QUESTION: Since Christians are a new Creation, meaning ALL and Old things have past away (2Cor 5:17). Again, we are told that we (Christians) are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus(2 Cor 5:21) and that no one Comes to the Father except through Jesus, the implication here is that before God we are not sinner. Rather when God looks at us he sees his righteous son because we are righteousness of God in Christ. Having said that, is it necessary for us to confess our sins before God when praying, or confessing his righteousness? If yes, why? If not then why does Lord’s prayer include “forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”?
DBC
RESPONSE: Thank you DBC for the question. It is a very important question and yes, quiet a challenging one. Am going to try as much as I can to simply the response to this question despite the fact that the question implicitly asks more and deserves an extensive response.
Outline
- NEW CREATION: What does it mean that we are new creation?
- RIGHTEOUSNESS:What does it mean that we are the righteousness of God in Christ?
- REPENTANCE: Is it necessary for us to confess and repent our sins or confess his righteousness instead?
- MATTHEW 6:12 IN PERSPECTIVE: what then does this stand for to the new creation and the righteousness of God in Christ?
As you can see, these are way too many big concepts to exhaust in a single writing. But nevertheless let’s in principle present these matters.
NEW CREATION
What does it mean for us to be a new creation? Is the question that we need to understand briefly. God is a creator and man is a creature, he creates ex-nihilo (out of nothing). There is nothing that can reverse the creation of God unless the original order (NOTHINGNESS) occurs.
The possibility and reality of the original order (nothingness) occurring and reoccurring is in the reality of Sin and the fall of man. When God created man out nothing in Genesis and man opted back, that creation was reversed by the combination of the reality of Sin and the choice of man. It is the FALL that reminds us that the creation of God has CEASED and originality (NOTHINGNESS) has taken charge and dominance.
Unlike in the beginning (pre-the existence of man) when God’s decision to create man did not have to consult the inexistent man, in the New creation the creator had to base his creative abilities on the choice of the existent creature. This, therefore, is to say, that the new testament concept of new creation is exclusive to believers in Jesus Christ. The term Kaine Ktisis appears only in Galatians 6:15 and in 2Corinthians 5:17 and they are both used by Paul and in the context of Righteousness by Grace through faith.
Now just as in the first creation (pre-fall) man’s will was not restricted, so it is in the New creation (post-fall). As in the first creation man was a possible sinner, in the New creation man is not only with propensities to sin but he is a sinner. In other words NEW CREATION IN CHRIST means that particular sinners have been registered with God as sinners not saints.
New creation, therefore, doesn’t mean that man’s sinful propensities and vocation have been FIXED but rather that believing sinners have REDEFINED (Jeremiah 1:5, Mathew 7:23, John 3:1-10,10:14) themselves in God. The new creation, therefore, is not what has happened morally but what has happened in the mind of God in relation to what is in the mind of present believers (Romans 12:1-3).
New creation (Kaine ktisis) is not what has happened to us but what has happened in God due to our choice to believe beyond the reality of sinfulness. In other words, new creature doesn’t mean without sinning…new creatures are sinners in Christ. The new creation is not your body neither is it the acts of your behavior but your identity (who you are in God). New creation is not a moral matter but an identity issue (who does God think and know you are).
RIGHTEOUSNESS:
What does it mean that we are the righteousness of God in Christ?
Here is what I think it is a simple response; there are two kinds of Righteousness. 1-Righteousness of God, (Romans 3:21) and 2-Righteousness of the Law (Romans 2:11-14). The righteousness of God is apart from the law (Romans 3:21) in other words it has nothing in its essence legal but rather WHO God is. So for us to be the righteousness of God in Christ (2Corinthians 5:21) is not being morally perfect as in not sinning but it is that we are sinners who have been DECLARED (on the basis of their belief) righteous.
So the reason we are IN Christ is because God cannot look at us and we survive…for our case with God is not what we have DONE and are DOING but with WHO we are=new verses old creation. 2Corinthians 5:21 doesn’t say we are independently (outside Christ) God’s righteousness but rather IN (Greek: En) Christ. So who we are in Christ is only possible IN Christ. Secondly, who we are in Christ is who we have been made to be (that is why Genometha is in the subjunctive aorist)…the righteousness we are in Christ has no thread of ours and neither is any part of it ours.
We therefore sinners under this righteousness. We are not righteous it is the Christ we under that is. Not us…and this takes me to the next aspect of your question
REPENTANCE:
Is it necessary for us to confess and repent our sins or confess his righteousness? (Mathew 6:12)
Now we turn to the aspect of repentance in your question. We are not the righteousness of God (in substance and essence) we are instead under the righteousness of God. In God we don’t fetch righteousness and go out of him to live. It is not possible be righteous outside God…unless if it is the righteousness of the law (morality). The righteousness that AFFECTS and effects two things 1-IDENTITY and 2-ETERNAL DESTINY (new eon) is exclusively the righteousness of God.
Now what is the role or relevance of repentance, sin confessing and forgiveness in the realm (those under) of the righteousness of God?
To answer this question I begin from the point of making it clear that WE ARE NOT SAVED (for identity and eternal destinies) BY THE FORGIVENESS OF GOD. God doesn’t forgive us into eternity, if God could just forgive us into salvation then he wouldn’t have gotten incarnate died on the cross and resurrected.
Repentance (Greek: metanoia) simply means turning back or away and doing otherwise. While this can happen AFTER salvation (Luke 19) it can happen BEFORE Salvation (Acts 10). The reasons (causative effect) of repentance could be God (whatever one considers God) that is why Jesus said if you don’t forgive, God won’t forgive you either. But those seeking God’s forgiveness through forgiving others (Mathew 6:12) must ensure that their pursuit of God’s forgiveness is not for salvation ends.
It is necessary for us to confess and repent our sins for social order and FUNCTIONALITY (read, relationship). Our world can only work and work right by penitence after every mistake or evil intention. In spite of the fact that many good people and advocates of good and morality will end up in Hell if they don’t believe on Jesus Christ for the righteousness that saves, our confession to God is a pledge and a declaration that we vote good in the contest between good and evil. That is the second reason we confess and repent to God.
The first reason is that we confess and repent to God because every sin we commit against humanity or nature is indirectly one committed against the creator of both. So while you should fix things with people and your environment, you must as well fix things with God…for ends well-known by now.
So let it be known why we repent and confess our sins. It is not for SALVATION but for RELATIONSHIP both vertical and horizontal. When we sin and go before God we don’t confess his righteousness (since in the first place we are not saved from what we do but rather from who we are) but instead we confess our sins… For OURS is our sins and these we confess and turn away from not HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS… amidst sinning.
Confess and Repent (turn away) your adultery and be forgiven daily or every time you are guilty. And remember that man’s and God’s forgiveness of your sins have nothing to do with your salvation to 1-new creation (identity) and 2-eternal destiny (life). That is an exclusive business for the righteousness of God. Repentance and confession is the righteousness of the law and Hell will be filled with forgiven sinners, while heaven will be filled with sinners who believed but who perhaps forgot to repent certain sins.
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24) 