Thursday, January 02, 2014

Newness of Life

NEWNESS OF LIFE

Rom.6: Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Ps.126: When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

We have experience the new car phenomenon. The smell, the ride, the gadgets, and just the newness captures our fancy. But it doesn’t take too long before that new car thing dissipates, and eventually the newness factor is no longer there. It is now the same old car we drive every day.

And that is how most Christians experience their faith and their walk with Christ. It was once new and full of wonder. But eventually we got used to it and now is somewhat old hat. The cares of this world, the atmosphere of church, the battle of politics, and just the general way in which everyone lives their faith have all affected our own walk and newness of Christ. And now spiritual autopilot has taken over.

But we can still be restored to that freshness, that newness, and that sense of wonder concerning all the things of Christ. He that sits upon the heavenly throne said, “Behold, I make all things new”. And if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. All things are becoming new. It is time we reclaimed that wonderful feeling of newness about our Redeemer. The grave clothes of this world have silently attached themselves to areas of our life, and even though we still love and profess Jesus Christ there isn’t that sense of newness.

In March of 1975 I was born again. I was a green as green could be, but Jesus had come into my life and everything was different. I felt different. I saw people differently. I read the Scriptures and saw new things all the time. I no longer thought about things I used to. Life itself was different. All things to me were new and fresh. I had been dead but now I was alive.

I am asking the Spirit to restore that freshness and newness once again in my life. I pray you will do the same. I am going to take the entire month of January and read continually the words in red in one of my Bibles. I want to completely consume the words of Jesus and pray diligently that the newness of Christ will explode in my life. There is no reason we should walk in a redundant mantra which is void of the effervescence that should be a part of a follower of Jesus’ life. As the Psalmist says our faith and vision of our Savior should be so real and profound that we walk as if we were in a dream!

May God anoint our efforts and glorify Himself in them so that Christ may be manifested throughout our entire life.
Let us fall in love all over again!

3 comments:

Lorena said...

"Let us fall in love all over again!"

Amen to that!!

Anonymous said...

Second Amen.
J.

Annette said...

This is beautiful; another reminder of the newness of life lived only in Jesus Christ.

Oh, to be able to speak His Name freely and worship Him wherever we may be; what liberty we have in the soul and spirit.

There are times, Pastor Rick when your posts cut the heart wide open. May the exposure continually Glorify our LORD, even amidst our utter imperfections. Praise Jesus.