KEEPING THAT NEW CAR SMELL

By Tim Sullivan

 

Around the world, New Year’s Day is celebrated as a day of new beginnings as we begin another round of 365. The trouble is it may be a new year, but we are still the same old people, prone to make the same old mistakes year after year.

The best we can do is try to improve. Only God can make something new.

Revelation 21:5:
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

There is nothing like the smell of a new car. I know stores sell deodorizers that try to mimic that smell, but it is not the same. Sadly, that smell doesn't last nearly as long as the car payments.

After the flood waters went down, the earth had that new car smell.

Genesis 8:20-21:
20 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 
21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

What did the Lord smell? He smelled the sweet smell of Christ.

Ephesians 5:1-2: 
1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

2 Corinthians 2:14-15:
14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 
15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

The smell of death is an assault on the senses. 

John 11:39:
Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

How do we keep that sweet smell of Christ from going stale? We need to SEEK him and KEEP him. Those who seek his mercy and forgiveness will find it.

Daniel 9:9:
To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;

After we have found him, we need to keep him. There is no sense in seeking after God’s mercies and forgiveness if you constantly talk yourself out of it.

Psalm 103:10-12:
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

One voice makes continual accusation AGAINST you. Another makes continual intercession FOR you. Which voice will you listen to and believe?

Revelation 12:10: 
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Romans 8:34:  
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

We need to see ourselves as God sees us. The struggle is over. There are no zombies coming out of this grave. What is dead is dead.

Romans 6:4:
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

This truly can be a new year for us if we will walk in newness of life.

2 Corinthians 5:17:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

This is what communion is all about, our new life in Christ.

John 6:57-58:  
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

1 Corinthians 10:16:
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

2 Corinthians 13:14: 
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

 

 

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Presented January 10, 2016