Serving in the Newness of the Spirit or in the Oldness of the Letter

Serving in the Newness of the Spirit or in the Oldness of the Letter

“But now we have been delivered from the law . . . so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Gal. 5:16.

Serving in the newness of the Spirit means that I go on the attack against the lust of the flesh. “If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Rom. 8:13. This was something completely new. It was Jesus who pioneered this death because sin in His flesh was condemned. Rom. 8:3-4. The requirement of the law was: You shall not covet. No one had been able to fulfill this requirement because of the weakness of the law. Because of the desire in the flesh they had to have laws and regulations: you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal or lie or murder, etc. They had to be fenced in by the law. The upright served in the oldness of the letter, so they were blameless according to the law. Phil. 3:6. Even though the law said: “You shall not covet,” it could not censure anyone for coveting, for it was hidden. However, if covetousness led to action, the law could punish the person. Consequently, there was no liberation from covetousness under the law, and thus no rest.

What the law could not do, God did by sending His Son, Jesus Christ. “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of division between us, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.” Eph. 2:14-16.

Here we see the significance of the word of the cross. 1 Cor. 1:18. On the cross Jesus put to death the enmity—covetousness—and by it He abolished the law that came with commandments contained in ordinances. He did this by sin being condemned in the flesh. Then the wall of division became superfluous.

Jesus said to the multitudes that followed Him that no one could be His disciple unless he hated even his own life, took up his cross daily and follows Him. Luke 14:25-27. The intention is that we shall follow Jesus. He did this so that the requirement of the law shall be fulfilled in us who walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. Then something completely new comes into being.

“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” 1 Cor. 12:13.

All of us have access to the Father in this one, impartial Spirit, whether we are Jews or Gentiles. In this one Spirit we crucify the flesh with its passions and desires, and we remain crucified with Christ. It is on the cross that we are being created into a new man—the body of Christ. Gal. 2:20, 5:24. Then we belong to Christ, and He will fetch us at His coming. 1 Cor. 15:23. This is the new and living way which Jesus has consecrated through the veil, that is, His flesh. Heb. 10. No one can serve in the newness of the Spirit unless he hates his own life according to the flesh.

On this point a person can react in two different ways. Through the letter he surrounds himself with a wall by means of laws and regulations. Because of covetousness in the flesh he seeks to go beyond the wall into the world. But then he comes into contact with the wall that is there to protect him. If he serves in the oldness of the letter, he will be spared from the corruption that is in the world, which is what he ends up in if he breaks through the wall.

We do not experience any spiritual growth by serving in the oldness of the letter. We remain earthly. However, as soon as we begin to serve in the newness of the Spirit, the cross and the death of Christ begin to work. 2 Cor. 4:10-11. Then the life of Christ will also be revealed. The life of Christ does not need a wall, because then we are not led into the world by covetousness, rather we are led into God—into the light—by the Spirit. “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Gal. 5:18. Then our human spirit is set free and cleansed from the power of covetousness; it is made alive to the workings of the Spirit; we enter into the service of God and have our fruit unto sanctification. Rom. 6:22. There is development and growth on the new and living way by serving in the newness of the Spirit.