Romans 6:4

NEWNESS OF LIFE!

We are approaching Easter and it's a wonderful time to talk about "Resurrection," for you and me.  No matter what we've done in this life, we have a "pardon," provided by our Lord Jesus Christ, and even as He died, was buried and rose again, so can we ... and in doing so, we have Newness of Life!

                                   "Therefore we are buried with Him through baptism

                                                   into death: that like as Christ was raised up from

                                                the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also

                                                                  should walk in newness of life."

When we are baptized in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, we come up out of the water a "new creation."  When I was baptized and received the Holy Ghost on March 2, 1977, I remember thinking that the whole world looked different.  When I stepped outside, the trees were greener; the air was fresher; the stars were brighter; and I felt so clean, so light, and so innocent ... it was so wonderful!  Not only that, as the scripture says, we participate in the Lord's death, burial and resurrection, by our repentance (death), our baptism (His burial), and when we receive the Holy Ghost and speak with other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance (His resurrection). 

     

                  "He (Paul) said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? 

And they said unto him, we have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost."  (Acts 19:2)  {In Acts 19:5, they were rebaptized in the name of  the Lord Jesus} "And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied."  (Acts 19:6)

 

Being filled with the Spirit of Almighty God is the single most exciting, phenomenal, invigorating thing one can do in this life!  You say, "Well, I believe in Jesus Christ, but I have never spoken in tongues."  There is more for you, and it will thrill you to the depths of your soul!  Those in Acts 19 were believers also, but had not heard about the Holy Ghost, and when Paul told them about it, they wanted it and they received it.  The Bible says the Spirit of God leads us into all truth; sometimes we don't know what to pray, but when we are praying in tongues, our spirits are speaking directly to God's Spirit  ... and the best part?  The enemy does not understand it!

                                      "Now if we died with Christ, we believe that

                                                                        we will also live with Him. 

                                                                                   (Romans 6:8)

Every word in the Bible has a purpose; the Lord Jesus Christ does not waste time, nor words.  So, when we obey His Word, we know we have a place with Him forever, as we continue to walk in humble obedience and repentance in this life in earth.  His directives are sweet to the soul, uplifting to the spirit, and the most sane and reasonable life for the body.  To be restored to innocence is the most profound and awesome experience ever!  There is no sin that is not forgiven, with the exception of blasphemy of the Holy Ghost, and few have gone that far.  (Matthew 12:31)  

                                         "He's the beginning and the ending; the first and the last;

                                                  the soon coming King, the Lord Jesus Christ!

                                                               Jump in   ....   to Newness of Life!

                                                                                                                                                                              By Sheryl Fowler

                                  (Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

                              PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)