| CHRISTIAN LIFE AND DOCTRINE | January 2004 |
A New Creature
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“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” |
THOSE WHO ARE RICHLY blessed by being ‘in Christ’ marvel at the wondrous grace of God which has made it possible for them, who were born in sin and shapen in iniquity, to become New Creatures. With joy they can testify in the words of the psalmist, “He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth.” “Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.—Ps. 40:1-3; 116:2
Very gratefully they recall and relate their being brought out of darkness into the marvelous light of Divine Truth. With thanksgiving they remember those early days, and the Father’s drawing power on their behalf (John 6:44), and that on their part there was the very necessary response of repentance (a change of mind), also conversion (the turning about).
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we make a grand start in the Christian life. At that initial stage we may not have even heard about a New Creature, or our need to be ‘in Christ,’ nor the terms of discipleship.
Those who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and yearn to be taught of Jesus—as he said, “Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart”—are in a very happy condition. (Matt. 11:29) Such humble, earnest, teachable ones are ready to be instructed in the Truth of God’s Holy Word and will. With such truly receptive hearts and minds, it is our great privilege, by Divine grace, to grow in grace and heavenly knowledge.
The Scriptures exhort us to “rightly” divide “the word of truth” (II Tim. 2:15), and it is a great day for all Truth seekers when they begin to read and meditate upon God’s Word, recognizing the time periods that are involved.
CONSECRATION
We are not to remain at the early condition of conversion, but are to truly become followers of Jesus, who said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) In proportion as we exercise faith in God and his Word, and wholeheartedly seek to know him and his will for us, the eyes of our understanding become more and more enlightened. It is then that we fully consecrate ourselves to God, which is our “reasonable service.”—Rom. 12:1
Having entered the course of full consecration—nonconformity to this world, and a transforming to the kingdom requirements—we have a wonderful experience. We read, “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness [when he said, ‘Let there be light: and there was light’—Gen. 1:3], hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”—II Cor. 4:6
Their knowledge is completely beyond the comprehension of the spirit of man, or of the world. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”—I Cor. 2:14
We learn, from the Scriptures, to sacrifice the interests of the flesh, and to develop the necessary Christlike character. God, now, is selecting and specially directing those who are willing and gladly desire to lay down their lives with Christ. These are going on from grace to grace; living not “after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”—Rom. 8:4
It is recorded, “We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22) “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (II Tim. 3:12) However, the Lord’s true people can reach that degree of development where they rejoice in the Lord despite all these experiences, while the desire and deeds of the flesh are being put to death. We know that for everything which we deny ourselves now, our Father gives us abundant compensation in our spiritual blessings and joys even here. Then we have all the unspeakable glories promised to his saints, awaiting us beyond the veil.
NEW MIND
It may be asked, how do those, whom God now recognizes as New Creatures, differ from what they were when conformed to the world? What have they now that they did not possess previously? The answer is, they now have a ‘new mind.’ The newly developed mind and will is the great difference.
Our mind is transformed by the power of God’s Spirit coming through the channel of Truth, the Holy Word. We now have the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, through the Word of Truth, to guide us in the way in which we should go. We are to mortify everything in us which is not fully endorsed by our new mind. (Col. 3:5) Everything that would hinder the growth of the New Creature must be deadened. Certain elements of the mortal body are to be destroyed, warred against at all times. Other qualities of the human body are to be utilized in the service of righteousness.
Our present privileged position is being in Christ; and ‘if any man be in Christ,’ he is not the same old creature, but a New Creature. We are being “transformed by the renewing” of our “mind.” (Rom. 12:2) A new mind is being formed in us, “begotten not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13, Wilson’s Emphatic Diaglott) “Of his own will [God’s will] begat he us with the word of truth.”—James 1:18
There is a special spiritual “treasure” being developed in an “earthen” vessel, “that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (II Cor. 4:7), and the deeds of the body are to be put to death. We are to put off, according to the former course of life, that old man corrupted by deceitful desires, and to “put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”—Eph. 4:22-24
DEVELOPMENT
To each fully consecrated child of God, it can be rightly said, “You have placed yourself in the Lord’s hands. You have asked him to help you to make your calling and election sure, and that you may be thoroughly fitted and prepared for the glorious heavenly inheritance which he has promised.” Development is a vital necessity for the New Creature, so our powers are to be turned in the direction toward which we are to be trained, under the Lord’s supervision.
If the grapevine, under the care of the husbandman, could reason and speak, it would probably say, “It is natural for me to develop an abundant supply of foliage and to throw forth branches and tendrils in every direction to support me.” But the wise husbandman vigorously prunes off these superfluous branches and tendrils that dissipate the strength of the sap, that develop only wood and leaves, and that cause the vine to cling to proper supports. The husbandman seeks for fruit—rich, abundant fruit—and everything which would hinder this attainment must be sacrificed. The vine would tend downward. The husbandman trains it to grow upward. So does our heavenly husbandman train his spiritual vine, that we may bring forth abundant fruitage to his praise.
