God's Promise of Newness

Introduction: The book I hold in my hand is called by many names: Holy Bible, God’s Book, Scripture, Inspired Word, Sword of the Spirit. It could also be referred to as God’s Promise Book. Surely we know that our God is a Promise Making God and He is a Promise Keeping God. We can trust His promises. We can trust His Word.

One of my favorite verses of Scripture is found in , “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ!” That’s a marvelous statement. It means that because of what God has done in Christ we can depend on all of His promises. We can stand on His promises. We can live by His promises. Because of His promises we have hope in a world where hope is often scarce. We can trust His promises...we can trust this book!

Illust. I recently read a horrible story that is difficult to get out of my mind. It is about a man who loved his son dearly, but maimed him for life because of his misguided attempt to toughen him against the hurts which life inflicts on all of us. One thing he wanted the boy to understand above all else: he must trust nobody. Nobody.

So when he came home one evening and his son bounded down the stairs to greet him, he stopped the boy abruptly on the landing. He reminded his once more that people are not to be trusted. Ever.

“Yes, Daddy.”

“You can’t trust anybody, can you?”

“No, Daddy.”

“But you can trust Daddy, can’t you?”

“Oh, yes, Daddy.”

His Daddy then held out his arms and told the boy to jump, which is what the boy had been waiting for. But when he jumped, his father stepped aside and let him fall with a crash to the floor.

“You see,” he said to his son, “You must trust nobody.” So, because of the misguided counsel of his father, this young son fell and suffered for it the rest of his life. His father could have taught him to only believe those who have proven their trustworthiness...those who have proven to be a keeper of promises that they make. (from LeRoy Lawson, “The Lord of Promises)

“You see,” he said to his son, “You must trust nobody.” So, because of the misguided counsel of his father, this young son fell and suffered for it the rest of his life. His father could have taught him to only believe those who have proven their trustworthiness...those who have proven to be a keeper of promises that they make.

The Bible is a record of the promises God has made to His people and His faithfulness in keeping them. From Genesis to Revelation we have the record of God’s Promises and His keeping of those promises.

That’s why Peter wrote: “God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life...He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world cause by evil desires” (,).

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ!” So, we gladly follow Him because whenever we have tested Him, we have found that He keeps His word. Unlike like the cruel father in our story who trusted nobody, Jesus never steps aside to let us fall. So we still sing the song that we learned years ago in Sunday School:

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,

Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call,

Resting in my Savior as my all in all—

Standing on the promises of God.

This morning we’re going to spend a few brief moments to consider one of God’s richest promises. It’s found in , “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.”

There are in that statement by the Apostle Paul several very important words. There is the word “therefore.” He uses that word no less than six times. It means based on what was previously said “now I say this.” It’s a very important word for understanding the train of thought of the writer. Another important phrase is “in Christ.” That is one of Paul’s favorite terms. That’s our position. Once we were outside of Christ or apart from Christ...but now that we have become a Christian we are “in Christ” which is a total change of position and status. The word “creature” is also a very important word which would probably be better translated as “creation.” Our God is a creating God. We learn that in the very first book of the Bible...”God created!” But here we are introduced to something new...a new creation. Jesus said it first to Nicodemus, “You must be born again (anew)...you must be born of the water and of the Spirit.” Which brings us to the word “new” in this verse. The Greek language has two words for newness. One is the word new in the sense of time. The other is newness in the sense of quality...brand new...totally new. “I bought a used car...it is new to me” contrasted with “I bought a brand new car!”

So, as we consider this very important promise of newness let’s look at two preachers who spoke of newness.

One in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament.

The Old Testament preacher is Solomon.

The New Testament preacher is Paul.

Solomon was a preacher in the Old Testament that a lot of people have had trouble understanding...

particularly the Book of Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes is actually a sermon that Solomon

wrote.

His sermon begins with the words, “Vanity of vanities,” says the preacher...”Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” (1:2).

Solomon’s message is said to be

filled with pessimism,

satiated with materialism,

and loaded with fatalism.

It cries out that life is empty, empty...nothing but empty!

