To walk in newness
Believers are walking dead people who are alive.
Romans 6:1-23
It makes sense to celebrate his birthday because it was already written what Jesus Christ would accomplish, so, it makes sense to celebrate his ascension, which ended his earthly journey, not in death the way everybody else’s earthly journey ends, but in simply transporting himself in full view of his followers into heaven. That celebration might be the greatest of all celebrations because when Jesus ascended into heaven, that was heaven’s affirmation that he had accomplished everything he had come to do.
Now, according to Ephesians 1:3, “We have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,” right? And so, I think what happened here, I think the last thing Jesus said was blessing. He had given them the commission; that’s responsibility, that’s duty. But the final word is the word of blessing. What would he have said? “Everlasting grace is yours. Everlasting mercy is yours. Everlasting salvation is yours. Comfort is yours. Peace, everlasting peace is yours. I pledge to you my care, my love. I promise you all the things again that I have promised you all along. I am going to heaven to fulfil all my promises to you.”
It must have been an experience. It must have been beyond comprehension to have him now you know he is God incarnate. Now you know why he died and why he rose and that he is alive. And you understand the fulness of the Old Testament and all the prophesies fulfilled. And all your doubts are gone, and your faith is solid
He took his glorified humanity out of the grave. He lived for 40 days with those who loved him as a glorified God man. He then took his glorified manhood straight into heaven, all the way back to where he had come from in a completely different dimension than time and space. But he went back different than he had left. He had left as poor Spirit; he went back as pure Spirit and pure glorified humanity. No more just Spirit, but glorified humanity. And this is proof that heaven is a place which accommodates glorified humans, and it will accommodate us. “We will receive a body like unto his glorious body,” Philippians 3 says.
His ascension marked the start of his preparation for our heavenly home. In John 14, when they were all moaning and sorrowing over his leaving, he saw it so very differently. “Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also.” He is there preparing our heavenly home.
The ascension guarantees and secures his Second Coming. “He has been taken from you, but he will come in like manner as you have seen him go,” Acts 1:11.
He said that back in John. “I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you.” And he came in the form of the Holy Spirit who is pure Spirit and resides in us.
Wow. So, they did what anybody who loves him does, they exploded in worship, and praise.
Now they get it all. All the doubts are gone. All the fears are gone. All the questions have been answered, and they know he is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Saviour, the Redeemer, and they are ready now to preach the Gospel. If it costs them their lives, that is fine.
Now that to this day is the one thing that offends all people, to tell them that Jesus is God.
This is pure worship of the pure true God.
Let us turn our Bibles to the passage in Romans 6:4 'Therefore we are buried with him 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.
To walk in newness of life is not only to live a Resurrected life, a Released life, and a Revived life. It also that we should have a Righteous life.
According to the apostle Paul, when we were saved, we became spiritually identified with Christ in His death, His burial, and His resurrection. It was then that we died to our old life of sin, and we were spiritually resurrected to the new life we now have in Christ. This must cause us now to walk in newness of life, to live out in our daily living, the results of our salvation from sin.
To walk in newness of life means to live a Resurrected life.
The resurrected body of Jesus was new, different, and superior in quality compared to his former pre-resurrection body. It was free from all the aches, pains of the former body. It was created for life in heaven, not on earth. In the same way our life after salvation should be new, different, and superior in quality to our former life. It should be free from all the sinful and corrupt habits of the former life. It lives for heavenly things and not for earthly things anymore. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, 'if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.'
Is your life different now from what it was before you were saved? Do you still love the things that you loved before? If you are walking in newness of life, your values in life will be different. You will be more concerned with the things of God than the things of the world.
Before Christ saved us, we were all slaves to sin. Sin dominated our thoughts and actions like a hard and cruel taskmaster, and we were helplessly under its control. We served sin and suffered all that came with it: hatred, bitterness, deceit, strife, jealousy, rebellion, pride, and lust. But all that has now changed. Through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are liberated, delivered, and set free from its power. Although sin may still be present in our lives, its power over us is broken.
Those who are not saved, cannot live a released life, no matter how hard they may try, perhaps there may even be someone right here who is like that. Examine yourselves and ask this question: Do I still find myself helplessly under the power of sin? Is my life still controlled by sin? Please make sure of your salvation before this day ends.
We are saved are now alive to God. This is a Revived life. We were formerly spiritually dead, lifeless, and alienated from the life of God. But now, through Jesus Christ, we are made alive to God.
Those who are not alive to God have no ability to listen to God's Word, even though there may be nothing wrong with their ears. God's Word has no effect on their lives. They will often find it quite meaningless and hard to understand.
A person who is alive to God listens to Him when He speaks through His Word. He is ready to do His bidding. He takes God's Word seriously. Am I alive to God? Do I listen to Him when He speaks to me through His Word? Do I respond to Him readily?
God can use our transformed lives to bring people to commit their lives to Jesus Christ. God can also use our lives as tools to build up and shape the lives of other believers and to build up the church, the body of Christ. Knowing now what wonderful works God can do with our life, let us yield ourselves to Him as instruments of righteousness!
So, we are to put off the old walk, and put on the new life
Begins with a change of mind
Results in a change of conduct
Know your identity in Christ.
Father, we thank you for your truth. The Word never disappoints us. It always overwhelms us. It is consistent, available, thank you for the work of Christ. We want to be like those followers who worshiped, who obey with great joy, and who offer continual unceasing praise for this Gift of gifts, our Saviour, in His name I pray. Amen.
