December 1, 2020 NOT REFURBISHED
Ezekiel 36:26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
Ephesians 4:22-24 “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the ole self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the list of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which is the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
Galatians 5:16 “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
It is a well-entrenched notion that we as believers have to work on becoming more dedicated to Christ, become more spiritually minded; we think that if we read the bible more, pray more, and do the right thing, we will be more acceptable to God. It is often said that ‘I know we are new creations-BUT.’ Not having to work at something, is contrary to human nature-so I understand why we as believers feel that we have to work at improving our spiritual life, or being more godly. I am convinced that you could put all believers in to one of three categories: (1) trying to do the things to make them more spiritual and more acceptable to God (2) walking in their newness and living out of their new hearts and new nature, or (3) discouraged and have given up-just trying to exist. The scriptures are clear that God has made us new and that the power of sin over us has been broken. However, we have a part to play: we must choose to walk in our newness; we must choose-and it is a choice-to lay aside the old man and put on the new man. Laying aside the old and putting on the new is not a one-time deal, but rather an on-going process. In 1 Corinthians 15:31 Paul said that he died daily. Because the Holy Spirit lives in us, we have the power to renew our minds, to turn our hearts and minds to the Lord and in turn, do the things, think the thoughts, and respond in ways that please Him. It is simple, but powerfully true, that all of the commands of God are actually indicators of our new nature-our new nature welcomes and is delighted to do the things that He commands. His commands or not burdensome, but life giving. There is nothing better in this life than that of walking in our new identity; as we do, all we do is pleasing to the Lord and we relate to Him as Father. We are to be maturing in the faith and increasing in the knowledge of Him and have as our heart desire to do the things that are pleasing to Him-all because that is our new nature at work. I’m not talking about getting to a place ‘sinless-perfection;’ if and when we sin, we confess it and keep on walking with the Lord. Like I said above, there are some beliefs and notions in us that are well-entrenched; let us be willing to examine ourselves and rid ourselves of anything that is contrary to the gospel. Jesus opened the gates; He made things (including us) new; He broke the power of sin; He restored us to the Father; and He came that we might have life to the fullest. It grieves Him if we choose to live according to the old and refuse to live according to the new-and it pleases Him for us to live out of the new persons we are.
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and to kill and destroy; I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly.”
Blessings, Buddy
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