Old Man Versus New Man

The Old Man, crucified in Christ, is now alive in Christ! The Old Man’s thoughts must pass away, while the New Man learns to let God’s mind dwell within him! 

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 

The Old man draws solace from his past, seeking wisdom, experience, and hope. Conversely, the New Man finds his source of information, experience, and hope in Jesus Christ.

In contrast, the Old Man places his trust in his past experiences, while the New Man places his trust in his Lord.

The Old Man believes he possesses all the answers, while the New Man recognizes that all the answers lie within Jesus!

Instead of making excuses for inappropriate behavior, the New Man embodies the behavior of the Lord, never resorting to excuses.

The Old Man finds solace only in the prospect of his own death, while the New Man eagerly anticipates the return of Jesus Christ.

The Old Man pondered the purpose of his existence, while the New Man knows deep within his heart that his purpose is to glorify the Creator who brought him into being.

The Old Man asks, "What would Jesus do?" The New Man knows what Jesus is doing! 

The Old Man tries to anticipate what Jesus has planned for the future, while the New Man waits for the Lord to move in the future!

The Old Man attempts to bear his own burdens, while the New Man entrusts his burdens to the feet of Jesus.

The Old Man is consumed by the fear of public opinion, whereas the New Man finds solace in the approval of his Lord and Savior.

The Old Man is consumed by an excessive pride in his enslavement to the flesh, while the New Man experiences a profound sense of humility in his servitude to Christ Jesus.

The Old Man is the only one who is tormented by the pain of Fire Baptism. Conversely, the New Man is strengthened and empowered by the transformative experience of Fire Baptism

The Old Man is perpetually consumed by uncertainty about his future, while the New Man finds unwavering confidence in his Master’s divine plan!

Bro: Charles Cohenour Jr.

Our Part

What role do we play in salvation? How much of our success rests on our shoulders? What standard do we use to measure our responsibility for our salvation? Jesus saves, and we can trust in that. But do we have any part in saving ourselves? Can we blame anyone else for producing our wages, good or bad, which you have earned at the end of your time of reconciliation?

 Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Freedom of choice, a divine gift bestowed upon each and every individual, empowers us to select from a range of known or unknown options. In the grand tapestry of existence, God bestowed upon Adam the profound privilege of choosing between life and death. Within the utopian realm, God had meticulously provided for all Adam’s eternal needs, a testament to His unwavering love and care. This divine gift should have profoundly illuminated Adam’s understanding of God’s affection and benevolence.

Adam, without any proof of his love for God, was presented with a test. God placed two trees in the garden, the tree of life and the tree of good and evil, allowing Adam to make a choice. God permitted Adam to consume from either tree, but warned him that the tree of good and evil was poisonous and would result in his death if he ate its fruit. Despite God’s instructions, Adam chose the wrong tree, disregarding God’s will and opting for his own desires. This act of disobedience marked the original sin, leading to our downfall through the actions of our forefather Adam.

Gospel of the Kingdom Bro. William Sowders Apr 14, 1945

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I have to choose who I will serve either God or mammon. I can’t serve them both.

Gospel of the Kingdom Bro. William Sowders Aug 25, 1946

Page 3

God made me to understand what was the right way.  When I would see a thing, I was able to judge whether it was right or wrong. I don’t say it boastfully, but I have pretty good judgment now, better than I ever had, between right and wrong -right and wrong ways. Having our senses exercised to discern both good and evil - or right and wrong.

The question of our role in salvation begins and ends with us. We have the power to choose obedience or disobedience, good or evil. However, we often make excuses for our wrong choices and act like Adam, blaming others or things beyond ourselves when we make willful mistakes. Ultimately, Adam was responsible for his own choices, just as we are responsible for our own actions and pursuits, whether they are right or wrong. God has made it abundantly clear that we are accountable for our own choices.

Gospel of the Kingdom Bro. William Sowders Nov 3, 1946

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Some of us will die, some of us will be lost, some of us will live in the new world. Is it God’s fault?  He has given us a chance hasn’t he? He says, Choose you this day whom you will serve.  That is God’s justice.

