A New Spirit God Has Given Us

          

Years end, years come, what goes up, must come down, what comes, will pass, but the Lord will be with us forever. -as 2 Corinthians 5:17 says,

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

Are you in Christ? Have you entered the body of Christ? - if so, you are His "new creation". Old things have "passed away". -and "all thing have become new." Isn't that a wonderful blessing to know, that we are his new creation, that old things pass away and that ALL thing have become new?

God says in Ezekiel 36:26-27 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them."

He has given us something new, not only a new start for this coming year but a new heart, and a new spirit. -what makes us alive, what gives us our ups and our downs. The word "spirit" has been in language -for who knows how long; and is something that is paid carful attention to. This word comes from the Latin word spiritus which literally means breath, soul,  personality and consciousness.  And as Christians, we have the blessing of the Holy Spirit; "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." -(Philippians 2:13)

What does the Bible say about the spirit? -John 3:6-8 says,

"Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.  You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

In Romans 8:2-6 Paul says,

"Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death......... in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.  Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.  The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace."

 So, "the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace". Now that, I am glad of. -to know that the Spirit guides and helps me, to know it gives me life and peace......  Some of us are still young in our faith, and some of us simply have not yet obtained that deep, relationship with God and the Spirit. - but let me tell you, this a gift to be obtained; to find all you happiness in Christ, to know and feel the Spirit working in you; to be perfectly content, to crave the word of God, to a point you wish you could read it all day. I feel sorry for those do not have this, and I hope all Christians will come to this point in Christ.

I would like to end this with a quote from Charles Spurgeon from his devotional book 'Morning and Evening'.  "Perhaps, this year, beloved Christian reader, this may be thy case or mine. Joyful is the prospect, and if faith be in active exercise, it will yield unalloyed delight. To be with Jesus is the rest which remaineth for the people of God, is a cheering hope indeed, and to expect this glory so soon is a double bliss."

And let me tell you, this is very true. That is what Charles Spurgeon wrote for January 1'st, the starting of the year. I would highly recommend his book, it has both a morning and evening devotional; enough for a year. It is my favorite Christmas present and I look forward to reading it throughout the year.

I would like to end with this verse "But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might" -(Micah 3:8-10).