Only a New Creation

Only a New Creation

“Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” Gal. 3:13.

A person who believes that he and others are cursed according to the flesh is blessed. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The only thing that avails anything in Christ Jesus is a new creation.

Actually, all of us should have been banished from God’s sight and from this earth. We live and exist only by grace. We deserve nothing and do not have any right to make a single demand. Everything is too good for us. We are not worthy of people’s sympathy or greetings. We are not worthy of good food or good clothing, good health, a good home, or any good of any kind. Everything is just pure grace. Therefore, we shall give thanks to God the Father for all things. We should pray and be thankful for every single person. It is the highest degree of pride and conceit to be dissatisfied and complain about our existence. Who does such a person think he is? We have every good reason to be thankful from our heart for all things. Jesus did not have a place where He could lay His head. He was mocked and despised; nevertheless, He was the most blessed and thankful Man on earth. We are called to be like Him! Heb. 1:9.

We must not wallow in self-pity. Jesus brought a death over self in all its forms, and we are called to bear this same death in our bodies every day. If Jesus had agreed to be led by His self-life just once, Satan would have had a part in Him. However, He was able to give this great and blessed testimony: “For the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” John 14:30. Satan had nothing in Jesus. He was not able to fool Him once, in spite of all his wiles and cunning.

Jesus was perfectly free from the spirit of this world and from all worldly gestures and expressions; He was free from all partiality, flattery, and hypocrisy. He was not weak. He did not weaken a single time in order to gain the honor of man, but He gave a deathblow to the god of this world in all his forms. We truly have a great Master. Now He wants to teach us and help us to come to the same life. He overcame so that we can overcome.

Not once did Jesus defile His spirit with the spirit of this world or the things of this world. He possessed the perfect love of the Father. He was truly a citizen of another kingdom and had no place in this world. Therefore He also became a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and did not have an appearance that we should desire Him.

This is also the lot of His disciples. It is not enough until the disciple becomes like his Master. Sin must be resisted in all areas until blood flows. There are many believers today who admire and imitate the things that Jesus fought against until bloodshed for our sake. Thus they trample Jesus’ blood underfoot.

Paul says that if he sought to please men he would not be a servant of Jesus Christ. How many true servants are there today, according to this word? Most people seek to please men in all things. This is quite certain. They admire whatever is great. They walk according to this world and act according to this world. You can see from afar that they are citizens of this world. Their names are accepted by this world; they are without the cover of reproach and scorn.

All of us are more or less contaminated by the spirit of this world. It is therefore blessed to come into the church of the living God and remain there in the torrential downpour from the Lord, until all the abominations of this world with which we are covered are washed away. Only a new creation avails anything here.