New Creation: New Name, New Life, New Fame

Devotional

Day 1: Citizens of Unshakable Realms

Paul writes to former outsiders now called “fellow citizens” – not by political reform, but through Christ’s blood. Their old identities as foreigners dissolved when God’s household adopted them. This new citizenship required living like heaven’s culture: sharing resources, speaking kingdom language, wearing compassion as their native dress. [05:02]

Jesus rebuilds broken lives into a temple where His Spirit dwells. When Ephesians says we’re “no longer foreigners,” it declares our primary allegiance shifts to an eternal kingdom. Earthly borders fade behind the reality of shared inheritance with saints across generations.

You carry a passport stamped with Christ’s righteousness. Does your daily conduct reflect embassy protocols of the Kingdom? Write down one worldly loyalty competing with your heavenly citizenship. What trade agreement needs tearing up?

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of his household.”
(Ephesians 2:19, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to expose one area where you still live like a foreigner to His Kingdom.
Challenge: Text a fellow church member: “Fellow citizen – how can I serve you today?”

Day 2: Blind Feet on Solid Paths

Shawn navigated courtrooms and pianos without eyesight. Maggie the schnauzer memorized furniture layouts after blindness struck. Both learned to trust unseen realities – Shawn her braille Bible, Maggie her master’s scent. Paul says we walk similarly: “We live by faith, not by sight.” [14:01]

Faith isn’t ignoring reality but responding to deeper truth. Just as Shawn’s fingers read promises in raised dots, believers grip eternal realities tighter than temporary crises. Sight says “chaos”; faith whispers “Christ’s throne remains.”

What current situation makes you squint for visible answers? Stop demanding roadmaps. Memorize 2 Corinthians 5:7. When anxiety hits, whisper it aloud. Which feels heavier today – your circumstances or Christ’s faithfulness?

“For we live by faith, not by sight.”
(2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for three past situations where His faithfulness outlasted your doubts.
Challenge: Take a 10-minute walk without checking your phone – practice trusting God’s presence in the silence.

Day 3: Stingless Death, Endless Dawn

A father crushes a bee’s stinger in his palm, making it harmless to his allergic daughter. Paul declares Christ absorbed death’s venom at Calvary: “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” [18:58]

Believers don’t face death – they face transition. The grave becomes a tunnel, not a terminus. Our “earthly tent” trades for an eternal building, the Spirit our renovation guarantee. Barbara’s funeral casket held only a shell; she danced in unclouded Light.

What funeral anxieties still haunt you? Write “1 Corinthians 15:55” on a sticky note. Place it where you’ll see it daily. When did you last share this hope with someone fearing death?

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
(1 Corinthians 15:55, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one fear about aging or death, then replace it with a promise from Revelation 21:4.
Challenge: Send a card to someone grieving, affirming their loved one’s present joy in Christ.

Day 4: Ambassadors with Scorched Passports

A Russian Christian swaps places with a Jewish nurse, dying so another might live. Paul says we’re Christ’s ambassadors – authorized representatives carrying His message of reconciliation. Our old citizenship burns as we broker peace treaties between rebels and their King. [30:47]

Ambassadors don’t vacation in enemy territory; they establish outposts of their homeland. Every word and action broadcasts our Sovereign’s character. Like the selfless Russian, we surrender comfort so others taste Kingdom mercy.

Who in your orbit still views God as an enemy? Draft a diplomatic cable (prayer) for their reconciliation. What worldly accent still flavors your speech?

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”
(2 Corinthians 5:20, NIV)

Prayer: Intercede for one “enemy of the state” (critic, rival, antagonist) to receive amnesty through Christ.
Challenge: Initiate a kind gesture today toward someone who dislikes you.

Day 5: The Bema’s Echoing Applause

Roman athletes coveted laurel wreaths at the bema seat. Paul repurposes this image: one day, believers will stand before Christ’s judgment platform. Not for sentencing, but for reward – every cup of water given in His name echoing through eternity. [34:11]

This judgment isn’t about worthiness but stewardship. Gold deeds survive fire; wood ones burn, yet “the builder will be saved.” Our earthly choices determine eternal capacities to worship and serve.

