Renewed to Live

When we change our clothes, an article of clothing is put off before we put another on.  This concept is held forth in the Bible concerning the new man, for after we are born again we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to put off the old man--and the sinful behaviour, pride and self-confidence--and then to put on the new man which resembles Christ in humility, meekness, love and righteousness.

Romans 13:12-14 exhorts believers, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. ¹³ Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."  Because of the spiritual regeneration which has taken place in our hearts by the power of the Gospel, God intends our lives to align with Him in holiness.  A person can claim they have cast off the works of darkness or put on the armour of light, but our lives speak truer than words alone.  We are called to cast off every weight and sin which easily besets us so we can run with endurance the race set before us.  Those who are drunk and feeding the lusts of the flesh clearly have not cast off the works of darkness, nor put on the LORD Jesus Christ.  It is entirely possible there are genuine children of God who are not living up to their responsibilities before God as His children, making provision for the flesh rather than crucifying its lusts.

Having been born again, Christians are to walk in newness of life.  This is far more than mind games or positive thinking but knowing what Christ has accomplished in His death and resurrection and how we have been filled with the Holy Spirit.  We are to live up to the standard of who God created us to be, not comparing ourselves with others or how we used to be.  Romans 6:5-13 says, "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

⁶  knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹ knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰ For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³ And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God."

Reckoning ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus are two sides of the same coin of Gospel truth.  Instead of presenting ourselves as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, we are to present ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness to Him.  Saying and doing are two different things, and knowing what Jesus has done means ours is not a lost cause:  our old man was crucified with Him, and thus we shall also live with Him.  After Paul exhorted believers to cease walking in vanity, alienated from God by ignorance and blind in heart, he wrote in Ephesians 4:20-24:  "But you have not so learned Christ, ²¹ if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: ²² that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."

A new detail is revealed in this passage, that the old man is put off and the new man put on by being "renewed in the spirit of your mind."  We have been made new creations in Christ, but we need daily renewal by the Spirit of God as we have fellowship with God, by reading His word and meditating on it, by interactions that edify and sharpen with other followers of Jesus.  This renewal is more than "repaired" or "refurbished" or "like new" as it is renewal not possible in this world but with God all things are possible to those who believe.  It is the making new of something He already made new:  new and fresh and changed for the better again and again.  Rather than seeing it as a cycle of putting off the old man and putting on the new man, it is better seen as an increasing resemblance to our Saviour day by day inside and out.  Though we fall short of God's perfection, let us be aware of His will and desire for us:  to be dead to sin and be alive to God in Christ Jesus our LORD, presenting ourselves as instruments of righteousness to God.

The True Beauty

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. ³¹ Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates."

Proverbs 31:30-31

It is amazing the lengths and pains people are willing to endure to pursue their ideals concerning personal beauty.  The treatments, augmentations, lifts, sculpting and injections can almost become a idolatrous pursuit of beauty that quickly passes away.  People post images of themselves to seek favour of friends and strangers, and compliments and criticisms both increase along with followers.  The standard of what is considered beautiful today changes by the day, for we are never satisfied.

God tells us what is better than perfectly manicured brows, youthful skin and a toned body from hours in the gym:  the woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.  This chapter of Proverbs focuses primarily on the great value of a virtuous woman and wife who is industrious, diligent, caring and godly.  Unlike society that places emphasis on appearances, this passage focuses on who she is and how her God-fearing character is revealed in ways that benefit her and others.  Her true beauty is not accentuated by her fine clothing, make-up or flattering filters but from her trusting relationship with God.  Beauty seen as praiseworthy by God comes from within, and it comes from Him.

Proverbs 31:25-26 says, "Strength and honour are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come. ²⁶ She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness."  The woman described here is clothed with something better than designer clothes that fade and go out of fashion, for she is clothed with the strength and honour of her Designer.  Her mouth speaks forth wisdom governed by the law of kindness, and this is something that marked Jesus Christ who has become wisdom for us.

Both men and women can be vain and seek attention for themselves:  did you know those who walk wisely are able to attract people closest to them to behold the beauty of God?  See what is written in 1 Peter 3:1-4: "Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, ² when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. ³ Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--⁴ rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."  Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit has incorruptible beauty in the sight of God.

The woman described in Proverbs 31 is not fearful or timid but confident in God, comfortable in her skin, delighting in her relationship with God and others.  Like Jesus who was servant of all, she is assertive in demonstrating love and kindness by wisdom and the fear of the LORD.  This gentle and quiet spirit was seen in Jesus, and by His grace all who trust in Him have the opportunity to adorn Him with the humility, grace and kindness He has given us.  There is nothing wrong with styled hair, new clothes that fit well or receiving compliments:  our aim ought to be to compliment the LORD with hearts that rest in Him.  To hear God say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" is infinitely greater than the adoration and praise of millions.  God knows true beauty when He sees it.

The Heart of the Matter

It is good to realise no matter how much we know (or think we know!), God always has much more to reveal of Himself and our need for Him through His word.  A verse read hundreds of times and even memorised remains full of truth yet to be understood and applied by those who trust in God.  A passage that grabbed my attention today is from the words of Agur in the KJV of Proverbs 30:7-9:  "Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: ⁸ remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: ⁹ lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain."

