Leeland’s passionate, progressive music is well known for creating a stir among a new generation of worshipers. Love Is On The Move continues the band’s mission of calling believers toward an active role in being God’s hands and feet on earth so that His kingdom can continue to press into the world. With a collection of amazing vertical songs, Leeland’s powerful anthems and penetrating melodies are poised to spark a new revival in the church.

I got the great opportunity to interview Leeland Mooring about “New Creation.” You can listen to our entire interview here.

Please tell me the personal story behind writing this song.

We were at the end of the recording process for Love Is On The Move, and we knew we were missing one fun sing-along style, jamming song for the album. We were talking with our producer, and he suggested we needed a song around 100 beats per minute. That’s an interesting timing, kind of a groove tempo. I had him play that tempo for me, and I had been thinking about the fact that Jesus describes our life as believers as being “born again.” I came up with the chorus in the elevator and sang it to our producer, and we recorded the demo the next day.

The message of the song is based right from the Gospel of John. Jesus explains to Nicodemus that we must be born again spiritually. God gave us free will so we can choose to live for Him or live for ourselves. Redemption happens throughout our lives. It is a process. I know that I want to choose to live every day for Jesus. My old life was about selfishness, and my new life is about following Jesus as a “new creation.”

Please tell me about any Bible verses that you used to write the song.

John 3:1-8: There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

What's the take-away message for listeners?

The song is about making a daily commitment to live for Jesus. Our redemption is our life’s journey. We’re babies in God’s eyes. We have hope in God and through Jesus that we are made new. Proverbs talks about how the “path of righteousness is healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”

I think about how spiritual, and even physical healing, comes from my faith in Jesus alone for my salvation. It seems like a pretty deep message for such a fun song, but what I like is that singing this song is like a slap to the face of the devil. The devil wants us to think that our old lives are way better. The devil can’t control you, or come inside of you because of the blood of Jesus. However, during our walks as Christians, the devil is on the side of the road yelling at you and inviting you to stray.

Every day you need to remember that you are a new creation in God, and let everybody know where you stand in Christ. God cares a lot about our journey with Him.

Here are the lyrics:

Standing at the gate of love
Waiting for the light of the sun
To fall on me
To light up my life

Oh you pulled me out of the mud
Up from the miry clay
You washed all my sins away
I've been redeemed

I am a new creation
I have been born again

I'm here, here in the world
But my home is in a heavenly place
Far above the stars and the space
I'm not afraid

Death where is your sting
Hell will never conquer me
A love pure and holy
Has set me free

And I am a new creation
I have been born again
Oh, I am a new creation
I have been born again

For behold the old has passed away
There's a hope inside of me
And I'll never run away from you anymore
Anymore

I am a new creation
I have been born again
I am a new creation
I have been born again

Come on, come on
The old has passed away and the new has come
Yeah

I am a new creation
I have been born again

According to Matthew Henry’s commentary on John Chapter 3: “By our first birth we were corrupt, shaped in sin; therefore we must be made new creatures. Our works are good when the will of God is the rule of them, and the glory of God the end of them; when they are done in his strength, and for his sake; to him, and not to men. Christ's stating of the doctrine and the necessity of regeneration, it should seem, made it not clearer to Nicodemus. Thus the things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to the natural man.”

Like Nicodemus, we must examine Jesus for ourselves--others cannot do it for us. Then, if we believe Jesus is who He says, we will want to speak up for Him. “New Creation” is a great song celebrating the freedom we have in Christ when we are “born again.” Paul talks about being a “new creation” in 2nd Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Christians are brand new people on the inside. The Holy Spirit gives us new life, and we are not the same anymore. We are new creations, and we need to live under God’s authority. Are you excited about God’s hope inside of you? Have you humbled yourself and asked Jesus to make you a new creation?