A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

 

EPH. 4:17 - 24, II COR. 5:17

            In both texts there is a reference to a loss or removal of something old and a replacement with something new.  In Eph. 4:22 we were told to put off, as it relates to our former life style, our old unconverted nature.  This is the nature that followed after sin and the flesh, having Satan as it's master.  Romans 6:16 says that to whom ever you yield your members, his servant you become.  If you live a life of sin, then you are the servant of sin and who is the master of sin, none other than Satan.  So we are to put off the nature to sin and put on a new nature.  This new nature created righteous and holy in the image of God.  Note that in verse 23 the mind is to be renewed, but the nature is to be changed.  Renewed implies renovating as one would renovate an old house, tearing out the unwanted parts and adding wanted rooms, but new implies a change as one would move to a new house leaving the old one behind.  Unfortunately, oftentimes when we move we take lots of old junk and papers with us; souvenirs of the old life which are best left behind.

            In 2 Cor. 5:17 we were told that old things passed away and that all things become new.  We have received a new nature but the rest of us is constantly becoming new.  What will the new us look like?  Well 2 Cor. 3:18 says that we are being changed into the image of Christ.  So becoming new is becoming like Christ.  However, there is a qualifier for receiving this newness and that qualifier is "If any man be in Christ".  Adjoining oneself to Christ will result in the fruit of a new life.  Today I want to talk about A New Life in Christ.

            To have a new life in Christ requires first,

Repentance or a New Mind About God:

            Repentance means to change one's mind or purpose and in the New Testament it always implies a change for the better.  The changing of the mind results in a change in actions.  It means to turn to God from evil (Acts 26:16-18).  Repentance is important because it shows that we have turned our thoughts towards God, His purpose and His will.  Acts 17:30 says that "in times past God winked at man's sinful ignorance, but He now commands that all men everywhere repent".  Repentance shows our willingness to obey God.  Repentance is necessary in order to receive God's forgiveness (Acts 3:19).  When we repent God will heal us.  Repentance will also bring about forgiveness. (Is. 55:7).  When we repent we begin to see God not as one who is waiting to punish us for the wrong we have done and not as one who is trying to keep us from having fun.  But rather we begin to see Him as the loving and patient Father that He is, who only wants the best for His Children.

            But those who refuse to repent will continue to see God in a negative fashion.  By refusing to repent Ps. 6:16 says that they are trapped by their own works.  Pastor read last week from Luke 15 that those who would not repent will perish.  This is not God's desire for man, but it will happen. (John 12:47-50) Choose to repent today and take on a new mind about God.

            A new life in God will bring about

Regeneration or a New Life From God. (Titus 3:5)

            What is regeneration?  When a person repents of their sin and comes to God he receives a new nature but not a new spirit.  Regeneration speaks of the rebirth or renewing of the spirit of man. (Eph. 2:1-5)  Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3 that except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God. It is through our regenerated, reborn spirit that we fellowship and communicate with God.  Before the rebirth experience we are spiritually dead and God who is a spirit is filled with life.  Can the dead fellowship with the living?  The dead and the living do not have a common plane on which they can come together; there is a gap or gulf between the two.  But God who is life can and does give new life to the dead, that they might join together in fellowship in the spirit realm.  Regeneration is necessary so that we might have true communication with God.  Two people cannot communicate without a common language whether verbal or nonverbal.

(I Cor. 2:14)  God is a spirit and those who would worship and fellowship with Him must do so in the spirit.  To have new life with God the spirit of man must be regenerated.  This regeneration of the spirit occurs when one accepts Jesus into their heart and life as personal savior.  At that time the Spirit of God brings new life to the spirit of man.  (John 3:6)  It is this regenerated spirit that separates the saved from the unsaved (Col. 1:12-14).

Regeneration brings about a new life from God.  With this new life comes an indwelling of God's spirit.  I Cor. 3:16 says know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you.  It is the fact that we have been born again and that the Spirit of God dwells in us, that assures us that we will be resurrected from the dead to live with God (Rom. 8:11, John 6:40).  In Regeneration we get renewed spiritual life from God now and the promise of eternal life in the here after.

            A new life from God bring us

Justification or a New State Before God:

            Justification means a forgiveness of sins.  It means that there is no charge being held against you. (Acts 13:38-39)  To be justified means to be released from all charges and the penalty associated with the charges.  The charge against mankind is sin, and mankind is guilty, but through Jesus Christ the charges against each man can be thrown out of court.  We can be deemed just in the sight of God by accepting Jesus' act of payment for our sin.  The debt of sin has been paid.  Rom. 8:33 says "who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?  It is God that justifies."  In other words once God has deemed a man justified in His sight, who then can come back and recharge him of the same crime before God.  Justification had to be initiated by God because mankind was guilty and therefore could not justify itself (Rom 3:23-24).  In order for mankind to be released from the payment of eternal death for its sins, God had to institute a plan that would allow payment for sin and the right for Him to deem man just.  Man has not righteousness of his own, therefore he could not stand own his own behalf before a righteous judge and deem himself righteous.  (Luke 15:21-24)

            God instituted a plan that would give man a new state in his sight.  God's plan took man from the status of guilty, to one of being justified.  It saved man from the wrath of God.  (John 3:36)    In other words the man who rejects God's gift of salvation through Jesus Christ must be prepared to suffer the wrath of God against sin.  (Rom. 5:6-9)  Not only  does justification save us from the wrath of God, verse 1 of that same chapter says that justification brings with it peace with God.  If I understand what God through Jesus has done for me there is no longer any need to be afraid of Him.  I can have the peace of knowing that God is with me not against me.

