Truth Magazine

Paul wrote, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17). He also wrote that when one is baptized into Christ’s death, he is resurrected to a new life (Rom. 6:4). Think about what it’s like to get something new — something that doesn’t wear out anytime soon. Having something that’s new makes us feel good. There is even an emotional change. The problem with new things is that they never stay new. All too soon they become old and begin to decay, as does all life. Peter helps us with this problem by reminding the Christian that this new life is to be a changing life. In 1 Peter 4:1-4, he wrote that several things need to happen if this change is to be permanent. (1) Our new life has to be a life that changes in thought by following the mind of Christ (4:1). (2) Our new life must be a life that changes in desire, by obeying the will of God (4:2). (3) Our new life must be a life that changes in activities, by refusing to lust after the flesh 4:3). (4) Our new life must also change in direction, by no longer walking after the world (4:4). Beginning The Changed Life

First, we must understand what new means: it means a new beginning. When we obey the gospel, we start with a clean slate; our sins are forgiven. God promises to remove our sins and our iniquities and “. . . remember them no more” (Heb. 8:12). This means that our forgiveness is complete and absolute. God is not holding on to any of our sins. He has removed them and treats us as if they never existed. We need to have the same attitude toward past sins. We  need to forget them and not carry the chains of guilt over past sins. Christ died and shed his blood so that we might have the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:14). Do we believe in the power of Christ’s blood to do as he promised? If so, then we need to realize that when we become Christians, God removes all of our sins.

Also, we need to see our new relationship with God as an ongoing one. In his first epistle, John mentions that our relationship can continue with God, so long as we continue to do his will. John wrote, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Our relationship with God is conditional upon our remaining obedient to him. God has given us our start in this new life by removing our sins. We must do our part by keeping away from sin. In so doing, we maintain our fellowship with God, Christ, and other Christians. If we sin, we must repent in order for God to remove our sin and keep us in this new life (1 John 1:9). God’s promise then is that faithfulness and repentance from sin maintain this new relationship.

In addition, we need to appreciate that this is a new relationship only if it is “in Christ.” This means that there is no relationship outside of Christ because there is no forgiveness outside of Christ. When we become Christians by baptism, we are placed “into Christ” (Rom. 6:3). Before being in Christ, we are separated from God. We are placed into Christ by baptism. In this act of obedience, our old life is “crucified” and “buried” (Rom. 6:4). Why resurrect the old and dead when Christ gives me the new and living? It is only “in Christ” that we can have freedom from the condemnation that was the consequence of sin (Rom. 8:1). Therefore, God equates our being in Christ with being alive. We are truly new creatures because God has created us anew, and put us in a place where he say that everything is good. That place is in Christ.

Maintaining the Changed Life

Change will not be complete if we are not committed to that change. We will not experience the full appreciation of the freedom that is in Christ if we keep trying to leave him and go back to the old way of sins. What are some ways we might fail to realize a complete change?

1. When one does not continue to purify himself with God’s word. Peter instructs us to “. . . purify your souls . . . not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God” (1 Pet. 1:22, 23). Too often, people do not treat God’s word as the purifying agent it is. He provided it to guard and preserve us. Those who embrace the changed life are to depend fully upon God’s word to maintain their new life. There is nothing else that can instruct man in how to purify one’s soul because there is nothing else in this world that is free from decay and corruption. God’s word comes from him. It comes from him who is everlasting. It is ever- lasting. As Peter wrote, it “. . . liveth and abideth forever” (1 Pet. 1:23). We can only remain free from corruption by continuing to purify ourselves with God’s word.

2. When one does not appreciate the process of removal and replacement. When we turn from the old, we must discard it to make room for the new. Paul instructed the Philippians to “. . . put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the Spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteous- ness and true holiness” (Phil. 4:22-24). Paul said to put off that old man, to get rid of him. Too often we hold onto the old man. We treat the old man of sin like the mad doctors treated vampires in old horror movies; they kept digging them up! God instructs us to be holy as he is holy (1 Pet. 1:16). God considered those under the Old Covenant as unclean if they came in contact with the dead (Num. 19:11). Why go back to the old man and become unholy by coming in contact with that which is dead? God removed the old man when we were baptized into Christ (Rom. 6: 4). Leave the dead alone and live in Christ as a new man.

3. The changed life requires regular self-examination. Paul reminds us that we must examine ourselves to make sure we are staying in Christ (2 Cor. 13:5). We are to examine ourselves against the standard of God’s word. If we are not measuring up to what God would have us to be, then we need to complete the change we began. Failure to continue to examine ourselves, and to grow and change to comply with God’s word, will cause us to fall (2 Pet. 1:3-12).

