New Things
David Eldridge
A few short days ago we began a new year. This issue of The Water for Life begins a new volume in its publication. There are many things that this time of year
brings to us that are new. The Bible
speaks of some new things that it would do us good to be aware of. As we begin this New Year, note some new
things of the Bible.
New
Birth. In John 3:1-21 Nicodemus comes to Jesus by
night to ask Him questions. Jesus tells
Nicodemus in vs. 3, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God. This
perplexes Nicodemus as he asks in vs. 4, How can a man be born when he is
old? Notice Jesus answer in vs.
5. Jesus says, Most assuredly, I say
to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Jesus speaks
here of the new birth that one must undergo in order to enter Gods
kingdom. Friends, if we want to be a
member of Gods kingdom and dwell in Heaven eternally we must experience this
new birth. Jesus says one is born again
by the water and the Spirit. To be born
of the water is to be baptized immersed in water as an act of submission to
Gods will. To
be born of the Spirit is to be convicted and changed by the work of the Spirit,
the Word (cf. Eph. 3:3-5). Notice the
following passages. In Ephesians 5:26 Paul, in speaking of the church says, That He
might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word. The church (the redeemed)
are those who have been born again by the washing of water (baptism) and
the word (the work of the Holy Spirit).
To experience the new birth we must be born again by baptism (Titus 3:5)
and the Word of God (I Peter 1:23).
New
Man. The one experiencing the new birth is called upon to be a new man
having put to death the old man of sin.
In Ephesians 4:24
Paul encourages those born again to Put on the new man which was created
according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. The one buried with Christ in baptism is raised
to walk in newness of life as a new creation (Romans 6:4; II
Corinthians 5:17). This new
life is epitomized in righteousness and holiness. In Ephesians 4:25-32 we see some of the
characteristics of the new man being listed by Paul. Notice what he says of the new man. The new man is honest, even-tempered, a hard
worker, benevolent, edifying in speech, and kind to others in words and
actions. As one who has been converted,
we seek to do the good things of God instead of the wicked things of
Satan. By becoming Christians through
the new birth, we seek to fulfill the requirements of God as a new man created
in Christ Jesus to do good works (Ephesians 2:10).
New
Covenant. Jesus
Christ established a new covenant and ratified it with His blood. Notice what Jesus said of the cup that
represented His blood. He said, For
this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed
for many for the remission of sins (Matthew 26:28). We see that through His sacrifice the new
covenant was ushered in as the apostles referred to it as being what governs us
today (cf. II Corinthians 3:6). Because
this covenant of Jesus Christ is new, that means something else has become old
invalid and obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). The old covenant is the one that God
established with Abraham (Genesis 17) and his descendants with commandments
ultimately manifested in the Law of Moses.
This new covenant is based on the commands and grace of Jesus and is
available to all men not just Abrahams descendants. Notice that the new covenant had to be
established because the first one had a fault (Hebrews 8:7). Its fault was that it found fault with those
under that covenant with no provision made for true forgiveness (Hebrews
8:8). However, under this new covenant
we find forgiveness offered through the sacrifice of Jesus and the grace and
mercy of God (Hebrews 9:15). We should not look to the Law of Moses given
under the first covenant for commands leading to salvation, for it will not be
found. Jesus took that out of the way,
nailing it to His cross (Colossians 2:14)
and established a new covenant with a new law (Galatians 6:2).
New
Commandment. Part of this new covenant and that which the
new man will occupy himself with is a new commandment given by Jesus. In John 13:34
Jesus said, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as
I have loved you, that you also love one another. It is of great importance that Gods people
show love for one another. The reason
this commandment was new is because it was to be to a greater degree just as
Jesus loved us. The love of Jesus
towards us was manifested in a selfless, sacrificial way, even to the point of
His death on the cross. Jesus requires
us to love each other in the same way.
The apostle John said, My little children, let us not love in word
or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. (I John 3:18). It is not enough for us to say we love one
another, but we must show that love, even if it means making sacrifices for the
good of our brother. It is by this love
and its manifestation that Christ says, All will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35). Let us
fulfill this new commandment!