newness of life – Moment to Moment (Bible blog)

The newness of life

Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)

I like the translation “newness of life” here.

I don’t want to walk around in the tomb surrounded by the stench of sin and death. I want to breathe in the fresh air of righteousness and life.

I don’t want to be walking around clothed with the decaying clothes of sin. I want to wear the new clothes of Christ’s righteousness.

Imagine Jesus raising Lazarus and saying, “Come out,” only for Lazarus to answer, “No, thank you. I like walking around in this tomb in my grave clothes.”

I don’t want to do that.

Rather, breathing in the fresh air and wearing my new clothes, I want to present myself to God as a weapon, an instrument he can use to battle Satan who has enslaved so many people.

Like Isaiah, I want to stand before God and present myself to him, saying, “Here am I, send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

Transformed

This week, I’m preaching from Romans 7-8 in my church. And I hit on a phrase that really got me thinking.

But now we have been released from the law, since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the old letter of the law. (Romans 7:6)

When you think about it, the phrase “newness of the Spirit” is very clunky. So clunky that the Japanese Bible translators (I attend an international church in Japan) translated it, “New Holy Spirit.”

It almost sounds in the Japanese that there is a “New Holy Spirit” as compared to an “Old Holy Spirit.”

Perhaps a better way to translate it would be “the newness that comes from the Spirit,” just as when we talk about having the “righteousness of God,” we mean we have the righteousness that comes from God.”

In Romans 6:4 Paul uses the same word and grammar when talking about walking in the “newness of life.”

In this verse, I do think Paul is saying we have a new life, and we relish in it. (You can see why translating can be such a bear).

In short, what Paul seems to be saying in Romans 6:7 is that we no longer attempt to serve God in the old way of trying to keep the law in our own strength.

Instead, we serve walking in the newness of life that comes from the Spirit.

We see this in Saul. Samuel anointed him as king and told him,

The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully on you, you will prophesy with [the other prophets], and you will be transformed.

When these signs have happened to you, do whatever your circumstances require because God is with you. (1 Samuel 10:6-7)

In the same way, when we become Christians, the Spirit comes down upon us and transforms us.

God himself now is with us, and he enables us to do his will. Not only to overcome sin, but to do the good that he wishes us to do.

So as Paul says, let us walk and serve every day in the newness of life that comes from the Spirit.