New Perspectives
Excerpt from book, New Creation Spirituality
New creation spirituality encourages us to approach Christianity in a new light. It is about new perspectives, new angles and, most importantly, new priorities. Our ability to enact change as a God’s anointed people is largely dependent on our ability to think as a new humanity. If we can think like Jesus, we are naturally empowered to act like Him. We do this through the mind of Christ.
New creation thinking reorients the focus of our faith from the idyllic “beyond” to the gritty present. Yes, life after life is important and obviously informs how we should live our lives here on earth. But it should never be the main focus of our faith. As Paul writes, we have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the reign of light (See Colossians 1:3). We do not lack vision and stumble around in darkness. Christ’s light shines through our hearts to illuminate the present. We are called to act powerfully in the present as God’s anointed children. As we live in this faith, His light shines through us, bringing greater clarity to a plan for humanity that is already in motion.
A powerful truth resounds from Proverbs 29:18: “Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint.” What the faith desperately needs right now is a clear vision for the future, not nebulous wishful thinking. We need to reevaluate the effectiveness and power of our current modus operandi. Ideas and actions that do not manifest the present reality of the kingdom of God must be done away with. It is no longer time for empty words and vain religious activity. Not everyone who says to God “Lord, Lord” in a flurry of religious activity will enter the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom is a present, ever-increasing reality, and we must be willing to adjust our theology and thinking to accommodate for it. If we do not, we will exclude ourselves from what God is doing on the earth.
We must obtain a clear vision of what the future holds. Spiritual vision is powerful. It draws believers and unbelievers alike because it radiates the faith, hope, and love of the kingdom of God. I believe it is something that all human beings crave. Vision brings focus, purpose, and determination to our lives. Without vision, we become stagnant in our spiritual journey and prone to the sin that so easily entangles us. Doing the same thing over and over again on Sunday morning and expecting some sort of unprecedented supernatural result is the very definition of insanity. We are the children of God, not religious slaves. God’s mercies are new every morning. There is always a fresh wind of the Spirit available for us to flow in, if only we are willing to lay aside our fear and pride.
New creation spirituality encourages us to come to terms with what God is currently doing in and amongst His people. The Father is always at work, and we too must work. We do this though the power of the anointing, serving as prophets, priests, and kings in God’s current reign of love. We must be wary of any teaching that emphasizes a delay in the kingdom of God and prioritizes the teachings of man. The Holy Spirit is present in the earth! We live on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, which is the Holy Spirit. As Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” To rephrase what Peter is saying, God’s gift of the anointing actively empowers us to live in an experience of God and His kingdom. Christian faith no longer needs to be about what God is “going to do” but what God has done and is currently doing. No more delay. No more waiting. As we steward this reality, we hasten the “Day of the Lord,” the consummation of the kingdom of God (See 2 Peter 3:12).
Vision requires a broad perspective. Jesus Christ crucified is the turning point in the history of mankind. It is the starting point of an entirely new creation order. Our faith is not our own. We join in with millions upon millions of other believers - past, present, and future. Together, as one family united in the Spirit, we strive to attain to the fullness of the gospel. We love together, we suffer together, and we will reign together. Nothing is wasted, and God promises to vindicate those who have fallen asleep in death.
Christianity was never designed to be a Sunday antidepressant, but a global, history-spanning rescue mission. We must build on what has come before while anticipating what must come next. Our thinking about the gospel must extend beyond us. Every contribution to the kingdom will reverberate throughout the centuries. With this in mind, our attitudes, words, and actions carry so much more weight. Our collective mission spans throughout history and covers the entire earth. With this perspective in mind, we are emboldened to take up the work left to us by the saints who have walked before us. We must be vigilant so not to lose what has already been accomplished for the sake of Jesus Christ.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)
