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Are You Living the New Life?
by Mark Larson
Being a Christian is supposed to be about living a new life, a
better life, even the best life there is. Yet, some brethren have
unwittingly returned to the old one! How can this be? Just like the
Christians at Rome in the first century, there are many today that
have forgotten the kind of life they were meant to live after their
baptism. “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized
into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we
have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that
as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father,
so we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4, NASB).
“Do you not know”? The brethren at Rome should have known, but
evidently they had forgotten and needed a strong reminder. The fact
is every Christian needs to be reminded of the great spiritual
significance of their baptism. Baptism means so much more than
having our sins forgiven (Acts 2:38; 22:16), it is also the
beginning of something very special and wonderful - a new life in
Christ! Every person would do well to review their baptism, examine
their life, and then ask the question: Am I living the new life?
The New Life” Begins at Baptism!
There is most definitely a spiritual connection to Christ at baptism
(Rom. 6:4). No Christian should ever forget just how special their
baptism was. Baptism is a real spiritual connection to the death,
burial, and resurrection of Christ! (Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12) Just as a
real burial involves a real death, so does baptism (which is also a
burial or an immersion in water; BAPTIZO = immersion), result in a
real death to sin. And just as a genuine resurrection results in an
actual resurrected life, so does the spiritual resurrection out of
the “watery grave” of baptism result in a real new life!
The teaching of Romans 6 demonstrates that baptism is a serious act
for people who can and will take it seriously. Baptism is not for
infants or small children or for people who treat baptism as a mere
ritual or just a way to show the church that they are already saved
(which is a falsehood). Baptism is for penitent believers only (Acts
2:38; 8:36-38).The person who chooses to be baptized has decided to
repent of his sins (or crucify the “old man”) and, as a person “dead
in sin,” be buried with Jesus through baptism. Clearly, Romans 6
shows that baptism represents the death, burial, and resurrection of
Jesus Christ. Therefore, baptism is for people who understand that
this is the only way to enter into a union with Christ and receive
the blessings found in Him. “For all of you who were baptized into
Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Gal 3:27; cf. Eph.
1:3).
Again, baptism is not just about being saved (1 Pet. 3:21), but
about the start of a “new life!” Our baptism into Christ is not an
event merely to be affectionately remembered for our salvation, but
an event that is meant to alter our future for life! It is God’s
desire that once we are raised from our baptism, we would live a new
life in service to Him.
“The New Life” Means a Changed Life!
A Discontinuation of Sin: “What shall we say then? Are we to
continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How
shall we who died to sin still live in it?” (Rom. 6:1-2) Baptism
into His death is a death to sin. Thus, the new life is not about
practicing sin. Grace in Christ is not a “license to sin” (Jude 4),
but a powerful source of motivation to live a new and better life
for the Lord! (Titus 2:11-12). To continue to practice sin would be
a sharp contradiction to our “death to sin” that took place at our
baptism.
Following the Footsteps of Jesus: “For if we have become united with
Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the
likeness of His resurrection” (Rom. 6:5). We who have been raised
with Christ (after being baptized) are to imitate His resurrected
life in the life we now live. It makes no sense to take part in
Christ’s death and then live life in the same way. We are to live a
new life that will reflect His (1 Pet. 2:21).
Freedom from the Slavery of Sin: “Knowing this, that our old self
was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away
with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died
is freed from sin” (Rom. 6:6-7). Jesus, by offering His blood for
our forgiveness, gives us freedom from the bondage of sin (Jn.
8:31-36; Eph. 1:7). This freedom calls us to live a new life not as
slaves of sin, but of righteousness (Rom 6:17-18).
How Have You Changed Since You Began the New Life?
What is the Difference between Your Former Life and the New Life You
Now Live? (Eph. 4:21-24) Are you the same person you were before?
Have you changed? Are you still changing and for the better? What do
you see when you look into the “mirror” of God’s word? (Jas.
1:22-25). Do you see Christ in you? (2 Cor. 13:5). Each Christian is
either growing in Christ or he is digressing and getting weaker
spiritually. There is no middle ground! (2 Pet. 1:8-9).
What “New Things” Have Come into Your Life? “Therefore if any man is
in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold,
new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17). “The new life” involves real
spiritual change in every person who lives the life of a Christian.
