Evolution or New Creation?? Maybe Both!

This morning I had a dream and it was like I was watching a movie.  In it Jennifer Lawrence had some sort of death experience but came back to life with these god-like powers.  She looked totally normal, but she recovered from sickness and injury almost instantly, and for some reason she had to move this one-story brick  building sideways, and went up to and shoved the building and it slid over about 20 feet.  Everyone was freaking out.  When questioned about her abilities, she replied that it was like she had evolved in her death experience, and when she came back to life she was suddenly able to do things that only a god could do.

I woke up from my dream, and the first thought that ran through my head was Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"  In fact if we look at the dream, this is actually a nice pictoral guide to our present reality as members of the Kingdom of God, through faith in Jesus.  Here are some key verses -

On having died and being buried and rising through faith in Christ Jesus - Colossians 2:9-15,20 NIV:

[9] "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, [10] and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. [11] In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, [12] having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead."

[13] "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, [14] having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. [15] And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."

[20] "Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:"

We have died with Christ, our old self is dead, and we are now a new creation, having been raised from the dead with Him, through faith!  Moving from one creation form to another would be considered a sort of evolution.  Here is the first part of the definition of Evolution  from Webster's Dictionary:

Full Definition

1 : one of a set of prescribed movements
2 a : a process of change in a certain direction : unfolding
    b : the action or an instance of forming and giving something off : emission
    c (1) : a process of continuous change from a lower, simpler, or worse to a higher, more complex, or better state :growth
       (2) : a process of gradual and relatively peaceful social, political, and economic advance

The changes that we as Christians undergo certainly fits this definition.  We are following a set of prescribed movements (repentance and salvation, and becoming like Christ.  We are generally embracing change in a certain direction - towards Christ.  We do give off something - the light of Christ.  It is a process of continuous change as the Lord, in His mercy and compassion, helps us become more and more like Him.  While the Kingdom advancing forcefully (Matt 11:12 NASB) the results are peaceful - for the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control. (Gal 5:22-23).

On healing and miraculous recovery - As Christians we believe in the miraculous healings and restoration we see modeled by Jesus in the Gospels.  We  believe we will see, and some have seen sick being made well (James 5:15), dead raised to life (John 11:1-43), withered limbs being made whole (Acts 3:1-10), and blind eyes receiving sight (John 9:1-7), and deaf ears hearing (Mark 7:32-34).

Here are links to a couple of ministries that I know that are experiencing miracles and healing:
https://globalawakening.com/testimonies
http://bethelredding.com/ministries/healing-rooms/testimonies

We believe that the same power demonstrated through Jesus in His life on earth, is available to us as His followers.  This is in line with Jesus' promise to us found in John 14:10-14 NIV:

[10] "Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. [11] Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. [12] Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. [13] And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

Finally, while I am not aware of anyone moving a building by shoving it, Jesus specifically talked about our ability through faith to move mountains, or even trees.  We believe these were images meant to help us believe that truly nothing is impossible in God, as Jesus promised in Matthew 17:20 NIV: "...Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” .

So this morning I am encouraged to embrace my new creation, my evolution in becoming Christ-like.  I am encouraged that the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead, lives within me (Rom 8:11).  I am encouraged that I am called and invited to demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom of God, as His son to those around me, as Jesus spoke in Matt 10:7-8:  "As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give."  I am encouraged to believe that nothing is impossible through faith in Christ Jesus!

Amen!