Matthew 9:17
Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.
Why do most Christians never get to impact the world for God in their lifetime? Why are most of us hardly different from unsaved folks in the way we experience and manifest the power of God in and through us? Part of the answer is in today’s Scripture.
This reminds me of the disaster I experienced a few years ago when I put petrol into our diesel car by mistake. Shortly after refuelling at the services, I confidently drove on to the highway to our hometown. Within a few moments, the car engine began to shake violently, the exhaust pipe was billowing thick black fumes into the atmosphere, and the car began to stall. By the grace of God I managed to negotiate my way to a safe shoulder of the road. I only understood my error when the engineer from our roadside insurance arrived and quickly made a diagnosis. He told me, “Sir, you’ve put petrol into your diesel car.” I was embarrassed and my trip home was disrupted.
That’s the mistake many folks make unawares today in their spiritual life. Dear friend, you cannot superimpose the New Life on your old nature. Much of our spirituality is dysfunctional because we want to incorporate Christian principles into our existing paradigms. We want to mix the Gospel with our traditions, culture and religion. Some want to integrate biblical truths with secular education, philosophy and humanistic psychology. They think they can sew a new cloth on an old garment. It doesn’t work beloveds!
Let us be totally transformed by the renewal of our minds. Then the word of God will work in our lives beyond our wildest dreams. When you’re truly transformed, the word of God will produce incredible results in your life. Then the power of Christ in you will do exceeding abundantly above what you can ask or think. New wine skins, new wine! May that be your portion.
Pastor Josh