A New Life

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How like to a Christian a man may be and yet possess no vital godliness! Walk through the British Museum, and you will see all the orders of animals standing in their various places, and exhibiting themselves with the utmost possible propriety. The rhinoceros demurely retains the position in which he was set at first, the eagle soars not through the window, the wolf howls not at night; every creature, whether bird, beast, or fish, remains in the particular glass case allotted to it; but we all know that these are not the creatures, but only the outward semblances of them. Yet in what do they differ? Certainly in nothing which you could readily see, for the well-stuffed animal is precisely like what the living animal would have been; and that eye of glass even appears to have more of brightness in it than the natural eye of the creature itself; there is a secret inward something lacking, which, when it has once departed, you cannot restore. So in the churches of Christ, many professors are not living believers, but stuffed Christians. They possess all the externals of religion, and every outward morality that you could desire; they behave with great propriety, they keep their places, and there is no outward difference between them and the true believer, except upon the vital point, the life which no power on earth can possibly confer. There is this essential distinction, spiritual life is absent.

How like to a Christian a man may be and yet possess no vital godliness! Walk through the British Museum, and you will see all the orders of animals standing in their various places, and exhibiting themselves with the utmost possible propriety. The rhinoceros demurely retains the position in which he was set at first, the eagle soars not through the window, the wolf howls not at night; every creature, whether bird, beast, or fish, remains in the particular glass case allotted to it; but we all know that these are not the creatures, but only the outward semblances of them. Yet in what do they differ? Certainly in nothing which you could readily see, for the well-stuffed animal is precisely like what the living animal would have been; and that eye of glass even appears to have more of brightness in it than the natural eye of the creature itself; there is a secret inward something lacking, which, when it has once departed, you cannot restore. So in the churches of Christ, many professors are not living believers, but stuffed Christians. They possess all the externals of religion, and every outward morality that you could desire; they behave with great propriety, they keep their places, and there is no outward difference between them and the true believer, except upon the vital point, the life which no power on earth can possibly confer. There is this essential distinction, spiritual life is absent.

How like to a Christian a man may be and yet possess no vital godliness! Walk through the British Museum, and you will see all the orders of animals standing in their various places, and exhibiting themselves with the utmost possible propriety. The rhinoceros demurely retains the position in which he was set at first, the eagle soars not through the window, the wolf howls not at night; every creature, whether bird, beast, or fish, remains in the particular glass case allotted to it; but we all know that these are not the creatures, but only the outward semblances of them. Yet in what do they differ? Certainly in nothing which you could readily see, for the well-stuffed animal is precisely like what the living animal would have been; and that eye of glass even appears to have more of brightness in it than the natural eye of the creature itself; there is a secret inward something lacking, which, when it has once departed, you cannot restore. So in the churches of Christ, many professors are not living believers, but stuffed Christians. They possess all the externals of religion, and every outward morality that you could desire; they behave with great propriety, they keep their places, and there is no outward difference between them and the true believer, except upon the vital point, the life which no power on earth can possibly confer. There is this essential distinction, spiritual life is absent.

 C. H. Spurgeon, Feathers for Arrows (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1870), 134–135.

When C. H. Spurgeon preached on “election” somebody said to him, “Why don’t you just preach to the called, to the elect?” He replied, “Well, if you’ll run around and pull up everybody’s shirttails so I can see if they have an ‘E’ stamped on their back, I will.”

Only God knows who is elect and who is not.374

Scriptures gives emphasis upon that,

(1) Need for the New Life: Holiness of God— Adam’s Sin—, Individual Sin—

Holiness of God—

Adam’s Sin—,

(2) Way to the New Life: New Life: A Free Gift— New Life: Based on Christ’s Death— New Life: Received by Faith—

New Life: A Free Gift—

Individual Sin—

New Life: Based on Christ’s Death—

New Life: Received by Faith—

Christian possesses a new life from God. That life is imparted. (; ; John 10:28)

Christian possesses a new life from God. That life is imparted. Christ said:

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” ()..

The means through which the imparted life is gained.

“The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our lord” ();

and, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish” ().

(3) Results of the New Life: Everlasting Life— New Nature— Christ’s Righteousness— Placed into God’s Family— Reconciliation Between Enemies—, Empowered by God—

Everlasting Life—

New Nature—

Christ’s Righteousness—

Placed into God’s Family—

Reconciliation Between Enemies—,

Empowered by God—

Life from God is bestowed through a new birth, results in sonship, and secures the Fatherhood of God.

 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Grace (Philadelphia, PA: Sunday School Times Company, 1922), 313.

a believer is justified by living for God. A believer lives for God by doing four things.

a believer is justified by living for God. A believer lives for God by doing four things. Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians.

(1) The believer lives for God by dying to the law. (2) The believer lives for God by being crucified with Christ (). (3) The believer lives for God by allowing Christ to live His life through his body. (4) The believer lives for God by trusting the grace of God, that is, by trusting Jesus Christ who is God's righteousness.

The first thing that a man must do in order to live for God is to die to the law and to self-righteous works.

As Scripture says, the man is "crucified with Christ." God counts or credits the believer as having already died—as having died with Christ. (; )

Now note: the believer is "crucified with Christ," yet he is still living upon earth. However, he is not to be the one in charge of his life. By faith he has died with Christ; therefore, he is to live with Christ. He is to allow Christ to live in and through his body, to control and to be in charge of his life.

⇒ The believer is to be so merged into Christ that it is as though Christ is walking upon the earth in his body.

⇒ The believer is to be so much in union and fellowship with Christ that it is as though he is but a branch drawing his very life and nourishment from Christ (cp. the Vine and the branches, ).

Holiness of God—

Adam’s Sin—,

Individual Sin—

14. Way to the New Life

New Life: A Free Gift—

New Life: Based on Christ’s Death—

New Life: Received by Faith—

Everlasting Life—

New Nature—

Christ’s Righteousness—

Placed into God’s Family—

Reconciliation Between Enemies—,

Empowered by God—

(4) Assurance of the New Life: Promise of God— Witness of the Spirit— Changed Life—

Promise of God—

Newness of Life

Witness of the Spirit—

“Newness of life supposes newness of heart. Walking in Scripture stands for the course and character of one’s life, which must be new.

Changed Life—

Walk by new rules, towards new ends, from new principles. Make new choices of direction.

Choose new paths to walk in, new leaders to walk after, new companions to walk with.

“Old things should pass away, and all things become new. Such a person is something he formerly was not, does things he did not. And this newness is to be alive to God through Christ.

To converse with God, to have a regard for Him, a delight in Him, a concern for Him: This is to be alive to God.

“The love of God reigning in the heart is the life of the soul towards God. Christ is our spiritual life; there is no living to God but through Him—through Christ as the Author and Maintainer of this life; through Christ as the Head from whom we receive vital influence; through Christ as the Root by which we derive sap and nourishment, and so live. In living to God, Christ is all in all.”

Matthew Henry, Source unknown