"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." From 1 Corinthians 5:17, though please read 1 Corinthians 5:1-21 to get the whole context.
"Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God." From Romans 7:4, though read Romans 7:1-25 to get the whole context.
Yesterday, I wrote about the new thing that happens when a person is baptized into the Christian faith (more accurately, into the name of Jesus). From conception, a sinful person (from now one, the Old Man) was present. But in the washing waters of baptism, a new person is born from God. That new person is a new creation, the one spoken of in the verse from 1 Corinthians 5 above.
As we live as both a sinful "Old Man" and as a new creation, we have a struggle. Both battle for supremacy in our lives. And so we are guided back to the things that God has spoken to us over the ages (i.e., the Bible) to see what He has to say about this struggle. And that's when something happens that can actually be kind of confusing to us.
We hear God speak words of comfort in many places. It's good to hear those words. We often find that we need comfort, since so much in life beats us up and wears us down. But then, in other places, God speaks words that aren't so comforting. He even condemns certain things, saying that they are not to be done. And as we read through those different words, we wonder which one reveals the real heart and intent of God.
Actually, God intends both messages. However, an important thing for us to know is that they speak to the two different "people" that we are in Christ Jesus. As the "Old Man", we hear that God says we are doing things that we should not do, and that we are failing to do things that He created and commanded us to do. As we realize our failing in this, we hear the word of condemnation. We hear that our actions, thoughts, and words have consequences. We even hear that we cannot escape those on our own.
But then, we also find times that God is speaking to the new creation. God is comforting that new creation, letting us know that we may struggle now, but God has everything in His hands. His will shall indeed be done. And that new creation looks for guidance from God when it comes to living the life of faith. It looks to God's Word to see what that new life looks like, and how it is lived out. And guess what? That new life often finds that the same words that bring condemnation to the "Old Man" serve to give guidance to the new creation. The same words, yet very different application.
I'll continue to expand on this in future posts, but this one is lengthy enough already.
"Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God." From Romans 7:4, though read Romans 7:1-25 to get the whole context.
Yesterday, I wrote about the new thing that happens when a person is baptized into the Christian faith (more accurately, into the name of Jesus). From conception, a sinful person (from now one, the Old Man) was present. But in the washing waters of baptism, a new person is born from God. That new person is a new creation, the one spoken of in the verse from 1 Corinthians 5 above.
As we live as both a sinful "Old Man" and as a new creation, we have a struggle. Both battle for supremacy in our lives. And so we are guided back to the things that God has spoken to us over the ages (i.e., the Bible) to see what He has to say about this struggle. And that's when something happens that can actually be kind of confusing to us.
We hear God speak words of comfort in many places. It's good to hear those words. We often find that we need comfort, since so much in life beats us up and wears us down. But then, in other places, God speaks words that aren't so comforting. He even condemns certain things, saying that they are not to be done. And as we read through those different words, we wonder which one reveals the real heart and intent of God.
Actually, God intends both messages. However, an important thing for us to know is that they speak to the two different "people" that we are in Christ Jesus. As the "Old Man", we hear that God says we are doing things that we should not do, and that we are failing to do things that He created and commanded us to do. As we realize our failing in this, we hear the word of condemnation. We hear that our actions, thoughts, and words have consequences. We even hear that we cannot escape those on our own.
But then, we also find times that God is speaking to the new creation. God is comforting that new creation, letting us know that we may struggle now, but God has everything in His hands. His will shall indeed be done. And that new creation looks for guidance from God when it comes to living the life of faith. It looks to God's Word to see what that new life looks like, and how it is lived out. And guess what? That new life often finds that the same words that bring condemnation to the "Old Man" serve to give guidance to the new creation. The same words, yet very different application.
I'll continue to expand on this in future posts, but this one is lengthy enough already.
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