7.59 Growing up spiritually as a new creation
Today, we wrap up on this exciting series, “Christ in us the hope of Glory”. We have demonstrated that Christianity is not about keeping the law outwardly, but it is about being a new creation in Christ. When we are in Christ, He comes to live in us through His Holy Spirit. We begin to experience Christ in us - revealed through us.
This is the heart of Christianity – to abide in Christ and to have Him abide in us. The law was given as a tutor to bring us to Christ. Now that we are in Christ, we are no longer under the tutor. We have something better – Christ in us – His Holy Spirit.
Today, in the New Covenant, the key is to live in the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Bible contrasts the Old Covenant of law with the New Covenant in the Spirit. It tells us that Christ delivered us from the law (and the system of law) so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the law.
(Romans 7:6)
But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
Let me borrow an illustration from Peter Youngren, who has been ministering in Singapore over the last two days. Once, he broke his leg. It was a difficult time for him. He depended on his crutches. When he slept, he made sure that his crutches were nearby. It was the most important thing for him. Several months later, his leg recovered. He had grown attached to the crutches but he realized he no longer needed it. He had to start walking with his leg again. Walking with legs was better than walking with crutches.
The law is like the crutches for the sinner. It was a temporary solution to protect the sinner and to help him until Christ came. It was very important for 1,500 years under the Old Covenant. The people’s lives revolved around it. Like the crutches, it wasn’t the permanent solution. The solution was for Christ to come and to redeem mankind from sin – to transform them into a new creation.
When Christ comes to live in us as the new creation, we have to discard our dependence on the crutches of the law. But some Christians have grown so dependent on it. We are afraid to walk by faith as a new creation. We are afraid to depend on Christ who lives in us. So we hold on to the crutches and we never learn to walk in the Spirit. Some fight to hold on to the crutches against the doctor’s advice. Their legs never grow strong.
Today, the Bible so clearly tells us that we are to walk in the newness of the Spirit. We walk by faith as new creations in Christ. We allow Christ to be manifested in us and through us.
This is the heart of Christianity – to abide in Christ and to have Him abide in us. The law was given as a tutor to bring us to Christ. Now that we are in Christ, we are no longer under the tutor. We have something better – Christ in us – His Holy Spirit.
Today, in the New Covenant, the key is to live in the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Bible contrasts the Old Covenant of law with the New Covenant in the Spirit. It tells us that Christ delivered us from the law (and the system of law) so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the law.
(Romans 7:6)
But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
Let me borrow an illustration from Peter Youngren, who has been ministering in Singapore over the last two days. Once, he broke his leg. It was a difficult time for him. He depended on his crutches. When he slept, he made sure that his crutches were nearby. It was the most important thing for him. Several months later, his leg recovered. He had grown attached to the crutches but he realized he no longer needed it. He had to start walking with his leg again. Walking with legs was better than walking with crutches.
The law is like the crutches for the sinner. It was a temporary solution to protect the sinner and to help him until Christ came. It was very important for 1,500 years under the Old Covenant. The people’s lives revolved around it. Like the crutches, it wasn’t the permanent solution. The solution was for Christ to come and to redeem mankind from sin – to transform them into a new creation.
When Christ comes to live in us as the new creation, we have to discard our dependence on the crutches of the law. But some Christians have grown so dependent on it. We are afraid to walk by faith as a new creation. We are afraid to depend on Christ who lives in us. So we hold on to the crutches and we never learn to walk in the Spirit. Some fight to hold on to the crutches against the doctor’s advice. Their legs never grow strong.
Today, the Bible so clearly tells us that we are to walk in the newness of the Spirit. We walk by faith as new creations in Christ. We allow Christ to be manifested in us and through us.
posted by Joshua Lye @ 1:09 AM
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