“THE CHRISTIAN'S NEW LIFE”



“THE CHRISTIAN'S NEW LIFE”

HEBREWS 12:1-2

INTRO: 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says—“For the love of Christ constraineth us;

because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And

that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto

themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." V17 of

that same chapter says—“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a

new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are

become new."

The most unique feature of the Christian life is that not only is it

LIFE-ETERNAL, EMPOWERED, EFFECTUAL-but it is NEW LIFE!

Ephesians 2:1 says—“And you hath he quickened (made alive), who

were dead in trespasses and sins." When we are saved we receive a

NEW LIFE! That LIFE is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians

1:27)! God doesn't patch up our old lives, but He gives us new ones!

Galatians 2:20 says—“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live;

yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the

flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave

himself for me."

I want us to look tonight at "THE CHRISTIAN'S NEW LIFE." In

Hebrews 12:1-2 the writer of Hebrews compares the Christian life to

running a race. This race is to be run by faith and in submission to

God's Spirit. Each one of us, as believers, are runners in this race;

running for the goal which waits for us in heaven! We will face many

obstacles in this race, but we must keep running. Someone has said,

"The road to success is marked with many tempting parking places."

Satan will tempt us in all areas of our lives, but we must keep

running! Friends, we must not let Satan’s distractions keep us from

reaching our spiritual destination.

The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:24 using the same imagery of the

Christian life as a race says, "Know ye not that they which run in a

race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain."

In our text 8 features of THE CHRISTIAN'S NEW LIFE are given. It is

these we will explore tonight. Let us see that THE CHRISTIAN"S

NEW LIFE is:

(1) A LIFE THAT IS ENERGETIC

HEBREWS 12:1c—"...Let us run…the race…"

*A runner in a race is wide awake, giving his ALL to win! (1 Corinthians 9:24).

Living victoriously in the Christian life takes:

A. DETERMINATION. The apostle Paul in Philippians 3:12-14 gives us the

determination that is needed—“Not as though I had already attained, either

were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for

which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to

have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are

behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward

the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

ILLUS: Johnny Fulton was run over by a car at the age of three. He suffered

crushed hips, broken ribs, a fractured skull, and compound fractures

in his legs. It did not look as if he would live. But he would not give up.

In fact, he later ran the half-mile in less than two minutes. Walt Davis

was totally paralyzed by polio when he was nine years old, but he did

not give up. He became the Olympic high jump champion in 1952.

Shelly Mann was paralyzed by polio when she was five years old, but

she would not give up. She eventually claimed eight different

swimming records for the U.S. and won a gold medal at the 1956

Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. In 1938, Karoly Takacs, a member

of Hungary's world-champion pistol shooting team and sergeant in the

army, lost his right hand when a grenade he was holding exploded.

But Takacs did not give up. He learned to shoot left-handed and won

gold medals in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics. Lou Gehrig was such a

clumsy ball player that the boys in his neighborhood would not let him

play on their team. But he was committed. He did not give up.

Eventually, his name was entered into baseball's Hall of Fame.

Woodrow Wilson could not read until he was ten years old. But he was

a committed person. He became the twenty-eighth President of the

United States. (Brett Blair, , February 2003.)

I want you to look at those words “let us run…”. They imply

determination. A person that is not determined will soon quit. They will

give up, give in and give over to the flesh. Running the Christian race

takes determination but also it means we have our eye toward…

B. THE DESTINATION. Running implies forward movement toward our goal,

not idleness! We read in Proverbs 6:6-9—“Go to the ant, thou sluggard;

consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?”

Friends, the Christian life is one of activity not inactivity. We must not be

idle but run the race with patience. What is the goal of the Christian

runner? What is his or her destination? :

• HOLINESS (2 Peter 3:18; Philippians 2:15-16). Daily as we run the race we are to fulfill His command—“Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16) and become more like HIM!

• HEAVEN (Philippians 3:20-21). Daily as we run the race we are to keep our eyes on our final home which is HEAVEN. We read in Hebrews 13:14—“For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.”

THE CHRISTIAN’S NEW LIFE is A LIFE THAT IS ENERGETIC but also…

(2) A LIFE THAT IS ORDERED

HEBREWS 12:1d—“...The race set before us..."

