Tag: new creation

26.x. “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”

Galatians 6:14  But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

 Philippians 3:3   For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—

 Philippians 3:7-11     But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—  that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

 Romans 6:6    We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

 Colossians 3:1-3    If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

 1 John 5:4-5   For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Paul’s heart cared nothing for the glory that came from fame. He cared nothing for the glory that came from riches. He cared nothing for the glory that came from status and power among men. He only cared about the glory of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wrote about having crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Now with the flesh on the cross he also put the world on the cross, and considers himself dead to the world. The world could not have any influence over Paul if it were dead, and Paul could not respond to any influence from it if he were dead to the world. The world, in the sense Paul means it here, was not the global earth; nor was it the mass of humanity (which God Himself loves, John 3:16). Instead, it was the community of sinful humanity that is united in rebellion against God. (Guzik) 

The battle between fleshly/worldly and things of God is very real.  Sometimes it becomes hard to bring these two differences into focus. The fleshly and worldly make promises it can not keep (purpose, satisfaction, power, wisdom, honor, glory, worthiness).  These are promises filled with deceit.  As soon as some portion is reached, it fades as fast as it came. It consumes time, both physically and mentally.  It will rob your heart, exhausting your soul, and fill you with emptiness.  It presents itself as our friend who wants to fill our minds with what it thinks is important.  It gains foundational roots in our hearts from the minute we were born into this world.  It hides exposure by subtle watering and fertilization of the lusts and wants of our sinful nature.  It produces worthless sour and bitter fruit that fills the heart and mind but never satisfies. It convinces the heart and mind that it is sweet as honey and you want/need more of it.  

The greatest gift from God was His grace, mercy, and love found in and through Jesus Christ.  He offers salvation, redemption, and forgiveness to those who would believe, trust, repent and obey.  In His mercy, grace, and love He offers life more abundantly, a purpose for the heavenly, and the power of the Holy Spirit to discern and fight off/resist the fleshly/worldly.   Without discernment, it is very hard to recognize what is worldly and of the flesh.  To have discernment requires you to know the difference between what you see, hear, think, say, and do.  How is a person discern whether or not what they see, hear, think, say, and do is fleshly/worldly or godly/heavenly.  Every waking moment the eyes and ears to our hearts, minds, and souls are blasted with the worldly and fleshly. These fiery darts come at us every second of every moment.  Everyone is targeted.  Not a second goes by where there is not an attack on your soul.  The problem is having the ability to discern them.  God’s Word is our shield against the onslaught of lies and deception of the worldly/fleshly.  Yet, how many are prepared for the battle for their soul?  How many Christians bring up the Shield of His Word on Sundays but live every other day without its defense?  How many fiery darts have punched the heart and soul and the person is not even aware they are seriously wounded? Do we expect God to give us discernment when we neglect His Word?  It is through His Word we find true, hope, peace, strength, joy, love, and purpose and satisfaction for our soul.  The lies, false hopes and promises, fear, anger, anxiousness, worries, and the shallowness of what the flesh and worldly have to offer are exposed. It is not the spending of time reading His Word, but rather this with a pure foundation of seeking and desiring things of God to honor and glorify Him alone. We will never find the Holy Spirit giving discernment when the heart and mind are set on things of the flesh and this world.  How can we say the desires and promises of this world are crucified to me when we can’t even discern the difference between what it offers and things of God?

25.h. “He is a new creation”

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation

 Isaiah 45:24-25   “Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him.

 John 15:5    I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

 Romans 8:1   There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

 Psalms 51:10    Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

 John 3:3    Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

 Ephesians 2:10     For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

The saved are not “just forgiven.” They are changed into a new creation.  However, being a new creation doesn’t mean that we are perfect. It means that we are changed and that we are being changed. He is a new creation: Who makes us a new creation? This is something God alone can do in us. This isn’t just “turning over a new leaf” or “getting your act together.” Yet the life of a new creation is not something God does for us but in us. So, we are told to put off… the old man and to put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24)   Being a new creation is a gift from God received by faith.  

