The New Life

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” . It is only in Christ that all things can become new. “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” . It is not the intention that we should carry on with what is old. We have been baptized into His death, and into walking in newness of life. Death to everything that is old. “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” . “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts that the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ should shine forth from us.” . [Norw.] When God, in His great grace, has allowed light to shine into our hearts, it is so that the glory of God should shine forth from us. The Master’s life is to become our life. A life of victory over sin. “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” . “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.” . To live with Him is to partake of the same life: the life of Christ. A life of victory, where sin has lost its power.

Sin has no power when we cleanse ourselves and judge ourselves. For if we live according to the flesh we will die; but if by the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the body, we will live. . To be alive to God in Christ Jesus is always to have what is good in mind and to do the will of God. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” . The renewed mind always has what is good before its eyes and an ear turned toward the Master’s voice. “Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.” .

We must hear His voice if we are to live His life. “Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.” . John must indeed have seen something of the new life in those he wrote to, which testified that the new life in Christ had begun to shine forth. “Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.” . Perhaps some at that time knew something about the tendencies in His family line. So when they saw or heard about Him, that was what they thought of, and what they fixated on. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” What do we see and how do we think of our brothers and sisters? This is how Paul saw it: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.” . Everyone was included in his heart. This is the affection of Jesus Christ. When we have people in our hearts, it is right to think this way, and to work so that it will succeed. We rejoice when we see progress and the new life springing up, because we have to do with God. He is the One who has begun a good work in us and who is able to complete it. We have not yet seen the end. James reminds us to think about Job. To his friends, things did not look so good, but God was there. We have seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. .

Per K. Østern