Living from Heaven’s Perspective: Seeing People as New Creations

Aug 15, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The New Creation Life Hidden in Christ

You are no longer defined by earthly failures or past identities. Your true life is wrapped in Christ’s victory, like water sealed inside a bottle. This reality reshapes how you see yourself and others—no longer bound to old patterns but alive in God’s fullness. Every struggle, every valley, becomes a place where Christ’s presence sets a table of hope. You are hidden in him, inseparable from his love and purpose. [01:08:18]

“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
(Colossians 3:3, ESV)

Reflection: What part of your “old self” still feels louder than your new identity in Christ? How might seeing yourself as “hidden in him” shift your perspective today?

Day 2: Seeing Others Through Heaven’s Eyes

The world judges by appearances, failures, and past wounds. But Christ’s community sees deeper—the new creation already at work in every believer. To call out the treasure in others is to prophesy their God-given destiny. This isn’t ignoring brokenness but declaring resurrection over it. When you honor the “heavenly person” in someone, you partner with God’s renewal. [01:17:14]

“From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh.”
(2 Corinthians 5:16, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life needs you to see them as Christ does—not by their struggles, but by their hidden glory? What specific truth could you speak over them?

Day 3: From Caterpillar to Butterfly Identity

A caterpillar doesn’t strive to become a butterfly—it is transformed. So your old life has been dissolved, replaced by a new nature designed to soar. Earthly labels like “addict,” “failure,” or “unworthy” hold no power. You fly now, seated with Christ, untangled from what once kept you crawling. Live from the sky-down, not the ground-up. [01:30:20]

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.”
(Isaiah 40:31, ESV)

Reflection: What “caterpillar” label do you still believe about yourself? How would living as a “butterfly” change your choices today?

Day 4: Called by Heaven’s Name Before You Prove It

Gideon hid in fear, yet heaven named him “mighty warrior” before he fought a single battle. God’s declarations over you aren’t rewards for performance—they’re invitations into who he’s already made you. Your résumé doesn’t define you; your Father’s voice does. Walk in the name he gave you, not the one your past whispers. [01:32:38]

“And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.’”
(Judges 6:12, ESV)

Reflection: What has God named you that feels impossible? How might stepping into that name today disrupt your fears?

Day 5: The Fragrance of Christ in Broken Places

Rachel didn’t preach sermons in the hospital—she carried Christ’s aroma into blood draws and sterile rooms. Your ordinary moments leak heaven’s scent. Even in pain, your presence can disorient others with hope. The world sniffs out performance; it craves the perfume of a life soaked in grace. Let them ask, “Why are you… like this?” [01:24:46]

“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved.”
(2 Corinthians 2:15, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you feel “ordinary” today? How could your words, silence, or actions carry Christ’s fragrance there?

Sermon Summary

Jesus names the enemy as the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Christ comes with life, and life more abundantly. The abundant life is not found somewhere outside Christ. The abundant life is in the bottle, because the believer is in Christ, and Christ is in the believer. Colossians says all the fullness of God lives in Christ, and in Christ the believer has been brought into fullness. That is just mind boggling.

Paul takes this truth and makes it practical in 2 Corinthians 5. Paul says that from now on no one is regarded according to the flesh. That is not a small adjustment. That is a whole new reality check. The new creation means the old life has gone, the new has come, and the believer is so new that many do not even know how new they are.

The new creation breaks the power of history to define destiny. God defines the one born of the Spirit. The body of Christ is therefore called to call people up, not just call people out. Sin still matters, brokenness still needs healing, and accountability still has a place, but heaven’s way is not to stare forever at the dust. Heaven calls out Christ in a person, calls out treasure, calls out destiny, and says, “That is who God says this person is.”

Prophecy matters because prophecy reveals who Christ is in someone. A community that sees one another from heaven’s perspective stops stumbling over quirks, failures, and weird little things. The fragrance of Christ in each person becomes more important than the offense that could be taken. The bride of Christ is precious to Jesus, and deconstructing the bride is not the heart of Christ. Jesus builds, reconstructs, restores, and loves His bride.

The caterpillar and butterfly picture makes the point plain. The old life crawled in the dust, but the new creation flies. The believer is not a worm anymore, but a son or daughter of God, seated with Christ in heavenly places. Gideon’s story shows the same thing. God calls a hiding man a mighty warrior before the man has proved anything, because heaven names people before earth sees the evidence.

Colossians 3 calls the believer to set sights on heavenly realities, not earthly things. The old practices, sexual immorality, greed, anger, slander, gossip, filthy language, have no place in the new life. Jesus does not condemn the woman caught in adultery according to her failure. Jesus sees a daughter, lifts her up, and says, “Go, and sin no more.”

