CONCLUSIONS CONCERNING CHRISTIANS (part 3)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”  ( 2 Corinthians 5:17) . 

Introduction:  This is one of the most important verses in the Bible to show the changes that take place when a sinner becomes a Christian.  All Christians are in Christ – 2 Cor. 5:17a, All Christians are new Creatures – 2 Cor. 5:17b, All Christians have new Customs – 2 Cor. 5:17c. I have used these three principles throughout my ministry to clarify what it means to be a Christian. 

When I was eighteen years old I attended a church service for the first time. A friend invited me to an old-fashioned revival meeting, and I went every night for a whole week.  On the first night after the service, two young people tactfully showed me from the Bible I was lost and that if I were to die, I would go to hell. Since my mother had taught me that the Bible was true, I believed them. On the 5th day, way out on the ranch where no one could see me, I actually shed tears about what a bad sinner I was. (From the time  I was small, my dad never allowed us boys to cry.)  On the sixth night of the meetings I committed my life to Christ.  That night, no longer worried about going to hell, I slept like a baby. The next morning, I felt strangely different.  God had changed my life while I was sleeping. The Lord made me a new creature, though I didn’t know the phrase “new creature” was even mentioned in the Bible. My way of life was completely changed. Before that I had spent all my free time at the saloon with my friends, but I never went back. (The saloon was like a recreation hall, not only a place to drink, gamble, and dance, but also to play pool, play cards, and just generally “hang out.”) The next day, I wanted to go back to church, but since the special meetings had ended, there were no services until Sunday.

III.  ALL CHRISTIANS HAVE NEW CUSTOMS – II Cor. 5:17c

“Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (5:17c).

(Rom 6:4–6) “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.  ⁵ For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: ⁶Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

(Rom 7:6)  “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”

Romans 8:5-13 is a good portion of Scripture to explain the Christian’s battle for the body, which was discussed in part II. “⁵For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. ⁶For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. ⁸So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. ¹⁰And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. ¹²Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. ¹³For 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 5:8-13).

About 30 years ago, I was in an auto parts store waiting to get parts to take back to Guadalajara, where we were living at the time. There were about ten of us sitting on those round stools at the counter and a few more standing behind us, waiting our turn to get help. I noticed that the man sitting next to be was very figgety as he twisted back and forth on the round stool. Suddenly, he turned to me and said, “Brother! Brother! Do you have the Spirit?” Now, I appreciated the concern this gentleman had for me, but ccording to Romans 8:9, that was not a good question. Can you explain why? 

(Phil 3:7–9)  “⁷But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. ⁸Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,  ⁹And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”  (cf. I Cor. 1:30).

(Col 3:1–10) “¹If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. ²Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.   ³For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.  ⁴When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.  ⁵Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: ⁶For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: ⁷In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. ⁸But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. ⁹Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; ¹⁰And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” (cf. Heb 8:9-13).

(1 Pet 4:1–6) “¹Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; ²That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. ³For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: ⁴Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: ⁵Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. ⁶For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”  

“Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them” is a strange statement to many people.  When I was in the military in Europe, I was stationed on a base with about 10,000 soldiers. Most considered themselves to be Christians, but only about 80 attended the chapel.  I didn’t think they  had Christian customs. As a new Christian, I couldn’t understand why with 10,000 soldiers on the base, they had built the chapel to hold only about 400.   

When I gave my life to Christ, my friends thought it was strange that I didn’t hang out with them at the saloon any more. They said if I wasn’t careful I’d become a fanatic!  One said, “You are liable to end up being a preacher!” I thank God that for the past 65 years I’ve enjoyed being a friend and follower of the Lord.