The Old Gate
Nehemiah 3: 6
The Old gate was where the elders of the city would meet to discuss community matters and settle disputes Joshua 20:4, Ruth 4:11, Proverbs 31:23.
The Old Covenant that God made with Moses and the Israelites demanded perfect obedience to God’s perfect law — obey fully and be blessed; disobey just 1 of the laws and be cursed.
The Old Gate is made new, repaired, strengthened. Strengthened to fulfill the purpose of the Fish Gate, and possible only because of the Sheep Gate.
The Old Gate also reminds us that the old still exists in us all. The old gate, damaged and broken, was not discarded when Nehemiah’s men came to rebuild.
It was repaired, strengthened, and still put to use. So, we are left in our bodies that will one day die. Thus, we are not suddenly transformed the moment we become Christians.
Paul knew this better than any of us. The resulting struggle, if it were not for the Lord, would have left him in complete despair. “What a wretched man I am,” he wrote. “Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 7:24
While we live, there will always be this tension between the old and the new.
As long as we have breath, or until the Lord’s return, we are still in our old bodies, subject to the destruction caused by the fall.
We are made new spiritually but are still part of the old creation.
God has not removed us from His world. This is the sphere in which we must serve until the day we die.
Do we despair at the power of the old in our lives? Only the grace of Christ can rid us of our pride and arrogance, our deceitfulness and ‘cover-ups,’ our anger and resentment, our temper and our evil actions.
This is a gradual process throughout our lives, the spiritual work of sanctification, for which all the praise be His. In every life, it is a continuing process of the Holy Spirit.
The people of Israel could never fulfill the Old Covenant. They kept trying and failing and faced judgement/punishment of death.
Jesus fulfilled the OLD Covenant and began the NEW Covenant.
Jesus was the only man who could obey the Old Covenant Law fully, and He did so on our behalf. He also took the judgement and punishment of our disobedience/failures when He died for us on the Cross.
His death began the New Covenant for all who believed in Him will not die (what we deserved) and will experience God’s abundant blessings (that Jesus deserved).
Ephesians puts it another way (4:23–5:20) You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
We must put off, sins of the flesh, and things the new person must put on are the fruits of the Spirit.
Our OLD sinful self has gone; we are a New Creation When we believe in Jesus, we become a New Creation in Christ! We are no longer the old, dirty, sinful person we used to be . we are brand new in Jesus!
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Until we are made new in Christ, it is impossible to serve God. We cannot fish for Him until we are renewed, strengthened and made firm.
We are privileged to do His work, but only through the Lord Jesus. The life of the new man in Christ is the one we must live.
His servants must display the characteristics of the “new man” before we can serve effectively.
Ezekiel 18:31 instructs God’s people to Rid yourselves of all the offences you have committed and get a new heart and a new spirit.
Let us pray:
Heavenly father help us to get rid of our old self and put on the new self. Help us to repair our old through which we can become new, renewed in strength, and be put to the right use. Give us a new heart and a new spirit In Jesus Name. Amen. ss
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