Does Becoming A “New Creature” Mean All Previous Marriages Are Erased?

In a recent personal evangelism study my denominational student was quite adamant that since a sinner becomes a “new creature” (II Corinthians 5:17), that means all old marriages are forgotten by God – so it would be okay to remain in one’s current marriage even if it is a second or third marriage in clear violation of Matthew 19:9. This is a complete misunderstanding of what becoming a new creature means – according to Christ’s law.

Becoming a new creature means the exact opposite of that. In the II Peter 2:22 analogy, God doesn’t magically change the mud to soap; instead, the washed pig is supposed to stay out of the mud. Similarly, God doesn’t magically change sinful relationships to holy relationships; instead, He expects us to become a new creature by terminating those sinful relationships.

Becoming a new creature does not mean God transforms me from being Patrick Donahue (with all my circumstances in life) to a different person John Doe with zero present circumstances. If it did, then that would mean:

· my parents are not my parents anymore, that I don’t have to honor them

· I’m no longer married to my wife, that my wedding ceremony never happened; I’m now single and I need to remarry her (if I even still want her)

· all my debts are wiped off the books; I don’t have to repay them

· if I am in jail for murder, they have to let me out because I never committed the crime

· when I was converted in my junior year of college that none of my previous credits really happened, that I had to start back as a beginning freshman

If the record of all my previous marriages is erased when I become a Christian, it would also mean every current situation, every contract, every relationship would become non-existent.

Everybody knows that is not the case; they are making an argument they don’t really even believe. Fact is, becoming a new creature means the converted sinner (not God) starts to walk a new life (Romans 6:4), he crucifies (puts off) the “old man” of sin, he destroys the “body of sin,” he quits serving sin (Romans 6:6) and starts serving righteousness (Romans 6:18). In short, becoming a new creature doesn’t mean God allows sin to continue (because you are a different person), but it means said person dies unto sin, i.e., we quit letting “sin … reign” in our lives (Romans 6:12).

What God is talking about when he says someone born again must become a new creature is that the person should follow through on his commitment to change his life in regard to sin (“repent”) when he was “baptized for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Instead of being freed from financial debt, that means we make a renewed effort to be honest and pay off all of our debts. Instead of being freed from the obligations of a scriptural wife, it means I commit to being a better husband to her. Instead of losing credits at college, I commit to earning future credits without any cheating. Instead of thinking I should be released from jail, I make up my mind to become the best inmate the warden could ask for. And instead of being released from obligation to my parents, I become more focused on being the best son or daughter I can be. By being baptized we are saying to everybody “I am going to become a different person.”

If I have been a burglar, then I quit being a burglar. If I have been a drug addict, then I stop that. If I am in a gay marriage, I terminate that relationship. And if I have been committing adultery with a second wife I have no right to (per Matthew 19:9), then I stop that adultery by terminating the “not lawful” (Mark 6:17-18) relationship. When I become a new creature, God does not release me from all previous obligations (for example previous marriages as described in Romans 7:2-3). Instead, God demands I fulfill all previous obligations with renewed vigor. This whole argument is just another way to compromise what the Bible clearly says about submitting 100% to the Lord.

related article “Why Adulterous Marriages Must Be Terminated” – https://bibledebates.wordpress.com/2020/05/29/why-adulterous-marriages-must-be-terminated/

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