What Used to Be

Dear Wake Up Family:

New Year’s Day historically is a time of reflection. A time for new habits, new beginnings, positive changes that take life in a new direction: something that redirects life so that we are now different than we were. A new birth, if you will.

Recently, at a country store near our home in South Carolina, I had an experience that made me think about this very subject. It was a very brief exchange really, but still, it made me think of the old vs the new.

As I walked across the parking lot toward the entrance, I noticed a lady standing by her car watching me. At first, I wondered why she wasn’t getting into her car. I thought perhaps that she had locked herself out, or was frightened by my walking in her direction. But as I walked closer, she blurted out:

“You’re a….” (The rest of what she said was unintelligible.)

I said, “Excuse me ma’am?”

She said again (and I understood her this time.) “You’re a playboy.”

Taken aback, I responded, “Oh, no ma’am.”

Immediately she offered, “I can tell by the way you walk,” as if it was empirical evidence.

I replied again, “No ma’am. My wife wouldn’t put up with that.”

And then as I walked by her, looking at me she mumbled with a hint of defiance, “Well, you used to be.”

As I continued into the store shaking my head, I thought about how peculiarly funny the exchange was. Those who aren’t familiar with Southern culture would probably consider her behavior rude or disrespectful. Yet, I know it wasn’t meant to be. It’s just that people from the South are uninhibited when conversing and have a penchant for speaking plainly—some to the point of having no restraint or filter. Yet, on the way home, I began to think of what she said on a spiritual level: about what I used to be and about how I am no longer that person, and more importantly, why. (Sometimes I wonder whether the Spirit places me in these situations to make me ponder.)

Come to think of it, Paul used those very words in Ephesians to remind and encourage new Christians. “Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:11–13) It’s neat how time and again, verses that we’ve read so often suddenly take on new meaning. Specifically, this time for me, considering and comparing my wobbly progress with what these new Christians must have been experiencing.

Now, I’m not one who dwells on the past. I see no point in it. I’ve lived enough life to know that we don’t learn much from our successes. We learn most of life’s lessons from our failures. When we’re successful, we think we’re smart. When we fail, we’re humbled and have to figure out what went wrong.

Even so, I confess that I do reminisce from time to time as David did in Psalm 42:4 when he said: “My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be.” In my case of the exchange at the country store, I began not only to think back but to consider and perceive the significance even more deeply than I already do, why the new birth transformation is necessary, and how it takes place.

When I get up in the morning, I begin the day with the intention, desire, and even resolve to be better than yesterday. Inevitably though, almost before I realize it, I fail; most of the time it’s before my second cup of coffee. Paul struggled with that same problem. In Romans 7, he describes the daily conflict within himself. He says, “I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” Do you ever feel that way? Sure, we all do. It’s natural for us humans to be subjected to that. We deeply desire to serve God but find it impossible to do so consistently.

Well, that answers the why we need to be transformed part, now for the hard part—the how part.

The majority of people under 40 are probably still too busy with their day-to-day lives to think about the new birth. Those who have experienced it probably remember when it happened, or at least, when the Spirit began pressing them about its necessity. I’m quite sure Nicodemus never forgot the night Jesus introduced the subject to him.

In his story, Nicodemus, being a teacher and prominent member of the Jewish ruling council, wanted to have a theological discussion with Jesus. But Jesus promptly cut him off and brought the real issue front and center. Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

This shocked Nicodemus, I’m sure. He thought that in being a Jew he was inherently part of God’s kingdom…kind of like the person who gets a trophy just for showing up. But Jesus quite plainly shattered that notion; He even explained why. Jesus said, “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.” In essence, Jesus was saying that a person must be reborn; that he must have a spiritual awakening, a rebirth having an umbilical connectivity with the Spirit. Unfortunately, Jesus didn’t tell Nicodemus specifically when that new birth takes place or how, so the answer must be found elsewhere in the Bible. I can’t believe something so important would be kept from us, so it must be there.

In Romans 6­­–7, Paul reminds us there are two powers in the world. He even goes so far as to say that whichever voice we listen to will be the one that directs and controls our lives. Samuel heard one of those voices, when, after night had fallen, the old priest and his young assistant had gone to bed in the tabernacle.

“Suddenly the Lord called out, ‘Samuel!’

‘Yes?’ Samuel replied. ‘What is it?’

He got up and ran to Eli. ‘Here I am. Did you call me?’

‘I didn’t call you,’ Eli replied. ‘Go back to bed.’ So he did.

Then the Lord called out again, ‘Samuel!’

Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. ‘Here I am. Did you call me?’

