We’re using the summer to reflect on how Jesus’ resurrection transforms our lives and what we need to do to enjoy His fullness of life. Last week, we reflected on the insidious nature of sin. This week, the devotion focuses on the power of the Spirit that transforms us to fully experience God’s abundant life.

IN WORD Something remarkable happened when we accepted Christ. It sounds trite to say we went from death to life, but the change was really that radical. God had long ago breathed His own life into Adam, and when humanity fell in Eden, we returned to being creatures of dust. But when Jesus breathed again into His disciples (John 20:22), the divine life filled human beings once more. The Spirit fell at Pentecost, and the new creation rapidly began to grow.
It was clearly empowered by a supernatural source. A new humanity—God’s original design—had been born. That’s why Paul was so frustrated with the people in his churches who had taken a religious approach to this new life. Other teachers had come along, especially in the Galatian churches, and told new Christians all the proper rules for righteous living. It made no sense—like telling lightbulbs to shine brightly or instructing dogs in the ways of barking. Lightbulbs simply need to be plugged into a power source, and dogs simply need to be dogs in order to bark. With the life of God Himself within him or her, why would anyone rely on anything else? In other words, why would anyone simply be religious when he or she could have a relationship with Jesus?
IN DEED That’s still a mystery today. We forget what Scripture tells us. We have a new nature, not a new practice. We act as if we’re trying to reform the old nature rather than letting the new nature have its way. In fact, sometimes we have to look really hard for the new nature within us because we’ve learned to ignore it.
Depending on rules and regulations is much more clear and comfortable. But that, according to the New Testament, isn’t the substance of our lives. Our new nature is actually Jesus’ nature, and we can trust it. In the life of faith, always look for the person of Christ within you. His Spirit lives—even thrives—in those who rely on Him. “It is always safer for you to be led by the Spirit into gospel liberty than to wear legal handcuffs.” —Charles Spurgeon (in “God With Us” by Chris Tiegreen)

I really like what Tiegreen wrote about having a new nature, not a new practice. Disciples do not merely follow Jesus, but are empowered by the Spirit to become like Jesus. The Christian life is not about trying to follow rules, but having been freed from sin, it is about living righteously as a natural instinct.
In a seminar on neuroscience and addictions in our School of Counseling, I learned that addictions can never be broken just by telling a person not to follow his/her addictions. Instead, to overcome addictions, new, healthy pathways must be developed to an extent that it is more natural than the addictive pathways.
The early Colossians suffered from this same misunderstanding and focused on rules and rituals; Paul helped them understand that the true nature of following Jesus was to put on a new mind. Take some time this week to reflect on a chapter a day in Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a new mind in Christ. Have a blessed week! - back in Singapore, Pastor Sam