Review yesterday’s interactions. Which moments were gold? Which were kindling? Write “Colossians 3:23-24” above your workspace. How would today change if done for His applause alone?

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
(2 Corinthians 5:10, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal one task you’ve done for human praise rather than His glory.
Challenge: Perform one act of service today that only God will notice.

Sermon Summary

Paul announces that life in Christ runs on a different axis. The text says, the church lives by faith, not by sight, and aims to please the Lord whether in the body or at home with him. Christ’s judgment seat comes into view, not to terrify the believer, but to fix the aim on pleasing him and persuading others in the fear of the Lord. Christ’s love then takes the driver’s seat; because one died for all, the church no longer lives for itself, no longer sizes people up by a worldly tape measure, and no longer treats Jesus as someone to be evaluated by appearances.

The new creation speaks with Paul’s simple line: “The old has gone. The new is here.” The newness takes on shape in three lanes. First, the new creation carries a new name. The gospel names believers, Christians, children in the Father’s household, citizens of heaven, and saints. Scripture’s pattern shows that a new name marks a new relationship. Abram becomes Abraham, Saul becomes Paul, and a bride walks into a moment with one name and walks out joined, re-named, and re-directed. The call then presses close: either change the name or change the behavior. The name Christian is God-given; the life should catch up to the label.

Second, the new creation plays a new game. Faith, not sight, governs the field. Headlines look dark, but heaven’s order holds. The believer grows confident of heaven: a future spiritual body is promised; the present Spirit is a down payment; and death itself opens the door from faith to sight, from here to immediate fellowship with Jesus. With that horizon set, the daily game narrows to one target. The goal is to please him. That aim is specific, controllable, attainable, and measurable, and the Spirit keeps score in the heart.

Third, the new creation receives a new fame. Eternity will say what the life was truly about. The Bema seat will not weigh condemnation for the believer, but reward for what pleased Christ and assignment for service in the ages to come. Christ’s ambassadors carry more than a script; they carry a likeness. Reconciliation trades old loyalties for new ones, exchanges enmity for sonship, and turns peacemaking into a family resemblance. So the call lands with Paul’s plea: “Be reconciled to God.” What’s new with the one in Christ? Everything.

Key Takeaways

1. New creation receives a new name Names in Scripture signal new relationship and new direction. Believer, Christian, child of God, citizen, and saint are not nicknames but God’s re-naming of a life he now indwells. The label is gift, but the life must learn to wear it, so identity drives integrity. As the old line puts it, either change the name or change the behavior. [06:37]
2. Faith, not sight, guides the life Sight shouts, but faith knows. The world’s chaos is noisy, yet heaven is steady, and the Spirit tutors the heart to walk by what God has said, not by what headlines scream. Spiritual maturity grows when today’s choices lean into tomorrow’s promises. Quit telling God what is seen, and start standing on what is known. [11:26]
3. Heaven-confidence steadies the heart Hope is not a mood; it is anchored to promises. A resurrection body awaits, the Spirit is the deposit, and death hands sight back to the soul in Christ’s presence. That horizon does not cancel grief, but it does cancel panic, and it re-teaches courage for faithful work today. [17:24]
4. Pleasing Christ becomes the aim One aim simplifies a tangled life. To please him is specific enough to measure, close enough to choose, and strong enough to endure. Scripture provides the playbook, and the Spirit pricks or comforts the conscience as a real-time gauge. Love takes the shot, and pleasing Jesus is the net. [23:47]
5. Ambassadors embody reconciliation’s message Reconciliation changes address and accent. The cross exchanges enmity for adoption, and ambassadors speak that exchange and model it with costly love. Representation is not public relations; it is family likeness under pressure, walking the King’s words into the world’s wounds. [28:54]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:12] - Goal to please and judgment seat
[00:58] - Christ’s love compels the church
[01:43] - New creation: the old has gone
[03:28] - New names and new relationship
[07:41] - Saul to Paul and living the name
[11:26] - Live by faith, not by sight
[16:42] - See by faith, not headlines
[17:24] - Confident of heaven and three comforts
[23:47] - Pleasing Him as the daily aim
[27:06] - Love reshapes how people are seen
[28:54] - Ambassadors and the ministry of reconciliation
[33:37] - New fame and the Bema seat
[35:24] - Invitation to become new
[39:35] - Communion and renewal of commitment

