I struggle with the aid of the Holy Spirit. My union with Christ is based upon Christ and His work done for me - and that is now mine through my faith in Him. In this union, I am still a new creation in Christ - I may be older, grayer, hairier, and heavier, but I still carry that new car smell because of Christ! I still get to enjoy that newness of life in living for the glory of God and enjoying Him forever. To enjoy seeing my wife and I grow in Christian marriage … my children grow in the Christian faith … my congregation grow in the grace and knowledge of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Of snow falling … the mountains rising up on the horizon … the waves crashing against the beach. Of good music listened to with good food and drink with good friends. All these wonderful blessings that come from a life lived in the shadow of union with Christ.

I have made no new year's resolutions because I have failed at every one I have ever made. But, I will do this - I will continue being a new creation in Christ, walking the newness of life to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Praise God for the doctrine and truth of union with Christ and what it means for every Christian man, woman and child - Soli Deo Gloria!