New
Things in The Bible
I- Introduction: Rev. 21:1-8
A- We are living in an age when men seek the latest inventions in
things.
1- We enjoy the latest in fashions, in automobiles,
and technology and the modern ways of doing other things. What wonderful advantages
we enjoy as a result of the genius of
those before us and modern day science.
2- This enthusiasm for new things has not wholly been
confined to material things, for some would have their religion changed and
modernized as well. In an article from the "Tennessee Valley Christian" bulletin
"Forgetting our Purpose"
by: John Gipson, he spoke of reading the cartoon section. In a recent carton of KUDZU it showed a
preacher holding his Bible standing in front of the church house door. A rather large and aggressive lady has him cornered , and says¾ "What
no tanning salon?…. No skating rink!… No fitness center!.. No Jacuzzi!.. and you call this a house of worship?"
3- This would serve to
remind us of the changes we see in many religions organizations, and the emphasis on worldly and material things instead of
that which is spiritual.
B-- When
Jesus went into the temple
1- He found those who were selling oxen and sheep and
pigeons; along with the moneychangers at their business. Can you imagine the noise, the odor, and
general commotion. The atmosphere must
have been somewhat like a county fair, or carnival.
2- Jesus of course was not pleased and cleansed the
temple at this time, reminding them that the temple was to be called a house of
prayer for all people. Isaiah 56:7-8
Over time the original purpose for God's house had been largely
forgotten and forsaken, and had become a den for thieves and robbers.
3- As a result of enthusiasm for new things today, we see new
churches, with new names, and new doctrines have come into
existence. This is extremely unfortunate, for in religion we must "not go beyond that which is written".
1 Cor. 4:6
C- For those who abide not in the doctrine of
Christ, this warning 2 John 9-10
9Whosoever transgresseth,
and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth
in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10If
there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your
house, neither bid him God speed: 11For he that biddeth him God
speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
1- The word
" transgresseth "is [pro' ahgo] and it means the on
going onward, or beyond— the words
" abideth not "
need no discussion. It is a sin to go onward, step across God's bounds, or to fail to remain inside the
teachings God has given by inspiration.
God has given us a once for all delivered to the saints gospel, ( Jude
3) we are not to add nor take from it
(Rev. 22:18-19)
II-
Notwithstanding this severe warning, there are some things in it called
new.
It is the
object of this lesson to notice some of these new things concerning which the
New Testament speaks.
1ST - FIRST THE BIBLE SPEAKS
OF A NEW COVENANT.
A-Back in the days of Jeremiah the prophet, God
speaking to Israel thru the prophet stated: Jeremiah 31:31-32
31Behold,
the days come, saith the LORD,
that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of
Judah: 32Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers
in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt;
which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
1- Several hundred years passed, and in the fullness
of time, Jesus came, born of after the seed of Abraham according to promise,
fulfilled His ministry, ascended back
to the Father. Afterwards the coming of
the church on Pentecost Day,
2- Still later, we find the writers of the New
Testament telling of the fulfillment of
Jeremiah's prophecy . In Hebrews 10: 9
the writer stated:
9Then
said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he
may establish the second. 10By the which will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
2- Again In Hebrews chapters 8 and 10 Jeremiah's
language is quoted and demonstrated to have been fulfilled in the coming of
Jesus Christ and the giving of His last will and testament. All this means that we no longer live under the old covenant that
governed the Jewish people prior to the coming of the Lord. You and I live
under the New Testament which came into being after the death of Christ ¾ Heb. 9:15-17
15And
for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death,
for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament,
they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 16For
where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the
testator. 17For a testament
is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the
testator liveth.
3- It further means that we cannot find authority for
our religious practices from the Old Testament, but from the New. We are not to keep the Sabbath day, the 7th
day of the week, that we are not to have infant church membership, we are not
to burn incense, employ instrumental music in the worship, and offer blood
sacrifices of animals. Well Why?
4- Because all these are part of the Old Law, taken
away by the blood of Christ. Beloved
how unfortunate that many have never learned this simple principle. And are
still trying to justify these practices today by the Old Testament. We should thank God today that we live under
a new covenant, called by the Hebrew writer as "better" covenant Heb 8:6
THE 2ND NEW THING
MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE, WE NOTICE IS
THE NEW BIRTH.
A- When Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, He said¾ John 3:3-7
3Jesus
answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is
old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is
born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel
not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
1- Nicodemus did not understand, hence Jesus explains
more fully by saying verse 5
"except". The new
birth is so necessary that one cannot come into the kingdom of God without it. It is both "water and the Spirit".
It is not water alone, nor Spirit alone,
The water baptism administered to one void of "faith" where no repentance has taken place would
not avail anything. This is one reason
that it is wrong to baptize an infant.
They are to young to believe, and have no need to repent, no need to be
baptized.
2-
On the other hand those who teach the new birth, apart from water also commit a
grievous error. There cannot be a "New Birth" without water.
According to Jesus' words here to Nicodemus, That is why we see those who have
received the word, and believe it
acting immediately to obey, by being baptized.
