Are you careful about the way you live? Are you concerned that you live a godly life that your life meets with God’s approval? Or are you somewhat careless about these things, perhaps even a bit reckless?
There is a great deal of worldliness in the church today. Worldliness in the church means that the members of the church live like the world. More and more it is becoming true that the daily life of the members of the church differs very little from the life of the world. This is true also of the young people in the church. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that this is especially true of the young people in the church today. From that viewpoint the theme of this year’s convention – Living in Newness of Life – is a very good one.
This theme is taken from Romans 6:4. In this particular passage the apostle Paul is answering an objection to the doctrine of justification by faith alone. In the preceding chapters Paul has demonstrated that we are not saved by our works. Our good works merit nothing. Our salvation is based solely on the meritorious work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Consequently, we are justified not by works which we have done but by faith alone in Jesus Christ. To that an objection was being raised. The objection was that this doctrine of justification by faith alone makes good works unimportant. If we are not saved by our good works, it doesn’t make any difference how we live. We can live any way we want. In fact, let us sin that grace may abound.
In response to this the apostle Paul points out that those who are justified by faith in Jesus Christ cannot live in sin. No, if we are justified in the cross, the result will inevitably be that we will walk in newness of life. And on that basis Paul admonishes the saints to walk in newness of life.
We must now also apply this to ourselves. Did Christ die for you? Did He earn salvation for you? Do you believe in Him? We claim that these things are true of us, don’t we? Then the call to us is that in the power of the cross of Jesus Christ we also must walk in newness of life.
I want to call your attention therefore to:
WALKING IN NEWNESS OF LIFE
- THE MEANING
- THE POSSIBILITY
- THE CALLING
- THE MEANING
Our convention theme speaks of “newness of life”. That’s the same as saying “a new life”. The Bible uses the expression “newness of life” to emphasize the idea of newness. “Newness of life” therefore simply means “a life that is new” or “a new life”.
Now a new life is a life that is radically different from what one has experienced before and a life that is far better. This can be illustrated by someone who has overcome the horrors of alcoholism or drug addiction. The life of the alcoholic is horrible. The result of the alcoholic’s continual drunkenness is that eventually his life falls to pieces. He loses his self-respect, his job, his friends, his health and many times even his family. The same is true of the drug addict. However, when a person is able in one way or another to overcome these things, it may be said of him that he has a new life — a life that is far different and far better than that previous life. In fact, many a former alcoholic or drug addict will use exactly that expression. As he is restored to his friends and family and finds that life is worth living again, he will often claim to have a new life.
In like manner we also are speaking of a new life. Although now we are talking about our spiritual life — our life viewed from the viewpoint of its spiritual direction and content. A new life is a life that is radically different not necessarily from the life that we have been living so far — although in some instances that may be the case — but a life that is radically different from the life of the world.
We need not go into detail describing the life of the world. The world had developed a certain life style. We see this life style of the world on the TV. We hear of it on the radio. We read of it in the newspaper and in books. It’s all around us. And it’s all characterized by sin! The life of the world is a life of wickedness. The thoughts and desires of the world are evil. Its goals and aspirations are an abomination to God. Its songs, its entertainment, its recreation, its speech, its dress are all evil. All that the world does is contrary to the holy will and law of God.
This is the way it’s been since the beginning of history. At the very dawn of history man fell into sin and became wicked and depraved. The result is that down through history man has lived a life of sin. This life of man we may call the old life.
But now the Word of God speaks of a new life. This new life is a life that is radically different from that old life of sin. It is a life that is diametrically opposed to the life of this world. From a spiritual point of view it bears absolutely no resemblance at all to the life of this world. And it is a life that is far better. It is a life of obedience to God, a life of godliness, a holy life, a life of service to the living God.
The theme of our convention speaks of walking in this newness of life.
To walk in something means to give yourself over to something so completely that it characterizes the whole of your life and conduct. I think we all know what it means when we say that someone walks in drunkenness. It means that a person has given himself over completely to the bottle. His life is ruled and controlled by alcohol. He is constantly drunk. There is one thing that especially characterizes him and which everyone recognizes him for — he is a drunk.
In like manner we must understand the idea of walking in newness of life. To walk in newness of life means that you give yourself over completely to living a new life of obedience to God. It means that you give yourself over so completely to living a new life that your whole life is characterized by the newness of obedience and godliness.
Walking in newness of life has both a negative and a positive side.
