A NEW LIFE

Reading: Romans 6

A New Beginning

Following baptism, we begin a new life. As Paul writes we are "buried with him (Christ) by baptism into death" when we are immersed in the water at our baptism. The life we have lived up to that time comes to an end and becomes a thing of the past. We have a new beginning, but this means that after baptism, as "Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father", we also have to live a new life (Romans 6:4).

Our manner of life, aspirations and ambitions must change in such a way that we model ourselves upon the Lord Jesus Christ, putting on the "mind of Christ" (Philippians 2:5) Such a change in our life is only possible through the grace of God. Being children of our Father in heaven, we have the privilege of coming to Him in prayer through Jesus. Despite our best efforts there will be times when we will fail in trying to please and obey Him. However we have the assurance that if we repent and seek forgiveness, God will hear us for Jesus' sake. Thus we read:

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" Hebrews 4: 16

A new born baby needs food for healthy growth and makes this need known in no uncertain way. Food is essential for growth and those who are born to a new life by baptism can only grow in Christ if the new life is fed and nourished by God's Word. So the apostle Peter writes:

"As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" 1 Peter 2: 2

We have been given the word of God in the Bible to be our ‘instruction manual’ that will guide us as we try to live our lives in the way that God wants us to live. Through the spiritual nourishment of His word we can grow up into that "new man" in Christ. Paul wrote to Timothy saying:

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" 2 Timothy 3:16, 17

The apostle Peter tells us that God is "not willing that any should perish" (2 Peter 3: 9), and in John 3:16 we read that God sent Jesus, His only begotten Son, so that "whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life".

God is willing to give us eternal life in His Kingdom and is preparing us now for that life. The keyword in what Peter writes is ‘belief’, we must have faith that what God has promised. He has provided all that we need and He will help us in every possible way, but we must respond by having faith and putting that faith into action in our lives. But if we truly love the word of God and want His Kingdom, that will motivate us to persevere despite our failings and the sometimes difficult path through life. There is no need for us to lose heart for God has provided in Jesus one who knows our difficulties and can mediate for us. Paul writes:

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Heb 4:14-16 NIV

These are very comforting words for we know that Jesus knows exactly what it is like for us and through Jesus we can come to God in prayer.

Help from Jesus

Jesus encouraged his disciples, saying to them:

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom" Luke 12: 32

These words apply just as much to the faithful disciples of Jesus today as it did to the disciples then. We can also gain great encouragement and comfort from the words of the prayer recorded in the gospel record of John, that Jesus offered to God for those who would believe in him. You can read it in John Ch. 17, notice the words of verse 24:

"Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me"

It was the desire of Jesus that all those whom his Father had entrusted to him would be in the Kingdom. We will be helped on the journey through life to the Kingdom of God. We will never be left to struggle alone, indeed we read that " The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them" Psalms 34:7.

Jesus is not only the Saviour through whom our sins are forgiven, he is also our High Priest [Hebrews 2:17] and mediator [1Timothy 2:5] an ever present guide through life. We can therefore trust that God having provided for all our needs, will prepare us, making us fit us for life in the Kingdom. Our commitment is to respond to His goodness by having faith and putting that faith into action in our lives. This the apostle Peter writes that we should trust our Creator, "Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7)

Belonging to a Worldwide Family

Paul writes:

"As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus" Galatians 3: 27, 28

It does not matter who you are, where you are, what your background, race or culture is; if you have truly become part of God’s family by responding to the true gospel message and being baptized into Christ, then you become part of a world wide family, that has spanned the ages right from the beginning. You have many faithful brethren and sisters you can read of in scripture and take an example form their lives and experiences [see Hebrews 11]. You will belong to a great family now and have brethren and sisters for companionship and encouragement throughout your life. It is a great joy to belong to such a family, who are to be found throughout the world. God is willing to adopt all those who desire to seek Him into His family, as His sons and daughters.

How then should we live our lives as members of this family? Well Jesus said to his disciples before his death, words still full of meaning for us today:

"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you" John 15: 12

Jesus showed his love for us in that he suffered death for us, John writes:

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends". John 15:13

Just as Jesus laid down his life for us, so, says the apostle John, "we ought to lay down our lives for our brethren" (1 John 3: 16). However although we know how we should behave towards each other, in practice it is very hard. Our old self takes a long time to die! Some of us are quick-tempered; some are moody and easily irritated - all of us have our faults.

It is these are things that we must fight against, as we try to show to our brethren and sisters in Christ the love that Jesus has shown to us. We are given a picture of what love really is, in 1 Corinthians Ch. 13. The KJV uses the word "Charity" which an old English word for "love". Of love we read:

"Love is patient and kind: love is not jealous or boastful: it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. RSV.

