Walking in newness of life

 

Walking in newness of life

Anyone one has truly accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and has been buried with Him through baptism into death, should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

If indeed we have heard Him (Jesus Christ) and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: we are to put off, concerning our former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and that we put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness because,  just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (Romans 6: 1-7; Ephesians 4: 21-24).

The crux of the matter is, since the resurrection of Jesus Christ we should regard no one according to the flesh, meaning that we should regard no one as being carnal but as being spiritual. Why? Because at the resurrection of Jesus Christ the carnal mind which is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God nor indeed can ever be was crucified and buried with Christ and as raised in newness of life.

With the carnal mind man had no access to the Father except through multiple animal sacrifices which were offered year by year and still could not make those who approach perfect, but through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ a new and living way was consecrated for us giving us direct access to the throne of grace And so we have received the consolation saying; “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10: 19-20).

What has eluded the mind of most professing believers is the fact that, humanity received from Jesus Christ a new mind and a new nature and has been reconciled to God. For we have the consolation saying; “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” (Romans 5:10-11).

It is imperative to note that, it is not only the believer that has been reconciled to the Father but humanity as a whole, for we have been admonished saying; “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

God in Christ reconciling the world to Him is the new life in the spirit. Man was separated from the life of God due to sin as we have been duly admonished saying; “Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2).

The death of the spiritual man came as the result of Adam and Eve’s transgression, for the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17).

But the devil tempted Eve and said to her, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:4-5).

The irony of truth is, although Adam lived for nine hundred and thirty years physically before he died, but the same day he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he died spiritually and so, to prevent Adam and Eve from partaking of the tree of life and eat, and live forever He drove out the man from the garden and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

But in the advent of Jesus Christ we have received the assurance saying; “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:1-7).

This new life therefore, is the rebirth of the sprit in man which gave man access to the Father. But how many of us who profess to be believers are able to make a clear distinction between living in accordance to the flesh and living in accordance to the spirit, or in our present dilemma the difference between having faith in the wisdom of men and having faith in the power of God.

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With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph