In light  of eternity

How Paul calls believers to live as new-creation people, no longer under the old law but empowered by the Spirit

Welcome back to our 12-week Sunday school series: The Israel of God. This series began Sunday, April 5, 2026, and this week we move from theology to everyday living. Paul shows that the Israel of God is not only redefined in identity but transformed in lifestyle. The old covenant law, with its external rules and shadows, has been fulfilled in Christ. Believers now walk in the power of the Spirit as new-creation people — holy, free, and bearing the fruit of the kingdom.

Key Scriptures (NASB)

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

• Galatians 5:16, 22-23 – “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh… But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

• Romans 8:1-4 – “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus… For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

What Paul Is Really Saying

Paul’s vision of the Christian life is radically positive. Because we are “in Christ,” we are already new creation — the old has gone, the new has come. The law could command outward behavior but could never change the heart. Now the Holy Spirit writes God’s law on our hearts and empowers us to walk in a holiness that the old system could only foreshadow.

Herman Ridderbos captures the breathtaking reality: “The ‘old things’ stand for the unredeemed world in its distress and sin, the ‘new things’ for the time of salvation and the re-creation that have dawned with Christ’s resurrection. He who is in Christ, therefore, is new creation: he participates in, belongs to, this new world of God” (Paul, p. 1042). This new-creation lifestyle is not a heavier set of rules; it is the natural fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, and all the rest — lived out in the freedom of grace.

The Israel of God is therefore a community marked by Spirit-empowered holiness, not ethnic ritual or legalistic striving. We are called to live today as citizens of the age to come, reflecting the character of Christ in our homes, workplaces, and relationships. This is the practical outworking of everything we have studied so far: faith-defined identity produces Spirit-filled living.

Discussion / Application Questions (use these in class or small group)

1. What does it mean for a believer to be a “new creature” right now, and how should that change daily decisions?
2. In what ways does walking by the Spirit free us from both legalism and license?
3. How does the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) demonstrate the new-covenant lifestyle Paul describes?
4. Why is there “no law” against the fruit of the Spirit, and what does that teach us about Christian freedom?
5. How does Romans 8:1-4 shift our motivation for holy living from fear of condemnation to joy in the Spirit?
6. Practically, how can our church family encourage one another to live as new-creation people in a world still marked by the “old things”?

Memory Verse to Hide in Your Heart

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB)

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You that in Christ we are not only forgiven but made new. Thank You for sending Your Spirit to write Your law on our hearts and produce fruit that honors You. Help us walk by the Spirit each day, leaving behind the old patterns of sin and embracing the holy, joyful lifestyle of Your new-creation people. May our lives display the beauty of the Israel of God to a watching world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

For Further Insight

These three additional posts from the blog will give you deeper background and context for everything we covered today:

→ 10. Holiness in the New Creation: Living as God’s Renewed People – Explores how new-creation identity shapes everyday ethics and relationships.

→ The Law and the Spirit: Galatians 5 and New Covenant Living – Verse-by-verse look at walking by the Spirit instead of the flesh.

→ New Creation Ethics: How Paul Calls Us to Live the Kingdom Life Now – Practical application of Paul’s call to holy living in the present age.