Not By Sight

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come! 2 Cor 5:17.
We all know this verse. The Lord reminds us of it often in our church and our Bible study. It is central to understanding the Christian life.
According to this verse, something has been lost, and something new has been gained. But what are they? Well first off, we want to discover what has been lost, or as the verse declares, what is “gone.”
For we know that our old self was crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin. -Rom 6:6
Like 2 Cor 5:17, this speaks of something “done away with.” But this verse also tells us what it is: the “body of sin.” The sinful nature that ruled our bodies has been rendered dead and gone. We know that this occurred in baptism. According to Scripture, baptism is a type of crucifixion in which we die, our soul is set free from the sinful nature, and is then resurrected to live a new life. In fact, the verse that follows the one above says, “–because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” (v.7)
Well, I would contend that my “body of sin” is still here with me. In the mirror, I look the same as I have all my life, even from before I was baptized. Certainly, I had a body then, and I still have one now. It is hard to understand why the Bible tells me it is “gone” and “done away with.”
But we must move on. 2 Cor 5:17 also tells us that “the new has come.” What is this new thing that has come? You all know, don’t you? It is not a thing at all; it is the Holy Spirit! Jesus said, “I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of Truth…You know Him, for He lives with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” Jn 14:16-18. Jesus promised us that He would “come to us” in the form of the Holy Spirit. We all have His Spirit in us, so this promise has been fulfilled.
Again, however, when I look in the mirror, I struggle. I can still see the “old” that is supposed to be gone and I cannot see the new that is supposed to be here. This is hard!
Well, there is one thing that makes all this a powerful reality. That one thing is faith. Faith is God’s gift to you, that enables you to see what He sees, know what He knows, and believe what He has said. Though you have never laid eyes on the Holy Spirit, you know He is within, don’t you? He is with you right now, rejoicing that you are dwelling on Him, because He is the Truth. And though your physical eyes still see a body when you look in the mirror, the Lord says it has been “done away with.” Its power has been severed—cut off. Though the body that remains has selfish desires, it is no match for the Holy Spirit who has come to dwell within. We live by faith, not by sight (or sound, or taste, touch, or smell). Throw away your mirror. The only life we have is by faith, through the Holy Spirit. He is ours to lean on, call on, pray to, and live through. He will always bring glory to Jesus Christ through us when we call upon Him. And He will always put to death the misdeeds of the body when we ask (Rom 8:13). That is, He will have His way and you will not live by human desire, but by His power.