Serving In Newness Of Spirit by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter (Romans 7:5-6).


Our opening scripture is part of Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, where he admonished them to serve God in newness of spirit, and not according to the old ways of the flesh. To serve God in newness of spirit means to serve Him in your present state as one who’s been recreated in righteousness and true holiness, and not according to the Law or the senses.

This brings us to an understanding of what he (Paul) said in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that if any man be in Christ, he’s a new creation; old things—the old life of the flesh and everything associated with it—are now passed away, and all things have become new. Being born again, you have a newness of life; a Spirit-filled, Spirit-dominated, and Spirit-influenced life.

Romans 6:6 says, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." The old life has been crucified with Christ. You have now put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). It wasn’t just a mere change that took place in you when you were born again; it was an actual spiritual rebirth. It was a translation, a replacement, or supplanting of the old life with which you were born by your parents, with the indestructible life of God. It’s a brand new life.

This new life in you transcends all the distractions and debilitating influences of the earthly realm. Romans 6:4 says, "Therefore 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." The expression, "newness of life" doesn’t refer to, or suggest, a renewed life in terms of reworking or refurbishing what was there before; no. It actually means that the old life has been completely replaced by a new one that never existed before.

Moreover, this new life is higher and different in quality from the human life, because it has its origin in God. Your old nature was taken away the moment you confessed Jesus Christ as your Lord, and now, you’ve been raised to a newness of life, to serve God in newness of spirit.

Confession

Dear Father, thank you for bringing me into a newness of life, a life that transcends this physical realm! I declare that the failures, defeats, and troubles associated with the old nature are passed away, and I’ve put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after Christ, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

further study: Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10

: John 16:17-33 1 Chronicles 7-8

: 1 Corinthians 15:1-10 Proverbs 28