A. THE ACTIVITY OF THE RUNNER. The Christian life is not a rush at

random, but it is well-defined, the Holy Spirit being our teacher and guide!

The problem we face is that we have our priorities out of order, so that the

things of God get put on the back burner and if we get to them fine, if not,

we will attend to them another day! (Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:1-2).

The Christian life should be well-ordered because we have:

• GOD'S WORD AS OUR GUIDE (Psalm 119:105; 32:8).

• GOD'S SPIRIT AS OUR TEACHER (John 16:13).

• GOD'S SON AS OUR EXAMPLE (1 John 2:6).

B. THE ATTITUDE OF THE RUNNER. When we follow the Word of God,

submit ourselves to God's Spirit, and follow Christ's example; we will run

the race with JOY! The cry of every believer should be: "Not my will, O

Lord, but Thine be done," and "let me decrease, so Thou might increase!"

WHY? Because Ephesians 2:10 tells us—“For we are his workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained

that we should walk in them.”

ILLUS: What can make the difference in how we face our everyday trials, even

our little ones, is our attitude. We can have the attitude of the Pharaoh

of Egypt, who, when confronted by Moses and the ten plagues from

God, grumbled, and griped, and became stubborn, causing more woes

to come upon him. Or, that of Job, who at the loss of all his

possessions, even his own health, succumbed to the will of God and

remained faithful. That type of commitment to Christ will give us

eternal life, happiness and joy.

Remember: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"

(Phil. 4:13). "And we know that all things work together for good to

them that love God" (Rom. 8:28). (Bible Illustrator For Windows.

Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998. Parsons Technology, Inc. All

Rights Reserved).

(3) A LIFE THAT PERSEVERES

HEBREWS 12:1b—"...run with patience…"

A. THE WAY TO PERSEVERE. This perseverance is only possible by abiding

in the Lord by faith! Jesus said in John 15:4-5—“Abide in me, and I in

you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no

more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He

that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for

without me ye can do nothing.” God will give us strength if only we will seek

Him! We read in Isaiah 40:29-31—“He giveth power to the faint; and to

them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint

and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon

the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as

eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

B. THE WILL TO PERSEVERE. Even though we know the way to persevere

if we are honest we will have to say that we lack the will to persevere. This

may be due to numerous things which we have faced but whatever

happens, we must not quit! Why? We can do all things through Christ

which strengthens us! (1 Corinthians 15:57-58). The Apostle Paul said in

Philippians 3:14, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of

God in Christ Jesus" The Greek word for our word translated "press" means

"to pursue and earnestly strive for." The purpose of our live should be

Christlikeness! This pursuit involves two things:

• FAITH (1 John 5:4).

• FOCUS (Hebrews 12:2a—“Looking unto Jesus…”). We must constantly keep our eyes on Him, so not to grow weary and faint (Hebrews 12:3; Galatians 6:9).

ILLUS: On Oct. 20, 1968, a dramatic moment took place at the Mexico City

Olympics. As the last of the marathon runners stumbled across the

finish line, a few thousand spectators remained in the almost-dark

Olympic Stadium

Suddenly, the wail of the police sirens ripped the air. As all the eyes

turned to the gate, a lone runner wearing the colors of Tanzania,

Africa, staggered into the stadium. John Stephen Akhawari was the

last contestant to finish the 26-mile contest. He had injured his leg in

a fall and entered the track bloodied and crudely bandaged. While he

hobbled the final, lonely lap, spectators rose and applauded him as if

he had won.

After the race, someone asked him why he had refused to quit. "My

country did not send me to Mexico City to start the race," he replied

simply. "They sent me to finish it" (Decision Magazine - July 2005).

The Bible uses the image of a runner and race to describe our

Christian lives. Paul understood that pressing on in this race meant

daily obedience to God. Encouraged by examples such as Job and

Daniel who daily sought God on behalf of their families and nation,

Paul looked for and accepted God's will for his life through the thick

and thin. He knew that nothing was more pleasing to God than his

daily sacrifice of faithful obedience.

Do you want to be used by God? Then take a step of faith and

remember that your ministry all starts with your daily life--your

routine at home, work, school, or wherever you find yourself. These

are the places God has put you to make a difference for Him. Ask God

to do mighty things through you so you can finish the race better than

you started. (Bible Illustrator For Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright

1990-1998. Parsons Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved).

