B.C.F., 23.10.2005
Introduction
Four discussions on “newness” – New Commandment, New Covenant, New Creation in Christ, New Heavens and Earth.
Question: Why do you think I might have selected this topic?
Question: What does “new” imply in common speech?
(young, fresh, interesting, exciting ….over old, stale, boring etc.)
JY: Culture seeks external newness people become dissatisfied e.g. seek new cars, houses, jobs, toys, wives etc. because “The old man always seeks new things.” (Thielicke)
Newness in the New Testament
Newness in the New Testament goes beyond all the above (distinctive, superior etc.) – new in nature, a miraculous thing brought by the time of salvation.
“Old” is used in sense of something that is inferior, obsolete (passed it use by date) and passing away (in the eternal sense) – old nature (Rom 6:6), old humanity (Eph 4:22; Col 3:9); old sins (2 Pet 1:9); old wineskins (Matt 9:17); old garment (Mark 2:21); old leaven (1 Cor 5:7- 8), old covenant (Heb 8:13).
Question : What was the “newest thing” you experienced when you first became a Christian?
(Awareness of God, thirst for God, prayer, reading Bible, fellowship with others, ability to talk to others about Jesus etc.
Question: What are some of the areas of your spiritual life where you have not been able to maintain this freshness?
Biblical reason for loss of passion/vitality/zeal
Look up Rom 7:4- 6: “4 In the same way, my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we are slaves not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit.”
New believers lose the spontaneity of the Spirit when people (however well meaning) tell us how we should live the Christian life (pray etc.). (Makes people feel spiritually inferior “don’t pray enough, know bible well enough, tell others about Jesus enough…i.e. guilt – grieves Spirit.) Putting people under the letter makes them feel spiritually that they still belong to the “old age” that is passing away. “Letter” squeezes out the Spirit.
Where the Holy Spirit is ruling the result is spiritual confidence. 2. Cor 3:4 – 6, “4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, 6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. ”
The New Commandment
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. ” (John 13:34)
Question: Why do you think I am starting with “the new commandment”?
Takes us right into the very nature of God, “7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. ” (1 John 4:7 -8).
Question : In what sense is it “new”? Is it new in time?
Look up: “17 You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbour, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.” (Lev 19:17-18)
Not totally foreign to the disciples. (Though scope of O.T. command is restricted to fellow Jews.)
The context for the commandment reveals in what way it is “new”.
Chapters immediately before the commandment concentrate on the soon coming death of Jesus. John 12 grain of wheat falling into the ground and dying, “lifting up of the Son of Man” 13:1 departing from the world, 21- 30 betrayal by Judas.
The commandment is “new” because it involves a share in the Father’s command to Jesus that he must die for the world:
“No one takes it (my life) from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.” ”(John 10:18)
[“for I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me.”” (John 12:49- 50)]
“29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.” (John 14:29- 31)
[“10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.]
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:10- 12)
Question: What is unique about the nature of the love of God revealed in the death of Jesus?
(Not suffering for others as such – many good people have suffered and died for others.)
“[6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die.]
8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” ” (Romans 5:6- 8)
Look up John 3:16-17 “16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
To be condemned is to be lost, not to be condemned is to be saved – when you know that God does not condemn you know that he loves you.
The unique nature of God’s love of God revealed in Jesus is that through the sacrifice of the cross God does not condemn. When we experience God freeing us from guilt we spontaneously experience his love.
47 Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” 48 Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:47 – 48) Cf. Mark 2:5; John 8:11.
Question: where in the Gospels does Jesus publicly say “I love you” or “God loves you”? Cf. outside of the dialogue with his disciples, Jesus never directly says to anyone “I love you” or “God loves you”. The outstanding way he communicates love is to release people from guilt;
Therefore, to love one another “As I have loved you” means the sacrifice of forgiving others whatever the cost.
Question: someone provide an example of how they did this and how it communicated the love of Christ?
The love of the disciples isn’t simply common human love, it actually reveals the relationship between the Father and the Son, it reveals who God is.
[“46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” (Matt 5: 46 -47)].
Look up 1 John 4:16- 19,
“God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:16-19). This passage teaches that where Christians love one another in a Christ like way an atmosphere is created in which the fear of God’s punishment is driven out.
“8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
“forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and live in love, as Christ loved us ”(Eph 4:32-5:1)
“Love…keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Cor 13:5) Cf. emphasis of Leviticus 19:17-18
Look up 1 John 3:18-22, “18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 19 And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; 22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.”
John teaches us that our inner knowledge of our sincere love for others is the way by which we stand assured and confident that God does not condemn us.
Question : In what ways do we (as Christians) fail to love one another even if we aren’t conscious of it?
(Expectations: giving others a “spiritual check up”, criticism, intolerance.)
“Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions” (Gal 3:19)
“the law is laid down not for the innocent but for the lawless and disobedient, for the godless and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their father or mother, for murderers” (1 Tim 1:9)
Anything that is “legal” flattens spiritual confidence..
Conclusion
“We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. ”(1 John 3:14) Cf. “anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24)“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
“But it is mainly in the deeds of love so noble that lead many to put a label upon us, “See, they say, how they love one another; and are ready to lay down their lives for each other”; for they themselves will rather be put to death.” (Tertullian, in Apol XXXIX)
If we fail to love another we fail to reproduce the divine life. Practically speaking, we cease to exist as disciples.
If love is the only criterion by which the believer can know he/she has ceased to belong to the old world, then everything that the NT has to say about the new life we enjoy in Christ is dependent upon this love.