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
2 Corinthians 5:7-17 (ESV)
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Observation questions

According to 2 Corinthians 5:10, what is the purpose of believers appearing before Christ’s judgment seat?
What does Paul mean by “walk[ing] by faith, not by sight” (v.7), and how does the sermon illustrate this with examples like living confidently despite dark headlines? [11:26]
The sermon mentions that believers receive “new names” (e.g., Christian, saint). What biblical examples of name changes are given to show a new relationship with God? [06:37]
How does the sermon describe the role of an “ambassador” for Christ, and what practical actions does this involve? [28:54]

Interpretation questions

Why does Paul connect the fear of the Lord (v.11) with persuading others, and how might this shape a believer’s motivation in sharing their faith?
The sermon states, “Either change the name or change the behavior” when discussing living as a “Christian.” How does this challenge align with the idea of being a “new creation” (v.17)? [06:37]
How does the promise of a future resurrection body (v.1-4, referenced in the sermon) provide comfort and confidence in facing death? [17:24]
In what ways does Christ’s love “compel” believers (v.14) to live differently, and how might this contrast with worldly motivations?

Application questions

The sermon says, “Quit telling God what is seen, and start standing on what is known” about walking by faith. What is one situation this week where you need to choose faith over fear or visible circumstances? [11:26]
If your identity as a “Christian” or “saint” were measured by your daily choices, what is one area where your behavior needs to “catch up to the label”? [06:37]
The judgment seat of Christ focuses on rewards for faithfulness. What specific, daily habit could you adopt to prioritize pleasing Him over pleasing yourself? [23:47]
As an ambassador of reconciliation, who in your life needs to experience Christ’s love through your words or actions this week? What step will you take to show them “family likeness under pressure”? [28:54]
The sermon says heaven-confidence “cancels panic” in hard times. How can you remind yourself of eternal promises when facing anxiety or grief? [17:24]

Sermon Clips

53s

“The story is told of Alexander the Great having a young boy brought before him, who had been in quite a bit of trouble. And after the people who brought the child into Alexander's presence I say child, he's a young teenager, detailed all of his misdeeds. The emperor looked at him and said, son, what is your name? And the boy timidly said, my name is Alexander, sir. Pregnant pause from the emperor, and then he bellowed out, son, either change your name or change your behavior.”

54s

“Diane comes from a family as dysfunctional as any that you could possibly have come from. She called me one day, long after we were gone from Maine, to talk about her sister, who was messed up with drugs, and with men, and just about everything you can get messed up with. Sister had a little girl. The conversation going on in the family was what they should do about the little girl, and she couldn't make up her mind. And I said to her, well, I'm not certain what you should do about Lanay, but I am certain of this. You should ask God what would please him in this situation, and then do that.”

53s

“We need to live by faith. You know how it looks out there in the world? We we heard this at district assembly. The highest man in the room, our general superintendent, admitted this. It looks dark. It looks chaotic. It's just a mess. Okay? You know how it looks up there? Everything's in order. We're marching on to Zion. He's still doing his work. He's still loving people. He's still calling people to Jesus. He's still making his death count. Right? New game. Quit telling me what you see. Start telling me what you know by faith.”

51s

“Are you living up to the name of saint, child of God? Are you living up to the name believer, Christian, citizen of the kingdom of God, member of the household of God? I think about Ron Arteste. Some of you at foul sports know about him, basketball player. He changed his name to Meta World Peace. Well, that's a big name to live up to. I think he's got a problem in The Middle East, don't you? Your name you didn't you didn't choose the change. God chose the change. When he made you a new creature in Christ, he decided what new name you were going to get, but he does expect you to live up to the name.”

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New Creation: New Name, New Life, New Fame

Devotional

Day 1: Citizens of Unshakable Realms

Day 2: Blind Feet on Solid Paths

Day 3: Stingless Death, Endless Dawn

Day 4: Ambassadors with Scorched Passports

Day 5: The Bema’s Echoing Applause

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

New Creation: New Name, New Life, New Fame

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