A New You

Farm in Grainger County Tennessee
“There’s a new you coming every day,” a milk commercial announced. Being made “new” by drinking milk is one of those cow stories! While milk helps our bones, but it’s powerless to make us new people. 

Almost everywhere we look, someone is telling us about the makeover of their house, clothes, their hair and face. Paul tells us about his makeover. “I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me – I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me, [that is, I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]” (Philippians 4:13AMP). Self-sufficiency is what we crave; however, God says our sufficiency needs to be made-over in Him.

Farm house in Grainger County Tennessee

It takes a true friend to tell us the truth, does it not? Jesus told His disciples,"I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you" (John 15:15). The Samaritan woman said of Jesus: "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did" (John 2:29 AMP). Facing the reality of her life may have been painful for the Samaritan woman, but she was obviously happy and blessed to hear the good news: "I who speak to you am He" (John 4:26 NKJ).

Christ is our Prophet. As a prophet He reveals God's will in everything pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).  When Jesus was here on earth people's reactions then was pretty much the same reaction we have today: "Never did a man speak the way this man speaks" (John 7:46).

We don't always like what we hear; however the Lord Jesus does not alter His message. The fact that Christ our Prophet reveals God's will to us is an awesome reality. He alone is able to remove the obstinacy we have against truth and work His willingness in us so we will want to obey AND be able to obey as well.  If Christ didn't do this for us we would never have salvation, peace of conscience, assurance of His love or joy in worshiping Him. Nor would we ever be able to comprehend His truths that set us free.

It takes a real friend to tell us the truth. Our Friend Jesus tells us the truth and enables us to hear His truth and follow it. Only His truth sets us free.

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The Covenant

In the book of beginnings-Genesis-we learn that God established an intimate relationship with Abraham. That relationship is known as a Covenant. It is the knowledge and understanding of that Covenant that refreshes and encourages us, giving us the completeness and the hope we need every day.

First, a Covenant can be between two parties of relative or comparable strength. Marriage is such a Covenant.

Second, a Covenant can be between two radically unequal parties, a relationship where all the benefits are one-sided. Such a Covenant is both a law relationship between two parties, and an act of grace. The greater gives his law to the lesser, as well as his care and protection, which is an act of grace. Such is the Covenant between God and man. It is a law relationship and a grace relationship at one and the same time.

This Covenant relationship is a family relationship. It expresses intimacy, making us one people. It is administered by the Lord Jesus. In other words God not only gives us all things, but He administrates all things as well, through the Lord Jesus. He sees to it that everything works for His childrens good.

The promises of God make up the framework of the Covenant. They are all the promises God made to us, but especially the promise He made to Abraham, called the Everlasting Covenant: "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you" (Genesis 17:7 NKJV). Then God said it again  in 2 Corinthians 6:6. Here it is: "...I will be their God and they shall be My people" (NKJV).

The bottom line here is that Jesus Christ is the Servant, the Administrator of God's blessings. he brings them to us and to our children and our children's children. He doesn't say: "I've made you smart and capable, now get out there and provide for your own needs."

Christ says in Romans 15:8 that He "has become a servant." It's a permanent situation, one we can depend upon, one we can stake our lives upon. Christ brings to our understanding the promises of God. "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4 NAS).

God will always be our God and we will always be His people. We can depend upon that.

Read God's word, meditate upon His promises and talk to Him about them. Ask God to teach you more about His Everlasting Covenant.

If you will do this I promise you'll have a better day!