2 Corinthians 5:15 – “and He died for all that they who live (are living) no longer themselves live, but the one who died and rose again on their behalf.”
Think about what that verse is saying. Why did Jesus die for the whole world? Was it to pay for their sin, or was it to make them New Creations in Him. Jesus did not just come to pay the debt of the old me. He came to create a whole new me. He died so that those who accept His free gift of salvation would no longer themselves live as persons separated from God, but would instead once again live “from God” as we were originally intended. He died so that we, as independent selves with no longer try to live life, but the One who died and rose again on our behalf would be the one who does the daily living through our individual and unique humanity. His adequacy on display through our humanity is the new creation. The new American Standard, which I believe to be by far the most accurate translation, translates this verse by saying, “and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but For him who died and rose again on their behalf.” The problem is, the grammar in the original Greek, doesn’t say that we are to live “for” Him. The translators just add that word “for” to help the verse makes sense. Paul’s message throughout all of his writings was about our union with Christ being the heart of the gospel. When you understand that reality then a lot of scriptures begin to make more sense because we let them speak for themselves the true nature of the gospel of Christ. Jesus came to deliver us from the reign of sin, which includes sin’s penalty and sin’s power. He accomplished that by crucifying the guilty sinner and raising us up in Him that He might live His life through us in resurrection power.
Now you understand even better why letters two verses later the Holy Spirit says through Paul, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” You are a new creation because you are a totally new creature in Christ.