Just listen to the first ten verses of Solomon’s sermon:

Meaningless! Meaningless! Says the Teacher,

Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.

What does man gain from all his labor

at which he toils under the sun?

Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

The sun rises and the sun sets,

and hurries back to where it rises.

The wind blows to the south

and turns to the north;

round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.

All streams flow into the sea,

yet the sea is never full.

To the place streams come from, there they return again.

All things are wearisome, more than one can say.

The eye never has enough of seeing,

Nor the ear its fill of hearing.

What has been will be again,

what has been done will be done again;

There is nothing new under the sun.

Is there anything of which one can say, ‘Look! This is something new?”

It was here already,

long ago;

It was here before our time.

Now, if ten verses of this sermon of Solomon’s don’t discourage you, I guarantee that ten chapters will.

Try wine,

women,

And song; and life is still empty.

Try wisdom,

wealth,

And worldly pleasures; and inside there is still a void.

32 times the preacher of Ecclesiastes says either something particular or everything in general is “vanity” or empty!

Another preacher in the New Testament declares that we who are Christians have been buried with Christ

through baptism and have

risen to “walk in newness of life!” ()

So, which preacher is right? Is Paul correct in saying that there is NEW LIFE in Christ? Or, is Solomon right in saying, “There is no new thing under the sun?” ().

You see, I think preacher Solomon is being misunderstood.

What wise Solomon is actually saying is this:

When God is left out of man’s life...

When man forgets who reigns above the sun...

When man just looks at life “under the sun...

Without including God

Then, Life is meaningless!

If you or I ignore God who reigns above and we just approach life with a humanistic world-vies only, then everything is empty and vain and nothing is really satisfying. I think Preacher Paul believed what Preacher Solomon proclaimed.

The key phrase is Ecclesiastes is “under the sun.”

Paul proclaims in , “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come!”

You see, it’s like this:

There is nothing new under the sun, when the spelling is

S U N,

but there is much that is new under the S O N—the Son of God!

In and under Jesus Christ God’s promise of newness is real

and powerful.

Things within us become new.

Things without us become new.

And, things ahead of us become new!

Solomon says, “Nothing’s new under the sun.”

Paul says, “Everything’s new because of the Son!”

Let’s notice first of all...

I. Things Within Become New – Internal

A. New Heart. That’s what Jeremiah prophesied...that God was going to do something brand new...he spoke of a new covenant. Ezekiel added that God would take the heart of stone and give a new heart with a new spirit. ( and ). It’s like the Ethiopian officer in ...after he was baptized by Philip Luke records that “he went on his way rejoicing.” He had a new heart! It’s like the little girl that came to Christ and was baptized and shouted to her father from the baptistery, “Daddy, I’m brand new.” It’s like the thoughtful comment on Janis’ sister Lois when she was hanging up her wet clothes after her father baptized her in a south Florida canal, “Janis, you’re a different person now.” She had a new heart!

B. New Spirit. The Bible is clear that when we come to Christ,

He puts His Spirit within us.

That new Spirit is our seal...our identifying mark

that we belong to Him. It identifies that we are His.

That Spirit within our beings also produces New Fruit.

Paul lists these for us in his Galatian letter:

Love, Joy, Peace....etc.

C. This Presence of God’s Spirit also provides us with a

New Strength.

Listen to ,, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew

their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

They will run and not grow weary,

They will walk and not be faint.”

Listen to , “The Lord is my light and

my salvation...whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life...

of whom shall I be afraid?”

Finally, listen to , “Greater is the One that is in you

than the one that is in the world.”

Is there something in your life that you feel overwhelmed by...something

that you feel you just can get a handle on...some problem that

seems unsolvable? With the New Strength that God supplies

through His Holy Spirit....YOU CAN!!!

D. We are also blessed with a New Song.

Listen to David’s testimony in ,,

“I waited patiently for the Lord;

He turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;

He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm

place to stand.

He put a NEW SONG in my mouth,

A hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.”

Songs of the world are so often songs of pessimism and searching...

empty and vain...

