NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

Out With The Old In With The New (Romans 6:1-12) In the first 3 chapters of Romans St.Paul says that all human beings are born sinners. Romans 5:12, Romans 5:19, Romans 3:23, Romans 7:18: We all as sinners in need of salvation, and God was willing to provide that salvation. Then chapter 4, explains how He provided of forgiveness, our redemption and our justification. It came through Him sending His one and only Son Jesius to die on the cross for the payment of our sin (John 3:16) Yes, if we have faith in Jesus, who died for our sins and was raised from the dead (vv. 24-25),we have that salvation offered to us. God has given us a new life, the right relationship with Him. Without salvation we just continue down the broad road to hell. Do you know the dictionaries deffinition of hell. Well, Webster says, "hell is defined primarily as the place or state of punishment for the wicked after death, often considered the abode of evil spirits. It is also defined as a state of great misery, suffering, wickedness, or chaotic disorder, as well as something that causes extreme torment." Romans 5-8, Paul tells us about the new life. He says, our life before salvation was the old life. That old life has been exchanged, traded in for a new one (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10). Then Romans 6, He tells me my old sinful nature is who I used to be, it was my “old self” (v. 6) and that, old self was crucified on the cross and was buried with Christ pu down and put off, into the grave with Him Because of this occassion, as a believer in Christ, I should be no longr the same no longer the same.. I should be “dead to sins power over me, and now I should be alive and excited about my new life in Christ. (v. 11 nlt). My unsaved friends, God tells us through Paul that anyone who accepts God’s offer for a new life by believing and having faith in Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for their sins will have a new life, in a way that they will bring honor to His name Him because sin and the old life will no linger appeal to them and the ywill turn their life on that way of living because sin will no longer have power over them. (vv. 11-14). Exchanging something old for something new typically symbolizes a transition, modernization, or a fresh start. For example, if I were to go and trade in my old car for a brand new one, I would not only trade in part of my old one, for example, I would ask for my old tires to be put on the new car, and I would keep the old battery. That would make no sense. No, to exchange an old car for a new one, would be costly. So I would never do it. But if I did, I would have let go of the whole thing. So making an exchange represents letting go of past, things that have kept us down in the past, sinful habits so we can embrace the new life being offered. That will help us improve functionality, and increase our optimism for the future. When we believe in Christ and recieve the new life He is offering, we do trade in of the old life for the new, and on like a car, salvation is free, but living the new life is costly, because the enemy doese not want to loose you. What, "Living the new life is costly" means is transformation need to take place, and we cannot do it on our own, it means dying to self and leting to to let God drive your new car. Because we have traded for a better version of ourselves and that requires sacrifice of our old sins, our comfort zones, our old habits, some of our relationships will change, andpeople will see that our identity has changed and somehow we aredifferent. Friends change always demands emotional changes, a social life change and that price often means leaving behind people who are not willing to go with you into the new life. Because they want you to continue down a road that no longer will draw you closer to God.. You won't grow in your new life as you want to, if you continue down that old road with them. It may cost a lot, in the beginning, but in a short time you will see that it was the best choice you ever made. The Christian faith, talked about in 2 Corinthians 5:17, says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”. This "new life" will help us see that sacrificing the old trials of this world worthwhile because of how Jesus transforms us and gives us a new eternal perspective, of eternity in Heaven a place perfect and without sin. The new life is a complete transformation from who we were before. You need to know that it is not just behavioral or actions that change, its not just "turning over a new leaf," but rather it is a change that hhappens internally and works it way out to the outside as a wittness to the chage internally. By your fruit they will know you. You have been born again. You can now claim your freedo from your past. Christ, has changed you and you are no longer defined by your past sins, they are all gone and forgotten by God, and as you coness them to Jesus He will take all the guit away. mistakes, guilt, or sin. The old life of bondage is replaced by a life of grace. Father God thank you for my new life in Christ, the old is gone and the new has come, Holy Spirit please come and help me live in the newness of life in Christ. Help me to walk in your ways, live in your power, recognizing that I have the powe of the Holy Spirit to say no to that old nature, that doesn ot want to leave. Thank you God for your power and control in the owrld and in my life. I want to be a slave/servant to you. In your name I pray AMEN.