Negatively, to walk in newness of life means that you make a complete break with the sinful lifestyle of this world. Everyone more or less conforms himself to some sort of pattern or example. This is especially true of children and also young people. It’s common to speak of role models that young people follow. Many of the people that you are acquainted with conform their lives to the pattern of this world. They think the evil thoughts of this world. Their goals and aspirations are the godless goals and aspirations of this world. They entertain themselves with the wicked entertainments of this world. One, however, who walks in newness of life doesn’t do that. He repudiates the life of this world. He refuses to conform his life to the life of this world. He turns his back on the world.
Rather, and this is the positive element of walking in newness of life, he dedicates himself to living a new life of obedience and service to God. The person who walks in newness of life also patterns his life after something. He patterns his life after the Scriptures. With the Scriptures before him he seeks to conform his whole life to the commandments that God has set before us. He gives himself over to living a life of obedience to God. In fact, so devoted is he to this new life that everyone around him can notice that he is different. He doesn’t live like everyone else. He’s different. And the one thing that is so different about him is his devotion to his God.
Do you walk in newness of life? We ought to examine ourselves in this respect. Are we still clinging to the life of this world? Do we find the lifestyle of this world attractive, so attractive perhaps that we cannot turn away from it? Is there any real difference between the way we live and the way the world lives? And what do others say of us? Do they see any difference in the way we live? We often fall short, don’t we? All too often we walk not in newness of life but in the oldness of this world!
2. THE POSSIBILITY
Is it possible to walk in newness of life? This is a very important question to consider.
Of ourselves it is impossible to walk in newness of life. This is because we are by nature no different than the world. When Adam fell into sin at the dawn of history we fell with him. And so we along with the rest of mankind became spiritually dead, depraved and corrupt. As such all we are able to do is to conform our lives to the sinful pattern of this world. And that also explains why we are so much inclined to walk in the old way of sin. By nature we can do nothing else.
However, in Jesus Christ we are able to walk in this newness of life.
If we turn to Romans 6 where the theme of our convention is taken we find that mention is made of Christ’s birth, His burial and His resurrection. Not only that, but we read that when Christ died, we died with Him. And when Christ was buried as a seal upon His death, we were buried with Him. And so also when Christ arose again the third day, we also arose with Him. And this, we are told, is what enables us to walk in newness of life.
Let’s examine this more carefully.
When Christ died on the cross, we died with Him. This is to be understood in the light of verse 6, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him (i.e. Christ), that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin”. We died with Christ therefore in the sense that our old man was crucified with Christ. Our old man is our old sinful self. It’s the whole of our being as it became corrupt and depraved through the fall and is capable only of sin. That old man was crucified at the cross. The death of Christ means the crucifixion and destruction of our old man. And that is a figurative way of saying that on the basis of the cross, Christ works within our hearts and lives to deliver us from the power of sin so that it can no longer control us. Without this work of Christ we are depraved and under the dominion of sin. Without this work of Christ we are bound to the old life of sin that the world has been living down through the ages. But being crucified with Christ, sin no longer has dominion over us, no longer can control us. We are freed from the old life of sin!
But there is more. We must not only be freed from the old way of sin; we must also be enabled to walk in a new and holy way. And so we are also risen with Christ. And this too is figurative language. It means that in the power of His own resurrection Christ works a spiritual resurrection in our hearts and lives. This spiritual resurrection is called regeneration or being born again. In this spiritual rebirth or resurrection we are made spiritually alive from the dead. We receive the life which is from above. And that new life is the power to serve God, to keep His commandments. It is in the power of this spiritual resurrection that we are able to walk in newness of life.
3. THE CALLING
It is important that we understand all this. For then we can see clearly our calling.
It is our calling to walk in newness of life. We may not live just any way we desire. Nor may we live the old life of this world. The Scriptures everywhere call us to live a life of obedience to God, a life that is new.
And that is especially true of us who belong to Jesus Christ. For we have the ability in Christ to walk in newness of life. Not everyone has that ability. The ungodly outside of Christ do not have the ability to walk in newness of life. Nevertheless, that is still their obligation. No one has the right to live in sin. Everyone is called to walk in newness of life. But especially to us does that calling come. For we have the ability to meet the obligation in Christ. God sent His only Son to the horrors of the cross and raised Him up again the third day exactly that we may be delivered from the old life of sin and be enabled to walk in newness of life. It is a shame when the world which can do none else walk and live in sin. And for such a life they shall be judged one day. How much more a shame if we who belong to Jesus Christ continue in that old way of sin and fail to walk in newness of life!
Let us cling to Jesus Christ our Savior by faith that we may find the power of His death and resurrection to transform our lives into new and holy lives. We do that by making good and diligent use of His Word both in the house of God and in our homes. We do that also through diligent prayer. Through both the Word and prayer we are able to lay hold of the power of Christ to walk in newness of life.
Let us not neglect these things! Let us take heed to our walk! And let us walk in newness of life!