What does 2 Cor 5 17 mean?

Answer 1

2 Corinthians 5:17 says: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Great verse. Before we knew Christ and accepted him as our savior, we were conformed to the ways of the world. We had a sinful nature. Maybe we weren't bad people but we still thought as the world thought. Once we accepted Christ, we changed the way we lived. It is as if we were born again into a new way of life. We no longer had to do what the rest of the world says we had to do. The media tells us what to wear, eat, think, etc. If we weren't doing what everybody else was doing then we were out of touch and not "cool".

As a new creation or Christian, we no longer had to conform. We could be free to follow Christ. What a great freedom.

Answer 2

This verse is talking about Christians. A person who becomes a Christian is "in Christ".

If a Christian is in Christ, he is a new creature. Because, he is to consider his old life as

crucified with Christ (Rom 6:6),

buried into His death (Rom 6:4),

So the believer has 'died' with Christ (2Co 5:14), and has risen to walk in a new life (Rom 6:4).

Christians are to consider their old life ended. Spiritually born anew, they are new creatures and this should be shown in their life. This is accomplished by the working of the Holy Spirit in the believer.