Romans 6:3-4 Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?… 1. In everything which is really of God there is a singular freshness; it is always like that "tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month"; there is a continual novelty. And yet some people speak of the sameness of a religious life. 2. Through a new spirit, endowed with a new heart, by a new and living way, in obedience to a new commandment, with mercies new to us every morning, carrying a new name, we travel to a new heaven and a new earth, where we shall sing a new song forever and ever. Well might Christ say, "Behold I make all things new." 3. If there be a time when we ought specially to study "newness," surely it is now in this springtime, when the resurrection of Christ is telling us of risen beings coming forth to new affections, and higher enterprises. Therefore let us study "newness." 4. For who has not a great deal which he would get rid of? Old levels of thought, old appetites, clingings, selfishnesses, prejudices, sins! And may we not be thankful that we have to do with a religion which is always giving grace through new opportunities, for new actions, whose very essence is a daily renovation, and whose keynote all along is resurrection? I. WHAT IS "NEWNESS"? 1. It is better than creation. Beautiful as must have been the Holy Child, as He lay a babe at Bethlehem, the same form, risen from the tomb, was lovelier. The heavens and the earth of innocence were fair. But "the new heavens and the new earth" which are to be, shall exceed the glories of Eden. 2. The good that comes out of evil is better than the good which has never been soiled. The old goes to make the new. The old passions, the old bias, the old elements of the natural man, go to make the strength, the elevation of the new creation, the same, yet not the same. II. LET US TRACE WHERE THE "NEWNESS" LIES. 1. There is set a "new" motive, "God loves me. How can I show Him that I do indeed love Him who has been so exceedingly kind to me?" 2. Bars and fetters have been falling off from that man's soul, and he feels a "new" principle. He is emancipated from a long, dark bondage. And he goes forth into the old world, its scenes are just the same, but a "new" sunshine lies upon everything, it is the medium of his "newborn" peace, it is a smile of God. And oh! how changed that world looks to him. 3. And so his standard is always rising. He leaves the past attainments behind, as nothing to the heights which are opening before him. He has ever a new ambition, therefore he enterprises new works for God. And all the while, Christ reveals Himself to him with ever-increasing clearness. Some new view of some old truth, some yet untasted sense of his own pardon, is always breaking upon his wondering mind. (J. Vaughan, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?WEB: Or don't you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? |
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