New: 4 March 2025
The Gospel &
the Newness of Life
Romans 6:1-14
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:4
The purpose of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross was to provide atonement for the forgiveness of sin, reconcile people with God and save humanity from eternal separation from God. He offers us new life by rebirth and newness of life as a new creation in Christ. Believers are born-again to a living hope and become a new creation. Believers are called to live a new kind of life for the glory of God in His will.
The Gospel and the Newness of Life
When Jesus died on the cross, He died to provide atonement for the forgiveness of sin. He died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3), so that God could forgive us based on that perfect sacrifice without violating His justice. Christ died for the ungodly as the expression of God's love for sinners (Romans 5:6--8) because Christ came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). The Gospel is the divine provision for the remission of sin and the opportunity to receive new life from God. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the hope of eternal life and God's provision for newness of life on earth. The gospel of salvation is the power of God to save those who by faith accept the atoning work of Christ for themselves as they repent of sin and turn to God in faith for forgiveness. It is the gospel of grace because it was God's work to provide atonement apart from religious works. It is 'by grace' and 'through faith' that we can be saved (Ephesians 2:8). Jesus saves those who turn away from idols from the wrath of God that is to come as judgment on sin (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). He is the living God who gives eternal life to those who call in His Name by faith. Christ came to give eternal life; He came to save, not condemn (John 3:16-17).
Christ saves us from the wrath to come and to give us eternal life. Yet He also died to give us new life and newness of life. He makes us a new creation by new birth and wants to teach us a new way to live. People keep seeking better ways to live life, but often reject religion as a key alternative to the ways of the world and its philosophies. Paul, through the gospel offered the people a new life in Christ and a 'renewing of the mind' to embrace the newness of life. True transformation starts inside our mind. Believers are to be 'transformed by the renewing of your mind' so that they might 'prove what the will of God is' (Romans 12:2). Without the renewing of the mind, transformation cannot take place; people will continue to live according to their own ways, the old ways of sin. Only with a renewed mind can we have a transformed life and understand the will of God. A mind set on sin is death, yet a mind set on the Spirit of God is 'life and peace' (8:6). Christ died for us and set us free from condemnation so that we can break free from the law of sin and death and embrace the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (vv 1-2) by walking according to the Spirit, no longer according to sinful behaviour (v 4). Hence, the Spirit empowers us to live in 'the newness of life' Christ died for (6:1-4). We die to sin and life for God. The sinful mind is opposed to God; it wants to enjoy the pleasures of sin (8:7), a lifestyle that cannot please God (v 8). God gives life through His Spirit, the very Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead (vv 9-11). Only by a life lived by the Spirit of God, setting our minds on the things of God, can we truly live to please God in the newness of life as sons and daughters of God (vv 12-14). We were given His Spirit as a sign of His adoption and the liberation rom the slavery of sin (vv 15-16) and give it become heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (v 17).
The newness of life with a renewed mind (Romans 12:2) makes us have a healthy assessment of ourselves and a mind to serve others with the gifts God has given to us (vv 3-8) in service of God's purpose as 'a living and holy sacrifice' in view of God's great mercies (v 1). It is a life of genuine love, abhorring what is evil and clinging to what is good (v 9); it is a life devoted to others in honourable attitude and conduct (v 10); it is a life of service with passion and diligence, generosity and hospitality, and perseverance even when things are difficult (vv 11-13); it is a new life in which we don't seek revenge but forgive, even under persecution (vv 14, 17, 19-20); it is a life of compassion and sharing (v 14), of unity in community and humility towards others (v 16), and a life where we overcome evil by doing good, and thus not be overcome by evil (v 21). The newness of life in Christ is a life in the love of God as the fulfilment of God's intention in His Law (Romans 13:8-10). We are to set aside the works of darkness (sin) and put on the armour of light (holiness) so that we can live as God intended by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ in a life apart from sin (vv 11-14). The Gospel of Jesus Christ offers us salvation from sin and newness of life as a new creation.
The Gospel and the New Creation
The gospel of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-21) is the good news that we can become 'a new creation' in Christ Jesus (v 17). Paul was compelled by the love of God to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ (v 14), the gospel of the One who 'died for all' so that we who live—who came to new life in Christ through the gospel—should no longer live for ourselves in a selfish way in sin, but should live for Him who died for us in a way pleasing to God (v 15). Living in the old life of sin as a new creation in Christ would be a contradiction and a failure to live in the purpose of the newness of life Christ died for. It would be to have received the grace of God in vain (6:1) and miss the day of salvation that is available in this present time (v 2). We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ one day (5:10) and give an account of our lives. The Saviour is also the Judge. Paul therefore urged people to be reconciled with God (v 20) in view of Christ's love (v 14). Paul paid a high price to peach the gospel under difficult circumstances with much suffering (6:3-10). The believers were not to live wrongly connected or attached to that which is contrary to God (wrong company, lawlessness, darkness, immorality, unbelief, idolatry), but are to appreciate and honour the new reality of living in the presence of the living God who desires to walk among His people (vv 11-18). Such a new life requires that we cleanse ourselves and live in the fear of God to have His holiness perfected in us (7:1).
Holiness is the will of God for all believers (1 Thessalonians 4:3), without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). This is not sinless perfection without which we won't be admitted to heaven, but rather a genuine heart that seeks to glorify God by pursing a life of holiness in humility and dedication to the One who died to save us. We still live in a body that has known sin and is affected by it. But we should certainly strive to live pleasing to God. Taking grace as a licence to sin is a false gospel! Christ set us free to live by God's Law of love (Galatians 5:13-14). It is a life according to His word, doing everything to the glory of God as we live in His will (Colossians 3:17) and fulfil the purpose He created us (Ephesians 2:10).
