A Brand New Man

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A New Creation - A Brand New Man

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away; Behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5 v 17

This is a scripture which is quoted quite often. It is one that I wonder if we really understand. Because I hear so much talk about how sinful we are and how we fail everyday etc. So many of God's children are struggling with the guilt of their past and the fear of their future. I want to share with you this short Bible Study to bring light and freedom to your soul.

Firstly we have to take note that this verse begins with the word 'Therefore'. So we must look to see what it is 'there-for'. To do this we must read carefully the previous verses, we cannot simply lift one verse out and run with it without understanding it in it's complete context. So going back to verse 14 we read - (I'm reading from the NLT version)

14. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

16. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now;

17. This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person, the old life is gone and a new life has begun;

A 'New Life' has begun - isn't that amazing?

When we belong to Christ we have become a new person - A Brand New Man - we have a past, we have an old way of doing things - BUT NOW - we are made new, we have a future in God's Will - and a new way of looking at life and a new way of doing things.

Yes we are growing in the knowledge of God's love and in the knowledge of his will, everyday, but as we grow we are learning a new way of life. We are no longer held in bondage to our past or to sin. It has no more control over us, but NOW we have power to resist and to reject all manner of sin. We have been changed from the inside out. We have been delivered out of the power of the kingdom of darkness (SIN) and we have been translated or transferred into the Kingdom of God.

Let's look at Colossians 1 - reading from verse 9

9. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.

10. Then the way you live will always honour and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

11. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy.

12. Always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.

13. For He has rescued (delivered) us from the kingdom of darkness and has transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son.

14. Who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Many agree with these scriptures, but then will say, "yes I know that, but as Paul says, I do the things I don't want to do and don't do the things I want to".

I also want to look at that scripture, to get it into the right context. It is found in Romans chapter 7.

Paul is explaining about the 'sinful nature' that we were all born with and how we were all slaves to it. He says in verse

21. I have discovered this principle of life - that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.

22. I love God's law with all my heart.

23. But there is another power within that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.

24. Oh, what a miserable person I am! (the KJV says Oh, what a wretched man that I am!)

and this is where most people stop - they say yes I can identify with Paul, that's me - that's how I feel - that's how it is with me. BUT Paul did not stop there -

He asked the question "Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?

He answers in the next verse:-

25. THANK GOD! the ANSWER IS IN JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. We no longer have to live a slave to sin, because Jesus Christ our Lord has freed us from the power of sin.

I'm so glad he didn't stop in verse 24. And he didn't stop in verse 25 either - He continued in chapter 8 v 1. So Now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

2. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

These scriptures changes the view point of 'Oh, what a miserable person I am' to 'Praise God, I am Redeemed, I am made new, I am forgiven, I am free'.

Religion has told us that we are 'just old sinners saved by grace' But the Bible teaches us that we WERE old sinners BUT NOW we are saved by grace.

The enemy is always seeking to twist the Word of God, and many times we fall prey to his lies - because we don't know what the scriptures actually say.

The enemy traps so many of God's children in condemnation but God is a good Father, he wants the best for you. Remember, to God the Father, we are his little children. Would a father call his little toddler a failure - because as it was learning to walk it fell - NO - he would pick it up and say try again. No matter how many times that child fell, it's father would keep on picking them up and telling them 'come on - you can do this'.

The enemy will use lack of confidence and fear and others around us to kick us when we are down - but God does not. God continually looks at the heart not the outward appearance.

When my boys where younger and belonged to the Boys Brigade - I remember, one of them worked so hard to be neat and tidy and all the other things that was required to gain points. But no matter how hard he tried, there were others who got all the points and rewards. Just because they were naturally always neat and tidy without any effort. My son would get so discouraged, because he never gained any reward for his hard work. This is like life in the natural. We can try so hard to do what is right and end up failing and getting discouraged and as a result we usually will give up asking ourselves "What's the point?"

But God does not look at the outward things - He looks at the heart. He sees your every effort, he knows your every weakness, he understands your every struggle. He says, 'I am your strength, trust me to make you strong and walk with me and I will give you a new way of thinking, a new point of view, I will make you an overcomer. He gives us a new language to speak - one that speaks his life and love over our lives. Instead of saying I'm a failure, I'm useless etc - he wants to say - I am a new creation, I belong to Jesus - I am forgiven.

This language of the Kingdom of God - is a language of love that flows from the heart of God into our hearts. We cannot speak his words from our own understanding - but by grace through faith - exactly how we entered Salvation is how we continue to walk in it. We entered by the blood of Jesus, and what he had done on the cross for us. We entered by the free gift of salvation given to us. We entered by confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord and believing in our hearts that God raised him from the dead. Once we are born again into God's family, we must seek to know more about this wonderful price that Jesus paid for us. We must seek to understand all that is contained in this wonderful gift of salvation. It is much much more than just getting to heaven when we die. God is interested in your life here and now on this earth - He is interested in everything that concerns you today. He loves you and desires you to know his love and his plan and purpose for your life.

Many years ago, in the old time gospel meetings - they would sing songs like this little chorus "I'm a brand new man". This is how God wants his children to see themselves. He wants us to be in agreement with what he has said and done through Jesus Christ our Lord instead of agreeing with the lies of the kingdom of darkness.

Father God, I thank you and praise you that you gave us victory through Jesus Christ your Son. I thank you that you freed us from our old nature and gave us a brand new start and gave us your life. Help us to walk in the revelation of your love given to us through Jesus more and more every day. Help us to know who we are in you, so that we will discover and complete your purpose for our lives. In Jesus Name we ask it, Amen.

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