Pat
Well-Known Member
Reminders and Final Thoughts: Born in Adam, Re-born in Christ.
Our human bodies were made for this earthly world. We have appetites that are satisfied with earthly things. We have strengths and talents that enable us to accomplish earthly tasks. We have minds that think of ways to use earthly tools to accomplish earthly dreams. We imagine ourselves as being self-sufficient and are again approaching the unlimited abilities of humanity, as exhibited at the Tower of Babel. Until God confused their common language and scattered them across the face of the earth, there was nothing mankind couldn’t accomplish according to that which they imagined. Genesis 11:1-9 As in all saved-by-works religions, the tower symbolized humanity’s attempt to reach God by their own human efforts.
When we became born again, we were made “new creatures.” “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 The word “new” in this context is defined as, “newly made, unprecedented, never used before.” Thus, we became tailored for a different, heavenly world. God did not re-make, re-build, or re-form us. He re-created us as something brand-new, fit for a spiritual world. It might be likened to the removal an original 72 cu. in., 40 hp engine from a V.W. and replacing it with a brand-new 632 cu. in., 1000 hp big block Chevy engine. The old V.W. body wasn’t designed to have that big of an engine, so you would have to learn to drive it differently than you were used to. The same is true of us now that we are “new creations.” Our bodies look the same, but we are brand-new spiritually, equipped with an all-powerful engine, which is the Holy Spirit. We must re-learn how to drive as the Holy Spirit teaches us to be Christ-like. Unlike man’s efforts to reach God at the Tower of Babel, God reached down to us and became a man to do what we could not do: Pay for our sin and sins by His death, and burial at the cross. Then He rose from the dead to give us forgiveness and eternal life when we believe it.
Final thoughts: Before we were saved, our conscience guided our behaviors by applying a list of do’s and don’ts. Once we were re-born, our conscience was replaced with the Holy Spirit, and the list became a person. This created a dilemma, because in the past, our conscience tried to reform the flesh to look good, but God says that there is nothing good in our flesh that can be reformed. Paul had the same problem saying, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” Romans 7:18 The answer lies in walking by faith as a new creature. “For without faith it is impossible to please Him.” Hebrews 11:6 “And the law is not of faith.” Galatians 3:12 Our struggle is no longer against the sins of the flesh, but to learn to walk in the Spirit, in fellowship with God on a moment-by-moment basis. Paul said, “This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16 Don’t try to make the flesh stronger. Fire up the new engine instead.
