Old things have passed away; all things become new
2 Cor 5:17: ‘therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold all things are become new’
Q: How do you become a new creature in Christ?
A: By believing the Gospel (good news) of the Man, Jesus Christ (Rom 1:16 … gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth…)
Q: What is the Gospel?
A: Rom 1:1-6 ‘Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle of God, separated unto the gospel of God (which He had promised afore by His prophets in the holy scriptures,) concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: by whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for His name: among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ.’
1Tim 2:-3-6 ‘…God our Saviour who will (wills) have all men saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.’
1Cor 15:1-11 ‘…I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you which also ye have received and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures; and that He was seen of Cephas (Peter), then of the twelve: after that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that He was seen of James then of all the apostles. And last of all He was seen of me also as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles that am not meet to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I but the grace of God was with me. Therefore whether it were I or they so we preach and so ye believed’
Q: What happens after belief in the gospel?
A: Given a new nature after the Holy Spirit of God the Father. 2 Cor 5:17 ‘therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold all things are become new’. Eph 1:13 ‘In whom (Christ) ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory.’
Holy Ghost is given to us: Rom 5:5 ‘And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.’
Righteousness is imputed into us (Rom 4:22-5:1)
Forgiveness of sins (1Cor 15:3)
Indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9-27)
Created for good works (Eph 2:1-10)
Washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost
‘We are buried with Him (Jesus Christ) 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.’ (Rom 6:4)
Children of God (Gal 3:26; 4:6)
Members of the Body of Christ-the Church (1Cor 12:13-14)
Become a spiritual baby which need feeding, cherishing and teaching how to live and grow and become mature spiritually to a perfect man, the stature of the fullness of Jesus Christ (Eph 4:11-15)
Q: How do I grow to be a perfect man, to the stature of the fullness of Jesus Christ?
A: Growth in the doing–believe the scriptural doctrine (teaching) and because of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, you are enabled to live it out.
Pray (ask) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of His calling and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also that which is to come and hath put all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.’ (Eph 1:17-23)
Pray (ask) the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’ (Eph 3:13-19)
‘Continue in the faith, grounded and settled and be not moved away form the hope of the gospel (the return of the Lord: Tit 2:13) which ye have heard…’ (Col 1:23)
Read, Read, Read and study the Scriptures ie the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the New Testament, especially the letters of Paul to the churches, namely, Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and 1&2 Thessalonians in that order! ‘But continue thou ( Paul writing to Timothy, a minister) in the things thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine (teaching) for reproof (conviction) for correction for instructions in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect (fitted) thoroughly furnished unto all good works.’ (2Tim 3:14-17). Furthermore: ‘Study ( be diligent) to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’ (2Tim 2:15). ‘rightly dividing (cut) the word of truth’, is extremely important because one can get error from the Scriptures if wrongly divided (cut). (A new page dedicated ‘to rightly dividing the word of truth’ is planned)
Having rightly divided the word of truth and understood its call to action, then trust and obey what it says. The Scriptures are written for our good. As Paul writes in Eph 4:21-24 ‘ If so be that ye have heard Him (Christ) and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus, that ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’
‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.’ (Col 3:16)
Prayer
Q: Who are you praying to?
A: God the Father, the only true God (John 17:1,3; 1Cor 8:6)
Q: What is prayer?
A: Spending time in the presence of God
Q: What can this time spent include?
A: The following:
- verbal gratitude and /or thanksgiving
- praise and/or singing
- posture eg lifting hands, head, bow down, prostration
- confession
- requests for others
- requests for self
- still/silent waiting to hear if spoken to
- seeking God’s will for what to pray–not ‘my will’
- recognising the help of the Holy Spirit
- Scripture study and prayer
- praying in the Spirit ( Eph 6:18)
- Paul’s prayers in Ephesians and Colossians (Eph 1:16-23; 4:14-21; Col 1:9-22)
- baptism in the Holy Spirit–praying and singing in the Spirit
- prayer and fasting
The local church body meeting together for worship, meals and breaking of bread
The church at Corinth is an example. (1Cor 11:17-30)
Generosity
Looking after others (2 Cor 9)