By faith we believe that old things have indeed passed away! With
the help of Christ, the sins, bad habits, selfishness, affection for
sin, etc. can all be put behind us.
Many new things should come for the Christian: A new way of thinking
(Rom. 12:2); New values and priorities (Mat. 6:19-21, 33); A new
purpose in life (Eph. 2:10; Eccl. 12:13); A new lifestyle (1 Cor.
6:9-11); A new perspective on marriage and family (Mat. 19:1-12;
Eph. 5:22-33; 6:4); New friends (2 Cor. 6:14; 1 Cor. 15:33); And a
new heavenly goal (Col. 3:1-4). The new life we have been given is
meant to change our whole perspective in which we recognize that
this world is not our home (Heb. 11:13-16), that we are just passing
through as we journey on toward Heaven to be with God.
Have You Yet to Begin the New Life?
Remember, baptism into Christ is necessary “in order that” we may
live a new life (Rom. 6:4). Without exception, no one can begin the
new life in Christ until he has been baptized into Christ as a
penitent believer. Begin your new life and be baptized today! ~
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Faith
by Roger Lindsey
One of the most embarrassing things about being a young or new
preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that we almost always try
to come up with a lesson on faith using a “better” definition of it
so that people can more easily understand it.
The problem with that attempt is that the Bible gives us the best
definition of faith, and it is very clear, once you understand what
it’s saying. Here it is in the King James text:
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen.” - Hebrews 11:1
That can be a little difficult to get your mind around. How is faith
a “substance?” And how is faith itself evidence of things not seen?
We get some help from other translations like this one from the New
Revised Standard Version:
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of
things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
Now it becomes a little more clear that faith is something that
exists in us, which is where we might expect it to reside. It no
longer sounds like something outside of us. Faith is “assurance” of
things we hope for, but how do we get this assurance?
Faith is also conviction of things not seen. But again, how do we
become convinced?
Does God somehow miraculously give us this assurance and conviction?
Is the Holy Spirit sent directly to our hearts, minds and/or spirits
to give us this faith? How do we become assured; how do we become
convinced?
We certainly have to be assured and convinced, because the word of
God has just said that is faith. In the same chapter the same
inspired writer, speaking by the word of God says:
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that
cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
So we cannot approach, or come to God, without faith. How then are
we supposed to get the faith we need to approach God?
This is about the time to turn to another famous passage of
Scripture concerning faith:
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Romans 10:17
Now it begins to make perfect sense! God approaches us first,
through His word. He presents us with testimony on which we can base
our faith. In fact, the faith that saves us can be called a gift
from God, because God has given us the testimony on which that faith
is founded.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God”
Ephesians 2:8
The Lord Jesus promised His disciples on the night He was to be
betrayed:
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My
name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance
all things that I said to you.” John 14:26
"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you
into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but
whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to
come.” John 16:13
The Holy Spirit was sent by the Lord Jesus after He ascended into
Heaven to the right hand of God (recorded for us in Acts 1 and 2).
The Holy Spirit was to teach us all things, and help the apostles
remember all that the Lord had said to them. He was sent to guide
them, and us, into all truth, and to tell us things to come.
The apostle Paul later said of the words which he was writing and
speaking:
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit
who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely
given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which
man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing
spiritual things with spiritual.” 1 Corinthians 2:13-14
The Holy Spirit gave the apostles all the words of the testimony
that we need to believe in Jesus Christ and be saved.
When we hear the word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, we become
convinced of its truth, and we become assured of things that we hope
for because the word of God says so. We become convinced of things
we cannot see because the word of God says so.
We hope for the forgiveness of sins, a clean conscience, a pure
heart, and ultimately, heaven...and God promises us those very
things in His word. By hearing His testimony concerning His Son, we
become convinced that Jesus is the Christ, the Lamb of God Who takes
away the sin of the world (John 1:29,36).
But the faith that the Bible speaks of is an obedient faith, for the
Lord requires us to do what He says.
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
Luke 6:46
“"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Faith, then, is based on testimony. That testimony is the word of
God, the Truth by which we are sanctified (that is, set apart for a
holy purpose—John 17:17). Christ has purchased our pardon by His own
blood. Believing that, we submit ourselves to Him, thoroughly
assured that He will give us what we hope for, completely convinced
that He has obtained for us a home in heaven. ~ |