In the parable of the vine, Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away [there is not to be any dead wood, or fruitless branches, in the true vine]: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth [or cleanseth] it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”—John 15:1,2
To have been accepted by the Lord as a New Creature in Christ some years in the past would seem, therefore, to imply a more or less regular growth in grace and heavenly knowledge, taking care to develop the required fruitage of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise our relationship to him would be forfeited.
Not only is this standing in Christ illustrated by growth in a fruitage of the Spirit, but also as the Apostle Peter wrote, “If ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”—II Pet. 1:8-11
“If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” (Rom. 8:13) In order to attain eternal life now held out to the faithful overcomers—“glory and honour and immortality” (Rom. 2:7)—we must conform ourselves to the instructions given us in the Holy Word. We are not able to do this in our own strength. This would be impossible. But our Heavenly Father has promised to work in us, while we work out our own salvation, and he is able to do for us “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.”—Eph. 3:20
It would be improper to think that, having come to the present moment of time, our trials and difficulties are now all over. It may be that God will yet allow different trials and tests to bring us closer to himself, and to purge out remaining dross of the fallen human nature. In allowing all these tests and trials to come to us the Lord is supplying all our needs, furnishing us with the very conditions we need to cleanse, purify, and develop the new mind, fitting us for the kingdom.
We need to become strong in faith. “Lord, Increase our faith,” is our prayer. (Luke 17:5) And thus praying, we need to use the means which God has designed for the fulfilment of this prayer. If our prayer is sincere, we will use those means earnestly. We will fervently seek the Lord in prayer; search to know his Word; endeavor to obey it; seek and enjoy his service; and be diligent to put on all the graces of the Spirit. This being our attitude, we shall be strong in the faith. We are called to joint-heirship with Christ beyond the veil; and, to be prepared for such an exaltation, we must be overcomers.
OBLIGATIONS
We now have obligations. The highest of all is to our Heavenly Father, and to his dear Son. We realize that all the wondrous Divine blessings are “of” the Father, and “by” the Son. (I Cor. 8:6) “We love him [God], because he first loved us” (I John 4:19), and we are to love him supremely. To do this we need to understand his character, and the great principles that are the foundation of his holy and righteous kingdom. If we love God, we are loving and appreciating those Divine principles.
Concerning Truth, and our Father’s righteous character, we find that the world is a dark place. Our Father’s character is blasphemed, and God-dishonoring creedal teachings are proclaimed, even by those who profess to be his children. If, therefore, we have love for God, we should be active and zealous for him, proclaiming the true Gospel, and rejoicing in a special sense as the Truth reaches those who have hearing ears, and are hungering and thirsting after righteousness.
At the present time we, as “ambassadors for Christ” (II Cor. 5:20), have opportunities as never before, of showing our love to God by shining “as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life.” (Phil. 2:15,16) When we are paying our obligations to our Father we, as New Creatures, are striving, as far as we can in these ‘earthen vessels,’ to be in line with God’s Spirit and character, and all the principles underlying his great name. In doing this, we shall honor and glorify our Father and his beloved Son. As New Creatures, every property of our body should be under the control of the new mind. This is our present mission. It is of vital importance.
Our development into the likeness of Christ includes doing “good unto all men,” as we have opportunity, but “especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Gal. 6:10) Our human body was once a slave to sin, and to the things of this world, but now we are to say, “This body belongs to the Lord; I must control it to his glory. I am determined to increase day by day my power over this body, that I may use it more and more fully in the service of my Master.”
It is our desire to pass on the Truth to others, and we learn to do this humbly, yet fearlessly, and in love. It has been well said that expression deepens impression. Whoever appreciates and speaks forth the glorious truths of the Divine plan, in love, will receive a blessing in his own heart and mind. In helping others, he will himself be helped. “He that watereth shall be watered also himself.”—Prov. 11:25
SPIRIT BIRTH
The beginning, development, and birth of the New Creature is likened to the beginning, and progress, of human life. As in the one case there is a begetting and later a birth, so also in the other. The consecrated are begotten by the Holy Spirit through the Word of Truth. Thereafter, they find themselves thinking and acting as the new, or transformed, mind prompts, even to the crucifying of their human desires. To these embryo New Creatures, old things—human desires, hopes, plans, ambitions—pass away, and all things become new. The New Creature continues to grow and develop as the human nature is crucified.
These two processes continue simultaneously from the time of consecration until the actual death of the human, and the birth of the spiritual takes place. Meanwhile, the Spirit of God quickens our mortal bodies enabling us to render acceptable service while the flesh is being sacrificed, and, while we are waiting for our new, or heavenly, bodies which will be adapted in all respects to our new spiritual minds. Then we will be equipped to participate in the glorious kingdom work of the millennium, that glorious restitution work “spoken by the mouth of all his [God’s] holy prophets.”—Acts 3:21
Finish Lord, thy New Creation;
Pure and spotless let us be;
Show us all thy great salvation—
Thine shall all the glory be.
Changed from glory into glory,
Till we see thine own dear face;
Till we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.
—Hymns of Dawn