(4) An LIFE THAT LOOKS UPWARD

HEBREWS 12:2a—“Looking unto Jesus..."

A. A HEAVENLY VISION. We look to Christ because we are pressing on for

the prize of His eternal glory and reward! Paul wrote in Romans 8:18—“For

I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared

with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” We face a lot of things in this

life, but we can endure them by looking to Jesus! He is our strength!

(Psalm 27:1; 121:1-2).

ILLUS: A severe state of depression had overtaken a friend of Mrs. William

Stillman Martin. She lived about thirty-five miles away, in Elmira,

New York. It seemed that her life was a shambles as she passed

through some very deep waters. It is always good to have a true friend

to lean on in just such a time, and Mrs. Martin was such a friend. A

few months earlier Mrs. Martin had experienced the protecting hand of

the LORD during an illness. The incident was so overwhelmingly

precious to her that it prompted her to write a song, "God Will Take

Care Of You."

She proceeded to relate that story to her despondent friend, hoping in

some way to help relieve her depressed state. After hearing the story,

the friend said, "You know, I shouldn't worry, should I? We are

promised in the Bible that God watches over the little sparrows." Mrs.

Martin agreed, "He surely does." They then had a little time of

rejoicing over God's wonderful watch-care and protection.

The journey back home was made shorter for Mrs. Martin by the

satisfying realization that she had helped her friend. When she arrived

home, she sat down and penned the words of one of the most beautiful

and famous of all gospel songs:

"Why should I feel discouraged?

Why should the shadows come?

Why should my heart be lonely,

and long for heav'n and home,

When Jesus is my portion?

My constant Friend is He;

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me,

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me .

I sing because I'm happy,

I sing because I'm free;

For His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me . "

(Lindsay Terry. Stories Behind Popular Songs and Hymns. pp. 148-159).

B. A HOMEWARD VISION. This world is not our home any longer, but we are

looking for a City whose builder and maker is God! (Philippians 3:20-21).

THE CHRISTIAN’S NEW LIFE is A LIFE THAT IS ENERGETIC, A LIFE THAT IS ORDERED, A LIFE THAT PERSEVERES, A LIFE THAT LOOKS UPWARD and…

(5) A LIFE THAT BELIEVES

HEBREWS 12:2b—“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our

faith..."

A. FAITH BELIEVES. To run the race with patience, we must exercise faith!

For without it we CAN'T PLEASE God! (Hebrews. 11:6). It is a life of

constantly relying on God and trusting Him! (Genesis. 5:24a; Proverbs

3:5-6). The old saying is, “You have to learn to walk before you can run.”

"To walk by faith, not by sight, means that we discipline our actions not by

what we see, but by what we believe" (Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring

Quotations-Contemporary & Classical. p. 169). We must be willing to be like

Peter, after a long night of fishing and catching nothing, trusting in the

Master's Word: "Master, we have toiled all night, and have taken nothing:

nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net" (Luke 5:5).

ILLUS: A pilot was having trouble bringing his plane down to land. From the

control tower, he was given instructions. "But there is a pole there," he

objected. The answer came back, "You take care of the instructions; we

will take care of the obstructions."

So with the child of God. In the Word, he or she has God's

instructions. God will take care of the obstructions. It is ours to obey

the instructions from God's Word. (Bible Illustrator For Windows.

Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998. Parsons Technology, Inc. All

Rights Reserved).

B. FAITH BENEFITS. Whatever faith we have, even if it is the size of a

mustard seed, can accomplish great things if it is placed in Christ!

Christ is the author and finisher of our faith and it is Him that

accomplishes His will in us! (Philippians 2:13). What He has begun in us

He WILL complete! (Philippians 1:6). The heavenly course is begun under

Jesus; and under him it is completed. (Adam Clarke. Adam Clarke’s

Commentary On The Bible. e-Sword. Version 7.8.5. Copyright 2000-2007.

Rick Meyers. All Rights Reserved Worldwide).

(6) A LIFE THAT IS SELF-DENYING

HEBREWS 12:1—“...Lay aside every weight..."

A. A DAILY DECISION. To give ALL in the race we must deny ourselves!

(Luke 9:23; Matthew 10:38). Someone said, "It is not what we take up,

but what we give up, that makes us rich" --Henry Ward Beecher (Albert M.

Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary & Classical. p. 177). We must

constantly keep a check on the flesh! (Romans 13:14). Friends, denying

self must be a daily decision. To make this daily decision we must

understand what self-denial is.

ILLUS: What is self-denial? We have used that term so much that we have

blunted its meaning. What does it mean to deny a thing? It means to

affirm that it is not so. A man comes to you and says, "How do you do,

Mr. Jones!" You reply, "My name is not Jones, it is Smith." You have

denied that your name is Jones and confessed that your name is

Smith. The literal interpretation of the denial of self and the

confession of Christ would be to say, "I am not myself, but I am Jesus

Christ." This is to come to that place where you can say, as did the

great apostle of the Reformation, "Martin Luther does not live here –

Jesus Christ lives here," or until you can say, with a greater apostle

than Luther, "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless live; and yet not

I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life that I now live in the flesh live by

the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Augustine had lived a profligate life, but after his conversion he

kept away from his former associates. One day on the street he was

seen by a woman with whom he had associated in his life of sin, and

as he saw her he started to run. She ran after him and cried,

"Augustine, why do you run? It is I!" And Augustine said, "I run

because I am not I." Blessed be God! There may be such a

transformation where a man may say, not only "I am not my own, but I

am bought with a price," but where he may say, "I am not myself, but I

am Jesus Christ." -- B. F. M. By J. Wilbur Chapan, "Present Day

Parables."

Friends, truly that is what Paul meant when he wrote in Phillippians

1:21—“For me to live is Christ…”. It is daily denying self so the live of our

Saviour may be manifest through our lives! It is a choice we make but not

an easy one. "We can, if we like, choose the easy way; we can, if we like,

refuse the cross that every Christian is called to bear; but if we do, we lose

glory. It is an unalterable law that if there is no cross there is no crown."--

William Barclay (Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary &

Classical. p. 177).

B. A DAILY DENIAL. Anything that would keep us from Christ must be

denied so to keep our body in subjection. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians

9:27—“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by

any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

It means we practice self-control.

ILLUS: Whatever happened to self-control? Many books and speakers guide

wandering souls to self-fulfillment, self-satisfaction, and self-

awareness. Not many tackle self-control. Self-control requires an

honest look at your strengths and weaknesses, with emphasis on the

latter. It means building the will to say no when a powerful appetite

inside you screams yes.

• No to friends or situations that will lead you away from Christ.

• No to casual sex, saving intimacy for marriage.

• No to laziness in favor of “can do” and “will do.”

Self-control is a long, steady course in learning attitudes that do not

come naturally, and channeling natural appetites toward God’s

purposes. (Life Application Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Corinthians.

Copyright © 1999 by The Livingstone Corporation. All rights reserved.

Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.Wheaton, Illinois. Life Application is a

registered trademark of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Electronic

Edition STEP Files Copyright © 2001, Parsons Church Group, a

division of , Inc).

Every self thought, our own will, and priorities are but weights! These

weights must be laid aside. Anything that would hinder of from running

the race must be cast away! It might be an attitude, affection, or

association but what ever it is must be laid aside so that we may “run with

patience the race that is set before us.”

THE CHRISTIAN’S NEW LIFE is A LIFE THAT IS ENERGETIC, A LIFE THAT IS ORDERED, A LIFE THAT PERSEVERES, A LIFE THAT LOOKS UPWARD, A LIFE THAT BELIEVES, A LIFE THAT IS SELF-DENYING and…

(7) A LIFE THAT IS JOYFUL

HEBREWS 12:2c—"...Who for the joy that was set before him..."

A. THE REALITY OF OUR JOY. When Christ was on the Cross, He endured

it with joy. That joy being in the fact that he was in love dying for

whosoever will! The Lord said in Isaiah 53:11—“He shall see of the travail

of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous

servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” Friends, Jesus is our

example. He kept his eyes focused on the goal of his appointed course, the

accomplishment of his priestly work, and his seat at the right hand of God.

Knowing that a great reward was coming for God’s people gave Jesus great

joy. He did not look at his earthly discomforts, but he kept his eyes on the

spiritual, invisible realities. (Life Application Bible Commentary: Hebrews.

