One of the most misused verses in the Bible is…

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

If you grew up in church, most likely you have heard many preachers use this verse to explain the new life that one has in Christ. When you gave your life to Jesus, “old things have passed away and the new life has come.” While this is true, that was not the intent of Paul when he wrote this.

Please pay close attention to the word “Therefore.” As I often tell our church members, “When you come to a ‘therefore’ you should ask, ‘What is it there for?’”. So, to understand this verse we must know what was said before it.

2 Corinthians 5:16 (NIV)
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

In these two verses, Paul is telling us how we should view someone who is without Christ. —-
how we should view the lost world.

1. We are not to look at the unsaved through the world’s point of view. The world gives up on people and believes they will never change.

2. But, we are to look at our lost friends with a view toward their salvation. We are to say, “If they were in Christ, they would be different.” We are to look at the unsaved with a hope that through Christ they could be changed, and the “old” that they are now could be replaced with the “new” that they could be in Christ.

Never give up believing that a person can be changed by the power of Christ. After all, he changed you, didn’t he?