This is where Peter’s admonition in 1 Peter 4:1-4 applies. We must compare ourselves to Christ in thought, desire, activity, and direction. We must have the same mind as Christ. We must have the same desires as Christ in obeying the Father’s will. We must have the same activity as Christ, living according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. Finally, we must set the same course as the Captain of our salvation: the course for Heaven.

Conclusion

A new life has been made available to us in Jesus Christ. We begin this new life without sin being held against us. God recreates us as if we are brand new. He has given us his incorruptible word to help guide us beyond this corruptible world. His plan of redemption places us in his Son, Jesus Christ, so that we can continue to be renewed. He has provided everything. All we need to do is follow him. What a loving Father, and what a wonderful Savior!

Having learned how valuable is the Christian life, one might now ask: “How do I become a Christian and obtain this wonderful new life?” This is a noble and important question, and it deserves an answer from the word of God.

The process by which one becomes a Christian, when followed by the whole of his being, brings new life through salvation in Jesus Christ. In addition, obedience to the Gospel renews living by setting him free from sin, bringing peace in this life and hope in the everlasting life to come. Furthermore, his whole manner of life is changed by the plan of salvation when it is obeyed in full faith from the heart. By the plan of salvation, one gains the best possible life.

Hear

Before one can follow the Divinely ordained plan of salvation, it naturally follows that he must know it in its original, unchanged form. There are many schemes of redemption taught by religious leaders, but the Lord has given only one valid method of becoming a child of God. There is only “one faith” (Eph. 4:5) given only “once for all” (Jude 3) by the Father to save man from his sins. He who desires salvation must humbly and care- fully listen to it. Jesus charged his countrymen with dulling their hearing so that they would not absorb the word of God (Matt. 13:15-16). Clearly, those who listen can be converted, and those who hear will be blessed. Therefore, the first step in becoming a Christian is to hear; to listen to what the Lord has said.

Hearing brings enlightenment through the knowledge of God, dispel- ling the darkness of ignorance. This knowledge has the power to develop responsive faith within the careful listener. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). The word of God brightly lights up the way out of sin and into righteousness. David said in praise to God: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105). Knowing the truth by means of whole-heartedly hearing the word of God gives one the means whereby he can be set free from his sins. In a prayer, the Savior said to the Father: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). The reaction of the honest hearer to the preaching of the truth is best demonstrated by Peter’s audience at the close of the gospel sermon on Pentecost. The hearers immediately asked what they must do (Acts 2:37). Hearing the word is the first step to becoming a Christian and obtaining the best life possible. Hearing is itself a life changing action that provides needed guidance to the lost listener.

Believe

Faith follows hearing the word of God. The careful listener becomes a believer in God. This belief leads him further along the path to becoming a Christian. It is essential that the hearer believe in God and in his plan to be saved from his sins. The writer of Hebrews clearly states that faith is vital to anyone who would please God (11:6). Faith provides the motivation necessary to make the changes that will make one a Christian. Strong belief moves him to careful obedience to the Gospel, for without faith, he will not effectively obey and will remain in a lost condition. The apostle Paul spoke of people who fell short of pleasing God through a lack of belief. “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? (Rom. 10:16). One must believe before he can become a Christian.

Besides leading unto salvation (Rom. 10:9-10), faith also provides purpose and meaning to life. A person no longer needs to wander aimlessly through life, pointlessly living until he dies. Faith gives one an understanding of who he is, why he is here, and where he is going when life is over. All important questions are answered by a well informed faith in God.

Repent

A strong faith will generate a change in the believer’s moral purpose in life. The believer must also repent of his sins and regret a life lived without God’s unchanging word. Repentance becomes the means by which man turns away from sin, changes his direction in life, and embraces right living. The Ephesians were told to put off the old man of sin, change their way of thinking, and to put on the new man (4:22-24). First, one repents by sorrowing over the sins he has committed, sins that made it necessary for Christ to die on the cross for him. Second, he evolves or changes his view of sin and righteousness to conform to God’s way of viewing them. Third, he focuses his attention and will on doing only those things that please the Lord. If a believer chooses not to repent, he cannot be saved. In the words of Jesus Christ: “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish (Luke 13:3).

By repentance, one steps even closer to becoming a Christian. In turning from sin, he develops a better character . . . a character that will enable him to walk faithfully as a Christian upon completing his obedience to the Gospel. He is changing into a better person, which is one of the blessings of becoming a Christian.