God’s justice is simply flawless justice. We desire God to work flawlessly in every aspect of life. However, we often question how we can be held accountable for our imperfections since we are not perfect ourselves. The truth is, we don’t need to be infallible to make perfect choices. Adam, for instance, was sinless but not without fault in the Garden of Eden.  

Adam’s role in his own salvation was to deliberately choose not to follow God’s will. Willfully choosing God’s will over our own is the same part we play in our salvation. Our success lies in Christ Jesus, and how we obey God will proclaim our victory over Satan and the world. Will we decide to measure up in righteousness and emulate Jesus? To be like Jesus, we must make the choice to believe everything he believes.

 Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Our choices clearly define our identity and the values we represent. Today, we have the opportunity to emulate the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. While yesterday’s choices are irreversible, we can make a positive difference today by choosing to be like Jesus. By doing so, we can enter tomorrow with confidence and victory, knowing that Jesus is our guiding light. This choice is entirely within our control.

Written by: Charles E. Cohenour Jr.

OBEY

Obedience is the act of obeying. Obedience is what our parents struggle to teach us second only to love. As parents, we all want our children to value us first, and then obey us for their safety. We all know that if a child loves you he will do as you tell them to do. Your child will keep your commandments.
Jesus said:

Jn 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Jesus expects us to be obedient to Him, as a child should obey their father. In my recent topics of Learn, Believe, and Trust, I discussed what faith is, what makes up faith, and how to build your faith. As you read this topic, I will tell you how to prove your faith in Jesus. 

Our Gospel of the Kingdom is an action-oriented gospel. In order to prove your gospel to yourself and to Jesus, you have to put your faith into action. This requires obedience to the Lord’s commandments and surrendering your will to God’s will. 

Our natural inclination is to rebel against the Lord’s commands, just as our children do when they first test our commands, given for their safety. Telling a child "no" for the first time, without any knowledge of the consequences of what the command “no” may bring, the child will continue with his behavior. As a new child of God, we must be learning that the Gospel of the Kingdom of God should be our first priority to building our Faith. When we do not have a foundation of the commands of God, we will continue in our natural fleshly behavior, just as children will continue to act unchecked. We have to learn the “yes and no” commands our Savior has given us, as our children learn to follow our commands, before we can have true faith.

Once we learn the commands, the first step in proving your faith is to believe in the commands of Jesus Christ. We must surrender our thoughts to the thoughts or commandments of God in all things, denying ourselves to His will and not our own. We must take His word into our hearts and believe that the Lord rewards those who seek Him. We must please God!

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

You must have faith in what you believe. You must be confident that Jesus will be faithful and true to everything to which He has committed. You must have a firm belief that God tends to your needs as a father tends to his child. You must put your hope and your expectations in the hands of God. You can deny your doubts and fears, expecting without pretense that God will deliver and fulfill everything He promised. Then deny your imagination of defeat and proclaim your victory in Christ Jesus. 

2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

2Co 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Obedience proves your love for Christ. Obedience is the measure of your walk with the Lord. Obedience is the bottom line for perfection in Christ. It is only through obedience that you can become exactly like the Lord in your walk with Him. When Jesus prayed for His disciples and for us in the future He prayed that we would be “made perfect” in one with Him and God. God must have a plan for us, then collect the materials, and finally construct us. We must be open to being put together by Him, accepting his ideas for us, and understanding his agenda. This is accomplished through Jesus Christ. God will make us complete. We must obey God’s guidelines or His "commandments" in order to attain the fullness and stature of Christ. God judges us equally with Christ. Christ is our measure. If we do not meet the qualifications of Christ, we have disobeyed God's will. Man’s first sin, where man fell into the grasp of death, was disobedience.

John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

John 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

John 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Thank God, we have the ultimate tool to overcome our disobedience.

Written by Charles E. Cohenour Jr.

