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The Son of God said: No one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins. Messiah Yeshua was teaching us about living a new life. Think about it. The Son of God left the glories of Heaven and entered this world. The One who made the universe became a man and lived with us. He lived the greatest life. He gave us the greatest teachings. He did the greatest miracles. He died the greatest death. He had the greatest victory over the god of this world and over sin and death. Because of His arrival and His life and death and resurrection, the world is different. We’re living in a new age. The world doesn’t understand this. But we do. And in this new age, we’re to live a new kind of life.

We’re able to live a new kind of life because we have a new relationship with God. Instead of alienation, estrangement and rejection, we have atonement. We’re reconciled to God. We have God’s acceptance. We’re the recipients of God’s love. Instead of being far from us, He’s very close to us because He dwells in us − by His Spirit living in us.

We’re able to live a new life because we have a new nature. We’re born again. Instead of our old, rebellious sin nature, a nature that is prone to sin, a nature that is inclined to sin, we receive a new godly nature. We’re given a nature like God’s nature. We have a new nature that dislikes sin and rebellion against God. We have a new nature that loves God and wants to please and serve God.

We’re able to live a new kind of life because when the Spirit of the Father and the Son is living in us, He helps us know the truth. He guides us to the truth. He teaches us the truth. He helps discern truth from error. We have a new relationship with the Word of God, which is truth, pure truth unmixed with any error. Instead of not believing it or being indifferent to it, we know it’s the truth. We know it’s the Word of God. And when we know that, the Word of God becomes alive in us, active in us, teaching us and strengthening us and encouraging us and reinforcing our faith.

We’re able to live a new life because we have a new relationship to sin. All of our sins are forgiven. What a relief! How wonderful not to live burdened by sin and guilt and shame. Not only are our sins forgiven, but because we have a new nature and the Holy Spirit is living in us, we have new power − power to live the right way, power to not yield to temptation, power to be victorious over sin. Sin, which is a real force, no longer has the power to control us like it controls the rest of the people of the world. Sin is no longer our master. God is our master. We no longer have to serve sin. We’re free to serve God the way we should.

We’re able to live a new life because we have new values, new goals, new priorities. We’re not living for money, wealth, power, fame, acceptance by a corrupt world. We’re not living for ourselves. We’re living for God. We’re living to honor God, serve God, obey God. We’re living to do what’s right. We’re living to carry on Messiah’s ministry of world evangelism and building His Community of called-out ones.

We’re able to live a new life because we have a new hope. We don’t believe that when we die, we die. We know that the risen Lord Yeshua is the resurrection and the life. We believe His promises that the one who is loyal to Him will live even if he dies. We believe that God will create a new and perfect and eternal universe, a new heavens and a new Earth. We believe we’re the glorious future kings and queens, the eternal sons and daughters of God, and that we have a great and eternal inheritance. And because we have hope, we’re living for Heaven, not Earth. We’re living for eternity, not a world that will pass away.

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son. Because of His arrival, life, death and resurrection, we’re living in a new age. And we’re to live a new kind of life. And with our new nature and Your Spirit living in us, we’re able to live that new life. We know that those who wait on You will find new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Teach us how to wait on You − continually, constantly, all the time. Help us live in newness of life. Amen.