New Life
Christianity is transforming not reforming. Every religion of man attempts to reform the individual. Only in Christianity do we have the truth that mankind is lost; so lost, that he doesn’t even know that he is lost! There isn’t a thing that we can do in ourselves to please God or to gain His favor. Things are so bad that the Lord Jesus had to tell Nicodemus: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5-6). That which we are by nature, what the Bible calls the flesh, cannot be reformed. The Lord’s message came as a surprise to this religious man. He was quite sure that this great teacher sent from God could point him in the right direction. The Lord, however, did not come to point lost man in the right direction. That would have done him no good at all. It would have been as cruel as telling a drowning man, “The shore is that way!” without reaching out a hand to lift him from his watery grave.
We should never forget, however, that it is a God of love who tells us our true condition. As a God of love, He is also a seeking God. “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” (Luke 15:4). The Lord Jesus didn’t just come to seek, He also came to save. “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). And at what cost was our salvation obtained? The Shepherd gave His life for His sheep: “I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Meditating on the magnitude of this should leave us completely amazed. We cannot be indifferent to the love of God when we consider the lengths He went to in bringing us into His flock.
If it was necessary for the Lord Jesus to die for me, then I am as good as dead in Him—God certainly views me this way. “I am crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20). Furthermore, “if one died for all, then were all dead” (2 Cor. 5:14). Naturally speaking man is morally dead—not merely sick, but “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). Having died with Christ, the life that we now live is that new, eternal life which we possess in Christ. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). “Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).
This is not simply something for theologians to ponder. It has the most far-reaching and important consequences. Firstly, what deliverance! When we discover that the old nature can’t be reformed, but rather, we are to be done with it altogether, what a relief it is. But how is it to be done? Through death! Yes, for a Christian, life is obtained through death—the death of the Lord Jesus Christ and our place with Him in it. Outwardly, we are identified with Christ’s death through baptism. “We have been buried therefore with Him by baptism unto death” (Rom. 6:4 JND). And so the question is no longer, “How shall I be delivered from this body of death?” but rather, “Who can deliver me?” The answer is most precious: “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 7:24-25). Our old nature is a slave to the tyrant sin. A dead man is not subservient to anyone. “He that is dead is freed from sin” (Rom. 6:7). This does not mean that a Christian is free from ever sinning, but he or she is most certainly free from sin as a governing principle in his or her life.
Secondly, since we now possess a new life in Christ, who are we living for? “He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:15).
The transformation brought about through salvation is very real. It takes a person from a path of destruction and not only delivers them, but it places them on an entirely new journey, with entirely different tastes, desires, and objectives. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).
The Holy Spirit
When we became Christians, it wasn’t by following certain teachings nor was it by reciting a formula. These are the usual means whereby one becomes an adherent of a particular religion. As the Lord told Nicodemus we had to be born again. Just as we did not give birth to ourselves, neither did we bring about new birth in ourselves. It was the work of the Spirit of God through the Word of God (John 1:13; John 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:23; James 1:18). The Holy Spirit makes the Word of God good to us; He also brings us to the end of ourselves and to a place of repentance. The result is: “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).
The Spirit of God, however, is not simply the agent of new birth. Unique to Christianity, we have also been promised the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). As Christians, we need to recognize that the Holy Spirit of God has taken up residence in our body. “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you . . . ?” (1 Cor. 6:19). This does not occur through the intervention of another person, or through any other tradition established by man. No, every true believer is indwelt with the Spirit of God. In fact, if one does not have the Spirit, then they do not belong to God: “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Rom. 8:9).
Scripture also says that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). Think of an old-fashioned seal affixed to an important government document. The seal is used to establish the origin and authenticity of those documents. Likewise, the Holy Spirit gives us the knowledge that we belong to Christ and that we are truly saved: “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16 JND).
The Spirit is also the earnest of our inheritance: “. . . the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:14). Just as earnest money is given in advance of the purchase of a house, God has given us the earnest of His Spirit. This Holy Spirit gives us the assurance of our inheritance in Christ—that God will complete that great transaction that He has begun. Consequently, the Holy Spirit also reminds us that our inheritance is neither now, nor is it on earth—it is connected to Christ in glory. The Spirit gives us to taste what heaven will be like before we are there.
Many Christians only associate the Holy Spirit with the outward display of gifts—tongues, healing, and so forth. This is a distorted view of gifts. The Holy Spirit is the power of the new life in the believer. The assembly at Corinth was much occupied with the gifts of the Spirit and in showing them off. They had forgotten the simple admonition: “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16); and that the fruit of the Spirit is: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Gal. 5:22-23). The things of which we have been speaking are not reserved for a spiritually superior group of Christians, but rather, they directly relate to the normal Christian walk. Quite simply, we cannot walk as we should unless we do so in the power of the Spirit of God.
