Oldness or Newness of Life?

Richard Thetford

Are we walking in the oldness or newness of life? When we became a Christian we were born again (John 3:3). When being born again would that make us new or old? When we think of a newborn baby we think of a new born, not an old born. The baby has received newness of life. When a Christian is baptized they are "born again" which would make them new. I ask the question because as a Christian we should be walking in "newness of life" not in oldness of life. A baby isn't born old and a Christian isn't born doing the old things.

Yet, I know Christians that after baptism, have taken up doing the old things of life. A truly converted individual that wears the name Christian understands that to be "born again" means to start fresh, to be obedient to the commands of Jesus Christ.

Dead To Sin - Living In Sin?

The apostle Paul asks some questions in Romans 6. He first asks: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" Grace will only abound when we strive to live our lives righteously before God. Sin is a transgression of the law of God (1 John 3:4). Paul then asks: "How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" When we are born of God we do not sin. The seed of righteousness dwells within us when we are baptized (born again), and therefore if we are born new then our old ways are dead and we now live a new life for Christ (1 John 3:9).

Once we die to sin then we can no longer live in sin. Yet some want to resurrect the old self and make it live in their Christian body. A true disciple of Christ will NOT do this because they understand that to die to something means it is no longer living!

The Newness Of Life

The apostle Paul points out that our oldness of life, our sins, can no longer live as he describes how we are "born again" in Romans 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." Our old life was buried when we became baptized into Christ. All of our sins were washed away (Acts 22:16), our old life is now dead. Then as we rise up out of the watery grave of baptism we are "born again", a new babe in Christ and as Christ was raised from the grave we too shall walk as a new creature wanting only to obey the will of God our Father!

Planted In The Likeness

If we are planted in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection (Rom 6:5). Paul points out that once we understand that our old man has been killed, as Christ was crucified, then now we can serve Christ and sin no longer. We can only live with Christ when we are planted in the likeness of His resurrection (Rom 6:6-8).

Let Sin Reign No More!

When we put on Christ (Gal 3:26-27), and wear His name (Christian), we are taking on a big responsibility. Our mortal bodies must no longer obey the lusts of sin or yield our members as instruments of unrighteousness (Rom 6:12-13). We are going to be held accountable for our deeds (Rom 2:6), and therefore we must ensure that we are living our life for God and ensure that our old life of sin has been forever buried! We need to take a good hard look at ourselves - can others see that our oldness of life has been crucified with Christ, and we are now living in newness of life as a Christian? "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom 6:23).