There’s good reason to talk about this because life without God is miserable. The Scriptures describe our life apart from God in bleak terms. To put it simply . . .
We are Spiritually Dead
Ephesians 2:1 says, “And you were dead in (your) trespasses and sins.” To spell this out a bit more, this means:
We are separated from God. The apostle Paul talks about being “alienated from the life of God” (Ephesians 4:18). We don’t have a relationship with God because of our sins and trespasses which separate us from God.
We are a pawn of Satan. Not knowingly, of course, but its true nevertheless. Paul talks about us “following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). He animates all those who choose to live apart from God and go their own way. He was the original one who did this and he works in those who follow his footsteps.
We just do what we think is right. Paul talks about living “in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind” (Ephesians 2:3). We do whatever is pleasing to us – without regard to God. And he talks about “following the course of this world” (Ephesians 2:2); going along with what everyone else is doing who isn’t concerned about or doesn’t know God.
This is what life is like apart from God. And although the world tries to make it glamorous, it isn’t. We all know this truth, or we should.
Our lives are full of despair, pain and anger. And so we distract ourselves with other things: getting more comforts/ entertainment; relationships with others; career achievements; drugs and alcohol. Or we just determine to make the best of it. Or we give up – apathy, or even self-destructive behaviors.
Yet even in our despair, we have this gnawing sense that it shouldn’t be this way. We were meant for more than this.
The irony in all of this is that all we need to find true life and peace, God can give to us! God made us and God knows what we need. God knows how to give us true meaning and purpose and peace.
Yet we spend our lives trying to find all this apart from God, according to our own wisdom, or the wisdom of others. Its just like God says in Jeremiah 2:13, “They have deserted me, even though I am the spring of water that gives life. And they have dug their own wells. But those wells are broken. They can’t hold any water.” Jeremiah 2:13 (NIRV).
- Here we are dying of thirst and God is the spring of living water, yet we run away from God.
- Here we are looking for new life, looking everywhere for it but from God, who is the only one that can give us what we crave.
Does any of this ring true? Is this where you find yourself today? I’m here to tell you that what you need is . . .
New life by the Spirit of God
Jesus said in John 6:63 – “It is the Spirit who gives life.” This is talked about in different ways in the Scriptures:
- being “born again” (John 3:3)
- becoming a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- being “made alive with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5)
- or experiencing “resurrection” (Romans 6:5).
The point is that the Spirit comes into us. And something miraculous and amazing happens within us! We come alive to God and to a new way of life. Everything becomes new. To spell out what this new life is like let me just say that . . .
When the Spirit comes we enter into a new kind of relationship with God: We are no longer alienated or separated. The Spirit lives in us (John 14:17). And also we are led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). God speaks to us, and we speak to God in prayer.
When the Spirit comes we are set free from the power of Satan and all the powers of evil. As Jesus said “ . . . it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons . . .” (Matthew 12:28). And in the same way in the authority of Jesus and the power of the Spirit, we are set free from Satan. And the Spirit of God takes up residency.
When the Spirit comes we are empowered to live a new kind of life. The Spirit empowers us to do God’s will (Romans 8:4). We are enabled to serve God with boldness (Acts 1:8). We are given spiritual gifts for ministry (I Corinthians 12:7). And we are given strength to endure difficult times (Mark 14:38).
The result of all this is joy. Before we have despair, but Paul talks about “Joy in the Holy Spirit” even in difficult times – Romans 14:17.
Now, this is not just for those first coming to God for salvation . . .
We all need the Spirit
Yes, we receive the Spirit when we first come to God and receive salvation (Romans 8:9). But we always need to be filled with the Spirit; it is not a one time thing.
Look for instance at the apostles:
- in Acts 2 the apostles received Spirit baptism, an initial outpouring of the Spirit into their lives, but note –
- in Acts 4 they were filled with the Spirit – again!
Like the apostles, we need continued renewal of life and our relationship with God. We need freedom when we fall and give an opening to the devil. We need empowerment to serve, to endure and to resist temptation. If we don’t continue to be filled, we will simply dry up and wither away.
So wherever you are at this morning – whether you are coming to God for new life for the first time or whether you have been a Christian for years, but you need renewal of life – lets look at . . .
How to find new life by the Spirit
1. Look to God. God is the one who promised us new life by the Spirit. For instance in Joel 2:28-29 God promises to pour out the Spirit on all God’s people. And then Luke 3:16, John said, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (NRSV)
And as Peter said on the day of Pentecost – Jesus is the fulfillment of these promises. He said, Jesus, “being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” (Acts 2:33).
God is the one who provides for us new life by the Spirit through the work that Jesus has done to save us.
2. Seek forgiveness for your sins. Receiving new life by the Spirit follows receiving the forgiveness of our sins. We have to deal with our sins first through confession, repentance and receiving the mercy of God’s forgiveness.
In Acts 2:38, after Peter talks about repentance and finding forgiveness, he says, “and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Without dealing with your sin, you will never know the new life that comes by the Spirit of God coming to live within you.
And this is also true in our Christian lives. When you allow sin in your life, it cuts off the Spirit. There’s no life. You become anemic, with no joy and no power. As Paul says, we can “grieve” the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). We can “quench” the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19).
As Christians, if we want renewal and new life, we have to deal with our sin, just as when we first began our Christian lives.
So, whether we are first coming to God for new life or are coming back to God for renewal – we have to deal with our sin first!
3. Ask for the Spirit. Its not enough to come this morning. Its not enough to hear the teaching. You have to do something! You have to invite the Spirit into your life. No one else can do it for you.
Speaking of the Spirit in Luke 11:9-10, Jesus said – “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Ask: “God, come within and make me new, set me free, and give me the power that I need to live a new life. Let me know your peace and your joy in my life.”
4. Receive the promise of the Spirit by faith. This is the promise of God to us, from Jesus – “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11:13).
So let us ask and let us receive it by faith – thanking God for his faithfulness. For God is always true to his promises.
William Higgins
Christian teaching 