New Life in Christ

Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:8-14

One of the top news headlines in recent days is that the woman that accuses Judge

Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct has come forward to identify herself. Christine Blasey Ford a professor at Palo Alto University says that Judge Kavanaugh sexually groped her at a party when they were in high school some thirty-five years ago. She says that she feels a “civic responsibility” to speak out about the Supreme Court nominee. Dianne Feinstein the highest ranking democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee states: “from the outset, I have believed these allegations were extremely serious and bear heavily on Judge Kavanaugh’s character.” This article does not seek to resolve the political and legal issues that are being raised about the judge’s nomination. Rather, I believe that this issue gives the church reasons to study the scriptures about the Christian’s new life in Christ.

Now, these allegations raise two questions in my mind. First, can one incident in the life of a person define who that person is at the present time? Second, is the character of a person static and unchangeable’ or is it possible for one’s character to be dynamic and changeable? These questions are important to Christians because they not only say something about the accused person, but also about our theological assertions about God’s power to make a real change in the life of a person.

When we look at the scriptures do they support the idea that a person’s character today necessarily remains the same as it was thirty-five years ago? What do the scripture mean when they talk about new life in Christ? When the scriptures inform us of God’s grace and mercy does this mean that God gives us another chance to do the same thing again, or does grace and mercy mean that God gives us another chance to get things right? Paul addresses this issue in Romans 6. Paul asks: “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it” (Rom. 6:1-2, NASB)? Let me share this experience with you.

About three years ago I am working as a substitute teacher at one of the high schools in the public school system. On this day as the classes are changing some of the students are very loud and acting out instead of getting into their seats and preparing themselves for class. I quietly say to one of the young men: “Why are you acting this ways instead of getting ready for class?” The young man becomes angry and says to me: “I’m alright. God made me this way, and I’m alright.” Now, I do not respond because I am a substitute teacher in a public school. The young man raises a theological issue, but this is not the time and place for me to pursue the issue. Let me say that there are a lot of people that believe the same way that this young man believes.

This belief is as old as the writings of Paul in his letters to the churches in Rome, Ephesus, and Colosse. This belief is known as “antinomianism”. It means “against the law.” It is the belief that there are no moral laws God expects of Christians. This belief is unbiblical. The New Testament writers tell us that we are no longer under the Law handed down through Moses because Jesus has come, and He fulfilled the Law by dying on the cross. Now, we are under the law of Christ. It is the law of love that commands us to love God and our fellow man (see, 1 John 5:1-3; Matt. 22:37-40). Note that in the Old Testament the Law and the prophets are based upon these two commandments. Now we no longer strive to follow a written code. Instead the law of Christ is written on the hearts of the believer.

I stated earlier that antinomianism has been around as early as the writings of Paul and other New Testament writers. In order to combat this belief they write to encourage; and yes even command the church to live a new life in Christ. They are to denounce their old way of life with its immoral practices and live according to the commands of Christ as they are empowered to do so by the power of the Holy Spirit. Here are a few scriptures to help us grasp this teaching.

The scriptures tell us that we are expected to live a new life in Christ. First, Christ died to give us a new identity (2 Cor. 14-15). Further, Paul writes to the church at Corinth these words. “Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:16-17, NASB).

Secondly, there are new expectations of the believer. Paul describes the expectation that believers are to change. He writes: “In reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Eph. 4:22-24, NASB). Paul also writes: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2, NASB).

Thirdly, our new life in Christ calls us to a new lifestyle. This new lifestyle calls us to seek and desire the things of Christ. We are not trying to earn salvation by obeying some moral code. Instead, we have a new heart with new desires. Paul writes, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2, NASB) In addition, Paul writes, “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry” (v.5). Having put off the old man Christians have “put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him” (v. 10). So, we may ask, how does all of this take place? Can we expect everything to change instantly? If not, how long is the process? Let me begin by sharing my experiences when I first enlisted into the United States Army. Bear with me. I think that you will get the picture.

I enlisted into the army on August 23, 1967. I was discharged August 7, 1971. I can assure you that although I am still the same person that I was on August 23, 1967, those three years, eleven months, and fifteen days shaped me into becoming a different person in many ways.

I take the oath to be a soldier in the army of the United States of America. When the oath is completed on that August afternoon I am no longer a civilian. I belong to Uncle Sam, the United States government. I have surrendered authority over my life into the authority of the army. Although a casual look at me one sees no difference, I am a changed man and a process is begun to bring about necessary changes that are needed for me to become an effective soldier in Uncle Sam’s services.

I arrive at Fort Jackson, South Carolina about ten o’clock at night. I am in processing for about four hours, filling out several papers. I am very tired and sleepy, but I no longer have control over my schedule so I cannot go to bed. I am released from processing and sent to the barracks to get some sleep at about two o’clock in the morning. They wake us up at four o’clock, tell us to get dressed and load the bus. We are taken to a large building where they tell us take off our civilian clothes. We are fitted with military clothes. Things are beginning to change. Next, they take us to the barbers who cut off all of our hair. Now we are all dressed alike and all of us have the same skinned head hair style. We are taking on a new identity. They take our pictures and give us a card that identifies us as soldiers in the U. S. army.

The next eight weeks are spent in basic training to equip us with skills that we will need as a soldier. We are restricted to the military base for the first four weeks. After four weeks we are allowed to go into town on the weekends. The places that we are allowed to go in Columbia, South Carolina are also restricted. During this whole process of basic training they are shaping our minds to think like a soldier. I serve eighteen months in Viet Nam, and I serve seventeen months in Japan. During these almost four years of service I become a changed person. Some of the things that I had thought were cool now seem foolish and immature.

Over the seventy years of my life I have changed my behavior in many ways. I think, feel, and act differently. I have new priorities, and my values, ethics, and morals, and religious perspectives are modified and changed. I do not believe that you can accurately judge me today based on who I was in high school. In the same way, I know that when we surrender our life into the hands of Jesus Christ, there are going to be some changes.

The scope of this article is not large enough to review all that the New Testament writers have written about our new life in Christ. I hope that the readers will be inspired to read more and be encouraged to be more like Christ. Remember these words of Paul. “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1, NASB).