So Your a New Christian Step 2

LESSON TWO: LIVING A NEW LIFE

You have experienced a spiritual birth:  The Bible teaches that man is body, soul, and spirit.   When you accept Christ as Savior, the change is a spiritual oneByou experience a spiritual rebirth (John 3:5-8).  You do not experience a physical change when you receive ChristByou aren=t taller, shorter, heavier, or leaner.  Your spirit is born again.

After your new spiritual birth, your soulBwhich is your mind, will, and emotionsBmust be supernaturally changed as you live out this new life.  For years, your soul has  ruled your spirit and your body.  Whatever your soul desired or dictated, you didBwhether it be drugs, alcohol,  pornography, immorality, etc.   You did not exercise control over emotions such as anger, unforgiveness, and bitterness.  You went where you wanted to go and did what you wanted to do.  You got to where you are today by doing what you did.  If you want things to change, you must do something different.

You must let your spirit rule:  For years, your unredeemed, sinful, soulish nature has controlled your body and your spirit.  Now you must learn to let your redeemed spirit control your body and your soulish nature (mind, will, emotions).

When your old soulish nature rises up and you sin, it does not mean you weren=t saved.  You do not need to accept Jesus as Savior again.  You simply need to ask God to forgive you and give you strength to overcome future temptations. God has provided a way of escape in every temptation.  Take it!  ANo temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it@ (1 Cor. 10:13).

Repetition of sinful behavior leads to more of the same, until certain actions are so entrenched in our lives that we cannot stop.  We become enslaved to habitual sin and spiritual strongholds are erected.  This is why you do not want to deliberately sin. Read the struggle the Apostle Paul had in Romans 7:15-21 and the glorious solution in Romans 8. 

Recognize the difference between conviction and condemnation. Condemnation is general.  You think you are a bad person, you can never change, etc. These thoughts come from the enemy to discourage you in your new life.  Conviction is specific and is from the Holy Spirit to reprove you for wrong so you can correct it.  For example, you feel convicted because you lied to someone.  This is the Holy Spirit working in you to help you live out your new life of faith. original source is Harvest Time International