The New Life, Inc.

Two Ways 

Every day we are confronted with decisions. One of the major decisions we have to make moment by moment is am I going to go God’s way or am I going to go my way.

God’s way is narrow and often difficult for us. Our way is broad and self-satisfying.

The baptism of water, as I understand it, is a decision to follow Jesus and become united with Him in His death and resurrection. Through that simple little act of faith, we join Jesus on the cross where the old man (the sin nature) is put to death. We are buried with Jesus and we rise with Him in newness of life.

A friend of mine that has now gone on to be with the lord often spoke about us spending our time in the graveyard digging up the old man and trying to straighten him out. We would put a new suit on him and send him to church and try to make him act like a holy man. He made the comment that we should just leave that old man buried in the graveyard and go on living a spiritual life in the kingdom of God as a new man in Christ.

I use this little teaching from my friend because this is the important decision we must make moment by moment, following Jesus into newness of life or spend our time in the graveyard. If we follow Jesus, we are living in the kingdom of God that is in us. If we are going our way, we are in the graveyard with all the other dead people.

Another comment this friend often made, “We minister what we are!” 

If indeed we are in the kingdom of God, life is coming forth from us moment by moment. If we are in the graveyard, we are constantly ministering death to those around us. If we are filled with life, we minister life. If we are filled with death, we minister death!   

Childish Ways

1 Corinthians 13:11   “When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.”

In the spiritual realm, I think most of us are like children trying to find our way in a strange land. It has been about fifty years ago that I first experienced spiritual life and encountered Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. I think there are still a number of childish things that I need to see and put behind me.    

I have learned to be a people watcher.  One of the things I noticed is how quickly people can turn from adult to child.  One moment we act as an adult and the next moment we are acting like children. I guess we have not put away all our childish things. I think I can see childishness in others much more quickly than I can in myself.  If someone else was to point out some childish act or reaction in me, I would not accept it very graciously.  Would you?

A little situation that happened a few years ago:  I inadvertently spoke to a person and said they might help another person that had some childish ways. The other person heard and as they walked out the door, this person said in a very childish way: “I am not a child!”

I am slowly learning to keep my mouth shut at times.  That remark made a difference in our relationship. From that point on, we were not as close. You might ask, “What does this have to do with spiritual growth?”

Two things: We learn to speak as a spiritual person weighing and testing everything we say as to how it is going to affect the people around us and our relationship with them.  And we need to see the childish ways that remain in us, so that we can put them away.

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you if any childish things remain; in your relations with people around you; your relationship with God; or even in your relationship with yourself.  You might be surprised what the Holy Spirit shows you.