Things Are Different Now

 

'I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.' Psalms 32:8

What is different now that you are a Christian? What changed the day you repented of your sins, accepted the salvation that Jesus Christ has to offer? Probably nothing dramatic. But in reality, a miracle happened to your body, mind, heart and spirit. You may not feel it nor realise it but things are different now.

• You are born again.

Nicodemus the Pharisee approached Jesus Christ one night wanting to be a follower, a part of Jesus' ministry. Jesus replied to Nicodemus' consternation,

'Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.' John 3:3

'Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh give to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.' John 3:5-6

The second birth is not physical but a spiritual phenomenon. Your spirit which was dead because of sin is now born again, a miracle happened.

• You are a new creation.

Paul the apostle wrote:

'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.'

Life takes on a new perspective. Instead of being anchored to worldly matter and the encumbrances of sin, put away your past life and habits and enter into a new relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The old ways die and a new life begins in a moment by moment renewal. With some detail, St Paul described this transformation:

'You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander and dirty language. Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.' Colossians 3:7-9 (NLT)

'Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.' Colossians 3:10 (NLT)

'Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothes yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.' Colossians 3:12 (NLT)

Your conduct changes, your behaviour is overhauled, the way you live is different; there is a new you!   

• You have a new mind

But it is not only your conduct and behaviour; the way you think will be different. There is an inner change too, your mind is transformed. 

'Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.' Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Consider this, using the renewed mind, you have the ability to discern God's thoughts and thus God's will. 

'For who can know the Lord's thoughts?.... But we understand these things because we have the mind of Christ.' 1 Corinthians 2:16 

• You have a new heart

Jeremiah the Prophet said, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9. But God knows,

'Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.' Psalm 139:23

    

God can change our hearts; a transformation of attitudes and values. 

'And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.' Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)  

• You have a new love 

At the last supper, Jesus Christ gave His disciples a new commandment,

'A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.' John 13:34

Love becomes the prime virtue in all your social interactions. Every new believer can have the capacity to love like Christ loves, unconditional, sacrificial and forgiving love. This is the distinguishing mark of every Christian, to love unreservedly. 

• You have a new spirit.

How can you change? How can you live this new life in Christ? At the last supper Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will come upon you and empower you. The Holy Spirit is our advocate, our helper, our counsellor. 

'And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit who will lead you into all truth.' John 14:16-17a (NLT)

'No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him. But it was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets.' 1 Corinthians 2: 9-10 (NLT)

'No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.' 1 Corinthians 2:11 (NLT)

So what is different when you become a Christian? John Piper concluded (Ref 1) "So, my conclusion is that we can say that Jeremiah 17:9 (the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick) is true of the human heart — all of them. But where God is applying the blood-bought purchase of the new covenant, there is a new creation. Sins are forgiven. Holy Spirit is poured in. New nature is brought into being. That newness consists in the presence of the heart-influencing Holy Spirit and in the new nature. You might call it the divine-like DNA that is more and more being conformed to Christ."

Things are different now.

 

Things Are Different Now,

Something Happened To Me

When I Gave My Heart To Jesus.

Things Are Different Now,

I Was Changed, It Must Be

When I Gave My Heart To Him.

Things I Loved Before

Have Passed Away,

Things I Love Far More

Have Come To Stay;

Things Are Different Now,

Something Happened That Day

When I Gave My Heart To Him.

Lionel

Ref 1: John Piper, Desiring God Interviews Apr 2020

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/is-the-christians-heart-deceitfully-wicked

A New Creation

 'And I will give you a new heart, and I will put  a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn  heart and give you a tender responsive heart.' Ezekiel 26:26 (NLT)

Saint Paul wrote when we received Christ as our saviour, we received new life!  

'This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!' 2 Cor 5:17 (NLT)

The King James Version of the bible renders this as 'a new creation.' 

St Paul went further in Romans 12 to state that we could offer our bodies as a living sacrifice and in exchange be transformed by the renewing of our minds,

'Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.' Romans 12:1-2a

In a sermon at Charis Methodist Church on the 18 April 2021, Bishop Solomon described this new life as a redemptive relationship with the triune God, a living relationship. He went on to expound on 3 truths of that relationship.

• A New Position - We develop a redemptive relationship with the Triune God. Romans 8:38-39 'For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.'

• A New Power - We are more than conquerors. Romans 8:37: 'No in all these things we are more than conquerors.' 

• A New Promise - We are co-heirs with Christ. Romans 8:16-17: 'The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.'    

Billy Graham mentioned seven gifts associated with this new life in Christ (Ref 1)

• A New Relationship. Once we were alienated from God because of our sins but now we are God's children, reborn into the family of God.

• A New Citizenship. Now we possess dual citizenship. We owe allegiance to our country but we are also citizens of the kingdom of God.

• A  New Family. We are now related to other believers, our spiritual brothers and sisters. We are never alone; we are a part of God's family, a family that loves us and will help us.

• A New Purpose. We used to live for ourselves but when we come to Christ, God gives us a new purpose. Now we want to life for Christ, not just for ourselves

• A New Power. God Himself comes to live within us by His Holy Spirit. We are not meant to live the Christian life all by ourselves. The Holy Spirit empowers us.

• A New Destiny. Once we were headed for hell; now we are headed for heaven. Once we were bound for eternal separation from God; now we live with Him forever.

• A New Journey. We are on to a whole new path, it is a whole new beginning; the beginning of a whole new life.

It is a Life of Service. The Bible speaks of this service as walking humbly with God. 

'What does not Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.' Micah 6:8

St Paul exhorted in Romans

'Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.' Romans 12:11-12

It is a Life in the Spirit. We are controlled by the Spirit of God no longer driven by our sinful nature 

'But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you.' Romans 8:9a

'Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.' Romans 8:5

C. S Lewis in 'Mere Christianity' wrote that man's pursuit of happiness without God is futile, "And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy."

To put it simply, Christian living is God's way of living; a life of true happiness and contentment. No wonder that we should ask God, to Create In Me A Clean Heart

Create in me a clean heart, O God

And renew a right spirit within me

Create in me a clean heart, O God

And renew a right spirit within me

Cast me not away from Thy presence, O Lord

And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me

Restore unto me, the joy of Thy salvation

And renew a right spirit within me

Lionel

Ref 1: Billy Graham, The Journey, Thomas Nelson, 2006