God makes a promise to the person whose trust in the resurrected Jesus
expresses itself in two ways. (1) His or her faith in Jesus produces
repentance, a redirection of life. (2) His or her faith and redirection of
life results in baptism. The combination of faith, repentance, and baptism
enables a person to participate in Jesus' death and resurrection (Romans
6:1-7).
What promise does God make? God gives these people newness of life. The
person who was dead is now alive. The person who was captured by the
darkness of evil is now liberated by the light of Jesus Christ. The person
who was dead in the evil that he or she committed is resurrected to life in
Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:1-6).
How is that possible? God's grace. His goodness makes it possible. Can the
goodness of the person make it happen? No. Can the worthiness of the
person make it happen? No. Can a person "obligate" God through correct
human deeds? No. Can a person through human deeds and acts manipulate God?
No. Is God "in debt" to this person? No. The person trusts God's promise
in Jesus Christ. God who cannot lie honors His promise. The person
receives newness of life as a gift, as God's gift.
No person can give another person newness of life. Christians collectively
as the church cannot. Christians as individuals cannot. Elders cannot.
Deacons cannot. Preachers cannot. Ministry leaders cannot. Missionaries
cannot. Only God can give newness of life.
Newness of life does not exist in a person by "collective human consensus."
A person does not have newness of life because we agree he or she has it.
Newness of life is not absent in a person because we declare it is absent.
Newness of life is in the person who is in Christ. That person has newness
of life because God gave it to him or her.
Can God give it to anyone who enters Jesus Christ? Yes. A drug addict?
Yes. An alcoholic? Yes. A prostitute? Yes. A thief? Yes. An
adulterer? Yes. A divorced person? Yes. A rejected person? Yes. A
greedy person? Yes. A liar? Yes. A materialist? Yes. Someone addicted
to pleasure? Yes. A selfish person? Yes.
God gives newness of life to every man or woman who trusts what God did in
Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, who chooses to redirect life, and who
participates in the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is not given to
those who "deserve" it. No one deserves it. It is a gift. Only God can
give it. Only those who trust God can receive it.
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