Nothing of the Old Life

Nothing of the Old Life

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

Oswald Chambers in his classic devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, gives us much insight into understanding that "the old is gone and the new has come" for those of us who are IN CHRIST! Allow these words to soak into your heart today, brothers:

Our Lord never tolerates our prejudices— He is directly opposed to them and puts them to death. We tend to think that God has some special interest in our particular prejudices, and are very sure that He will never deal with us as He has to deal with others. We even say to ourselves, "God has to deal with other people in a very strict way, but of course He knows that my prejudices are all right." But we must learn that God accepts nothing of the old life!

Instead of being on the side of our prejudices, He is deliberately removing them from us. It is part of our moral education to see our prejudices put to death by His providence, and to watch how He does it. God pays no respect to anything we bring to Him. There is only one thing God wants of us, and that is our unconditional surrender.

When we are born again, the Holy Spirit begins to work His new creation in us, and there will come a time when there is nothing remaining of the old life. Our old gloomy outlook disappears, as does our old attitude toward things, and "all things are of God" (2 Corinthians 5:18 ).

How are we going to get a life that has no lust, no self-interest, and is not sensitive to the ridicule of others? How will we have the type of love that "is kind . . . is not provoked, [and] thinks no evil"? ( 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 ). The only way is by allowing nothing of the old life to remain, and by having only simple, perfect trust in God— such a trust that we no longer want God’s blessings, but only want God Himself.

Have we come to the point where God can withdraw His blessings from us without our trust in Him being affected? Once we truly see God at work, we will never be concerned again about the things that happen, because we are actually trusting in our Father in heaven, whom the world cannot see.

Are you trying to hold onto your old life today? The old life was crucified with Christ! Let the old man die! Allow Christ to live HIS life through you today. -- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 24; Jeremiah 3-5; 1 Timothy 4

Great Quote: The chief thing is, not to know WHAT GOD has said, but that GOD HIMSELF says it to us ... We must have the words IN US, taken up into our will and life, reproduced in our disposition and conduct. We must have them ABIDING in us: our whole life one continued exposition of the words that are within, and filling us; the words revealing Christ within, and our life revealing Him without. -- Andrew Murray