Kingdom Tension Part 12
At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Tension,’ which we post here on Online Bible Institute.
Last week in our ‘Kingdom Tension’ series, we discussed walking by the Spirit. This week, we will examine Galatians 6 and explore being a new creation.
Galatians 6:12-15 (NIV)
12 Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.
In Galatians 6, Paul speaks out against those who were more concerned with outward appearances than with truly following Jesus. Some were trying to force others to be circumcised to look good and avoid being criticized. Paul makes it clear: none of that matters. What matters is being made new in Christ—a new creation (v.15).
This idea is also found in 2 Corinthians 5:17, where Paul says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” That means when you follow Jesus, your old way of life is gone, and something brand new has begun. But even though that’s true, we don’t always feel new. Life still feels hard, and we still struggle. Why? Because we live in the “in-between”—the Kingdom is here now, but not fully. We are saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved. It’s all happening at once, and that can feel confusing.
Paul provides a real-life example of what it means to live as a new creation. In Acts 16, Paul and Silas are beaten and thrown into prison. But instead of complaining, they sing and praise God in their jail cell. Then an earthquake shakes the prison, the doors fly open, but they don’t run. Their peace and joy in a challenging situation led the jailer to ask, “What must I do to be saved?” Their faith pointed him to Jesus.
This shows us that living as a new creation isn’t about following a bunch of rules. It’s about knowing Jesus and living in response to His love. Jesus didn’t say, “I’ll show you the way”—He said, “I am the way.” That means our faith is centered on Him, not on what we do.
The Bible isn’t a rule-book; it’s a book that shows us who God is and who we are in Him. As we read it and listen to the Holy Spirit, we grow in our relationship with Jesus and learn to live in the truth that we are already new. Life won’t always be easy, but God uses even the hard things for His purpose.
This weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, we will discuss all this and more, so be sure to join us in person or online.
Steve Lawes is a pastor at Keys Vineyard Church and also the founder of the Online Bible Institute Network.