            A new life in Christ brings with it

Adoption or a New Relationship With God:

            Through the death of Jesus Christ and the work of the Spirit of God in our lives, God has made a way that man might be adopted into His family. (Gal. 4:4-6)  God could have saved man and deemed that to be enough.  But He did not stop there.  He ordained that man should become a member of His family.  Eph. 2:19 says that we are now fellow citizens with all the other saints and are members of the household of God.  Adoption into God's family comes as a result of receiving Christ. (John 1:12-13)  To those who receive Him he has given the authority and ability to become sons of God not only in name, but also in nature and in lifestyle.  This is not simply a sonship associated with having the family name.  It is a sonship whereby we are empowered to and expected to live like members of the family.  We are to imitate our big brother Jesus.  Jesus said in John 6:38 that He came down from heaven not to do His own will but to do the will of the Father who sent Him. (John 8:28-29)  That same Spirit of God that regenerated our spirits, and will resurrect us in the last days, is the same Spirit that gives us power to live as children of God.  It is also this same Spirit that is at work with in us daily changing us into the image of Christ our big brother.  (I John 3:1-2) We may not understand all that God is doing in our lives, but we can be assured of one thing; that through this work He is changing us so that when we do see Christ we will be like Him.

            As with all children who are adopted into a family we obtain an inheritance just as the natural children would.   We know that Rom. 8:16-17 says that we who have the Spirit of God are children of God and joint heirs with Christ. (Rev. 21:7)  We have the promise of God to ensure our inheritance.  We will inherit all that is His.  We don't have to worry about what the will says.  The will has already been read and we have already been declared heirs of God.  But in the next verse there is a promise to those who will not accept God gift of salvation.  (Read Rev. 21:8)  Just as the righteous have a promise from God of an inheritance, so the unrighteous have a promise from God of destruction.  Just as an adopted child moves in to the family dwelling, even so in time we will move in with our Father.  (John 14:1-3)  A new life in Christ provides a new relationship with God, a relationship of sonship.

            A new life in Christ will result in

Sanctification or a New Life Before God:

            Sanctification is being set apart or separated from the world to do the will of God.  It means to no longer conform to the world’s methods or standards and to take on the method and standards set by God. (Rom. 12:1-2)  God commanded the children of Israel in Lev. 20:7 saying "sanctify yourselves and be you holy".  He was saying to them to separate themselves from the nations surrounding them and live a holy life.  The separation here was not to be a physical difference, but rather a difference in lifestyle and manner of worship.  Paul prayed for the church at Thessalonica that "the God of peace would sanctify them completely".  In that God has spiritually separated the believer from the unbeliever, the process of sanctification has already begun.  Heb. 10:10 that we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Christ once for all.  This reflects and instantaneous element to sanctification.   However, unlike regeneration, sanctification is a continuing process.  (John 17:17)  As we study and practice God's word, applying it to our lives we are drawn further and further from the worlds system and closer and closer to a lifestyle reflecting the nature and character of our Father.  (Heb. 12:1)  Here we are told to lay aside the sin and weight  that so easily over take us.  This laying aside is a part of the sanctifying process.  In several  places in the New Testament we will find the command to put off certain things and put on others.  This putting off of those things contrary to the will of God and putting on those things desirable by God is a part of the Sanctifying process.  We are told to mortify the deeds of the flesh.  (Col. 3:1-10)  This is all apart of the sanctification process.  We are separate ourselves from these acts of the flesh and set our desires on the things of God.  From Heb. 2:11 we can see that Jesus is not ashamed to call us his brethren when we live a sanctified lifestyle.  A new life in Christ must include a new lifestyle before God.

            Finally a new life in Christ will provide

Assurance or a New Blessing From God:

            (John 10:27-29)  When we have accepted the new life provide by the death and resurrection of Christ, we can have the assurance that we will never perish.  We can have security and peace knowing that we have eternal life.  We know that death must eventually come, but for the born again believer, death is simply a means of being ushered into life everlasting.  (Rom. 8:38-39)  The believer has the assurance that no matter what comes in life, or in death, he will not be separated from God.  The peace of knowing  God is a blessing.  All who live will have trials, tribulations, persecutions and afflictions.  But for the believer, these are all under the watchful care of God.  All must go through in life.  But going through with God allows one to have peace and the strength to continue to face each day.  Knowing God brings hope of a better tomorrow and it will allow joy even in the midst of sorrow.  These are all blessings from God available to all who will come to Him.

            2 Cor. 5:17 A new creature in Christ has a new life in Christ:  This life includes Taking on a new mind about God through repentance; Experiencing a new life from God through regeneration; Having a new state before God through justification; Encountering a new relationship with God through adoption; Living a new life before God through sanctification; and understanding a new blessing from God through assurance.