“ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)
Isn’t this a great picture? The Russell and Dahlberg boys were recently baptized at Aliceville FBC after their decision for Christ and their public profession of faith. You can see the gleam and excitement in their eyes as they begin this new life in Him. It reminds me of my beginnings as a believer at 12 years old. I accepted Christ at our church’s annual youth revival. I didn’t necessarily understand much regarding this new faith, but I began to grow and walk in Him. I joined the afterschool Bible study, carried a small Bible with me everywhere, and even led a morning devotion in our home room before classes each day. Although we didn’t have a discipleship class as such in our youth group, we had younger Christian couples who guided and taught us how to live for Christ. All of these things helped me to grow in my understanding of this “walk in newness of life”.
What about you? Can you remember those early times of your new faith? Did you grow? Did you have a deep abiding love for Christ more than anything else? OR Have you lost your joy, your peace, and your love for Jesus? Has your “walk in newness of life” become your “walk in oldness of death”? Peter wrote, “It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit’ and, ‘A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.’” (2 Peter 2:21 – 22)
These are difficult and harsh words written by Peter, but ones that are true. Watch and observe the life of someone who has walked away from his/her faith or has lost his/her passion for the Lord. There is an “oldness of death”. It is as if this person is living as a non-believer rather than a person being transformed by Christ. I have experienced it in my life, and thankfully, Christ kept calling me back to Him.
Recently, we’ve come through the Easter season and now we are moving toward Pentecost. The disciples found themselves in an “oldness of death” when Christ died, but they were made to “walk in newness of life” when they saw Him resurrected and even more so when they were filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. May the presence of the Holy Spirit be renewed in us, and may these five boys continue to grow in their “walk in newness of life”.
Until Next Month,
Bro. Lyle