The work of a new creation is even greater than God’s work of creating the world. “My brethren, it was more difficult, if such terms are ever applicable to Omnipotence, it was more difficult to create a Christian than to create a world. What was there to begin with when God made the world? There was nothing; but nothing could not stand in God’s way – it was at least passive. But, my brethren, in our hearts, while there was nothing that could help God, there was much that could and did oppose him. Our stubborn wills, our deep prejudices, our ingrained love of iniquity, all these, great God, opposed thee, and aimed at thwarting thy designs… Yes, great God, it was great to make a world, but greater to create a new creature in Jesus Christ.” (Spurgeon)

19.n. “Make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

Romans 6:1  What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

 2 Corinthians 5:17   Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

 Ephesians 4:17   Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.

 Ephesians 4:22-24  to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,  and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,  and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

 1 John 2:6   whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

 Colossians 1:10-12    so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;  being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;  giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

 Philippians 3:17-18    Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.  For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

 Romans 13:13-14     Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

“That we too might walk in newness of life.”  “Behold the new has come.” “He is a New Creation.” Renewed in the spirit of your minds.” “Put on the new self.” “Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” “Let us walk properly as in the daytime.”  What does it mean to walk properly and in a manner worthy of the Lord?  The easiest way to think about answering this is to know what sin is and to know what is pleasing to God. How do we know what sin is?  Do we know it by instinct?  Do we instinctively know what is good and bad – right and wrong – true and false?  Unfortunately, we do not instinctively know, but through our upbringing and our culture, we determine what is socially acceptable.  If something is socially or culturally acceptable is it good, right, and true? – (Maybe)  If it is socially and culturally acceptable can it still be sin? – (absolutely)  Someone said wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it, and right is right if there is only one doing it.  

If we base our rights, wrongs, and truths on what is culturally acceptable then we can easily fall prey to doing what is sin in God’s eyes.  There is only one place we gain insight into what is good, right, and true.  That is in God’s word.  He is steadfast.  His Word is true. His promises are true.  He is truth. There is no falsehood in Him. If we want to know what is true, right, good, and honorable then we need to not only spend time in His Word but also spend time with Him in prayer.  Jesus said that out of the abundance of our heart our mouth speaks.  If we are only feeding our heart with a token stab at daily devotions then His Word will not abide in us but rather pass through us as if we were empty vessels.  There must be a heart-deep desire connected to our seeking of what is true, good, and right.  There must be a hunger and thirst.  If there is stagnate “life” flowing through your veins and if there is a neglect of God’s Word in your day, and if there is a foggy haze to your understanding of what is good, right, and true in God’s eyes, then repent and turn away from this right now.  You are a new creation that has been born with the newness of life through Jesus Christ.   Jesus did not die for you so that you could keep on sinning but rather so that you would choose to intentionally live to honor and glorify Him alone. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

10.g. “Shall you not know it?”

Amos 9:11   “In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name,” declares the Lord who does this. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the Lord your God.

2 Corinthians 5:17   Therefore, if anyone [is] in Christ, [he is] a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Issaiah 43:19   Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness [And] rivers in the desert

This is an abrupt change from the strong message of rebuke and judgment.  Without this last passage and change of tone, the book of Amos would be incomplete. “It is now declared that the reason of the divine judgment is not revenge, but the only way in which it is possible to usher in the restored order on which the heart of God is set”.  God promised to take what was ruined and to repair and rebuild it. Sometimes God works in a completely new way, letting the old die and doing a work of new creation.    James, the brother of Jesus, quoted Amos 9:11-12 at the Council of Jerusalem. He used this passage to demonstrate that God promised to reach the Gentiles and to bring them into His kingdom under the Messiah, not under Israel.

Under God’s inspiration, the prophet Amos ends the book on a note of high hope, looking forward to a day of great prosperity and abundance in Israel. Under the reign of Jeroboam II, they had material abundance, but it was not in the LORD. God promised to restore them to prosperity from Him and in Him.  When God releases blessing and restoration, fruit comes quickly.  When God releases blessing and restoration, fruit comes from unexpected places.  When God releases blessing and restoration, fruit comes with great quality.

When God releases blessing and restoration, the work is blessed – but it is still work. The plowman, the reaper, the treader of grapes, and him who sows seed still have their work to do. God doesn’t just do it all for them, but under God’s blessing and restoration the work is done with energy and joy. The plowman doesn’t just wait around; he gets busy even if he starts bumping into the reaper! “One sign of a true revival, and indeed an essential part of it is the increased activity of God’s laborers” (Spurgeon).  However, even if it is not a time of remarkable blessing and restoration, the work of God still deserves our energy and effort.