A New Way

The path through Canyon de Chelly, AZ with Spider Rock 

Jesus has opened a new and living way for us 

to go through the curtain.

(The curtain is his own body.)

Hebrews 10:20 (GW)

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.

 The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

Jesus came not just to help us, to give us a better life here, he came to give us a whole new way of living, not the old way of rules, self improvement, trying harder, of condemnation and guilt but the new way of receiving, believing, trusting and accepting all that he has done for us. Jesus paved the way by giving his own life.  Now the way has been opened and we have been completely set free to walk into this new way, the way of the spirit.

It is called the new way for a reason. We can't make the mistake of trying to mix the old ways with the new.  Remember Jesus told his followers that if you put new wine in old wine skins the old skins will not be able to contain the new wine and they will burst. (Mt. 9:17) If you try to put the new way into the old structure it will break down and we will be left off balance and unsatisfied.

So what does that mean for us?  It means that we have to let go of the old ways, the old habits, the old coping mechanisms, of judging ourselves and condemning others and enter into the new way of focusing on Christ allowing the new life of his spirit to fill us. This new life is so contrary to our own nature, but when we realize by faith that our old nature died with him and we have been risen to this new life we can take our eyes off ourselves and concentrate on Jesus and his spirit. Then the evidence of that new life begins to spring up in us. He is sufficient for all we need for the new life in the spirit. He supplies the love, the joy, the peace and the healing.

                      But now we have been released from the law,

 for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power.

 Now we can serve God, 

not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, 

but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

 Romans 7:6 (NLT)

If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious,

 how much more glorious is the new way, 

which makes us right with God!

 2 Cor. 3:9 (NLT)