Punchbowl

"New Lifestyle as God’s family in Christ”

 

In my last month of service as your pastor, we want to look at the “New Lifestyle as God’s family in Christ”; in Christ means in union with Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit amongst us and within each one of us. The Lord is transforming/changing us through our relationship with him as our Father—renewing our minds and making us a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17, “So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!)

  

We have been reminded in the past weeks that we submit to the authority of the Word of God, the Bible, through which God reveals himself to us. The renewing of our minds and resulting transformation in our lifestyle has been shown to us through the work of the Trinity; we participate in that work by remembering that God uses his Word so that we can lay aside the old nature and put on the new, one that is in relationship to God our Father.

 

The following three Bible passages should help us understand how God uses his Word, how he renews our mind, and how we are thereby transformed:

 

2 Timothy 3:16, “Every (all) scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.

Ephesians 4: 22-24, “You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.

Romans 12:2, Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

 

Do you remember the sermons from the past three Sundays? I mentioned the passages above that pertain to the new life we have as a church family and how those who are in God’s family are those who do God’s will, according to our Lord Jesus (from Matthew 12:46-50)?

We then went on with some practical applications as church members who belong to each other: (1) “Speak the truth in love” from Ephesians 4:25-27 which also deals with, (2) “Be angry and do not sin, do not give opportunity to the devil.” During the month of March, our youth will have the following devotions, which will also be the sermon series in our Sunday Service:

[  ] “Do not steal, giving to those in need”,  Ephesians 4:28-29

[  ] “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit”, Ephesians 4:30

[  ] “Put away all bitterness, anger, wrath, quarrelling, and slanderous talk”, Ephesians 4:31-32

[  ] “Live in Love”, Ephesians 5:1-2

[  ] “His words of grace build you up”, Acts 20:18-37

 

Let us continue to seek the Triune God’s treasure, the apple of His eye—His church family. Let us set our hearts on the new lifestyle that He desires for us as He renews our minds and transforms us into the likeness of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ—laying aside our old nature, building us up by his words of grace though our relationship with God our Father and putting on the new nature through the indwelling, abiding Holy Spirit’s enabling and power.