Day 33 Lose the Old
I am pretty sure at the time I had not had a brand new dress in the last 4 years. Yes, I had picked up some hand-me-downs and had shopped at thrift stores, but new? No, that was not in the budget. Putting your husband through Bible college while birthing and rearing 3 growing children would not have left any room in the budget for any new anything!
So I was just a bit overly excited to be purchasing 2 new dresses at the dress shop. Bible college was done and things could not have been better financially. It was time for something new and YES, for me, it was exciting. I love new things!
And NO, I do not remember all of my new purchases through the years like I remember purchasing those new dresses that day. They were a long time coming!!
At the moment of salvation God gives us something new - a new man and we are told to put on that new man. You better believe I put on those new dresses as soon as I had an opportunity to wear them.
Dear Christian, are you excited to put on the new man?
In the Word of God we find a number of new things along with the new man that our gracious God has for us. The problem is, we cannot receive the new things God has for us in our old or natural man.
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
I Corinthians 2:14
“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:24
In fact, according to our passage for today, Luke 5:36-39, we find that the old man does not straightway or immediately desire or delight in the new. The old man will say the old is better just because the old is familiar to him. Matthew Henry says of Luke 5:39, “The disciples will be tempted to think their old way of living better, till they are by degrees trained up to this way whereunto they are called.”
God has called us to put on the new man. He has called us to a new righteous and holy way of living.
Here is a list of just some new things listed in the Bible. I have added the verses in case you wish to study these out a little more when you have time.
1. A new heart.
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”
Ezekiel 36:26
2. A new spirit.
“And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:” Ezekiel 11:19
3. A new life.
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4
Note: You must die to the old man in order to walk in the new life you have in Christ!
4. A new commandment.
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34
Note: You cannot expect to be able to love as God commands us to love in your old man.
5. A new song.
“And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:3
Note: Many Christians struggle with enjoying godly Christian music. Why do you think that is? When we live in the flesh, we desire the things of the flesh. When we walk and live in the Spirit, it would be instinctive to delight in the things of the Spirit. (Gal. 5:16)
6. A new name.
“And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.” Isaiah 62:2
“And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.” Revelation 2:17
7. A new Heaven and new earth.
“And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.” Revelation 21:1
8. All things new.
“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” Revelation 21:5
If you are struggling with delighting in the new that God has for you, your old man may just be rearing its ugly head. Time to slay the old man.
Lose the old. Put on the new.
Theme Verse:
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.” Mark 8:35
“Lose” from the Greek word “Apollymi” means “to destroy fully.” It is translated “perish” in Luke 5:37, our verse for today.
“ And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.”
Luke 5:37