Whilst the final words of verse 9 are in italics (meaning they are not in the original text but added by the translators to improve the English rendering), it caused me to consider how stealing can be connected with taking the name of the LORD in vain.  The description most commonly heard concerning taking the name of the LORD in vain forbidden in the 3rd Commandment, if not the only one, is the use of God's name as an expletive or an expression of surprise.  Scripture bears out that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, and thus the taking the name of the LORD in vain is more a heart problem than one of undisciplined speech.  "Vain" can be described as worthless, empty, futile and inconsequential.  When the preacher said "All is vanity!" he was saying everything was worthless and pointless, grasping for the wind.

Taking the name of the LORD in vain suggests a person has heard of the LORD God, but does not really believe or obey Him.  Instead of seeking the LORD who rules over all, rather than trusting God to bless the works of his hands, a person takes the name of God in vain by theft.  Sin can be put into the categories of sin of commission and omission:  by something a person does that is sin or to sin by not doing something.  We can take the name of the LORD in vain by speaking His name to express disgust or surprise, and we can take the name of the LORD in vain by living like He is worthless, His promises are empty, His power is futile and without consequence.  The opposite of taking the name of the LORD in vain is the fear of God, choosing to walk in His wisdom in faith and obedience.  It isn't so much about what we say but the attitude of our hearts.

Agur prayed to be removed from vanity and lies, that he would not deny the LORD's existence, presence and power to provide for all his needs.  Taking the name of the LORD in vain is a result of self-confidence and self-reliance, the proud posture of a man who denies God's role in creating and sustaining our lives.  The rich and poor can take the name of God in vain by actions that deny Him and His sovereign rule, not just by saying "God" or "Jesus" in an empty fashion.  Defining "taking the name of the LORD in vain" narrowly as only what we say does not touch the heart of matter:  our need to repent and trust the LORD God as LORD of all and our God.

Born Again to Be

The viewer's introduction to Aragon in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movie trilogy is in the shadows of the Prancing Pony tavern, his face and piercing eyes illuminated by the glowing embers of a pipe.  The travelling hobbits asked the bartender and host of the establishment about the menacing man who sat alone, and they were told he was a Ranger of the North named "Strider."  Little did they know this man would be their faithful guide, fierce protector and more still: he would be revealed to be the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor, one able to wield Anduril, the sword forged from the shards of Narsil.

It is clear in the films Aragon carried shame of his forbear's unwillingness to destroy Sauron's ring of power when he had the chance.  Instead of ridding the world of that great evil, he carried it close to his heart.  Aragon knew the same weakness found in kings and all men also marked him, and so he kept his true identity secret.  He fought for the side of good, yet for decades he shied away from the burden of rule because of his sense of unworthiness.  When the hope of men was almost lost, Elrond king of the Elves forged the sword Anduril.  Knowing the fate of Middle Earth and the life of his daughter Arwen was at stake, Elrond forcefully said: "Put aside the ranger. Become who you were born to be.”  In picking up the sword Aragon needed to put aside the ranger.  Desperate times moved a man to embrace his purpose.

Now the Lord of the Rings trilogy does not acknowledge or  speak of God, but there are clear parallels between Aragon and followers of Jesus.  We must lose our lives for Christ's sake in order to find them; we must decide to put away the ambitions of our flesh and be born again by faith in Jesus to submit to the plans and purposes God has in creating and redeeming us.  While we are sanctified, set apart by God for God when we are justified, we are also being sanctified.  There is a positional aspect of sanctification as well as a progressive one.  As we are convicted of sin we never noticed before we are to confess and repent, choosing instead to do the things that please God.  We are called to take up the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, and learn to rightly divide it.  God holds us responsible and accountable to be who we were born again to be.

The church of God is the body of Christ comprised of many members, and it cannot be more healthy, well or fit than each individual person.  To lament the ills of society without realising you are part of society is foolish as grieving over the problems "in the church" without realising it is the body of Jesus Christ (and also our own body!) we criticise.  The call of Christ is an individual call, for each servant of the LORD Jesus to obey, honour and glorify Him.  It is for each Christian to cast aside every weight and the sin that easily weighs us down and to run with endurance the race set before us as we look to Jesus together.  There is a corporate aspect of this, but the corporate will not happen unless we do this ourselves first.  It is our reasonable service to present ourselves as living sacrifices acceptable to Christ, not being conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our minds to the end we may prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God.

Where the analogy breaks down is no man can become who he is born to be by courage, willpower or strength.  It is God who knits people together in the wombs of their mother and has plans and purposes He intends we fulfill by His grace.  It is God who brings us together as part of a local fellowship of believers who serve the LORD and one another in the ministry of His word.  Every child of God is called to take up the sword of the Spirit and to be strong in the LORD and the power of His might in the service of our King Jesus.  It is God who makes us fruitful in His service.  It is not by our might, nor by our power we will prevail but by His Spirit as we surrender in obedience to Him.  By faith in Jesus Christ marked by obedience to Him we are becoming who we were born again to be.