Word@Work Luke75 - Luke 5:36-39
Published: Tue, 04/06/10
Word@Work from BeaconLight
ALL NEW
Luke 5:36-39 He told them this parable: "No-one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no-one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no-one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.'" (NIV)
Some people see religion mainly as a prop, crutch or help in difficult times; a psychological addition to normal life or a part of the social fabric providing a structure to life. And for many, their religion is just that. Today we read the parable of clothing and wineskins in which Jesus says that the new will not mix with the old. The point He was making was that He had not come to patch up people's lives or all the inadequacies of the Jewish law (it was unable to make anyone good enough for God), but to bring new life which could not be contained by religious rules.
True Christians are not religious (having to fulfil rites and a code of ethics in order to be acceptable to God). Everyone who has repented of sin and received Christ as Saviour has God the Holy Spirit living in them. His dynamic personality is so different from a powerless legal framework of religious dos and don'ts. Christ's powerful energy (Colossians 1:29) is refreshingly new. He brings grace, forgiveness and righteousness to unholy sinners at no cost to them: which is totally unknown elsewhere.
Some people think that they can 'bolt-on' Jesus to their existing lifestyle or religious beliefs, or have Him as an insurance policy. Wrong! As somebody has said, "If Christ is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all!" When He is welcomed as King in our lives, all other authorities have to submit to Him, or go away. Many would like Jesus to fix the problems which they cannot solve; but He is not a travelling spiritual mechanic. He is your Maker, Redeemer, Shepherd, and Lord - He will transform your whole life if you let Him; and when that happens nobody wants the old way back again. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" That is a much needed message for this world, weary of trying and failing to get better. It is just what some of your colleagues need to hear: so please tell them!
Prayer: Dear Lord God. Thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to live in me when I submitted to the grace of Christ. Forgive me when I fail to allow You to transform my life, or when I limit Your grace through my pride or stubbornness. Your new life is so amazing! Help me to be unashamed of the gospel when talking with my friends and family; and may they see how much You have changed me. For the sake of the glory of Jesus. In His Name. Amen.
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You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
Some people see religion mainly as a prop, crutch or help in difficult times; a psychological addition to normal life or a part of the social fabric providing a structure to life. And for many, their religion is just that. Today we read the parable of clothing and wineskins in which Jesus says that the new will not mix with the old. The point He was making was that He had not come to patch up people's lives or all the inadequacies of the Jewish law (it was unable to make anyone good enough for God), but to bring new life which could not be contained by religious rules.
True Christians are not religious (having to fulfil rites and a code of ethics in order to be acceptable to God). Everyone who has repented of sin and received Christ as Saviour has God the Holy Spirit living in them. His dynamic personality is so different from a powerless legal framework of religious dos and don'ts. Christ's powerful energy (Colossians 1:29) is refreshingly new. He brings grace, forgiveness and righteousness to unholy sinners at no cost to them: which is totally unknown elsewhere.
Some people think that they can 'bolt-on' Jesus to their existing lifestyle or religious beliefs, or have Him as an insurance policy. Wrong! As somebody has said, "If Christ is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all!" When He is welcomed as King in our lives, all other authorities have to submit to Him, or go away. Many would like Jesus to fix the problems which they cannot solve; but He is not a travelling spiritual mechanic. He is your Maker, Redeemer, Shepherd, and Lord - He will transform your whole life if you let Him; and when that happens nobody wants the old way back again. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" That is a much needed message for this world, weary of trying and failing to get better. It is just what some of your colleagues need to hear: so please tell them!
Prayer: Dear Lord God. Thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to live in me when I submitted to the grace of Christ. Forgive me when I fail to allow You to transform my life, or when I limit Your grace through my pride or stubbornness. Your new life is so amazing! Help me to be unashamed of the gospel when talking with my friends and family; and may they see how much You have changed me. For the sake of the glory of Jesus. In His Name. Amen.
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