I will start with a quote from Richard Hays:
"The church embodies the power of the resurrection in the midst of a not-yet-redeemed world. Paul's image of "new creation" stands here as shorthand signifier for the dialectal eschatology that runs throughout the New Testament. In the present time, the new creation already appears, but only proleptically; consequently, we live in suspense between Jesus' resurrection and parousia: 'The whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies'" (Rom. 8:22-23). (Hays, 198)
Hays goes on to elaborate that in Christ we know that the powers of the old age are doomed, and the new creation is already appearing. This creates the tension he mentioned above: On the one hand, any notion that anyone or any movement is a perfect representation of God's kingdom is mistaken; for the kingdom is not yet. On the other hand, we still celebrate that there is something significant happening right here and right now, for God's reign has dawned in the ministry of Jesus.
But the question remains, where? Where is this new creation? According to Paul's writings, and reading between the lines a bit, the new creation is found in Christ, in the Spirit, and in the church. We experience Christ's love and forgiveness by becoming new creatures in him. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God--Romans 8:16. The spirit is also the first fruits (Romans 8:23), which means there's more to come; God is not done yet: All of creation is groaning, waiting for redemption. Last but not least, we experience God's new creation when we encounter a community that lives out God's sacrificial love.
My time is up. I must now go and talk about "Violence in Defense of Justice." I'm sure I'll be crucified. Peace!