But in Christ we have so much to sing about...our new song is a

Song of Victory!

Leave God out of your life and as Solomon said, there will be “nothing new under the sun.” But let Jesus Christ reign first place in your life and there

will be a new spirit,

a new strength,

And a new song within your heart!

II. Things Without Become New – External

A. We become members of a New Family. When a child is born, he wears the last name of his parents. This custom is ancient and widespread. Simon Bar-Jonah means Simon son of John. MacDougal means “son of Dougal.” Peterson indicates “son of Peter.” Ben Ezra is “son of Ezra.

Our name Christian has a new meaning as well. It links us not only with Christ, but also with God the Father, for Jesus is the “Christ of God.” ().

The term “Christian” tells the world to whom we belong.

We are in the family of God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

In that name...we bring glory to them ().

Sectarian names distract. They are superfluous.

Christian is the name we use when we speak of all God’s children redeemed through Christ. That’s why one of the great slogans of the New Testament church is, “We are not the only Christian, but we are Christians only.”

B. In Christ our Function is also New. Before we become Christian, we may stumble around not really having any real or defined purpose in life except to achieve success in the eyes of the world...

which everyone after awhile comes to realize is vanity...

a chasing after the wind...

But in Christ one realizes a noble purpose.

His life takes on new and definite meaning.

He has something to live for.

And everything begins to be seen in light of that purpose.

Life begins to make sense and have meaning and direction.

Illus. You may remember that a few years ago there was a toy that came out for little ones. It was a puzzle that was designed so that any way Johnny put it together it was wrong. The pieces didn’t fit. That’s how many look at life...that it doesn’t make sense...the pieces don’t fit.

But now in Christ life makes sense

The pieces do fit!

III. Things Ahead Become New – Eternal

In Christ everything becomes new...

That which is within,

that which is without,

And, that which is ahead.

Things are changed internally, externally, and eternally!

A. New Heaven.

Isaiah spoke of “the new heavens and the new earth”

that would be coming one day far ahead in the future.

()

John wrote centuries later of the same “new heaven

and new earth’

that still lay ahead for God’s people. ().

In this present world there is much sin and unrighteousness.

Hardly a day goes by but that the headlines tell of another

murder,

another case of arson,

another rape,

another robbery.

It is so exciting to think that in the New Heaven things are going

to be both New and Different.

B. We’ll have a New House. In the promises of God, along with the New Heaven comes a New House in which we will dwell.

Your aches and pains may be already hinting to you that the Bible

is right when it speaks of the “outward man...decaying” at

the same time “the inward man is renewed day by day.”

().

What can we know of our future body? Paul says that it will be

a House not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

(,)

In the new world we get a new house. This old house groans along

with all of creation for that “Newness.” ,, “For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.”

This old body knows pain and suffering,

but our future dwelling place is not built for time or decay...

it is built for eternity.

It will no get old

decrepit,

or weak. It will go on forever.

C. We also have a New Hope. We will call this hope our Great Expectation. We anxiously await with great expectation for the fulfillment of all of God’s Promises.

J. S. Stewart once preached that the Christian life is greater than any other life because it is a life of HOPE!

Conclusion: Is it any wonder that the God’s Message to a lost and dying world is called Good News? In Jesus, life takes on a newness...

Conclusion:

Is it any wonder that the God’s Message to a lost and dying world is called Good News? In Jesus, life takes on a newness...

Within,

Without,

And, ahead.

What does the world on the other hand have to offer? Same old...same old! If atheism, agnosticism, humanism, and materialism are all that the world can offer...then life IS empty, vain and meaningless.

But from Solomon’s day to Paul’s day and on to our day and beyond...God exists and God cares and God has stepped into our history. Therefore, those who live “under the SON” have reason to hope and live a victorious life.

As J. D. Murch sang,

The world all about me has now no allure...

Its pleasures bring pain,

Its wisdom is vain,

I seek a foundation that’s steadfast and sure...

I’ll put Jesus first in my life!

Will you do that today? Put Jesus first...and your life will never be the same!

God's Promise of Newness

God’s Promise of Newness