I. THE NEW LIFE
"For God so loved the world, that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but
have eternal life." -- John 3:16
"For ye died, and your life is hid with
Christ in God. Christ is our life." -- Col. 3:3,4
"We declare unto you the life, the eternal
life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us. God gave unto us
eternal life; and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath the
life." - 1 John 1:2,11,12
How glorious, then, is the blessing which
every one receives that believes in the Lord Jesus. Not only does there come a
change in his disposition and manner of life; he also receives from God out of
heaven an entirely new life. He is born anew, born of God: he has passed from
death into life. (John 1:12-13; 3:5,7; 5:24; 1 John 3:14; 5:1)
This new life is nothing less than Eternal Life.
(John 3:15-16,36; 6:40,51; 6:25-26; Romans 6:11,23; 8:2; 1 John 5:12,13)
This does not mean, as many suppose, that our life shall now no more die, but
shall endure into eternity. No: eternity life is nothing else than the very
life of God, the life that He has had in Himself from eternity, and that has
been visibly revealed in Christ. This life is now the portion of every child
of God. (1 John 1:3; 3:1, 5:11)
This life is a life of inconceivable power.
Whenever God gives life to a young plant or animal, that life has in itself the
power of growth, whereby the plant or animal as of itself becomes large. Life
is power. In the new life, that is, in your heart, there is the power of
eternity. (John 5:10,28; Heb. 7:16,29; 6:25,26; 2 Cor 7:9; 8:4; Col. 3:3-4;
Phil. 4:13) More certain than the healthful growth of any tree or animal is
the growth and increase of the child of God, who in reality surrenders himself
to the working of the new life.
What hinders this power and the reception of the
new spiritual life is chiefly two things. The one is ignorance of its nature,
its laws and workings. Man, even the Christian, has of himself not the least
conception of the new life that comes from God: it surpasses all his thoughts.
His own perverted thoughts of the way to serve and to please God, namely, by
what he does and is, are so deeply rooted in him, that, although he thinks that
he understands and receives God's word, he yet thinks humanly and carnally on
Divine things. (Jos. 3:4; Isa. 4:8,9; Matt. 16:23) Not only must God give
salvation and life; He must also give the Spirit to make us know what He gives.
Not only must He point out the land of Canaan, and the way thither; we must
also, like the blind, be led every day by Himself. The young Christian must
try to cherish a deep conviction of his ignorance concerning the new life, and
of his inability to form right thoughts about it. This will bring him to the
meekness and to the childlike spirit of docility, to which the Lord shall make
His secret known. (Ps. 25:5,8-9; 143:8; Isa. 42:16; 64:4; Matt. 11:25; 1
Cor. 1:18-19; 2:7,10,12; Heb. 11:8)
There is a second hindrance in the way of faith.
In the life of every plant and every animal and every child there lies
sufficient power by which it can become big. In the new life, God has made the
most glorious provision of a sufficient power whereby His child can grow and
become all that he must be. Christ Himself is his life and his power of life.
(Ps. 18:2; 27:1; 38:3; 34:8; John 14:19; Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:3,4) Yet,
because this mighty life is not visible or cannot be felt, but works in the
midst of human weakness, the young Christian often becomes of doubtful mind.
He then fails to believe that he shall grow with Divine power and certainty.
He does not understand that the believing life is a life of faith whereby he
reckons on the life that is in Christ for him, although he neither sees, feels,
nor experiences anything. (Hab. 2:4; Matt. 6:27; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb.
10:38)
Let every one then that has received this new
life, cultivate this great conviction: it is eternal life that works in me: it
works with Divine power: I can and shall become what God will have me be:
Christ Himself is my life: I have to receive Him every day as my life given by
God to me, and He shall be my life in full power.
O my Father, who hast given me Thy Son that I may have life in
Him, I thank Thee for the glorious new life that is now in me. I pray Thee,
teach me to know aright this new life. I will acknowledge my ignorance and the
perverted thoughts which are in me, concerning Thy service. I will believe in
the heavenly power of the new life that is in me: I will believe that my Lord
Jesus, who Himself is my life, will by His Spirit teach me to know how I can
walk in that life. Amen.
Try now to apprehend and appropriate the
following lessons in your heart; --
1. It is eternal life, the very life of God,
that you have now received through faith.
2. This new life is in Christ, and the Holy
Spirit is in you to bring over to you all that is in Christ. Christ lives in
you through the Holy Spirit.
3. This life is a life of wonderful power.
However weak you may feel, you must believe in the Divine power of the life
that is in you.
4. This life has need of time to grow in you
and to take possession of you. Give it time: it shall surely increase.
5. Forget not that all the laws and rules of
this new life are in conflict with all human thoughts of the way to please God.
Be very much in dread of your thoughts, and let Christ, who is your life and
also your wisdom, teach you all things.