Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Passed away
2 Corinthians 5:17
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
The transformation of those who are in Christ is real. Often these days it doesn’t seem so with the emphasis on décor, performance, entertainment, photography and streaming, in so many of our Evangelical and Pentecostal churches.
There was a simpler time when there was a focus on those who have come to Jesus. We celebrated together, and we took time to listen to them share their testimony of how they met Jesus.
We listened to them tell of the life they once lived, and then tell of how they encountered the Jesus of the Gospel and how He changed their life. We’d watch them grow in grace and Knowledge of God. We’d show up to see them get baptised and we celebrate some more.
We’d sing – I have decided to follow Jesus; / I have decided to follow Jesus; / I have decided to follow Jesus; / No turning back, no turning back.
We gave life here to what Jesus said is going on in heaven, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:7
Every week at testimony time different persons would get up one after the other to tell of how Jesus was changing their life or of how they encountered them in a difficult situation recently. As brothers and sisters shared these testimonies we’d punctuate them by sing something like, “Since I’m serving Jesus I have no regrets, / I have no regrets / Jesus He never failed me yet / I stumble and fall He never failed me yet.”
This here is not an ageing man’s call for a return to the “good old days,” this, rather, is a recognition that we have lost focus on the transformative power of the Gospel. We have shifted our emphasis away from seeing people transformed by the Gospel and celebrating and supporting that.
We are losing people from our churches because we are not focused on what we are really here to do. To share the Gospel of Jesus in its transformative power to see people change, to see their old selves die. And, then to see their new selves grow in grace and knowledge of God.
In the pages of the New Testament, we have many examples from the Apostle Paul that give us insight into what was his real focus for the churches. Here’s an example, “[we] do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” Colossians 1:9-12
Our key verse for the last two days, 2 Corinthians 5:17, is very critical in this regard. The KJV and NKJV translators use the term “passed away” the same term that we use to describe death, to convey the Apostle’s meaning.
Some things really must die for us to be transformed and become faithful children of God. In this letter, the idea of this death was planted in verse 14 just above, “that if One died for all, then all died.” The doctrinal position is that because we, as Christians, are united with Jesus, both in His death and His resurrection, we are able to participate in this “new creation.”
Doctrine, however, needs some legs, some practical means by which the teaching becomes a reality of our experience. Our churches should be the place where doctrines find practical teaching and application in the lives of believers.
Here are some quick examples of the dying that is required for life as a new creation in Jesus. There must be death of the flesh, “those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:24.
Then there is the mind, our thought life is often the best internal measure of how much we are actually changing through the Holy Spirit. “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:2,3
That change of mind causes a change of conduct. The person who has died with Jesus and is now a new creation, with a new mindset, then behaves differently. “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3,4.
The big challenge to individual Christians and to our churches is that the spirit of the age is selfishness. That spirit is amongst us even in church. Church is now designed to satisfy our individual desire to feel good. This feeling good is even more important than worshipping God. For example, if the music was right and worship leader on point and we felt good, we declare that the worship was good today. That is a comment about our feelings not about God’s response. Even though, ostensibly, the worship was for Him.
It is when we die to self, when our sinful desires and passions pass away, that we are alive to God and really live as that new life takes over. That is when the vitality of relationship with Him and with each other comes alive. That is when we are authentic. That is reason for people to stay in fellowship.
Think on these things:
- Have you ever thought through and written out your personal testimony?
- What is the most drastic change in your life as a result of encountering Jesus?
- What things in your life have died as you have walked with Jesus?
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that we would continue to experience transformation by the Spirit of Christ and to celebrate that transformation in others.
In His Grace
Pastor Alex
