New Creation

Christianity has revealed the secret that psychologists have long sought--the "inward soul," the re-created spirit, the focus of God's great redemptive work on earth. The four Gospels give us a wonderful picture of the lonely man of Galilee, the humble Messiah who ends His earthly walk on Calvary. But Paul's Epistles give us the risen triumphant One, the conqueror of death, sin, and Satan. He provides the revelation of what happened on the cross and in the tomb, and how that affects who and what we are in Christ today. Legendary Bible teacher E. W. Kenyon delves deeply into Paul's teaching to give us a living picture of the entire substitutionary work of Christ, which made possible the new creation, a new race of men and women who can stand in God's presence without a sense of guilt, condemnation, or inferiority.

In Christ and the New Creation, Matthew Emerson takes a fresh approach to understanding New Testament theology by using a canonical methodology. Although typically confined to Old Testament theology, Emerson sees fruitfulness in applying this method to New Testament theology as well. Instead of a thematic or book-by-book analysis, Emerson attempts to trace the primary theological message of the New Testament through paying attention to its narrative and canonical shape. He concludes that the order of the books of the New Testament emphasize the story of Christ's inauguration, commissioning, and consummation of the new creation.

We are born into this world as a triune being with a body, soul, and spirit. Our physical body allows us to live within the physical realm, and our soul is the director of all our mental and physical labor. It is our spirit that gives life or allows us to be alive, which, in turn, allows our conscious soul and physical body to live, breathe, and move. Upon death, our physical body remains in this physical realm; however, our soul and spirit will continue on for all eternity within the spiritual realm. Our spirit and soul are two separate immaterial entities and need to be separated for the purpose of the human spirit to become the gateway for the entrance of God's Holy Spirit into the human spirit. This is the born-again experience that leads a person to become a "new creation of God." The spiritual rebirth of the human spirit is the only way one can enter God's heavenly kingdom, and the only way the human spirit can go through the spiritual rebirth is by allowing God's Holy Spirit entrance into their spirit. The only way that God's Holy Spirit will enter a person's spirit is by that person believing that Jesus Christ, God incarnate, died for their sins and the sins of the world, thus removing the penalty of judgment of God's wrath upon those who chose to believe and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. This book gives biblical support for the reality of the triune composition of humanity and the function and destiny of each.

What will the final state of the redeemed look like? Throughout the history of the church, conceptions of the final state have tended to minimize the promise of the new heavens and new earth. In contrast to the historical dominance of spiritual, heavenly, non-temporal conceptions of the final state, the last two decades have witnessed a rise in conceptions that include the redemption of material, earthly, and temporal reality. These “new creation” conceptions have included proposals regarding the fulfillment of Old Testament land promises. In New Creation Eschatology and the Land, Steven L. James argues that in recent new creation conceptions of the final state there is a logical inconsistency between the use of Old Testament texts to inform a renewed earth and the exclusion of the territory of Israel from that renewed earth. By examining a select group of new creationists, James shows that the exclusion of the territorial restoration of Israel in a new creation conception fails to appreciate the role of the particular territory in Old Testament prophetic texts and results in an inconsistent new creationism.

This book provides an interpretation of Galatians 6:11-17 which yields significant insights about Paul's perception of the crisis in Galatia, and the solution he presents to his readers in light of it. In the first section of the book, the epistolary form and function of Galatians 6:11-17 are analysed. Revealed as a body-closing, it works to sharpen and complete Paul's message by spelling out his motivation for writing and establishing the basis for further communication with his readers. The theme of persecution in the letter is then seen rendered both explicitly and implicitly through the examination of pertinent passages. These indicate that all parties involved share some connection to persecution. Finally, an exegetical analysis of Galatians 6:11-17 reveals Paul's claim that the agitators' primary motive is to avoid persecution 'because of the cross of Christ.' He contrasts them with himself by 'boasting' in that same cross. The net effect is that Paul draws on both the redemptive moment of Jesus' death, and the ongoing cross-shaped life he lives, to validate his apostleship.

As a biblical motif, 'new creation' resonates throughout the pages of the Jewish and Christian scriptures, and occupies a central place in the apostle Paul's vision of the Christian life. Yet the biblical and extra-biblical occurrences of this theme vary widely in meaning, referring to either a new cosmos, a new community, or a new individual. Beginning with the Old Testament and working through the important texts of Second Temple Judaism, Moyer V. Hubbard focuses on how the motif functions in the argument, strategy, and literary structure of these documents, highlighting its role as the solution to the perceived plight. He then explores in detail which senses of the term Paul intends in Galatians 6.15 and 2 Corinthians 5.17, concluding that 'new creation' in Paul's letters describes the Spirit-wrought newness of the person in Christ, and is fundamentally anthropological in orientation.

Packed with diagrams, illustrations and timelines, this accessible overview unlocks the storyline of the whole Bible. Sometimes it’s hard to see the wood for the trees. Running through the many gripping and memorable stories the Bible contains is one big story of God’s plan for the world he made, and how he brought it about through Jesus Christ. Packed with diagrams, illustrations and timelines, this accessible Bible overview unlocks the storyline of the whole Bible €“ how God promised and then brought about the plan to save our fallen world. But this is no book of arid theological ideas. It is a story that will encourage effective, active Christian living in today's world. Looking at God's covenantal promises with Abraham, Moses and David, Tim Chester presents the 'big picture'‘ of the Bible and helps Christians understand the part in relation to the whole. From Creation to New Creation traces different elements of the promise and introduces: * A people: God's promise to save a people who will be His people * A land: God's promise to provide a place of blessing * A king: God's promise to re-establish his rule of freedom and peace * The nations: God's promise to bring his salvation to all the peoples of the world

Teens' Guide to Identity from FamilyLife All teens wrestle with the question "Who am I?" and wonder, What makes me special? Though these questions linger for life, they are most intense in the teen years, where confusion, awkwardness, and a desperate grab for identity reign. So how does a young person answer these critical questions? Where do young men and women find their significance, worth, and value? True Identity is perfect for parents and youth workers to give to the teenagers (14-16) in their lives to help them in their journey. Drawing on experiences and wisdom from a wide array of experts, the book provides compassionate answers to help teens discover who they really are, emphasizing their identity in Christ above all other ways our culture defines them. As the book walks teens through the steps to make their faith their own, it highlights healthy independence and God-honoring relationships. The Passport2Identity curriculum launched in April 2016, and True Identity is its trade book companion.