Key Takeaways

1. New creation needs real revelation [01:09:21] The new creation is not a small upgrade on the old life. Christ brings the believer into a whole new existence, hidden with Him in God, filled with the life of the Spirit. Much spiritual defeat comes from not knowing how new the believer really is. [69:21]
2. Heaven names before earth proves [01:32:38] Gideon was hiding, but heaven called him “mighty warrior.” God does not wait for performance to reveal identity. Earth often demands proof first, but heaven speaks destiny first and then invites the person to grow into the name God has given. [92:38]
3. Call people up, not merely out [01:11:26] Correction has a place, but constant fault-finding is not the atmosphere of the new creation. The body of Christ heals by seeing treasure, speaking destiny, and gently restoring broken places. Love does not deny sin, but love refuses to make sin the deepest truth about a person. [71:26]
4. Stop evaluating the caterpillar [01:29:56] The caterpillar belongs to the old life, crawling in the dust. The butterfly pictures the believer raised with Christ, flying from a higher reality. Heaven’s perspective teaches the church to stop obsessing over the dust and start recognizing the life that has already been made new. [89:56]
5. Gossip belongs to the old life [01:38:30] Gossip treats people according to the flesh and keeps failure in the center. The new life speaks with a different mouth because the new life sees with different eyes. A church that knows Christ’s fullness cannot make slander normal and still claim to value the bride Jesus loves.

## [98:30]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[64:30] - Fried Chicken and Honest Answers
[66:12] - Abundant Life Is In Christ
[68:44] - Paul’s New Creation Reality
[70:04] - Seeing The New Person Inside
[71:26] - Calling People Up
[72:48] - Living From Heaven’s Perspective
[77:14] - No One According To The Flesh
[79:04] - Praying Destiny Over Children
[81:21] - Finding Christ’s Fragrance In People
[86:49] - Jesus Loves His Bride
[89:56] - From Caterpillar To Butterfly
[92:03] - Gideon The Mighty Warrior
[97:05] - Set Sights On Heavenly Realities
[100:21] - A Reality Check Before God

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” [01:06:12]

Colossians 2:9-10
“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” [01:07:01]

2 Corinthians 5:16-17
“So from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” [01:08:44]

Colossians 3:1-3
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” [01:37:05]

Observation questions

In 2 Corinthians 5:16-17, what two big changes does Paul describe: how believers see people, and what happens to a person who is in Christ? [01:08:44]
In Colossians 3:1-3, what does Paul tell believers to seek, set their minds on, and remember about their lives?
What old-life behaviors are named as needing to be put to death or put away, and what does that show about the difference between the old life and the new life? [01:38:08]
What pictures are used to describe new creation life, and what does each picture highlight about the believer’s identity now? [01:29:56]

Interpretation questions

If abundant life is found in Christ and not somewhere outside Him, what does that mean for how believers look for fullness, joy, and stability? [01:06:31]
Paul says believers should regard no one according to the flesh. What does that change in the way a church responds to weakness, failure, and immaturity in one another? [01:17:14]
Gideon was called a mighty warrior before his life matched that name. What does that reveal about how God speaks identity and destiny over people? [01:32:38]
Colossians 3 connects heavenly identity with putting away earthly sins. Why is it important to hold those two things together instead of choosing only one? [01:37:05]

Application questions

Where is there a strong temptation to define personal identity by history, failure, or weakness instead of by being a new creation in Christ? What would it look like to agree with God’s definition there? [01:10:38]
Is there a person who is mostly being viewed according to the flesh right now—through disappointment, irritation, or offense? What might it look like this week to look for the fragrance of Christ in that person instead? [01:25:18]
Many prayers stay centered only on problems and needs. How could prayer begin to include destiny, identity, and the treasure of Christ in a child, friend, spouse, or fellow believer? [01:19:04]
Gossip belongs to the old life. In ordinary conversation, group texts, or online spaces, where is there a tendency to keep someone’s failure at the center? What would building that person up sound like instead? [01:38:30]
The church is called to call people up, not merely call people out. When someone is struggling with sin or brokenness, how can truth, accountability, and hope stay together in a healthy way? [01:11:26]
The caterpillar-to-butterfly picture says the believer is no longer meant to live in the dust. What habits, thought patterns, or reactions still feel like crawling in the old life? What might “flying” look like in a very practical sense this week? [01:29:56]
Colossians says to set the mind on things above. What daily practice could help with that right now—Scripture, prayer, communion, speaking truth aloud, or something else? What would make that practice real and sustainable this week? [01:37:05]

Sermon Clips

33s

#HealByCallingUp

“But there's something about calling for because all our brokenness is there because it's broken. And God wants to heal it. The way you heal it is not pointing it out all the time. The way you heal it is say, hey, you are a different person. You don't need to do this. God will heal you. You are this person. Am I? Yes. You are. Start living that way. Oh, thanks. And suddenly, they start walking this beautiful life in the fullness and the abundance of god. They don't even think about the old life that they used to have. You don't have to be stuck in addiction.”

