Only a New Creation

Only a New Creation

“Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but [only] a new creation.” Gal. 6:15. Since we know that only a new creation is of any value in God’s eyes, all our life’s interests should revolve around this new creation’s growth and increase. Why be so foolish and waste our entire precious time of life on something that is not worth anything?

What does it profit if we put all our effort into various kinds of work if we neglect the one work that produces eternal gain, namely the work on our own salvation? What does it profit if we are healthy and strong but are not healthy and strong in our faith in Christ? In that regard a God-fearing invalid achieves much more in his life. And of what benefit is it if we are rich and famous, yet are wretched, poor, naked, and blind to those things that pertain to the kingdom of God? What does it help if a person is beautiful and has a pleasant appearance in the eyes of man if he is nasty and ugly in God’s eyes? What is so great about having a famous name in this world if God does not know us? And of what advantage is it to live a long life if we miss out on our days of grace? Our judgment will be much harsher for that.

Parents are usually greatly concerned for heir children when it comes to their physical well-being and their future in this world; but of what use is that if they neglect their children so deplorably that they do not provide them with the food they need so that this new creation can grow and increase? The future such parents hold out for their children is empty and vain, because only the God-fearing have a hope and a future. The hope of the ungodly will perish.

Let this make a deep impression on us, as if it were written with flaming words—throughout our entire life, in whatever we do—that only a new creation avails anything, and let us live our life accordingly.

Satan is also seeking to fool Christians by diverting their attention from that which is something to that which is nothing. The Jews were arguing about all kinds of external things, such as circumcision, food and drink, the Sabbath, and feasts, etc. All strife in the religious world in our days also revolves around a multitude of outward things, and in all this Satan is successfully devouring their precious time of life—and he is gloating because of it.

Satan also attempted to fool Jesus with outward things, and so that he might possibly succeed, he quoted the Scriptures accurately. But Jesus was interested in the inner life in everything He did and could therefore not be deceived. Because Jesus had the Spirit of the Word in His heart He realized that Satan’s quotes were only according to the letter.

We too must have this Spirit of the Word in our hearts if we are not to be deceived. However, you cannot receive this Spirit “on sale,” which is why so few possess it, because He only gives His Spirit to those who obey Him. This Spirit requires absolute obedience if He is to abide in a person.

The mystery of Jesus’ divine power was that He lived by every Word that proceeded from the mouth of God. It is inherent in God’s Word that it is living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and everyone who lets these words melt together with faith in his heart becomes living and powerful in his spirit, and sharper than any two-edged sword to divide and separate the noble from the ignoble.