Trust

TRUST

The Holy Bible, King James Version                                                              

Ps 91:2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

When you place your trust in someone, you entrust your entire life, your hopes, and your beliefs to their care. You have unwavering faith that they will act in your best interests, valuing and respecting your life above all else. You recognize that those who are trusted will sacrifice everything for you, just as Jesus did for us.  

Trust, a quality of someone acting in a particular way, is a fundamental aspect of human relationships. We all desire to be trusted by our loved ones, including family, friends, and associates. Additionally, we place trust in God and his son, Jesus. 

I’ve already discussed two of the four essential components of faith: learning the word of God and believing in it. The third essential component is “trusting” the word of God.

Before Jesus can “save” a sinner from sin and death, that sinner must first learn about Jesus and believe in Him. No one can save themselves; it’s necessary to have a Christ-like mindset to overcome a sinful one. A forgetful person can’t remind themselves of forgotten things, and a sinful person can’t be saved from sin or find God’s son without a saved teacher to instill faith in Jesus. A sinner must learn and believe in the word of God to trust that Jesus can redeem them from sin.

Faith, defined as a conviction based on wisdom and knowledge, coupled with an awareness of the limits of knowledge and supported by experience, leads to the anticipation of new and unexpected revelations from God. Through our trials and tribulations, He reveals these surprises to us.

The religious world defines faith in this context as “the awareness of and trust in God’s saving grace.” However, their definition ends abruptly with “God’s saving grace,” leaving out the crucial aspect of faith: the awareness of one’s own salvation from Hell. The religious world holds onto the belief in God’s unconditional love and the redeeming qualities of God.

A Critical Review of Pop Religious Truism

The Conditions in “Unconditional Love”

Does God’s Love Have Conditions?

By: Timothy S. Morton

The phrase unconditional love entered mainstream, pop-culture English during the 1960s LSD drug culture. What the flower children originally meant by unconditional love had to do with "love the one you are with" in the sexual revolution sense. But the phrase did not last long even among the hippies because it is inherently contradictory: to love is to care deeply about the condition of the one loved. However, "under the influence" many things made sense that did not later. After the drugs wore off, psychology flirted with the pop-phrase in the 1970's in the "transactional analysis" fad, but this was ephemeral and quickly dropped from view. Just about then, a few susceptible Christian teachers stepped in and took the baton, and the rest is history.

The religious world then translates God’s “unconditional love” into God’s “unconditional forgiveness!” This is the old doctrine of “once saved, always saved.” This doctrine excuses individuals from accountability and blindly leads them to believe they won’t fall into the pit of sin. I would call this “blind faith.” Blind faith does not and cannot guide you in the right direction; it can only lead you in one direction—the ditch! 

There is no “unconditional love” from God. All of God’s testimony about his son, Jesus, the word of God, is based on conditions.

Matthew 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

You can’t “will” yourself to trust, and that’s precisely what blind faith demands. Blind faith or naive trust requires you to commit and invest yourself in someone or something without any prior knowledge or experience of that person or entity.

Trusting in God means you’re not afraid to acknowledge him and have faith that he’ll guide you towards righteousness, as Proverbs 3:6 says; he’ll direct your paths. 

To trust in the Lord, you must have a “concrete” belief system. This belief system must remain steadfast, and no matter what challenges arise to test it, you must be certain that it will not fail or lose its credibility. You must have a “concrete” faith in your concrete belief system. Once you have this faith, the next step is to apply your belief system. You must apply your beliefs to trust in them.

A stranger is neither inherently good nor bad. However, to trust someone, you must know them. We teach our children not to talk to strangers and never to leave with one. We don’t trust strangers because we fear the unknown. The unknown can be perilous. 

Our faith in the word of God fosters and maintains intimacy in our relationship with the Lord. Trust in the Lord creates the ideal environment that sustains and intensifies our connection with Him, dispelling any doubts about His “saving grace or plan.” God yearns for our trust as much as we desire His. 

