SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1355

“New Wine”

He also told them a parable: …And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. – Luke 5:37-38

New Wine – The New Covenant: Jesus ushered in a New Covenant of grace. He fulfilled the Old Covenant of Law and the Prophets, and just as new wine will burst an old, inflexible, rigid wineskin, the New Covenant of faith in Jesus does not fit into the framework of a works-based religious system.

Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah … I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. – Jeremiah 31:31-33

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them; This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. – Matthew 5:17; Hebrews 7:22

For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast; Therefore, he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance… – Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 9:15

New Wineskins – New Mindset: When we come to faith in Jesus and are born again by the Spirit of God. It is not like we just picked up a hitchhiker whom we will take with us for a while as we continue along our way of worldliness and drop Him off somewhere. Our new mindset is that Jesus is not our passenger. He is the one who picks us up and sets our feet on the solid ground of His path.

He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. –  Psalm 40:2

Our salvation through faith in Jesus requires a total and complete transformation of body, mind, soul, and spirit. Jesus does not come along for a ride with us, rather we are yoked to Him, His way, His direction, His purpose, and plan for us.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. -; Matthew 11:29-30

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Colossians 3:2; Romans 12:2

New Wineskin – Relationship not Religion: Our salvation is not a transactional relationship with God. We tend to want the wide and easier road to heaven. We want to be able to do our best, do some good works to tip the balance of the scale to offset our sins, and hope for the best when we face the Lord after we have drawn our last breath. Religion cannot give us the assurance of eternal salvation – only a personal relationship with Jesus can.

Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me; Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. – John 14:6; Matthew 7:13-14

He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit – Titus 3:5

The easy way is why many people seek out a religious system of transactional works righteousness that also has conformed and diluted the Truth of God’s Word to fit the normative behaviors of today’s society. This is lukewarm religion and Jesus will declare that He never knew you and will spit you out of His mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16; Matthew 7:21-23)

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you; For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions – Galatians 5:7-8; 2 Timothy 4:3

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. – Colossians 2:8

New Wineskin – New Life Walk:  The new wineskin of our faith is a personal relationship with Jesus. Through repentance of our sin and faith in Him we are born-again by His Spirit. This is the start of our new life walk with Him.

And he said to all, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me; And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. – Luke 9:23; Ezekiel 36:26-27

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit; As obedient children do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy. – Galatians 5:25;1 Peter 1:14-16