The Biblical Path of Life

Tag: New

  • Put Away the Old

    “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

    Philippians 4:9

    Remember in the New Testament when Paul was preaching Jesus to those in Ephesus. For two years they won many to Jesus, and many miracles were done (many people were healed and evil spirits were cast out). However, along with that came some who were not Christians yet tried to do the works Paul had done (cast out evil spirits). When they tried, they were worse off than before because the evil spirits they had tried to cast out, instead came upon them (Acts 19:13–16). The new Christians in Ephesus recognized those who were not truly Christians and the results of falsely declaring so. One who trusts in Christ (becomes a Christian) has a nature change – becoming a new creature. “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).

    Read what happened next: “17. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. 19. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed” (Acts 19:17–20). Because the people recognized the difference between true salvation and a false practice, notice something very important. These people did not add Jesus to their other things (practices); they took their old things (curious arts means “black arts; or magic”) and burned them before all — it did not matter the financial loss. They destroyed them so that those things would not be a part of their lives anymore.

    Understanding that there is a choice to be made by each individual (believe the Gospel message or reject it), it is important for that person who believes to have a nature change. Why?  “21. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Peter 2:21–22). When one chooses to disregard God’s Word, refusing the gift of Salvation by faith in Jesus, thereby ignoring the warnings of the consequences for sin (eternal death, see Romans 6:23), it reveals the nature of the heart. Just as the dog had the same nature of a dog and the pig the same nature of a pig, it reveals there was no nature change. It is the choice of any who hear the truth of the Gospel message to decide for themselves. “9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). Believe in Jesus for salvation, thereby having a change of heart. Or, do not believe, remaining in that old nature. However, read the following warning: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).

    Christians are taught in God’s Word to put the old things of our former life to death (see Colossians 3:5). Instead, we are to think upon good and right things (see Philippians 4:8). These things are taught in the Bible. “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (Philippians 4:9). Understand that while thinking on these things is very good, there is another step that must be taken. Christians must do these things. We find an important warning to all Christians who know what we are to do: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

    Many events in the Old Testament are instances for us to recognize when one makes a right choice, and when one makes a bad choice. King Jehu did many great works (including the removing of Baal worship, see 2 Kings 9-10) in Israel, the Northern Kingdom. However, we also saw his great failure. “But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin” (2 Kings 10:31). His heart did not change which was revealed in his not walking in the “law of the LORD God of Israel”. For that, Jehu was not considered a good king. Just think what kind of a king Jehu would have been if he had sought God’s commands and changed his heart, and then led the nation to do the same.

    Have you chosen to remain in that old nature, departing not from your sin?

    Or

    Have you had a change of heart, believing and confessing Jesus, and then doing what the Bible teaches?

    http://biblicalpath.com/index.php/how-to-be-saved/

  • A Counterfeit Christian

    “Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.”

    Acts 8:21

    Satan is very religious. He does not mind if people are religious. He actually uses religion to deceive people. There is a very interesting case in point found in the book of Acts.

    Philip had preached Jesus to the people of Samaria (see Acts 8:5-25). He did many miracles, unclean spirits were cast out, and many were healed. Remember that this was the beginning of the establishment of the church, and that was why these special miracles took place. Many people heard Philip’s teachings. “But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one” (Acts 8:9). When he declared himself as “some great one”, many had thought he was the “great power of God” because he had bewitched them with sorceries for so long (see Acts 8:10-11). He had practiced what could be called a “religion.” It is good to understand that Satan comes with power, signs, and lying wonders. Moreover, one day these things will be personified in The Anti-Christ. “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9).

    However, when Philip preached Jesus to the Samaritans, they believed upon Jesus (see Acts 8:12). “Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done” (Acts 8:13). We read that Simon believed also. The Apostles came when they heard the people of Samaria had received the Word of God. When Simon saw these Believers received the Spirit of God, he offered the Apostles money because he wanted to be able to do this himself. Nevertheless, Peter understood that Simon thought the gift of God could be purchased with money. Simon did not understand salvation. It is a free gift. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).

    Peter recognized the condition of Simon’s heart. “Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God” (Acts 8:21). It would be good to remember that Jesus had dealt with this heart issue before. Jesus had done many miracles, and many people believed. Yet read what Jesus understood about those people. “23. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 24. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25. And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man” (John 2:23-25). There is a difference in when one believes in the miracles, and when one believes with the heart unto salvation. Remember how Jesus put it: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). We remember the importance of belief in Jesus: “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31). It is not enough to believe in God. One must believe that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is God. Remember that the devils, too, believe in God. “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19). However, we know they are not saved. They have remained devils.

    How can one tell when one believes in the heart that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is God come in the flesh to pay the penalty for man’s sin? “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 heart is changed. There is a complete change – inside and out.

    What did Peter understand about Simon, the sorcerer? First, Simon was not a true Believer because his heart was not right, and he needed to repent. “21. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee” (Acts 8:21-22). In what condition did Peter recognize Simon’s heart was? “For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity” (Acts 8:23). Simon’s heart was not right; therefore, he was in the “gall of bitterness”. Gall here means “poison” and bitterness means “a piercing poison.” The word bond means “the uniting principle” and iniquity means “wrongfulness.” Peter was pointing out that Simon’s heart issue was a piercing poison that was uniting him in wrongfulness. When Simon was confronted with the condition of his heart, we do not read that he repented. “Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me” (Acts 8:24). He just asked Peter to pray for him. Simon recognized that he was a counterfeit Christian. He only had a religion. Yet he did nothing about it. He was content to remain in that condition.

    Have you believed with your heart that Jesus Christ is God, becoming a new creature in Him?

    Or

    Are you a counterfeit Christian whose heart has not truly believed?

    http://biblicalpath.com/index.php/how-to-be-saved/

  • A New Creature

    “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

    Have you ever heard something that scared you? I mean really scared you?! What do you think of the following?  “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36). Believing in Jesus, having eternal life sounds wonderful! But did you notice the second part of that verse? If one does not believe in Jesus, they won’t see life (won’t live with Him for eternity). However, the worst part is the final part of that verse. If one doesn’t believe in Jesus, the “wrath of God abideth on him.” What an awful thought!

    If that doesn’t scare you, try this one. “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2). There is so much more to believing in Jesus than just saying you believe in Jesus. Notice that in that verse it said the Gospel was preached (the Gospel message is that all are sinners and Jesus died on the cross to take away that sin). Did you also notice that the same Gospel that was preached did not profit some of them? What made the difference? In some of them, it was not “mixed with faith in them that heard.”

    One problem is that many say, and really think, that they believe in Jesus. However, one must really understand what that means. Hearing and saying one believes is not enough. The missing part is that it has to be mixed with faith when one hears. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). The whole chapter of Hebrews 11 reveals people who pleased God because of the faith they had in them (the faith of the Gospel message). That faith was revealed in their lives. The people listed in that chapter had forsaken the old way of life (living according to the world) and had lived a new life pleasing God. This change is revealed in the following verse: “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). One who has the faith to be saved must completely forsake the old life in every way. That one can then live a new life in Christ.

    Have you believed the Gospel message having it mixed with faith?

    Are you a new creature living a new life in Christ?

    How to be Saved