# 3. The New Life
'Newness of life' is a Hebraism for a new life. The new birth brings us into a new state. 'Old things have passed away; all things have become new,' says an Apostle: 'for if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.' A new spirit, a new heart, and an outward character, corresponding to this change, are the effects of the regenerating process: 'for the end of the change,' the grand results of the remedial system, is 'love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.' 'Love is the fulfillment of the whole law,' and the fruit of the whole gospel. It is the central principle of all Christian behavior, the soul of the new person, the breath of the new life. Faith works by no other rule. It is an active principle, and love is the rule by which it operates. The Spirit of God is the spirit of love and the health of a sound mind. Every beat of the new heart is the impulse of the spirit of love. Hence the brotherhood is beloved, and all humanity embraced in boundless goodwill. When the tongue speaks, the hands and the feet move and act under the unrestricted guidance of this principle, we have the Christian character drawn to life. For meekness, humility, mercy, sympathy, and active kindness are only the names of the various workings of this all-renovating, invigorating, sanctifying, and happiness-giving principle. 'Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.'
The Christian, or the new person, is then a philanthropist to the fullest extent of the meaning of that word. Truth and love have made him free from all the tyrannies of passion, from guilt, fear, and shame; have filled him with courage, both active and passive. Therefore, his enterprise, his chief enterprise, to which all others contribute, is to join with our Savior in the salvation of the world. 'If by any means I may save some,' are not only the words of Paul, but of every new person. Are they merchants, mechanics, farmers? — are they magistrates, lawyers, judges, or private citizens? — are they masters, servants, fathers, sons, brothers, neighbors? — whatever or wherever they may be, they live for God and his city, for the King and his kingdom. They do not associate with the children of wrath — the miser, the selfish, the prodigal, the frivolous, the proud, the slanderer, the gossip, the rake, the libertine, the drunkard, the thief, the murderer. Every new person has left these circles; has broken his alliance with Satan and his followers, and has joined himself to the family of God. These he loves with delight — those he pities — and does good to all.
The character of the new person is an elevated character. Feeling himself a son and heir of God, he cultivates the temper, spirit, and behavior that corresponds with so exalted a relationship. He despises everything mean, lowly, earthly, sensual, devilish. As the only begotten and well-beloved Son of God is to be the model of his future personal glory, so the character Jesus maintained among men is the model of his daily imitation. His everyday aspiration is —
- Thy fair example will I trace,
To teach me what I ought to be;
Make me by thy transforming grace,
Lord Jesus, daily more like thee.
The law of God is hidden in his heart. The living oracles dwell in his mind; and he grows in favor with God as he grows in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ his Lord. Like a newborn baby, he desires the pure milk of the word of God, that he may grow by it; for as the thirsty deer pants after streams of water, so pants his soul after God. Thus he lives to God, and walks with him. This is the character of the regenerate — of the one born of God — of the new person in Christ Jesus. This is the change of heart, life, and character, which is the tendency and the fruit of the process of regeneration, as taught and exemplified by the Apostles, and those commended by God in their writings.
We now proceed to offer a few remarks on physical regeneration, the second part of our subject.