© 1997 by The Livingstone Corporation. All rights reserved. Tyndale House

Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois. Life Application is a registered trademark

of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Electronic Edition STEP Files Copyright ©

2002, Parsons Church Group, a division of , Inc).

We may face trials, tribulations, and temptations, but with Christ it can be

joy! (Philippians 4:4).

ILLUS: Men have pursued joy in every avenue imaginable. Some have

successfully found it while others have not. Perhaps it would be easier

to describe where joy cannot be found:

Not in Unbelief -- Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type.

He wrote: "I wish I had never been born."

Not in Pleasure -- Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He

wrote: "The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone."

Not in Money -- Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of

that. When dying, he said: "I suppose I am the most miserable man on

earth."

Not in Position and Fame -- Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his

share of both. He wrote: "Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old

age a regret."

Not in Military Glory -- Alexander the Great conquered the known

world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, before he said,

"There are no more worlds to conquer."

Where then is real joy found? -- the answer is simple, in Christ alone.

--The Bible Friend, Turning Point, May, 1993

B. THE REASON FOR OUR JOY. Why can we have joy? :

• Christ Is There With Us (Hebrews 13:5-6).

• Christ Sustains Us (Psalms 29:11).

• Christ Will Take Us To Glory (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

• We Will Be Like Christ (1 John 3:2).

We, as faithful servants will be rewarded! We long to hear, "Well done, thou

good and faithful servant...enter into the joy of Thy Lord." (Psalm 19:14).

(8) A LIFE THAT IS PUBLIC

HEBREWS 12:la—“Seeing also we are compassed about with so great a

cloud of witnesses..."

A. THE REACTION TO OUR LIVES. Every believer is surrounded by a cloud

of witnesses. We do not struggle alone, and we are not the first to struggle

with problems, persecution, discouragement, even failure. Others have

“run the race” and crossed the finish line, and their witness stirs us to run

and win also. What an inspiring heritage we have! These great believers’

lives, examples, and faithfulness in God, without seeing his promises,

speak to all believers of the rewards of staying in “the race.” (Life

Application Bible Commentary: Hebrews. © 1997 by The Livingstone

Corporation. All rights reserved. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton,

Illinois. Life Application is a registered trademark of Tyndale House

Publishers, Inc. Electronic Edition STEP Files Copyright © 2002, Parsons

Church Group, a division of , Inc). But not only do those who

have gone on before see our lives but also we are witnessed by the world.

Friends, we are the only "Bible" many ever read! We, as "living epistles"

should show forth Christ! (Philippians 2:15-16). The question is, how

does those who see our lives react to what they see of us? Are we

committed, caring, compassionate, and Christ-like?

B. THE REFLECTION OF OUR LIVES. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16—“Let

your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and

glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Friends, does you life and my life do

that? What does our live reflect? That we are committed to our Saviour or

to our SELF?

The cry of every believer should be, "LORD, make my Life a window for your

Light to shine through and a mirror to reflect your love to everyone I meet"

(Spiro Zodhiates. Pulpit & Bible Study Helps. Volume 17, No. 1. p. 16).

(1 Peter 2:5, 9).

CLOSING: THE CHRISTIAN’S NEW LIFE is A LIFE THAT IS ENERGETIC, A

LIFE THAT IS ORDERED, A LIFE THAT PERSEVERES, A LIFE

THAT LOOKS UPWARD, A LIFE THAT BELIEVES, A LIFE THAT

IS SELF-DENYING, A LIFE THAT IS JOYFUL, and A LIFE THAT

IS PUBLIC.

When we are saved, we receive a NEW LIFE! Not a renewal of the

old, but Christ in us! Romans 8:29 says—“For whom he did

foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of

his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren"

Friends, that should be our aspiration—to be more like Christ! But

for it to happen, we must give ourselves totally to Him. Romans

12:1-2 says—“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of

God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable

unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to

this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that

ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of

God."

Christian, are you enjoying your new life? It can be either Joy or

sorrow? Fulfillment or loss? It all depends on us!

The apostle Paul said, near the end of his life, "I have fought a good

fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth

there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the

righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but

unto all them that love his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Friend,

will you be able to say that when you course is finished?

Prepared by Brother Bryan L. Browning, Pastor of Beechmont Baptist Church, Beechmont, KY for Sunday Evening, August 26, 2007.

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