By Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel

Hebrews 6:1,3 “Now is the time for us to progress beyond the basic message of Christ and advance into perfection. The foundation has already been laid for us to build upon: turning away from our dead works to embrace faith in God…. So with God’s enablement we will move on to deeper truths.”

In the previous post, we established that the new life is eternal. The very life of our Lord Jesus has been given to us by his presence in us. Every believer has Christ in them and also has the life of Christ. In this post, we will discuss how to consistently live this new life.

HOW DO WE MOVE TO PERFECTION? HOW DO WE CONSISTENTLY LIVE THIS NEW LIFE?

• • First of all, this new life is received and lived by faith only. We must accept the gospel as our truth. When we accept Christ as our Lord and personal savior, we believe that He died and resurrected for us. Similarly, we should also believe and accept the other blessings (healing, righteousness, strength, etc.) that Christ’s death brought us.

1 Cor 1:30 “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

Romans 5:2 “Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

 When we acknowledge this new life, our belief becomes our reality. Paul acknowledged his new reality in the verses below.

Gal 2: 20-21 “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. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.”

Every believer should believe the above testimony for themselves. Every reference to the old life must cease.

2 Cor 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

• • Secondly, this new life is lived by renewing our minds. We have to see ourselves the way God sees us. We should no longer see ourselves from the old life point of view but from the new man’s point of view.

2 Cor 5:16-18 “So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.”

• •  Thirdly, confess your new life daily, say it in your prayers, meditate on it and say it to yourself. The first law of God’s covenant is to agree with Him. The reverse will hinder the benefits of the covenant. Remember two cannot walk together unless they agree.

Isaiah 59:21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever.”

 God’s word must be in our mouths for it to work. When you confess God’s word, you establish an agreement with the word and the source; God. If you are in agreement with God’s word, say so!

2 Cor 13 “This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”

Amos 3:3 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

Your confession defines and announces where you stand. You are justified to experience God’s blessings when you agree with God. The devil is out to contest our faith. The report you believe is what will work for you.

Matt 12: 37 “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words, you will be condemned.”

• •  Live the life, let the new life control all you do, think, and speak.

2 Cor 5: 14-15 “Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.”

This new life has freed us from sin, we are no longer slaves to our sinful nature. Since we are no longer slaves to sin, we have the benefit of freedom to choose eternal life.

Romans 6:12-14“Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.”NLT

If you still find yourself struggling with an evil habit, follow the instruction of the Lord. Study the scripture relating to what you are struggling with. Do not relent or persist, continue to study and the word will eventually permeate your heart.

Psalm 119:130 “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

2 Peter 1:19 “And we have the prophetic word [made] firmer still. You will do well to pay  close attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dismal (squalid and dark) place, until the day breaks through [the gloom] and the Morning Star rises (comes into being) in your hearts.”

• • Lastly, pray to know the truth, pray that God will open your eyes of understanding. Pray for Christ to be formed in you as Paul did. (Galatians 4:19). Pray to know the truth (Christ) in whom all God’s plans were consummated and completed.

Col 1:9-14 “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins”

As believers, there is no other option for the kind of life we should live apart from the life of Christ. Any other thing equates to walking in darkness and that does not bring you into fellowship with the Holy Spirit. In fact, it hinders fellowship.

1 John 1:6-7 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel is the Senior Pastor of Fountain of The Living Word Church, New Jersey.