Out With The Old, In With The New

Out With The Old, In With The New

Well, beloved … we have come once again to that time of the year… yes! that time of year when we will hear again the trite cliché, “Out with the old and in with the new.”

But is that true of the life “of the world?” Can the old really be “out” and the new “in” ?

The Preacher in Ecclesiastes concludes his poem in 1:4 – 11 with a strong denial that new things happen in life. “That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun” he says.

The denial is based on two arguments: “… there is nothing new under the sun” and “there is no remembrance of former things …” (Ecc 1:9, 11). To the Preacher, any notion of newness is an illusion. For him, to call something “new” in this world of ours (“under the sun”) is to display an appalling lack of knowledge of what has gone on in the past (“ancient times”) and perhaps to insult the sages of bygone days who “already” knew about such things.

The word “already” is a favourite word of the Preacher. He alone uses it in the Old Testament. Often it underscores his view that no change is possible because the matter has “already” and unalterably been settled. (If you want some references, check Ecc 2:12, 16 [here translated as “now” in the KJV]; 3:15; 4:2; 6:10; 9:6, 7 [here also translated as “now” in the KJV]).

However, the new is possible...and real! It is only possible with God...

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

There are few words in the Scripture filled with more hope than those from Paul in this verse. In it Paul relates his feeling about growing older and about the age to come. He felt that this world, as we know it, had “had” it and that the new order that would last forever had already begun. His gospel was that when any person became a Christian then God made him a part of that new creation.

Paul was not discussing a newness that was merely cosmetic, like a new hairdo or new clothes. Rather, he was talking about an inner change that only God could make. It was a newness that ties together our past, our present, and our future. It was a newness that, while not seen immediately,would eventually reflect itself in every area of life. Christ’s coming into our lives creates a new unity, a new direction, new goals, and a new commitment.

In Christ, God reaches out in love to establish a new relationship - a relationship in which His people can lvie in trust and obedience.

Will you invest time in the coming year to growing in that relationship?  

In Him,
Rev Robert Chew