40s

#HeavenlyMindedEarthlyGood

“Because, oh, Gilead, but you can be so heavily minded, you know earthly good. Now I get that sentiment. I wanna suggest to you, I think we need a lot more people who are a little bit more heavenly minded to be a much more earthly good. Serious. And it's all of us. It's all of us. It's a challenge because the more we are heavily minded, the more you will know who you are in Christ, the more you become like Christ, the better you will live, the better husband you'll be, the better friend you'll be, the better everything, and you walk in the abundance of life. This is good preaching.”

64s

#SeePeopleAsGodSees

“Have you ever have you ever read this? But that is insane if you start thinking what this is, how powerful this is. What they're saying is from now on is our we have a new perspective that refuses to evaluate people only according to the flesh, the natural, the way you see that right here, the thoughts that you have, the life that you live. We are not gonna do it. We're gonna evaluate that and the ability. We're not gonna judge people anymore, this whole community said that, from the earthly. But we choose to see them as God sees them. We choose to see them in the new creation. How heaven sees them. How you and I are known in heaven.”

81s

#KnowYourNewIdentity

“Man, for ourselves, how how how amazing would it be if you would really see who you are as a new creation? Who you really are. Who you really are. Wouldn't it be amazing? Well, that will help your performance trap. Right? Trying to prove yourself all the time. Your identity, trying to find love, acceptance. This will give you freedom. Boldness, purpose, confidence. So good. You will no second guess yourself anymore. You don't need to. Los tingers has already guessed you. And I am what he says that I am. I love this song. I am who you say that I am. But there's a call and there's a challenge to live that way, to live that way. God says, know who you are, and then help others know who they are. Can you imagine if we do this as a church and how we start growing together? Wouldn't it be amazing?”

72s

#NamedInHeaven

“In the earthly, the way we live, we only get somebody, say, he's a mighty warrior or a great rugby player or whatever they do. Great win yesterday, wasn't it? Canterbury. You know? You you only say that because of what they have accomplished. They prove themselves. They show their skills. And here we are. Now they are a mighty warrior because you've proven themselves. Well, I'll tell you, in heaven is not that way. In heaven, you do when God tells you who you are. And we see this throughout the whole scripture that God calls people who think they're nothing, they don't even know who they are in heaven, and God says, hey. I've called you, I've named you, and here is the name. And now let's go on a journey to do whatever you are called to do. Amen? What was the angel doing? The angel was revealing his heavenly man, who he was known in heaven. Name is David going to Goliath. How he was already known in heaven as a warrior.”

40s

#IntoTheTrinityDance

“Now I wanna suggest to you that it changed when you were born again. I think we came out naturally as the woman. Right? And we are earthly people. And even then, we were cut off from God, you know, in our spirit and that's gonna be renewed. When you became a Christian, you stepped into eternity. You stepped into God. Actually, it's not God stepped into you. But, actually, you step into God or both. It's a tandem. It's a pedicuresis. It's a dance with the godhead. You were we were pulled up into the the dance of the godhead, father, son, holy spirit. You're pulled into the trinity. It's just unbelievable.”

73s

#ChurchSeesNewMan

“And that's why god gives us the church, the community, so we can learn from one another. We can see one another. And we have the ability to see one another not after the earthly performance, not after the earthly nature, the flesh if you like, not after the natural, but after the new man. Have a look inside. You're a new man. New woman, but man is generic, like bride, generic. You're a new person. Right? See, your history can never determine and be the prophet of your destiny. The history in this sense. Because your history in this sense does not define you, because you died to the old life. It is god who defines you. What? He he he you're born of him. You're born of the holy spirit. So he defines who you are. He defines your new creation. It's very, very important.”

56s

#CallPeopleUpNotOut

“And what what if our community, what if church, what if life, and we see it throughout old scripture, what is it more about calling people up than calling people out? I mean, we love calling people out, don't we? The Internet is full of it. And and I know, I mean, you see Jesus, but he he doesn't really call that many people out. The Pharisees, he does, because they're up themselves, and they think they know it all. And so he can't say, hey, we'll we'll we'll call you out, you know? But but the thing is and there's there's, of course, you don't go light on sin. If if somebody's in trouble with sin or things that happen in their life, of course, we we call them out and we help them. And it says when we talked about a few months ago about we we gently restore these people. There's Matthew 18. There's the whole thing of restoration in in relationship. But it's not the focus. It's not the paradigm of scripture. The paradigm of scripture is that we are called to build people up.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Harmony Church This sermon · AI assistant

What does new creation identity practically change

How to see others as heaven sees them

What does living from a heavenly perspective look like