OceanSide church of Christ

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WHAT WE’VE BECOME SERIES

A New Creature in Christ

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.             To become a child of God, one must experience the new birth (John 3:3-5).

 

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven.  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?  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.

 

B.              After baptism, one is a “new creature” in Christ (II Cor. 5:17).

 

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 

C.              This new creature has the obligation of walking in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4).

 

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:  that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

 

D.             The progression was simple:  new birth, new creature, and newness of life.  However, as a new creation in Christ, what is expected of me?

 

I.        GROWTH

 

A.             The new creature begins as a babe in Christ.  To be all that God wants us to be, we must grow (II Peter 3:18).

 

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

 

B.              This growth happens in time, but it will not happen by accident.  It is as intentional as the growth of a newborn infant.

1.                It begins with proper feeding (I Peter 2:2).

 

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.

 

a.         Many children of God have a nutrition problem:  1)            Their eating habits are sporadic;  2)           They nibble only on the things they like;  3)         They refuse to eat their meat and potatoes.

b.         As a new creature, we must learn “how” to study.  Then, we must study well and study often.

                        2.         Growth is also facilitated by exercise (I Tim. 4:7).

 

But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

 

a.         Exercise involves the application of things learned (James 1:22).

 

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only deceiving your own selves.

 

b.               A person could watch golf all day long, but he will never compete with Tiger Woods until he takes his clubs to the course and exercises his knowledge of the game.

 

C.              The greats of the Bible grew.

1.                Abraham:  idolatry to man of faith to friend of God.

2.                Moses:  shepherd to law-giver to leader of a nation.

3.                David:  shepherd to warrior to king.

4.                Esther:  orphan to queen to savior of her people.

5.                Peter, James and John:  fishermen to apostles to fishers of men.

6.                Paul:  rabbi to apostle to persecuted.

 

II.      PUT OFF THE OLD MAN

 

A.             When we become Christians, the old man of sin is put to death (Rom. 6:6).

 

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

 

B.              That old man and his sinful ways tries, at times, to resurrect himself in our lives.  We, therefore, have to “put off’ that old men (Eph. 4:22).

 

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.

 

1.                “Wherefore putting away lying” (Eph. 4:25).

2.                “Be ye angry, and sin not” (Eph. 4:26).

3.                “Let him that stole steal no more” (Eph. 4:28).

4.                “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth” (Eph. 4:29).

5.                “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice” (Eph. 4:31).

 

C.              There are many children of God who want to hold on to some of their old, sinful ways.

1.                A beer, a few curse words, a night out with the boys, my gossip circle, skimpy attire, etc.

2.                God wants a “new creature,” not the old man of sin with a shave and a hair cut.

3.                Romans 13:13-14.

 

Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.

 

III.     PUT ON THE NEW MAN

 

A.             Having removed the old man, we are to put on the new man (Eph. 4:24).

 

And that ye put on the new man, which is after God created in righteousness and true holiness.

 

1.                “Speak every man truth with his neighbor” (Eph. 4:25).

2.                “Neither give place to the devil”(Eph. 4:27).

3.                “But rather let him labor” (Eph. 4:28).

4.                “But that which is good to the use of edifying” (Eph. 4:29).

5.                “And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32).

 

B.              The key to putting off the old man (Eph. 4:22) and putting on the new man (Eph. 4:24) is found in Ephesians 4:23.

 

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

 

1.                All actions spring forth from the mind (Prov. 23:7).

2.                Therefore, Satan and the Christ are competing for our minds.

a.         Satan wants to corrupt our minds (II Cor. 11:3).

b.         The Lord wants every thought brought under His obedience (II Cor. 10:5).

 

C.              We must make the choice.  It is our decision to either conform to the world (Rom. 12:2), or to put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created us (Col. 3:10).

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.             II Corinthians 5:17 sums up all that we have said.

 

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 

1.                “In Christ,” we are a new creature.

2.                The old is passed away.

3.                All things are become new.

 

B.              Are you “in Christ”?  If not, you are still living as a man of sin.

 

C.              As a new creature, have you put off the old and put on the new?