30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 15 11-32 To seek and the save the lost - The prodigal son 05 New creation in Christ
📖 Luke 15:11-32
16Feb2020 - *New creation in Christ* - _Luke 15:11-32_ - Bible reading: _II Timothy 2:25-26_
_Luke 15:13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living._
This is the crux of the predicament of man. Man wants freedom and he thinks, freedom is to do what he pleases, but he does not realise that the freedom to do what he wants, leads to be captured by the devil to do his will.
This problem began in the garden of Eden, where the serpent offered this bait to Eve and Adam. _Genesis 3:5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."_ What satan is offering man is to become the ruler of his life. Sin is with the will, when we choose to reject God and choose to self-govern our lives. Sin is dethroning God and enthroning ourselves.
Whereas, the relationship between man and God, that God set in place, was a relationship of submission to God’s will. _Genesis 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; (17) but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."_ When man would remain in submission to God’s will, man would be alive. Alive in the true sense because life came from God. _Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being._
The Life that came from God and was complete, four dimensionally. We were complete in our relationship with God, complete in our relationship within ourselves, complete in our relationship with our neighbour and complete in our relationship with creation.
When we chose to reject God’s will and chose our will, we died. We died four dimensionally, and that is why God told Adam that in the day he eats the fruit, he would *surely die*. Not only is man surely dead, man in rejecting God’s will over his life and choosing his will, came under the captivity of satan to do his will. Man is surely dead. The wages of sin is death. This is the bad news. It is important to understand the bad news or else we will not be passionate about the good news.
This is the pathetic predicament of man. We thought we were free but we are surely dead and we are also prisoners of satan to do his will. What is our hope? _II Timothy 2:25-26 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, (26) and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will._
Jesus alone can set man free and bring him back to his first position. _John 8:31-32 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. (32) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:34-36 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. (35) And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. (36) Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed._
*Thought to ponder*
_II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a *new creation*; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new._