“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Ephesians 4:24 KJV
So, you have heard the good news of salvation in Christ Jesus and the message has stirred your heart. You have become convicted of your sins and believe with all your heart that “Jesus Christ is the Son of God” Acts 8:37 KJV. You decide to surrender your life to Christ and be baptised, choosing to become a disciple of Jesus and walking along this new path that God has laid out for you to follow. But what does this all mean? What does it mean to “walk in the newness of life?” Romans 6:4 KJV. Who is the old man? and what has happened to him? All these and more are the questions we sometimes have when we first accept Christ and to have a better understanding of these principles, would help to cement in our mind why we decided to follow Christ and why we continue to endure despite the many difficulties and afflictions.
For by grace are we saved through faith, says Paul, and not of our own works, lest any man should boast. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, was sent to us as a gift, that we might have eternal life in Him and be saved from our sins, if we believe. Ephesians 2:8; Romans 6:23 KJV; John 3:16 KJV.
When we accept by faith the righteous merits of Christ and His atoning sacrifice for our sins and we are baptised into Christ, we are baptised into His death. As Christ died upon the cross and was laid in the tomb, so we, when we are baptised into Him, we die symbolically. The old man is dead, the fleshly nature is deceased as Christ in His human body also died.
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptised into Jesus Christ were baptised into his death? Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death…”
Romans 6:3-4 KJV
As Christ died in the flesh, so are we to die to the natural, fleshly, sinful nature which we inherited from our first parents, Adam & Eve, Romans 5:12 KJV. But this death is not just a one-off event, this death is a continuous dying to self each and every day. Notice the words of the Apostle Paul:
“…I die daily.”
1 Corinthians 15:31 KJV
However, Christ did not stay dead forever, said the angel at the tomb, “He is not here, He is risen” Matthew 28:6 KJV. Therefore, “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.” Romans 6:3 KJV.
The old man has been crucified as Christ was also crucified and as He also rose again, so we also rise a new man, a new creation. Says the Apostle Paul, “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are made new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV. It is no longer us that lives, but Christ that lives in us, both to will and to do of His good pleasure in our lives.
It should be noted that because of the death of the old man, sin no longer has power over us. Christ’s death and resurrection broke the chains of bondage to sin and guaranteed that in Him, that is, in Jesus, we can have the victory over sin; through Christ we have been set free from sin.
“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin…. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”
Romans 6:6-7,18 KJV
This is all good news. But the question begs to differ, how am I to live now that the old man is dead?
Well as mentioned before, this dying to self and casting off of the old man, is a daily process; we must “die daily”. We must continuously put to death the fleshly nature through the strength of Jesus, for in us dwelleth no good thing, however, we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us. Romans 7:18 KJV; Philippians 4:13 KJV.
The new man is guided by the Spirit of God.
As we make that daily surrender to Christ in prayer and devotion and invite God’s Spirit into our lives, He comes in to dwell in our hearts and our minds, to lead us and direct us in the way which we should go. In the Psalms, God says, “I will instruct thee & teach thee in the way which thou shalt go, I will guide thee with Mine eye.” Psalms 32:8 KJV. God will teach us to do His will and His Spirit will direct us.
The children of God are led by His Spirit and when He leads us we are to walk in the way which He directs. No matter how rocky the path may look, no matter the trials and afflictions we may face on this Christian walk, let us remember Romans 8:28 KJV, ” …all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.“
As we are led by God’s Spirit we will be transformed into the image of Christ, reflecting His character to this dark and sinful world; by beholding Christ, we will become like Him in character. This is true Bible Christianity, not that which we see today.
“He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.”
1 John 2:6 KJV
We must live as Christ lived, we must walk as Christ walked. This is the characteristic given in the Bible of a true Christian, and the only way that we can live and walk like Christ is if we die to self daily, putting to death afresh the old man and walking in the newness of life being led continuously by the Holy Spirit.
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth”
1 Peter 2:21-22 KJV
Christ left us an example. We are to follow in His steps. Living as He lived, walking as He walked. Putting away sin from our lives by the power that He has promised unto us, and walking in the newness of life. May we ” put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
This is what it means to be a new creature. This is what it means to put to death the old man and to put on the new man. The question is are we still living as the “old man” or are we striving daily to live as the “new man”. Maybe you have been a Christian for many years, and all these concepts seem to new to you or maybe you are not a follower of Christ but you aspire to be deep down in your heart. Think upon these things friends; put off the old man, put on the new.
Loud Cry Compendium
Loud Cry Compendium 