Our opening scripture is part of Apostle Paul’s letterto the church in Rome, where he admonishedthem to serve God in newness of spirit, and not according tothe old ways of the flesh. To serve God in newness of spirit means to serve Him in your present state as one who’s been recreated in righteousness and true holiness, and not according to the Law or the senses.

 

This brings us to an understanding of what he (Paul)said in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that if any man be in Christ, he’sa new creation; old things—the old life of the flesh andeverything associated with it—are now passed away, and allthings have become new. Being born again, you have a newness of life; a Spirit-filled, Spirit-dominated, and Spirit-influenced life.

 

Romans 6:6 says, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” The old life has been crucified with Christ. You have now put on Christ (Galatians3:27). It wasn’t just a mere change that took place in youwhen you were born again; it was an actual spiritual rebirth.It was a translation, a replacement, or supplanting of theold life with which you were born by your parents, with the indestructible life of God. It’s a brand new life.

 

This new life in you transcends all the distractions anddebilitating influences of the earthly realm. Romans 6:4 says, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: thatlike as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of theFather, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” The expression, “newness of life” doesn’t refer to, or suggest, arenewed life in terms of reworking or refurbishing what wasthere before; no. It actually means that the old life has been completely replaced by a new one that never existed before.

 

Moreover, this new life is higher and different in quality from the human life, because it has its origin in God. Yourold nature was taken away the moment you confessed JesusChrist as your Lord, and now, you’ve been raised to anewness of life, to serve God in newness of spirit.