A New Standard of Living

The New Covenant given through Jesus Christ has a new standard with new laws and commands.

(Hebrews 10:20)

We are not under the law of Moses which was the written code of standards given to the Jews for behavior, religious conduct and rites. These are now done away with because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The old has passed away and the new has come.

No longer do we have to observe the OT law including the ten commandments for our justification.

We are now justified by faith in Jesus Christ and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise. However, the Bible tells us that if we are truly born of God our life will reflect it by our behaviour. We now are held to a new standard. (Romans 5:1)

The old covenant has been replaced with a new covenant. A covenant is an agreement between two parties. Instead of trying to live up to the letter of the law in our own power through the fallen human nature and then having to have animals sacrificed on our behalf because we have blown it we can now live as new creatures in Jesus Christ under the new system set up for us by God. (Hebrews 10:19-25)

This might surprise some but we can’t become a Christian and then live any way we want to!

In fact Christians now have been given a new standard of living according to the Bible.

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ was the way in or entrance to a new way of living. Our justification was through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Some Christians stop there but in reality the resurrection of Jesus Christ brought a new and living way for the Christian to live by. (Hebrews 10)

But does that mean we are still under laws? Yes! What are laws anyway you may be wondering ? A law is a regulation or a principle. A standard in which we conduct our life. If we obey a law there are benefits but if we disregard a law there is always a consequences.

According to the Bible Christians are now under the law of the Spirit of life and liberty in Christ Jesus and the law of faith.

(Roman’s 8:2, Romans 3:27)

Upon these two principles the Christian must conduct their lives. Through life and liberty in the Holy Spirit by the principle of faith a born again believer now becomes a living epistle read by all. (2 Corinthians 3:1-3)

In other words if the Christian yields to the Holy Spirit who dwells in them then they will live a life that pleases God and reap all the benefits of obedience but if the Christian quenches the Holy Spirit, forbids him from operating, insults him, grieves him, resists him then the Christian will find himself or herself living a defeated life bound up by sin and reaping all the consequences of disobedient behaviour.(Galatians 5)

Disobedience will find themselves in the fire being refined, going through endless trials and hardships and maybe eventually die if there is no repentance.

The Holy Spirit is speaking to you today. Do not harden your heart in the wilderness of your life experience.

It is only the yielded to the Holy Spirit life that brings God’s blessings. Only through the Holy Spirit of promise given to the believer can we overcome the flesh and the devil. (1 John 5:4)

If we continue to do our own thing even if we use God’s name in vain in order to justify it then we will find ourselves in a whole heap of trouble.

Things may look alright now but the Bible is clear that whoever sows to the flesh will of the flesh reap corruption. In other words our own ways will come back to bite big time. (Galatians 6)

How can I know God’s will? One good indicator of whether we are in the truth or not is to examine ourselves in light of the scriptures and that is the scriptures illuminated by the Holy Spirit as we spend time in his presence seeking him.

Reading the Bible is not an indication of being in the truth. Remember that Satan can quote scripture. He will even twist it to fit into his agenda. Human nature does that too. We can find all kinds of scriptures to twist for our own benefit.

That is why the Bible says that the Spirit and the word always agree together.

Not many Christians have wanted to live the surrendered life and that is why we have lived such defeated lives void of Holy Spirit power. The church has made a lot of noise but not a lot of impact. (James 1:22-25)

For a time the Lord has let us go our own way. This was to show us that doing things our own way leads only to failure. Are we ready to listen now?

Another law that we need to adhere to in order to live a life that pleases God is to operate by the principle of faith. (Hebrews 10)

The Bible says that faith is the substance or physical material construct of things hoped for but not yet realized. In other words, when God says something to us through his Holy Spirit and confirms it by his written word then we believe it to be true regardless of whether we see it manifest for a time.

Faith in God will always be tested according to the Bible but God has declared his promises to be Yes and Amen.

When we believe God’s word without actually seeing with the natural eye then faith in God ignites the reality of the thing hoped for to be manifest in our natural world in God’s time.(Hebrews 11)

Doubt and unbelief is the enemy of God. It says, “Has God really said?” Satan’s lie received by people is what causes sin, death and destruction in their lives. That age old lie limits God so that he CANNOT do any mighty works.

So then as Christians under the new covenant we are called to adhere to the law of faith and the law of the Spirit of life and liberty in Christ Jesus. When we follow these two principles we will not only reap eternal rewards but live in godly freedom under an open heaven of both spiritual and material blessings.

Galatians 5
2 Corinthians 3
Romans 8
Romans 3 
Hebrews 11

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