Mark 2:21-22

Mark 2:21-22 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.”

Yesterday, we read about God sending the Comforter to us to shed the light and life of his love into our hearts and lives so that we might bring that light and life to a hurting and dying world. This truly is the "good news" of the gospel. This is the true Christmas gift that we have received, the reason behind every gift a Christian gives, hope for today and hope for a future and eternal life with God the Father. Today's verses reveal the obvious: none of this would be possible without the refining fire of the Holy Spirit. God did not come to fix up the old man, to make us a little better, to polish us up and sand off a few rough edges. No, Jesus came to make all things new, and He paid a tremendous price to accomplish just that. Paul explained this very well in his second letter to the Corinthians. In chapter five, he discusses that even though we still live in our earthly tents (bodies) here on Earth, we are not limited to the flesh, for we have been reconciled to God, and as a direct result have been given the ministry of reconciliation. But he emphasizes that this was made possible by Christ's work at the cross. Paul writes so clearly, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Paul knew God does not patch up the old garment, the old sinful nature; that would not be enough to bring us into right standing with God. The old garment would tear when the pressures of life come. The little worn places (sins) that are left behind would not be able to withstand the fiery darts of the enemy. Soon the garment would pull apart and tattered rags would be the result. No, God made us a new creation with a new position of grace, a new song of praise, and a new place in the family as joint heirs with Christ Jesus. We are raised from the dead in newness of life. The dead man did not just get a second chance to prove himself and have another opportunity to fail miserably. That is why Jesus told the disciples that He must go away so that He could send the Holy Spirit to teach them, to guide them, to comfort them, to bring them into all truth. The Holy Spirit dwells within us. He makes God's new creation strong in the power of his might. In Ephesians 6 when Paul describes the full armor of God, the last part of the armor is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. After we put on that armor, we are not old garments or old wineskins, we are mighty soldiers in God's army, equipped and ready to do his bidding. Yet what does He tell us to do? "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." This is what new creatures in Christ do: they pray for one another, love the brethren, give generously, seek the lost, just plain keep showing up where they are needed most. We were lost, we were tattered and torn, we were old garments in need of restoration. God sent the Good Shepherd to find his lost sheep. "He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!'” (Revelation 21:5) Now we are found, reconciled, a new creation in Christ our Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Love, Mom (Jacqueline) Sitting in for Dad today who is on the radio with our son, Doug.