THE NEW LIFE

Many times we hear people saying that they wish they could start all over again in their lives; or even stating that they would like to be ‘born again’. This kind of thinking, of course, reveals that they are either frustrated with the way that their lives have gone; or even perhaps worse, they are depressed because nothing seems to go right in their lives. We grant that this is not very obvious with multitudes of people in that they are ‘content’ with their lives because they seem to have everything they desire. In fact, many are like the rich man of the parable in Luke, who “thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?”; and then he says, “Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry” (12:17-19). Nevertheless, we can still see many around us, and what is so sad is it includes professing Christians also, that are so miserable with their lives because they feel that life has not been fair to them; and therefore, have not been able to “enjoy” LIFE as such.

But the problem has been, and will always be, not so much the lack or possession of things that determines our happiness in this life (for as the Lord Jesus puts it, “a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” [Luke 12:15]), but the sinful nature that we are born with. Sin will always make us miserable and unhappy, even when things seem to go right in our lives and are ‘blessed’ with the abundance of things. Whether we have all, or have nothing, if the sin problem is not dealt with we will be the most miserable and most unhappy person in the whole universe unless something radical takes place in our lives so that we will be able to say with the apostle Paul: “For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:11-13). Having learned this, now Paul could encourage and give hope to the Philippians believers; and all of the saints of God: “But my God shall supply all of your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (v.19). Even the Psalmist agrees with him: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” i.e. lack anything (Psalm 23:1). Amen.

This raises the question: How can you and I enjoy life to the fullest and be happy in spite of having nothing or having everything in this life? The answer is very obvious: “Ye must be born again” according to the Lord Jesus. When we experience the New Birth, then it is that we begin a NEW LIFE! We still might have nothing or have everything, but our perspective and relationship with those things we perceived to be the ultimate blessing of joy and happiness, also changes. We NOW live for a better future and a better hope than what we have in this world in that we no longer look “at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). In fact, Colossians 3:1-4 puts it like this: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory”. But this can only be true if we are “born again”. We NOW began a New Life because Christ becomes “our life”; and the dominion of sin that used to control us “in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Ephesians 2:3) so that we could have everything go right in our lives has been broken by the Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ so that NOW our total Joy and Happiness is in Him Alone and to be with Him in Glory forever and ever. Amen.