“The Spirit of Newness”

Scripture: Galatians 4:4-12a

For centuries, the church has struggled with our understanding of just what our relationship with God in Christ is all about. Are we servants? Slaves? Freed Men and Women? Adopted Children? The redeemed? Disciples? Who are we really? What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus Christ?

Dallas Willard, author of the book “The Spirit of the Disciplines” writes:
“The word disciple is used 269 times in the New Testament. The word Christian is found only three times. [I couldn’t find that many, through!] The New Testament is a book about disciples, by disciples and for disciples of Jesus Christ.”

“For at least several decades the churches of the Western world have not made discipleship a condition of being a Christian. One is not required to be, or to intend to be, a disciple in order to become a Christian, and one may remain a Christian without any signs of progress toward or in discipleship. Contemporary American churches in particular do not require following Christ in his example, spirit and teachings as a condition of membership ...discipleship clearly [has become] optional.”

Given this premise, the conclusion is predictable, though no less startling: Most problems in churches [of today] can be explained by the fact that members have not yet decided to follow Christ. No one yet knows what changes would be wrought if the way of Christ were truly tried in human affairs.
- Dallas Willard - The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988).

Or to quote Karl Marx, “There’s nothing wrong with Christianity – it’s just that no one has ever tried it!”

Read Galatians 4:4-7

“Born under law, to redeem those under law”. And not just to redeem a servant, not to free a slave, but to restore a legitimate and precious child of God. Paul uses the word “heir”. An heir is one who benefits from the possessions of the one who comes before, and the person’s will spells out the limitations placed on the inheritance. But since God is eternal, our inheritance must come to us in a different way, and not through a document that limits – it comes to us in the will of divine grace and mercy. An heir of God inherits the most precious of possessions – life and glory and eternal relationship with the King of Heaven.

But if Jesus was born under law, why did he spend so much time in conflict with the keepers of the law, the learned scribes and Pharisees? The only explanation must be that those “keepers” were mistaken in what the law was all about. In Matthew’s Gospel, we get a glimpse of the truth in this matter. Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees over his teaching on divorce (Matthew 19:3-12). They quote the “law” to the Lord, but he tells them, in essence, that this was Moses’ idea, and not God’s. It seems that we have to be careful in discerning which commandments are of Moses and the Law Keepers, and which ones are from the Almighty. Jesus was under the law of God, not of Moses, and he tried over and over again to get the learned men of Israel to see the difference. And they seldom did.

In verse 6, we read that God has sent the Spirit of Christ into the hearts of all believers, of all followers, of all disciples.
Of course, it isn’t the presence of the Spirit that redeems us – that is the work of Jesus Christ. The Spirit is God’s gift for those who claim the redemptive act of Christ. In our reading from Dallas Willard’s writing, it would seem that church attendance, or even membership for that matter, does not ensure that we will receive the Spirit. So what is required to be so blessed? We must become true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ – following his path, walking his way, claiming his teaching, living in his life. Nothing more and nothing less can be sufficient. It is only by surrendering our dependence on the benefits of this life that we can even begin to realize the glories of a life in Christ.
But it will cost us – nothing of value is ever cheap! It will cost us friendships and family relationships. It will cost the endurance of ridicule, disbelief, and humiliation at the hands of the world around us. It will require faith in the unseen promises of God and trust in the word that has been laid out for us. It will cost us popularity in our social surroundings, it will not receive the accolades of humanity, and it will not be seen as credible in this life.
It cost Jesus all of these things and more, and our life in him will be the same. To believe any different is to cheapen the grace that God has offered us in the Lord.

We would do well to adopt the motto of David: “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.” (2 Sam.24:24).
- Homiletics Online
Following Jesus Christ is always a costly proposition!

Read Galatians 4:8-12a

Paul had a major concern for the church in Galatia – some, if not a majority of the people were beginning to revert back to their old ways and to their old gods. He reminds them that in Christ, they have been freed from their slavery to these sinful ways, but that now they are starting to surrender themselves to sin all over again. We aren’t told what they are actually doing, but Paul mentions their observation of “special days” and so on – a reference, probably to adherence to pagan holidays, or possibly even Jewish observances. His fear is that once they return to the old celebrations, one thing will lead to the next, and the newness that came in Christ may very well fall away.

The church of 2012 must also be constantly on the alert for this pitfall. How much of the old life do we try to hang on to? Do we still surround ourselves with the trappings of Halloween, with the commercialism of Christmas, with the secularization of other Christian holidays? Do we still prefer the company of our old friends over fellowship with those in the Church? Are we still trying to serve “two masters”? When we tell others about the church, do we offer them the image and way of Christ, or do we describe the fellowship in terms that are warm and soft and uncomplicated – even undemanding?

From Homiletics:
There are some churches that attempt to shine a faint and fractured penlight of brightness out into the darkness by proclaiming “We Want to Be Your Friend” or “We Make Friends” or “This Is a Warm, Friendly Fellowship”. These congregations are often surprised when this faded message fails to attract others in out of the dark.

But it's that very message that is the problem. Friendship is not what people are looking for in a church; they're not looking for friendliness; they're not looking for friends. This culture would have the church adopt as its mission “We Make You Happy”. But the mission of the church is not to make people happy, or to help people feel good about themselves. It is to glorify God and be an earnest of eternity.
- Homeletics OnLine

This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be warm and welcoming and friendly. We certainly should be, but that can’t be our mission. The church isn’t a “feel-good club”! It is the Body of Christ, carrying the message of redemption and glory that comes from Jesus Christ and is extended to all who seek a new relationship with God.
Are we doing that? Please don’t think that I’m suggesting that we aren’t, but the question still remains – are we truly being Christ to the world?

Today is a new year. Many are making New Year’s resolutions, which, quite honestly, will be completely forgotten and discarded within a day or two. But we have been given a covenant in Christ that is unbreakable and eternal. The problem, though, is that we can still relinquish our responsibilities as disciples. In this new year, consider what and where your focus has been, whether it has been on life in the here and now, or in life in eternity. Consider whether you have been celebrating in Jesus Christ, or in the “special days and months and seasons and years” that Paul was so concerned about.

In this new year of 2012, claim the Spirit of Newness that only comes from the heart of Christ, and live as his disciple, and not just as one who is along for the ride.