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Colossians 3:17
New Life for the Glory of God
The forgiveness of Christ opens the way for newness of life in Christ. We are born-again to a living hope (1 Peter 1:3). We are called to live in the 'newness of life' (Romans 6:4). As a 'new creation' (2 Corinthians 5:17) we are to live the way the One who died for us (v 21) intended. We who were freed from sin by the power of new birth should no longer live in sin (Romans 6:1-4). We have put away the old, sinful self, and have embraced the new, divine self (Ephesians 4:23-24). We are called to a new lifestyle for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31) and the glory of His Name (Colossians 3:17). It is a lifestyle of the humility of Christ (Philippians 2:5-8) and the dedication of Christ to live for God's will and for God's glory (John 4:34; 6:38). It is the surrender of Christ to God's will and the sacrifice to live for His glory. Living for the glory of His name is to be grateful for His love and kindness.
We are to give thanks to God as we live, in word and deed, for His name (Colossians 3:17). In a world of entitlement and ingratitude, showing appreciation to others is a revolutionary lifestyle. Living in gratitude towards God is the appropriate response to Him in view of the great price Christ paid when He died for us. In our world, as in Paul's, many people are 'lovers of themselves, lovers of money' and 'lovers of pleasures' rather than lovers of what is good and lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:1-4). There is a proud appearance of greatness, yet in its core lies pride, blasphemy, disobedience, rebellion, ingratitude, and all else that is unholy and sinful (vv 2-3), even having a' form of godliness,' yet apart from God's power and nature (v 5). It is a false religious appearance that is driven by ungodly motives. The core aspects of God's nature, such as love, forgiveness and goodness, are absent in those who are 'unloving, unforgiving,' as well as 'unthankful, unholy' (vv 2-3).
God has saved us from the punishment of sin by Christ's sacrifice, as well as the destructive lifestyle in sin. We were saved not only form the eternal consequences of sin (hell), but also saved from the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that works in those committing rebellious disobedience (Ephesians 2:1-3). The love of God is such that He came into our darkness and brought the light of salvation by His grace (vv 4-8). He has called us to live as a new creation created in Christ Jesus for the good works He has reaped before we were even born (v 10). God knew us before were even conceived in our mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5), when He formed us in a wonderful way (Psalm 139:13-14). He had plans for us to give us a future and a hope. As children of God we are to live in love (Ephesians 5:1-2); as children of light we are to live in holiness (vv 3-17), empowered by His Spirit (vv 18-20). It is a new way to treat our spouses (with love and respect), to raise our children (with love and instruction), and to treat out employees (with love and fairness) as pleasing to the Lord (5:22—6:9). It is a new way to handle the challenges of life as empowered by God, with the realisation that there are wicked spiritual forces at work in and through people, but our real enemy is the devil (6:10-18). In all things, the advancement of the gospel is vital and must be central (vv 18-20).
Earthly vs Heavenly
As God's children, we are to set our minds on the things above, the heavenly things, and not in the earthly, sinful things (Colossians 3:1-4; see Q3). This passage reveals a stark contrast between the earthly and the heavenly. There are the sinful things on the one hand (vv 5-9) and the divine, heavenly characteristics on the other (vv 12-17), which come as a natural result of living as a new person, renewed in the knowledge of Him in whose image we were created (vv 10-11). To be heavenly-minded is to live in tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, patiences with others, forgiveness, and, above all, love, the bond of perfection (vv 12-14). To live heavenly-minded on the earth, is to live in God's peace and gratitude (v 15), in God's Word that came through Christ (v 16) and to live for the glory of His Name in everything we do (v 17). To be earthly-minded, in contrast, is to live a sinful life of fornication, uncleanness, worldly passions (uncontrolled lust), evil desires, and covetousness which is idolatry (the other cardinal sin alongside pride). The sinful nature is expressed in anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language and lying, all of which bears the consequences the judgment of God (vv 5-9). We are to reject the old sinful, earthly way of life and embrace the new, heavenly way to live. This is the only way to please God. The gospel of Jesus Christ is according to godliness (1 Timothy 6:3; 2 Timothy 2:19)
Works vs Fruit
A similar contrast as seen in Colossians, is seen in Galatians. Just as he contrasted the heavenly with the earthly, Paul sets the works of the flesh over against the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:19-23). The former is the lifestyle of sin, the latter that of the newness of life by the Spirit of God in us. When we live by the Spirit of God, we shall overcome the sinful desires of the fleshly, earthly ways (v 16). There are inner conflicts where we choose what we want (v 17), but being led by the Spirit is to be empowered to live as God wants (v 18). Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies (false doctrine), envy murders, drunkenness, revelries and other such things are part of the sinful lifestyle that disqualifies us from the kingdom of God (vv 19-21). The newness of life, in the freedom for which Christ set us free (vv 1, 13), are love, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (vv 22-23). The contrast is obvious: the works of the flesh will bring with it judgment; the fruit of the Spirit is the way we are to live as God's children. Those who live for Christ are to live, not in the flesh, but by faith in the Son of God (2:20) as 'a new creation' (6:15) expressing their faith in love (5:6). Paul uses the cross of Jesus to symbolise that true followers of the Messiah must crucify their sinful flesh because Christ died to set us free from sin (6:14). We are to carry the cross and follow Christ (Matthew 16:24), which is denying our sinful desires and seeking to live in the holiness that pleases God. To carry your cross is to shoulder the responsibility of a moral life in a corrupt society, as we explained in the Apostolic Gospel (A1). There is Christ's cross on which He died to save us; and there is our cross, which we carry to please Him and live life to the full. To live pleasing to God, to do His will and to live for His glory is the expression of the newness of life and evidence of our love towards God and people. It is the fulfilment of the greatest commandments: to love God and to love people. This is a life worth living.