The person described in the seventh of Romans does not yet know the power the Holy Spirit brings into his life. The chapter certainly does not describe Paul’s personal struggles, as so many have suggested; nor for that matter, does it even give the daily struggle of a believer. The chapter describes one who possesses new life but who is attempting to please God in their own strength—or as Scripture says, in the flesh. The law, though holy, just and good (Rom. 7:12) cannot control us, and in despair we cry out: “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I” (Rom. 7:15). The key to understanding the seventh of Romans is to recognize that the Holy Spirit is never mentioned. Not once! In sharp contrast, we find no less than 20 references to the Holy Spirit in the eighth chapter. In that chapter we have our blessed deliverance from the dictates of sin through the power of the Holy Spirit. “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2). The Holy Spirit gives us power to live for the glory of Christ.
Finally, the Apostle John in his first letter says, “ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things” (1 John 2:20). This does not speak of natural knowledge such as: all the kings and queens of England, calculus, the secrets of DNA, and so on—rather, the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to discern between truth and error. “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).
Many more things could be written concerning the Holy Spirit. It is, however, simply my sincere desire that we each might fully comprehend that the Holy Spirit of God is real and dwells within each true believer. This is not a spiritual goal or passing experience. That being said, we also need to recognize that the degree to which we feel the Holy Spirit’s acting in our lives is very much dependent on how we live. “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God” (Eph. 4:30). “Be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). A bottle full of rubbish cannot hold much water—and who would drink from it? If we live for self, then the Spirit is going to be shut out. If, on the other hand, the Holy Spirit is given free rein in our lives, and we allow Him to be the source of all thought and action, then what a difference it will make. No matter the circumstance or the corruption of the truth in Christendom, in principle, there is no reason why, as Christians, we should not feel the power of the Holy Spirit daily.
A New Relationship
Christianity is not a philosophy or religion; it’s a relationship. When God accomplished His work of new birth in us, we were born into a new family. “As many as received Him, to them gave He the right to be children of God, to those that believe on His name; who have been born, not of blood, nor of flesh’s will, nor of man’s will, but of God” (John 1:12-13 JnD). But as Christians we are not simply part of a new family, we have also been brought into a new place of privilege with God. Abraham knew El Shaddai, that is to say, God Almighty. The children of Israel were brought closer yet; they knew God by His name, Jehovah (Exod. 6:3). As Christians, however, we have been brought into the nearest and most intimate of all relationships. God calls us His sons and we have the privilege of calling Him, Father. These are not mere statements of fact; we have the conscious realization of this relationship through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). For a child, the expression “Daddy” comes quite naturally, likewise, “Abba, Father” for the child of God. If we have never had the liberty to kneel down and address God as Father—not heavenly Father, as if He were some distant figure, but as Abba, Father—then we have missed much as to our privileges and blessing as sons of God.
The Father wants sons more than servants. Yes, as we will see shortly, He also desires and appreciates service, but He wants us to first know that we are sons. “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. . . . But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:18-19, 22-24). Imagine if the son went and slept in the servants quarters that night! This is what the Galatians were doing. They had been turned aside by teachers of the law. While the premise was spirituality, in reality they had been brought into bondage as little children under a schoolmaster. God wants us now to live as sons and heirs and not as little children or servants: “thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Gal. 4:7).
Our Christian Blessings
The things of which we have been speaking are true of every believer. It is important to know our standing, as Christians, in Christ. The truth of the relationship must be known before we can act in a way suited to the relationship. As a little child, a prince does not understand his place of privilege and blessing and he behaves as a child. Nevertheless, as he grows and begins to grasp the importance of his position, his behavior should change. If he never knows that he is a prince, he will never act like one.
God gave Jacob a new name, Israel, meaning a Prince with God. Unfortunately, Israel didn’t always act as a prince—for this reason he is frequently called by his birth name, Jacob. Simon was also given a new name, Peter (John 1:42). Just as with Jacob, Peter didn’t always act in the character of his new name; at those times we hear the Lord say “Simon, Simon” (Luke 22:31). We, too, have a new name and as we have seen, a new place in a new family (Rev. 2:17). Do we recognize that we are a prince with God, or are we acting as little children hiding under our old birth name?
Romans 12, and the chapters that follow, are premised on chapters one through eight. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the compassions of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your intelligent service” (Rom. 12:1 JnD). Our intelligent service is based on an understanding of that relationship into which we have been brought. A lack of understanding, as to the blessedness of our standing in Christ, has led to the confounding of many scriptures.
So what are those individual blessings that we possess in Christ? Here is a list, though not exhaustive:
Forgiven: “As God also in Christ has forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32 JND).
Justified: “Justified in Christ” (Gal. 2:16-17 JND).
Redeemed: “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).
Sanctified: “To those sanctified in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:2 JND).
A new creation: “If any one be in Christ, there is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17 JND).
Eternal life: “Eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23 JND).
Delivered: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).
Sons: “Ye are all God’s sons by faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26 JND).
Heirs: “In Him, in whom we have also obtained an inheritance” (Eph. 1:10-11 JND).
Hope: “Hope in Christ” (1 Cor. 15:19).
Seated in the heavenlies: “Made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6).