‘I didn’t call you, my son,’ Eli said. ‘Go back to bed.’

Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. ‘Here I am. Did you call me?’

Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. So he said to Samuel, ‘Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” ’ So Samuel went back to bed.

And the Lord came and called as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel replied, ‘Speak, your servant is listening.’

Then the Lord said to Samuel, ‘I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn’t disciplined them. So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings.’ ” (1 Samuel 3:4–14)

God called Samuel to be a prophet and spiritual leader at a time of spiritual decline in Israel. A time when Israel’s political and social conditions desperately needed divine leadership. Today, again, the world finds itself in the same condition: flailing about in a state of agitation, strife, and dysfunction.

Even worse, it seems that emotion now has somehow taken the place of reason; and with the inability to reason, the spiritual condition of man is at an all-time low. That’s why, in my opinion, Christianity is being attacked in almost every country in the world: to destroy the spiritual condition of man. Still, God’s voice calls to us, constantly fighting for our attention. Unfortunately, that other power’s voice is enthusiastically calling out to us as well.

When Jesus was on earth, Satan (that other voice) spoke to Him. To our great benefit, Jesus didn’t fall for Lucifer’s sophism. Read the whole extraordinary story in Matthew 4 and Luke 4.

“Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, “He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.” ’

Jesus responded, ‘The Scriptures also say, “You must not test the Lord your God.” ’ When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.”

That last sentence should concern each of us. Two voices—two influences—good and evil, contending for supremacy in man’s head and heart.

The Bible doesn’t say anything (that I can find) about Samuel’s struggle with the other voice. Paul however describes it this way: “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” (Galatians 5:17) He also describes this same struggle in Romans 7 in great detail.

Now Jesus’ words to Nicodemus begin to take on real meaning. We must be born of a new nature—a spiritual nature. Paul describes the difference between these natures as “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Both voices (God and Satan) are continuously calling us. Since man is by nature a sinner, he finds it easier to follow the voice of Satan than the voice of God. Yet, Paul realized that it was only through Jesus that we can be set free from the power that evil has over our lives. The pervasive problem though is that even when we respond to God’s voice—come to Him in faith, confess our sins, and walk where He leads us—the voice of Satan is still there wooing us like the siren’s song in Greek mythology.

Now just to be clear, the voices that Samuel and Jesus heard were literal. We don’t hear those voices audibly today—not literally. But we can sense them just as powerfully as if spoken. Perhaps this is why I can relate to Paul’s experience so readily.

Jeremiah said, “Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin? Can a leopard take away its spots? Neither can you start doing good, for you have always done evil.” (Jeremiah 13:23) Well that’s disheartening; so much for mankind having a part in his own transformation. The verse says we can’t take credit for any change. It’s done for us, despite our feeble efforts. And nowhere in the Bible is this better illustrated than the story of the thief on the cross.

Here was a man who had sinned for years, then all of a sudden felt the Spirit tugging at his heart. He began to feel conviction in his soul and responded by longing for a new life. He pled with Jesus to forgive his past and was justified because the Father imputed the righteousness of Christ to cover all those years of sin.

When the thief on the cross cried out for salvation, Jesus said, “I will give you credit for my life. I will give you credit for my righteousness. Every time you’ve been an adulterer, I’ll give you credit for my purity. Every time you told a lie, I’ll give you credit for my honesty.” This is how men who have lived like the Devil for years can be redeemed at some crucial point in their lives. Only God can exchange all those years of sin for Jesus’ righteousness.

That guilty man hanging there beside Jesus cried out to be redeemed on judgment day. And when he did, Jesus replied, “I assure you today, you will be with me in paradise.” This is justification; this is sanctification; and it was given to a sinner who was as guilty as he could possibly be.

We need to be born again. We must be born again because our sinful nature is so full of self that we would be miserable in heaven. Contemplate Paul’s understanding of why we must be transformed:

“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)” (Romans 8:5–9)

How concisely this explains the difference between our two natures and the reason for the distressing struggle taking place in every heart. Paul goes on to say in verse 13, “For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.” Similarly, 1 John 3:9 says, “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them.”

Therein lies the answer. Those two verses are the very heart of success in living like Christ. When we experience the new birth, we begin to take on the genetic traits of our new family. We begin to look like our Father. We begin to act like Jesus, our brother and savior. By nature we’re sinners, but by adoption, we’re grafted into a new family and therefore begin to bear likeness to this new family: The Family of God. How wonderful!

Rex

As a New Year’s resolution, we would do well to remember often the words of this old hymn: “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!”