Trust is the foundation of loyalty, and loyalty is rooted in faith. To be loyal, you must surrender complete control of your life to God. If we know God and His son Jesus, they are not strangers. We can only know them through the word of God. This gives us the tools to believe in God and Christ, enabling us to trust them. Once we learn about God and believe in Him, we must prove ourselves through obedience. 

Written By: Charles Cohenour Jr.

BELIEVE

Learning about Jesus and the Plan of God for mankind, or more precisely, learning the Word of God, is the initial step towards accepting perfection in Christ Jesus. It serves as the foundation for redemption, salvation, and eternal life.

Mt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. 

Mt 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

Mt 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

This yoke of the Lord, encompassing the “Word of God” in its entirety and implications, is His burden that is light, a guiding light for our feet that illuminates and directs our comprehension. His burden is “easy” because surrendering is far more manageable than succumbing to death. “Rest for your souls” can be found in Abraham’s bosom, which symbolizes unwavering faith in the eternal life that awaits us.   

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Your faith must have substance. Substance is built upon your beliefs and what you know God can accomplish. It serves as evidence of things yet to be fulfilled, which can be found in the Bible. Your substance is a combination of your knowledge and your personal experiences with the Lord.

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. 

Paul explained that we acquired trust by hearing the word of truth. Before we can believe and trust in Jesus, we must first learn faith, as Jesus is our hope for eternal life.

Hope flourishes as we comprehend the divine plan for our lives. It offers us the assurance of eternal life in Christ. This promise is revealed through the word of God, which we can hear, read, and understand. The Bible, the sacred written word, holds God’s plan and roadmap. It is easily accessible, readily available, and freely given as gifts by various religious groups to anyone who seeks it.

However, one challenge associated with the Bible’s accessibility is its prevalence. Like the Lincoln penny, which has become commonplace and often overlooked, the Bible has lost its significance. It is rarely used and discarded as being somewhat useless.

Our Bible, the roadmap, is often disregarded. Our tool, the Bible, has been discarded by many because someone has declared that it no longer applies to our lives. We are told the Bible lacks user-specific information tailored to our unique circumstances. Honestly, most of us simply don’t make time to read our Bibles, and it has become obsolete, replaced by the media.  

Only by learning the word of God can we be saved! Our education in the Bible is the foundation of our faith. Our faith is only as strong as our knowledge of the Bible. The Bible contains the wisdom of Christ. If our understanding of the word is weak, our faith is weak within our hearts. If our faith is weak in Christ Jesus, we lack sufficient information that leads us astray from the truth. Ignorance will prevent us from singing the Song of the Lamb in victory!

Rev 14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

We must comprehend and believe that the song we are learning, composed by Jesus himself, is about him and his father, the Almighty God. This song, written in Jesus’ blood, imprints itself upon our hearts or minds when we become part of the one hundred forty-four thousand, provided that we LEARN it. 

This song, with its lyrics, is Jesus’ song, the song of the one hundred forty-four thousand, which serves as the testimony of his desire to establish it in our hearts. His testimony possesses the power to redeem us from this wicked generation. If we possess his testimony within our hearts, it will become our own testimony. His testimony is the word of God. 

  Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 

  Eph 1:13   In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 

 Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

                 

We must learn "the gospel of our salvation". Once we learn, we need to believe!

Written by: Charles E. Cohenour Jr.

Learning

 

Learning about Jesus and the Plan of God for humanity, which is the Word of God, is the initial step towards perfection in Christ Jesus. It serves as the foundation for redemption, salvation, and eternal life.

Mt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. 

Mt 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

Mt 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

This yoke of the Lord, encompassing the “Word of God” in its entirety and implications, carries a light burden, serving as a guiding light for our comprehension. This burden is “easy” because surrendering is a far more manageable option compared to death. “Rest unto your souls” finds solace within the embrace of Abraham and the security of eternal life.    

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Your faith must have substance. Substance is built upon your beliefs and what you know God can accomplish. It serves as evidence that certain promises have yet to be fulfilled. This can be found in the Bible. Your substance is a combination of your knowledge and your personal experiences with the Lord.

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. 