In each instance I have highlighted “in Christ.” These blessings are ours in Christ. A woman may become independently wealthy, or she can marry a wealthy man. In the latter case, her wealth is intimately connected with her husband; it is not had in independence from him. Likewise, these blessings are ours in Christ. Too often, as Christians, we are encouraged to look within, to examine ourselves. Instead, we need to be looking to Christ. It is only there that we discover who we truly are. We need to take a good look at the above list, and recognize that these are our blessings to enjoy—yes, right now—in Christ! The more we enjoy of Christ the more we’ll enjoy of the blessings associated with our standing in Christ.
Peace
Clearly there are times when we don’t find ourselves enjoying these blessings; instead of joy and peace there is turmoil. Scripture speaks of two kinds of peace and they are often confused: peace with God and the peace of God.
The first, peace with God, rests upon the finished work of Christ: “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). This is a statement of fact—it falls into the class of blessings of which we have been speaking. The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Colossians presents it very clearly: “You, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight” (Col. 1:21-22). On September 2, 1945, the Japanese foreign minister signed the Instrument of Surrender thereby marking the end of World War Two. No matter the feelings of individuals on either side, the war was over; peace now existed between Japan and the allied powers. Despite this, some Japanese soldiers remained in hiding for many years, afraid to appear because of their shame. No matter how they felt, this did not change the one abiding fact, the war had ended. Likewise, no matter how one may feel, we must recognize that peace, and not simply forgiveness, has been made through the blood of the cross. “Having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:20). If we fail to see this, a heightened sense of sin will only serve to make us burdened and downcast.
The second type of peace, the peace of God, may be contrasted with anxiety. It’s the peace that the Lord Jesus possessed as He walked through this earth in the face of rejection. The Lord spoke of this peace to His disciples just prior to Calvary: “My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). The Apostle Paul also addressed this peace in his letter to the Philippians. At the time he was in jail facing a very uncertain future—his life was in jeopardy. Hear what he has to say: “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7). Clearly we can lose this type of peace—if this were not so, Paul would have had no need to encourage the Philippian believers. We are encouraged to let go of those things that burden us and to commit everything to God in prayer. But there is one more thing, this peace can only be known through Christ Jesus. He alone is the anchor of our soul: To the degree in which our faith rests upon Christ in glory, we will experience peace in our lives.
Discipleship
For many, being a disciple of Jesus defines what it is to be a Christian. The word itself, which derives from the Greek Christianos, means, a follower of Christ. We see it first used with the disciples in Antioch. “The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). To exhibit Christ in our lives is something that even the world can recognize. The attention it attracts, however, is not always positive as Peter points out: “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Pet. 4:16).
We need to remind ourselves, however, that becoming a disciple, does not lead to salvation. Discipleship flows from salvation. Many followed Jesus but only a few were true disciples. “Jesus therefore said to the Jews who believed Him, If ye abide in My word, ye are truly My disciples” (John 8:31 JnD). On the other hand, discipleship is not an option for the believer. It is not a devoted life which some choose and others skip. When we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we sign up for discipleship. It is the only way, as a Christian, to have a fulfilling and meaningful life. Many things, however, hinder us from being the disciples that we should be.
Four of the characteristics of discipleship are given by the Lord in the Gospel of Luke. These are very searching.
The Master must be supreme in the affections of the disciple: Luke 14:26. No other relationship, no matter how near or dear, should take precedence over our relationship with the Lord.
The disciple must bear his or her cross: Luke 14:27. We do not bear the Lord’s cross, but we have a cross of our own to bear. In the day in which the Lord Jesus was speaking, to see a man bearing a cross was the mark of a death sentence. To bear our cross is to bear the death sentence of this world upon us. “The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6:14).
The cost must be understood: Luke 14:28. Unless we know all that is ours in Christ, both our standing and our daily resource, we will never be able to bear the cost of discipleship.
The enemy must be accurately assessed: Luke 14:31-33. If we imagine that we can stand against the trickery of the devil in our own strength and self-confidence, the end result will be compromise.
Much could be written concerning discipleship. My point, however, is not to enlarge on this subject just now. The qualities of a good disciple will continue to be a thread throughout the remaining chapters.
Things to Consider
As a true Christian we have new life; the old life is not reformed, but we have been completely transformed. God sees our old natural life as crucified with Christ.
The Holy Spirit of God dwells in the body of each true believer. Do we live in the power of the Spirit of God?
We are sealed by the Spirit; the Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance; we have deliverance from the power of sin over our lives through the Holy Spirit; the Spirit gives us the ability to discern between truth and error.
We can grieve the Holy Spirit by the way we live. Our lives are like an empty vessel—do we allow it to be filled with the Spirit or with the spirit of the world?
We have been brought into a much closer relationship with God than the greats of the Old Testament: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Daniel, etc. We know and address Him as Father.
Unless we understand the truth of our relationship with God, we cannot act in a way suited to that relationship.
If we want to know who we are, we need to be looking to Christ. The blessings that are ours as Christians are in Christ.
We have peace with God; we will lose the peace of God in our lives if we are not living it through Christ Jesus.
Discipleship flows from salvation; when we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we sign up for discipleship.
True discipleship is not to be lightly undertaken.