WHY YOU NEED JESUS IN YOUR LIFE (PART 7, FINAL PART)

TEXT:

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17, King James Version).

I have reserved this message for the last in the series. The reason being that it relates to the grandest of all the reasons why you need Jesus in your life. We are all aware that the old creation of God was marred by satan when he deceived Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden to rebel against God.

The implication of that singular act of rebellion is that the kingdom of this world otherwise called the old creation is now headed by satan, being the "prince of this world" (John 12 verse 31,14 verse 30).

       Consequently, God's focus is no longer on that old creation, but on a new creation, a new Kingdom, or a new world headed by His Son, Jesus Christ. In God's contemplation, nothing of the old creation is good for the new: "Behold, I will make all things new" (Revelation 21 verse 5). Thus, there are two rival kingdoms in existence and the issue for determination now is where we belong between these two realms.

       The Bible tells us what God has done. In Colossians 1 verses 12 to 13, we are made to understand that God, through the redemption that's in Christ has "delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love".

     To qualify us for God's new Kingdom, we must become "new creatures". In other words, we "must be born again" (see John 3 verses 3 and 7). The Bible points out saying that "That which is born of the flesh is flesh"; and that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption" (see John 3 verse 16; 1st Corinthians 15 verse 50). The ultimate question is whether we are born of the flesh or of the Spirit, because that which is of the flesh is flesh and that which is of the Spirit is spirit (John 3 verse 6). It's principally a matter of origin and not about how cultured, educated and good we are.

   Only through Jesus Christ can we be born again and become new creatures. It will marvel you when I say that no old testament saint was born again. This is so because it wasn't possible for them to experience it. Only after Jesus, could any man become born again. Jesus was first to be born again. That's why He's called the "First to rise from the dead", "Firstfruits of them that slept", "First Begotten from the dead"; “the First Born", the "Beginning and the End", etc (see Revelation 1 verse 5,3 verse 14, 21 verse 6; 22 verse 13; Acts 26 verse 23; 1st Corinthians 15 verses 20 and 22, [Psalms 89 verse 27]; See again Romans 8 verse 29; Colossians 1 verses 15 and 18; Hebrews 1 verse 6,12 verse 23). For clarity sake, to be born again is actually to be alive from the dead (see Romans 6 verse 13). Indeed, that's what it means. I have much to say about this, but for time and space!

     Jesus was First Begotten from the dead and by the Spirit, we became baptized into His death, burial and resurrection (1st Corinthians 12 verse 13, Galatians 3 verse 27); thus, becoming new creatures; ie, one that never existed before, brand new! The implication of this is that the old is wiped away and everything has become new. This is through the inclusive nature of the operation of the Cross, the Burial and Resurrection of God's Christ (see 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 17).

   Not to receive Jesus into your life is to mean that you still belong to the old creation. The Bible says it all: "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (see 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 17). To remain in the family of the old creation without receiving Christ is to be under the rule of satan and his cohorts. To me, that's pretty dangerous because the devil's ministry in the world is to steal, kill and to destroy, but Jesus came that we might have life and that we might have it more abundantly (see Jn 10 verse 10).

     Perhaps, you have been under the influence and bondage of satan. Do you wish to be delivered from such satanic bondage and oppression? Do you want to experience God's abundant life offered through Jesus Christ, His Son? Then pray the following simple but life changing prayer with me:

PRAYER:

Dearest Heavenly Father, I thank You for the Gift of Life through Jesus. I repent of my sins and forsake them, I confess Jesus as Lord and Savior of my life. Henceforth, I am born again and have become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah