57.
The New Man is always a man of peace. Heb. 12:14 Living in peace and extending a peaceful attitude and countenance toward all. To have the peace of the Lord in our hearts is to have perfect confidence and rest in the Lord Jesus. The imparted peace of the Lord, which reigns on our hearts, is an element which is so all comprehensive that Paul stated that it “passed all understanding.†Peace is not determined by circumstances but by the presence and the assurance of the Lord reigning in our hearts. Phil. 4:7 Jesus left His peace to His church. John 14:27 This is not peace on a human level but the peace which originates from the very throne of peace in heaven. His peace dispels fear, worry and disturbances from the heart of the person placing their confidence in Him.
Peace has a very close companion and that is holiness. Purity of heart and mind will produce absolute trust and assurance in the heart and life of the New Man. The new creation is formed and molded according to the will of the Lord. They become a changed person with new desires and motives in life. The working of the Lord in their life will produce a person after the likeness of the Lord Himself. A person in whom the righteousness and the holiness of the Lord will be evidenced. Eph. 4:24 The New Man is a liberated person. They are set free from sin and unrighteousness. Where once they were slaves to the god of this world and his ways. Now they are servants of the Most High and gladly worship Him in the beauty of holiness. Ps. 110:3 The Christian life is beautified by the holiness of the Lord being made manifest in them.
As sinners, we gave ourselves to sin. We were in servitude to the ways and habits of the flesh which lead to sin and to the bondage of sin. Rom. 6:19 The sinner, bound by habits of sin may desire to change but they are held captive by the desires and will of the flesh and sin. Therefore, we yield to the fleeting pleasure of sin. Sin’s joys are not lasting and demand further involvement in sin. Now, Paul is urging the Christian to have the same zeal and drive towards holiness as they once had toward the old life. We establish goals in life and then set out to achieve them. We are exhorted to set up a goal in our Christian life of gaining the righteousness, the holiness of the Lord. This is a high-level aim and is not beyond accomplishment. We have the very best source of help and a supply of strength which has been proven and is mighty.Phil. 4:13.