A lawyer once came to Jesus, and asked him which the greatest commandment was. Jesus said to him:

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" Matthew 22: 37-39

Jesus once told a parable which many people know quite well, about a man who was a good neighbour to an injured man and two who were not. Please read Luke 10:30-37. The lesson for us, is that if anyone is in need, particularly our brethren and sisters, we must help them. We are not to stop and think whether we like them or not, or whether they really deserves our help. If is within our power to help, then help we must. This is what showing love for others is all about - a real practical demonstration of love in our lives, this is putting faith into action. [ See also the parable of the sheep and goats and note what the ‘sheep’ are commended for doing Matt 25:32-46 ]

The greatest thing of course that we can do for others, is to pass on to them the Gospel message of the kingdom of God in which we ourselves have come to believe. As God has invited us to keep His ways and to share the joys of His kingdom, so we have a duty and indeed the privilege of inviting others to share these things.

When we are baptized into Christ, we become God's children, and we can come to Him in prayer, to worship Him and seek His help in our lives. Yet we must never forget how great God really is, for His glory and His majesty are beyond our understanding. We read:

"For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones" Isaiah 57:15

James writes that God "resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble" (James 4: 6). Even the Lord Jesus the Great King as he is, spoke of himself as being "meek, and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11: 29)

So when we come to God in prayer, we need to remember the words of the apostle Paul who says that we should "serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Hebrews 11: 28). If we come before God in this attitude and spirit, He will certainly hear us.

In this world we are constantly told we have rights and must fight for them. People are encouraged to be ambitious and assertive, indeed those who stand up for themselves are admired. The great question in everyone's mind is, "What can I get out of life?"

This is not the way for the Christian. Paul exhorts the church at Philippi: "In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves" (Philippians 2: 3). That is a hard thing to do, the exact opposite of worldly thinking. We all like to think we are a little better than the next man! But we are told, "By love serve one another" (Galatians 5: 13), and in this, as in all things, Jesus set the example for us to follow. Not long before his death, when he was sharing a last meal with his disciples, we read:

"(Jesus) laid aside his garments: and took a towel, and girded himself. After that, he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded" John 13: 4, 5

The washing of feet was a slave's work. Yet that is exactly what Jesus did, and afterwards he said, "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you" (John 13: 15).

Jesus served his disciples with love and lowliness, and we also must serve each other. If we do this, developing the right characteristics in ourselves by humble obedience to the word of God, then we shall be acceptable to God and be accepted into His kingdom. Thus we read "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5: 5)

We set out, when we are baptized, on the straight and narrow way that leads to eternal life in the Kingdom of God. But we are still human, prone to weakness and temptation, prone to going our own way and we can easily forget the great sacrifice Jesus made for us when he died on the cross.

Jesus knew our weaknesses and provided a means by which we can be reminded all he accomplished and of the gospel hope. Jesus told his disciples to eat bread and drink wine each week in remembrance of him. The bread representing his broken body upon the cross, the wine his poured out blood. If you turn to the Gospel of Luke 22:14-20 you can read of how Jesus instituted this weekly reminder. The bread and the wine were symbols to remind his disciples of how Jesus gave his life for them. He said to them, "This do in remembrance of me". The apostle Paul also wrote of this in his letter to the church in Corinth, we read:

"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup." 1Corinthians 11:23-28.

Note that Paul exhorts us to examine ourselves to see if we really are trying to live the sort of life that we should be doing, if we really are following the example of Jesus.

The early Christians met on the first day of each week to remember Jesus in the way that he had commanded them. True disciples of the Lord Jesus will also meet together just as the first disciples did (and usually Sunday is the most convenient day for such meetings), to break bread and to drink wine, remembering all that Jesus accomplished, remembering his life, death and resurrection and the resulting gospel hope.

As we grow up in Christ, remembering Jesus in this way will become more and more important to us as we grow in appreciation of the truly great and precious hope that we have.

SUMMARY

Walking in newness of life means:

• Reading God's Word every day: "The entrance of thy words giveth light: it giveth understanding to the simple" (Psalm 119: 130)

• Praying to God and praising Him at all times: "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Philippians 4: 6)

• Loving our brethren and sisters: "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God" (1 John 4: 7)

• Being considerate to other people, and helping them whenever we can: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them" (Matthew 7: 12)

• Not taking part in the ungodly activities of the world: "Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6: 17, 18)

• Above all else, loving God with all our being: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might" Deuteronomy 6: 5)

If you have completed this course you will have gained a basic knowledge and understanding of the gospel message. Knowledge brings responsibility  and you now have two options. The first is to ignore the message of the Bible and continue with your life unchanged. The second option is to respond by wanting to learn more, develop your  faith and show love for God your Creator,  by seeking His ways. Both options have an ultimate reward for as Paul writes:

"To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life.    But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger" Romans 2:7-8