OLBGrk;

If any man be in Christ, is as much as, if any man be implanted or ingrafted into Christ, by faith united to him, he is a new creature; (the Greek is, a new creation); a phrase which argueth the greatest change imaginable, and such a one as can be wrought in the soul by no other power than the power of God. We have the same expression, Galatians 6:15. The ellipsis of the verb makes some translate it: Let him be a new creature, supplying estw for esti. But the next words show us, that the apostle is speaking of what is past: Old things are passed away, old affections, passions, notions, &c. He hath the same soul, but new qualities, new apprehensions in his understanding, new inclinations in his will and affections, new thoughts, counsels, and designs. The predicate showeth, that the term, be in Christ, cannot be understood of those that are only in the church, and turned from paganism to the Christian faith; for there are many such in the world, in whom there is no new creation, and who have in them nothing of this new creature.

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