Paul explained that we acquired trust by hearing the word of truth. Before we can believe and trust in Jesus, we must first learn faith, as Jesus is our hope for eternal life.

Hope flourishes as we comprehend the divine plan for our lives. It offers us the assurance of eternal life in Christ. This promise is revealed through the word of God, which we can hear, read, and understand. The Bible, the sacred written word, holds God’s plan and roadmap. It is easily accessible, readily available, and freely given as gifts by various religious groups to anyone who seeks it.

However, one challenge associated with the Bible’s accessibility is its prevalence. Like the Lincoln penny, which has become commonplace and often overlooked, the Bible has lost its significance. It is rarely used and discarded as being somewhat useless.

Our Bible, the roadmap, is disregarded. Our tool, the Bible, has been discarded because someone has declared that it no longer applies to our lives. Our unique circumstances are not addressed in the Bible. Honestly, most of us simply don’t make time to read our Bibles, and it has become irrelevant, replaced by the media.  

Our sole hope lies in acquiring the word! Our education in the Bible constitutes the entirety of our faith. Our faith is as robust as our comprehension of the Bible. The Bible is the repository of Christ’s knowledge. Our faith will falter if our understanding of the word is diminished. Our faith in Christ will be weakened if we possess insufficient and erroneous information. Ignorance will render us incapable of singing the Song of the Lamb in triumph!

Rev 14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

We must comprehend and believe that the song we are learning, composed by Jesus, is about Jesus and his father, the All-Mighty God. This song, written in Jesus’ blood, imprints itself upon the hearts or minds of the one hundred forty-four thousand, with a stipulation that they LEARN it.

Jesus’ song, the song of the one hundred forty-four thousand, serves as Jesus’ testimony, which he desires to establish in our hearts. Through this testimony, he seeks to redeem us from this generation of evil. If we possess his testimony within our hearts, it will become our own testimony. His testimony is the divine word of God. 

  Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 

  Eph 1:13   In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 

 Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.             

We must learn about the “gospel of our salvation”. Once we grasp this concept, it’s time to embrace faith!

Written by: Charles E. Cohenour Jr.

BEING THANKFUL

Psalms 92:1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:

When we express gratitude for all things, we honor our Father and prepare ourselves to worship God. A thankful heart instills humility in us, enabling us to approach God with reverence. Without thankfulness, our worship becomes devoid of meaning.

Let us unite with hearts full of gratitude, united in mind and purpose, to worship God.

Psalms 92:2 To show forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,

It is a worthwhile endeavor, as the Psalms proclaim, to express gratitude to the Lord. We all have numerous reasons to be thankful, but most importantly, we should be grateful for His mercy and grace. Thankfulness should be an integral part of our relationship with God. Many of us have no difficulty spending countless hours complaining about our troubles to others and to God. We often find ourselves complaining about our sorrows to our co-workers, worldly friends, and sometimes even to complete strangers. These strangers are more than willing to listen because they share a common bond of self-pity. They are more than happy to indulge us in a grand pity party because they have discovered someone else in a worse state than themselves. 

Our outlook on life will transform if we, as Christians, prioritize gratitude in our daily lives. This shift will positively impact your well-being and the lives of those around you. You’ll develop a greater appreciation for the blessings in life, leading to a reduction in sorrows and an elevation of humility, graciousness, positivity, and a deeper connection with our Lord and Savior.

Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

One of the keys to rejecting God is to forget to be thankful. The men mentioned in the above scripture were unrighteous in their thinking, turning to idolatry. They had become self-centered, choosing a different god to worship instead of the one created by God. Instead of creating a god from wood or stone, we can create a god for ourselves by feeling sorry for ourselves. Self-centeredness is essentially following another “God’s voice.” When we allow ourselves to dwell on our hardships and indulge in self-pity, we are essentially following another god. Our foolish hearts become clouded, causing us to lose sight of our purpose in Christ. We must turn to Jesus for help during times of disobedience. You will always find Jesus extending his hand to you.

By: Bro. Charles Cohenour Jr.