The Old Wine is religion, tradition, cultural custom and life before Jesus Christ. This New Wine is not an add-on or a patch-up for the Old Wine. The New Wine is Jesus Himself, His very Life and we are (Matthew 9:17) the wineskins. As the New Wine ferments, develops, grows within us, our spiritual capacity deepens, and we are maturing in the Christian Life.
My Heavenly Father knows (Matthew 6:33) my needs before they exist. Every detail of my life is in the Sovereign Control and loving involvement of God. He is the Chief Engineer, and my Bible is the Master Plan, my Blueprint. A survey shows that most people feel superior to other people and are better than other people.
Pride is the most deadly and dangerous of all sins. Every form of pride is rebellion against God, thinking that we have a better plan, and we can manage without God. Such a path (1 Peter 5:5) leads to God’s judgment. Pride will lock you out of heaven and take you to hell. In eternal hell there is no opportunity to change your mind, no second chance. We determine our own eternal destiny by receiving or rejecting Jesus, the only Saviour.
When he was getting older, John Newton said “my memory is going but I remember 2 things – that I am a great sinner, and that Jesus Christ is a Great Saviour.” Every individual one of us could truthfully say exactly the same thing. I am such a sinner that none, but a Great Saviour could save me, rescue me and forgive me and then put me in right-standing with the God of all Holiness. Whatever Jesus, the Son of God intended for everything (John 1:3) He first created, He will bring to full and complete restoration (Revelation 21:5) it will cost Him the horrendous price of Redemption, which He paid in full on the Cross of Calvary. It is the Father’s goodness (Romans 2:4) that calls us to repentance. While it is (Hebrews 4:7) still to-day do not despise the Grace of God. This sinful attitude carries the offensive deadly stench of pride.
Think – meditate – try to get your heart and mind around this. The Baby of Bethlehem (Luke 2:10-11) and the Man of Sorrows (Isaiah 53:3) and the King of Kings are all the same Person – JESUS the eternal GOD/MAN. How should (2 Peter 3:11) we then live? We who are wineskins have the Life of New Wine and that brings both responsibility and accountability to (1 Corinthians 11:28) examine ourselves. There is no situation in which we cannot abide in Jesus. Every blessing of God that fills my days is a WOW. Thank you to my beloved Father and God.
(WOW means Worthy of Worship)