New Life

 New Life is a term that is often used by Christians who have encountered Jesus and have repented from their old ways.  New Life indicates a death of an Old Life and the emergence of something new. 

Romans 6:1-14 (NKJV)

¹ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ² Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ³ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹ knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰ For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³ And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

There comes an awareness with New Life that we are dead to our old nature (our old man), and we become alive unto Christ by the resurrection life which comes to us.  It is Christ which comes and inhabits our lifeless mind and body and begins the process of regeneration.

God’s plan was that we would willingly die to ourselves (our own mind will and emotions) and allow Christ to be our full sufficiency.  His desire was that He would take control of our minds and bodies and begin living His life through us if we would only surrender the vessel.  After all, He is our Creator and He does know us better than we know ourselves.  His ultimate desire was not that we would become unthinking, unemotional robots, but that we would reflect His nature, His desire, and His passion for a lost and dying world that needs healing and redemption.  (1 Corinthians 2:16)

Romans 6:15-19 (NKJV)

¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! ¹⁶ Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? ¹⁷ But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. ¹⁸ And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. ¹⁹ I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

As humans we will always have to choose who (or what) we will become a slave to, either to sin or to God.  The difference is the benefit or the detriment.  What does this life of ours reflect in regards to our choice of who (or what) we serve?

Do we have joy from being free from sin, looking forward to a future heavenly home with God which is for forever, or do our lives reflect shame and discontent, living without the hope of an unending life with God with no more than just our death as our eventual end?

Romans 6:20-23 (NKJV)

²⁰ For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ²¹ What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²² But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

My hope is that we would see that Jesus does love us and desires to give us a life of fulfillment full of joy and peace which will mark our lives forever.  This life is His gift to us. He paid for it by His sacrifice on the cross.  Our God sacrificed Himself so that we wouldn’t have to. 

It took a penalty this severe to show us that we could not recreate ourselves, only God could regenerate our old man (our old nature). It is not our effort, but God’s work within us changing us to be more like Him. 

Philippians 2:5-8

⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

It is truly the work of God changing us and making us as He is.

             Ephesians 2: 4-10 (NKJV)

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Stephen Barnett

God is good all the time―all the time God is good!

Let The Old Man Die

Words and Music by Chuck Butler

Day has begun and I’m already sinnin’;

Help me to change this heart that I have,

Lord let me taste of the grace that you’re givin’;

I want to be a spiritual man.

All through the day it’s a wonder I’m livin’;

Sometimes I feel that I never will change,

Only to find that my helpless condition;

Leads me to being a spiritual man.

Chorus

I want to see, sweet Jesus;

Open up my eyes.

I want to see, sweet Jesus;

Let the old man die.

Evenin’ has come and His Spirit is winin’

Helping me change this heart that I have,

Lord I have tasted a brand new beginin’;

You are creating a spiritual man.

©1975 Maranatha Music

The song and lyrics above are copyrighted by the respective artists and are demonstrated here for educational purposes only and not for profit.