Title Living as a new person
Contents
Hymn: 427, "Every Day I Rejoice"
Meditation: In order to take off the image of the old man and live as a new person, we must receive spiritual nourishment from the Word and prayer and act according to the Holy Spirit.
Confession of Faith: Apostles' Creed
Text: “I tell you, walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh… ” (Galatians 5:16,17)
Word: There was a time when a two-headed lizard was caught in the United States and became a scoop. The lizard with two heads tried to run away from each other and was easily caught by people. However, there is a way to make this lizard move in only one direction. That is, it feeds concentrated food on only one head and feeds the other so little that it barely survives. Then, the head that has been sufficiently fed will lead the other head with relatively strong force.
We are like two-headed lizards. In us, the old man centered on me and the new man centered on God are always fighting (verse 17). Sometimes the image of the old person leads us, sometimes the image of the new person. If so, how can we always have the image of a new person to guide us? First, we must eat abundantly the food of the Word and prayer, which is highly nutritious in spirit.
If we limit our spiritual food to only the word we hear once a week, meal and prayer, our new person will lose strength and will be guided by the character of the old person. The more the corrupt old person tempts them with ‘just this one time’, the more spiritual nutrients must be supplied to the new person. We must quickly organize and shake off indolent and complacency thoughts, and be constantly awake to receive spiritual food.
Also, in order to have the character of a new person, we must live according to the Holy Spirit. Living with the character of a new person is possible only with the power of the Holy Spirit, not my strength. Just because you believe in Jesus or receive the Holy Spirit, the lust of the flesh does not disappear overnight. It will be a gradual change, not a significant change.
We must always discern the old disposition in us and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When we follow the Spirit and live as a new person, we bear the nine fruits of the Spirit. People will see the fruits and judge whether they are truly people of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer: God, help me to always be supplied with the spiritual nutrients of the Word and prayer and live as a new person who follows the Holy Spirit. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Lord's Prayer