This study was first taught on March 15, 2020

Topic: The New Way (6): The Heart of the Matter

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Background
In our last meeting, we expanded the frontiers of "The New Way" as we looked at the difference between professors and possessors of the Kingdom of God. Professors are essentially people, like the Pharisees and the Scribes of Jesus' day, who follow the old way of professing God's word but not living accordingly. Possessors, on the other hand, are people who follow the new way and live like Christ.

So, we saw that while the professor is all talk, the possessor lives the life of Christ; whereas the professor is shallow, the possessor is deep; and that while the professor has zeal without knowledge, the possessor has Christ alone. We noted that the old way was problematic because the practitioners were unable to live according to the demands of the Law. The only way to fulfil the demands of the Law, however, is to possess Christ and live as He guides.

We saw that the Pharisees and the Scribes did not understand the demands of the Law so they established their righteousness—a standard incapable of giving access into the kingdom of God. To be able to fulfil the demands of the Law, we do not try to work out how to meet it in our minds, rather, we possess Christ who fulfilled its demands and we are granted access into the kingdom of God.

Thus, by the old way—the way of the flesh or human nature—we cannot keep the Law, but by the new way—through Christ or being in the Spirit—we can fulfil the demands of the Law. It is only when a person possesses Christ that they can walk in the new way.

Hence, only possessors can live in the new way! If all you are doing is professing Christ without possessing Him, you are no different from a Pharisee and, therefore, just a professor—unable to live right and therefore not in the kingdom of God!

Scripture Text(s)
Acts 3:1ff; Matthew 9:14-17
When John, the Baptist's, disciples came calling, the Lord's response to their question there is a wiring that enables a person to do what God wants them to do without following any particular law. He spoke of 'new wine' in wineskins—old and new. The result is different depending on whether the wineskin is old or new. Indeed, the issue is the wineskin—is it able to retain the new wine (that is, walk the new way)? (<strong>Matthew 7:13-14; Proverbs 14:12</strong>)
If you are secure living the old way, you can never live the new way. To walk the new way, you must be redesigned to find security in the new way while seeing the old way for what it is—old and done away with! This is at the heart of the matter—being able to walk the new way; not trying to obey rules and regulations but living the life you have been redesigned to live (<strong>Ephesians 4:17-24</strong>)! You must be redesigned to accommodate and retain the new wine, else you will not enter the kingdom of God!
Galatians 2:15-20; Romans 6:1-14; 8:1-17; Galatians 5:16-25.

Conclusion
The heart of the matter of walking the new way is who is living in you—is it Christ or is it the old sin-loving nature? Can the Holy Spirit dwell in you? If Christ is living in you, then you will walk the new way with ease for it will be Christ walking the new way through you. If it is the old sin-loving nature, it will be sinful man trying to walk the new way and he will always trip up, no matter how much he tries.

Therefore, we need to submit or yield to the Holy Spirit and let Him do His work in us—His work of sanctification leading to obedience (<strong>1 Peter 1:2</strong>). When we have been turned around by the Holy Spirit, we become His residence—the temple of the living God—and are led by Him in all that we do; thereby walking the new way!

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