New and Improved part 3
Not just life... ABUNDANT life! Not us trying to live Jesus' life (which is impossible, because only Jesus can live Jesus' life) but Jesus living His own life in us, and through us, and as us. That, in a nutshell, is what it means to walk in newness of life. And I feel like I always kind of grope for things in the Bible, and get the gist of them, but then sometimes I like to actually quote them. So here's what I think I'm talking about: "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). See, there were two deaths. Our first death was in Adam in when he ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God said that on the day he ate of the tree of death he would surely die. And then our second death was in Jesus on the cross. He was lifted up from the earth and He drew us all into Himself. Then He died. And we died. Which, contrary to what seems to be popular belief, wasn't a bad thing. It was a good thing. Because out of death came life. Abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life! A new and improved life! HIS life. Because when Jesus died He didn't just give His life for us. He also gave His life TO us. So that we could have it, experience it, and enjoy it! So that we could walk in it, even as He walks in us! And I don't want to belabor the point, but I always like to point out that we're NOT "walking it out." It's NOT something we do in our own power. Because, really, we don't have any power. It's not by might, nor by power. It's by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of Love. The Spirit of Life! Jesus said He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. God is love. It's all connected. It's all the same thing! An abundant life is a life filled to overflowing with love! That's what makes it abundant. That's what makes it IMPROVED. See, Adam's problem was that he felt like God's love was too good to be true. Because He wasn't filled with the Holy Spirit--the love receptor. So he tried to earn that love that he so desperately desired by the sweat of his brow. He didn't know it was a gift. And that's the key. You can't earn a gift. You can only be given a gift, and then receive a gift. You can only fight the good fight of faith and lay hold of the gift you've already been given. Apprehend what you've already been apprehended of. BE transformed into what you've already been transformed into. You can't earn newness of life. You simply walk in it. Because Jesus died, and was buried, and rose again. Both for you and as you. Which means YOU'VE died, and been buried, and rose again. The old passed away. Buried in the watery grave of baptism. And the new has come forth. Raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father so that we can SEE that glory (in the mirror, with an unveiled face) and BE that glory as we are changed into that same image FROM glory TO glory! Glory to God! All I'm trying to say is that we don't have to try. We don't have to earn. An inheritance can't be earned. It is handed down from Father to Son. A gift can't be earned. The wages the Bible talks about are the wages of sin. Which are death. And we're not dealing with death anymore. That enemy has already been defeated. We're dealing with life. New and improved, abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life! HIS life. Newness of life! We're talking about living. And since living and loving are the same thing... you know we're talking about loving!