The Old Creation Man came into existence when Adam sinned. The decision to join Eve in the rebellion opened the door for the entire mankind locked up in Adam to become sinners. It then means that the process of bringing a child into the world that would have been a pure and holy process, was corrupted and hijacked by the principle of sin that now works in Adam.
From this, you will see that the issue of sin and the issue of righteousness is not primarily about performance, but about inheritance. The inherited nature of sin supersedes any decision to do otherwise except for right actions that still fulfills the agenda of sin. That is why the first critical decision for everyone born of a woman is to be born again.
\”For as by one man\’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.\” Romans 5:19 KJV
What does it mean to be born again?
This is the only way to come out of the old creation where it is inherent to sin. Since the ability and propensity to sin was a result of a creation within the loins of Adam, so also the ability and propensity to be righteous is a consequence of a creation within the loins, so to say, of Christ. That\’s why Jesus made it clear to Nicodemus that the most important decision before him was to be born out of the old creation in Adam into the new creation in Christ.
Therefore, let us note that birth is the means by which we participate in the privileges or challenges of the realm into which we are born; and death is the means by which we escape the influences and consequences of the realm we were previously born into. Death and birth works in both ways, either in the realm of Light (LIFE) or in the realm of Darkness (DEATH). The realm in which you are alive determines the force and thrust of your life.
So, being born again offers a means of escape from the old creation that Adam unknowingly created by his act of disobedience. But to be born again, there has to be an exit from life itself. Death must occur. Hence, the need to understand what happens at New Birth. Regardless of your wealth or poverty of feelings, at the moment in which you are born again, spiritually speaking, you are declared DEATH in the old creation so that you can become BORN (again) into the New Creation.
Parameters of being a living sacrifice
Last week, we saw that the ONLY way to remain in the New Life is to offer up our whole being as a living sacrifice. That offering is what begins the process of sanctification in you. Yes, it is God that sanctifies but He can only sanctify what has been offered unto Him. What then are the parameters of this presentation?
Holy: to be consecrated or set apart unto the LORD. This consecration leads to purity of life. Therefore, it is our nearness to the LORD that separates us from defilements.
Acceptable unto God: this shows that there are things that are not acceptable to God. To be offered to the LORD is to become acceptable to Him. That is, the New Life is not hindered by an area of your life that is not surrendered.
Reasonable Service: serving the LORD does not begin by doing things for Him; it begins by being a living sacrifice. That is the only reasonable way to serve God. If this is missing in your life and you are \”serving\” God, then the only verdict of heaven is that it is an unreasonable service. Are you being unreasonable?
What are the settings of the New Creation?
In the New Creation, everything works by the Word and Spirit. These are the twin \”instruments\” (for a lack of a better word) by which we are settled and positioned in the Kingdom of God.
\”Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.\” John 3:5
A life that is fully immersed in the Word of God and the Holy Spirit is the life that can enter into the Kingdom of God. What does that mean? It means the actual experience of the New Life is not for the person who sees the kingdom but for the person that enters into Kingdom by submitting to the demands of God\’s Word and Spirit. So, being born again without being born of the water (Eph. 5:26) and the spirit can be likened to abortion or still birth. The New Life that was born was abruptly ended by refusing to continue to live in obedience to the Word and Spirit.
The experience of the New Life can be broadly divided into two:
1. the privileges (Life)
2. the responsibilities (service)
\”And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.\”
Romans 12:2
Both the privileges and responsibilities are experienced as we receive a renewed mind that opens us up to \”…good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.\”
Picture Credit: Living a vision