Acts 2:36-38
36Therefore
let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus,
whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart,
and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what
shall we do? 38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
41Then
they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were
added unto them about three thousand souls.
42And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and
fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 47Praising God, and having favour
with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be
saved
4- A question each of us should ask is ¾ "Have I
been born again, anew?"
Not after the
will of man, but the will of God. John
1:12-13
II- THE 3RD THING
WE FIND IN THE NEW TESTAMENT IS "THE NEW CREATURE".
A- When one is born
again, the new birth, he is baptized into Christ and Paul says: 2 Cor 5:17
17Therefore if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become
new.
1- In Ephesians chapter 2 we see the marvelous
transformation that takes place in the new birth, creating a new creature. In Ephesians 2:11-12 the apostle mentions
their condition before Christ, He says:
11Wherefore
remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called
Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by
hands; 12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from
the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having
no hope, and without God in the world:
a- Notice: they were, " without Christ… aliens
from the commonwealth of Israel… strangers from the covenants of
promise, having no hope, and without God in the world " But they had experienced the NEW BIRTH, they were now IN CHRIST…
b- On the
margin of my Bible I have a cross between verses 11 and 13. I write before at the top of the cross and
below the cross, I write, after, or
now. NOW… verse 13 and 19-22
13But
now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of
Christ…… 19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners,
but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And
are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building
fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In
whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
2- This new creature is called a child of God. When
John thought about this marvelous relationship he wrote: 1 John 3:1-2
1Behold,
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called
the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved,
now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we
know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as
he is. 3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself,
even as he is pure.
2- Regardless on one's ancestry, one's past life, his
obscurity or poverty, when he is born again, he becomes a new creature. A child
of God, he becomes an heir, and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. Romans 8:17
III- NOW HAVING BECOME A NEW CREATURE, WE FOLLOW
IT BY LIVING A NEW LIFE.
A-The apostle Paul makes the following argument in
Romans 6:1-4.
1What
shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2God
forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into his death? 4Therefore
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.
2- He further describes this new life in Colossians
3:1-3.
1If
ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ
sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth. 3For
ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
IV- THE NEW CREATURE WHO BY
THE NEW BIRTH AND HAS BEGUN A NEW LIFE,
IS GIVEN A "NEW NAME".
A- Long before the Lord came, Isaiah the weeping
prophet declared: Isaiah 62:2
2And
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.
1- It is interesting that after the church began on
Pentecost day, members were called
"believers" Acts 5:14 ¾ "disciples" Acts 9:1 ¾ "brethren" Acts 6:3 ¾ and "saints" ¾ Acts
9:13.
2- But none of these names was new. God's Old
Testament people were brethren, they were to be holy, as commanded in Leviticus
20:7, thus they were to be saints.
3- But as soon as the Gentiles had come into the
church, we find God fulfilling His promise and in Acts 11:26 we read. 26And
the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch…. At last a new name was given, never before
had the followers of Christ been called "Christians" it was new,
4- But many years later Peter admonished these same
disciples¾ 1 Peter 4:16
15But
let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a
busybody in other men’s matters. 16Yet if any man suffer as a
Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
B- Those who have been bought by the blood of Christ should not
wear names of men.
1- That practice was started before the end of
apostolic days ended. Paul found those in the church at Corinth,
wearing names other than "Christian'" Hear his rebuke to them.
1 Cor. 1:10-14
2- Brethren if we cannot wear the name of Paul, or
Cephas, what man's name could we wear? Well we can wear no man's name but Christ.
Luther and others did not want followers to wear their name. All agree that the new name given to the
disciples was "Christian"
that is the new name given by God, that is the name that glorifies our
Lord, that is the name we must wear.
V- THE NEW CREATURE, HAS A
NEW LIFE, WEARS A NEW NAME "CHRISTIAN" SHOULD PUT ON A "NEW
APPAREL".
A- Colossians 3:12-16
Paul gives us a description on a Christian’s apparel.
12Put
on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13Forbearing
one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any:
even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14And above all these things put on charity, which is the
bond of perfectness. 15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly
VI- AND FINALLY, WHEN LIFE
IS OVER, THERE IS A “NEW HOME” WAITING FOR ALL WHO HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL..
A- In John 14:1-4
1Let
not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In
my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there
ye may be also.
1- Heaven is described in the book of Revelation in
terms that we can understand that it is something to be desired, and
appreciated. Revelation
21:1-8 symbolically represents the church, but I believe it typifies our
eternal home.
2- There have been many beautiful cities, built by men
of different ages, to exalt their own
glories. I think of ancient Rome,
Babylon and her beautiful gardens. But none can compare to what God has
prepared for us. But heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. In
Revelation 20:15 we read
15And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of
fire.
3- Is your name written in the Lamb’s book of
Life? If you have not obeyed the gospel
it isn’t. Why not do that now while time affords you that opportunity? Put on Christ, in baptism, the “new birth”¾ becoming a “new creature” wear the new name
“Christian, “ adorn the “new apparel”
and look for the “new home” heaven.