As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen (1Pe. 4.10-11 ESV).

The New Covenant’s focus on an external source of capability given to the believer contrasts it to the Old Covenant which said: “Do this (the Mosaic Law) and you will live” (Lev. 18.5). Initially, the Christian has received the free gift of eternal life and thus, his service is prompted by love instead of slavish obedience to the Law. Christians affirm the Law’s righteousness by fulfilling it through loving their neighbor (see Rom. 13.9-10).

When a person becomes a Christian, they are God’s new child passing from death to life: Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life (Jn. 5.24 ESV). 1Jn. 3.14 implies the same: We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death (ESV). Paul, as well, sees Christians as formerly being dead to God and now reborn: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— (Eph. 2.1-2 ESV).

The need for a new birth is part of the metanarrative of the bible. When God instructed the first couple: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die (Gen. 2.17 ESV). Ever since Adam disobeyed this command, humans lost the ability to reflect God’s character. Even though Eve was the first sinner (see 1Tim. 2.14), humanity fell in Adam who willfully chose to listen to Eve instead God: And to Adam he said, Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life (Gen. 3.17 ESV).

Satan’s promise, For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Gen. 3.5 ESV), was a deception since that knowledge of evil didn’t give humans the ability to overcome it, but, instead, they were now enslaved by it. The human heart is still deceived in those who have not turned to Christ. This is evident in them since they seek to order their own lives instead of their lives reflecting God’s ways as in His original creation: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Gen. 1.27 ESV).

Natural humanity is alienated from God and needs the gift of life from Jesus. However, most people will not take the gift since it involves forsaking their sin and entrusting their lives to Christ. Many are ashamed of Jesus out of fear of being rejected by their friends. This is not the case since a true friend wants the best for those they love.

Another reason folks are reluctant to take up the New Life is fear of the unexpected. People get overly comfortable in safe traditions and don’t want any new thing intruding their world. What these fail to realize is that they themselves are the biggest intruders in God’s creation and will be judged accordingly. This fear of the new closes them to discovery of love, righteousness, and peace among other things such as knowing God and His word. Most folks seem to stay where their natural feelings are the most comfortable instead of turning to the dynamic new life promised in Jesus. This reality probably is what Jesus was speaking about in Lk. 5.39: And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good’ (ESV).