Confess

Besides believing and repenting, God expects the petitioner for salvation to declare his faith unashamedly before others. When one confesses Jesus Christ as the Son of God, he professes the maturity of his faith. He now believes that God took an active role in sending his only begotten Son into the world to pay the price for the sins of humankind. He believes that Jesus Christ is Immanuel (God with us), and that he has the power to save man from his sins. When one confesses his faith in Jesus, all witnesses to that confession know that the speaker is moved by the word of God to obey the Gospel. One who confesses Christ before men prepares the way for Jesus to declare his name before God. “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32).

When the Ethiopian eunuch heard the preaching of the Gospel, he responded by desiring immersion. When Philip asked if he believed, he answered by saying, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37). Man will never speak greater or higher words than these. Confessing Jesus as the Son of God is a demonstration of courage and a herald of one’s desire to become a Christian.

Be Baptized

Finally, the confessor must be baptized to become a Christian. It is only through baptism that he becomes a partaker in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior (Rom. 6:3-4). Only in baptism are sins washed away (Acts

22:16). It is by baptism that one is saved (Mark 16:16). Baptism puts him in Christ (Gal. 3:27). If one is not baptized, he falls short of his goal of becoming a Christian.

When one is baptized, he becomes spiritually clean, free from all of his sins. He enters into the family of God as one of the Father’s cherished children. He has access to all the blessings, rights, and privileges of that family. There exists no greater joy than that of the obedient believer who rises from the waters of baptism as a new creature in Christ.

Conclusion

In view of what is written in Scripture, it is evident that the plan of salvation not only saves one from sin and makes him a Christian, but it also changes his life and the way he lives it, making it the best life possible. Hearing the word enlightens him (2 Tim. 3:15). Believing the word motivates him (Heb. 10:39). Repenting changes his direction in life (2 Cor. 7:10). Confessing Jesus as the Christ declares his faith and desire to become a Christian (Rom. 10:10). Finally, being baptized changes his life, changes his living, and gives him new life (Rom. 6:6-8). By this process, and this alone, one becomes a Christian and gains the best life possible.

 

Dedicating this special issue of Truth Magazine to the memory of my brother, Cecil, was not my idea. As this issue’s Northeast Ohio authors met toward the end of this project, one of the preachers suggested it be dedicated to Cecil. They all agreed upon doing this, and I was very pleased!

As I have reflected on those discussions throughout the remainder of this day, I thought first of how Cecil would have said not to do this for some might think he had delusions about his own attempts to live the Life of a Christian. Then, he would have likely said, this material was not his, so why dedicate it to him? I must explain, therefore, why this subject of a dedication even came up.

Shortly after Cecil’s death last year, his son, David, and I were going through his office trying to decide what to file or what to discard. His office was in a converted bedroom of his house. When I opened the closet doors, on either end was a 4-drawer filing cabinet, and in between were boxes stacked about two deep on the floor. On the shelf above were about 25 notebooks. As I looked through several of the notebooks, I discovered they contained his sermon outlines and debate notes. I took the outline notebooks to my office, copied the contents, and returned them for his heirs to do with as they will.

I could hardly wait to look into this wealth of material. Early one week, I was leafing through the folders of Cecil’s outlines, and I found one entitled: “What Is The Christian Life?” After looking over the brief outline, I decided to prepare a sermon from that material for use the next Sunday. I prepared an overhead transparency and preached on this subject that morning. However, when my time had expired, I had only covered the introduction and the first point. So, naturally, I announced I would conclude the sermon that evening. However, I only covered the second point that night. Well, to make a long story short, I ended up preaching a series of five sermons from Cecil’s single outline, and to make it work out equally as sermons for three Sundays, I added a sixth point, making it a six-sermon series.

I received an excellent response from our congregation, and the same from another congregation where I used the material as sermons for day services during a meeting. When the preachers of our area decided to meet together to study each week, and as we were looking for a project on which to work, I told them about Cecil’s material and how I thought it could be profitably expanded into an even broader study of an important subject. As we put our heads together, we came up with the twelve titles which make up this special issue of Truth Magazine. The readers will likely think of even more aspects of this vital theme, and if so, your thoughts have been stimulated, and that was a part of our purpose in writing the articles.

Cecil used to say that the art of originality lies in forget- ting where you got your material. I rather suspect that his outline was developed from some article he read some- where; he was especially good at doing that. If his outline changed the original as much as we have expanded upon Cecil’s work, I doubt that the original author would even recognize that these articles came from his work.

Nonetheless, the authors’ hope is that someone who reads this material will gain a better understanding of the Life of a Christian, and be inspired to live that life with even greater dedication and commitment than before. If so, the dedication of this material to the memory of Cecil Willis would bring him special joy. His death has left a gaping emptiness in many hearts; in mine especially!