Part 6 - The “New Wineskin”

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called The "At Rest" Christian.
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17 Neither do men put new wine into Old Bottles (Wineskins): else the bottles (Old Wineskins) break, and the wine runneth out, and the Bottles (Old Wineskins) perish: but they put new wine into New Bottles (Wineskins): and both (Wineskin and wine) are preserved.” (Matt. 9:17)

Thus far we have discussed the “new (unprocessed) cloth,” of Jesus’ humanity that had to be “fulled (processed)” via the cross in order to become our new righteous “new garment,” and we’ve looked into the “new wine” of “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.”

Now as we see from our text (above), only the “new wineskin” is suitable for the “new wine.”  When grape juice is placed in an Old Dried Out “Wineskin,” it ferments and builds pressure, causing an “Old Wineskin” to burst, ejecting the “new wine.” The “new wineskin” is “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesuswhich is able to contain, accept, the stretch to accommodate the “new wine.”

To me, this ability to stretch means the Lord today is adaptable to us individually since we are not under a rigid religious Law. While He is in the business of renewing our souls He also knows our deepest needs and He may deal differently with one believer versus another. Under religion all believers are in the same religious box and are treated the same, as was the Nation of Israel. Now, He not only knows us and our life history so intimately that He treats us differently according to His plan for our individual lives, using all what has previously occurred in our lives… nothing is wasted.

While external religious law is as impotent as the words of God on stone tablets were written upon, the new “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” is able to renew believer’s souls and empower them to live righteous lives.

Our text tells us when we put the “new wine” of Christ’s “Spirit of life” into the “Old Wineskin” of external Law-keeping Religion it can’t contain it, it bursts, expelling the “new wine.” Today the “Old Wineskin” of external Religion operates by its fixed Laws and precepts, not permitting believers to live spontaneously in obedience to the inner promptings ofthe law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” … who now governs believers from within. Christ’s “life” is not to be regulated according to the external laws of man-made, man-controlled, intermediary Religion, else it negates the power thereof.

As we’ve already studied, the “new wine” represents the ‘newly released’ and received life and nature(2Peter 1:4) of the resurrected “Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom . 8:1a), now living in and through the believer. New” here is the Greek “neos,” meaning “new in relation to time.” This “new wine” has “recently been made” when it flowed from the Jesus’ cross by His resurrection. Christ’s “Spirit of life” dwells within every believer’s human spirit since “the church … the body of Christ” began with Paul’s gospel of “Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery.” Thus, Paul writes of this change saying, Now, the Lord is that Spirit(2Cor. 3:17) as the One who indwells, enlivens, empowers, teaches, guides, prompts, restrains, and governs the believer’s from within.

The “new wineskin” of “the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:2a) works in us regulate our daily living from within us. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Phili. 2:13)

The word law” in the Greek is “nomos,” meaning “method of regulation.” Israel’s Mosaic “Law” was the God-given ‘method of regulation’ for Israel, which of course never worked, and God knew if would not work. This is why God’s eternal plan included “… the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). The Mosaic Law’s weakness was that it was powerless to control sin because it required self-effort (cf. Rom. 8:3a), which is totally inadequate. Thus, Israel could never meet the performance requirement of “the Law.” Thankfully, Paul says during todays “dispensation of the grace of God” we’re not under the Law but under grace(Rom. 6:14) and that  “… ye through the Spirit do mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body (sinful flesh)... ” (Romans 8:13)

Jesus as the “Lamb of God” not only paid for our sins, He also took Israel’s God-given “ordinances (Laws)… out of the way … nailing them to His cross” (Col. 2:14). Today Christ regulates the believer by His Spirit prompting and restraining within the believer’s spirit and illuminating the believers soul’s mind.

Believers are now fully equipped to overcome the dominion and power of the Sin-nature by the effectual work of Christ’s Cross and His resurrected “Spirit of life” working in them (cf. Rom. 6:3-4). All believers need to know, understand and by faith trust in His work of the cross.

“We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, (so) that we might no longer be the slaves of sin. 7 For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from [the power of] sin.” (Romans 6:6-7 (AMP)

Now, consider that the function of the wineskin” was to contain and regulate the flow of the ‘wine.’ Only after the Cross could “the Lord’s Spirit” indwell us and be our master… regulating and governing us from within. Jesus died and rose from the dead as “the life-giving spirit” (1Cor 15:45), to be in His Spirit-form. Now as “the life-giving Spirit,” Christ became able to indwell every member of “the church which, is His body” to govern and regulate believers from within.

Christ IN the believer’s spirit is able to communicate with His willing believers via their soul’s mind to know the truth of their freedom from the power of the Sin nature in their flesh. Thereby His Spirit empowers them in their daily walk (cf. Col. 1:27).

“… I (Paul) became a minister in accordance with the divine stewardship which was entrusted to me for you [as its object and for your benefit], to make the Word of God fully known [among you]— 26 The mystery of which was hidden for ages and generations [from angels and men], but is now revealed to His holy people, 27 To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory.” (Colossians 1:25-27 (AMP)

“For the law (automatic operation) of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath (already) made me free from the (Old) law of sin and death. (Rom. 8:2)

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the (adult) sons of God.” (Rom. 8:14)

“But I (Paul) say, walk and live (habitually) in the Spirit (responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit); then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (Sinful flesh).” (Gal. 5:16 (AMP)

So, Christ is alive within and one with the believer’s spirit. He is both their life as the “New Wine” and the indwelling “New Wineskin” as the believer’s Personal ‘Lord,’ as the sole governor of the believer’s life.

“But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells within you [directs and controls you]. But if anyone does not possess the [Holy] Spirit of Christ, he is none of His [he does not belong to Christ, is not truly a child of God]. (Romans 8:8-9 (AMP)

The “New Wine” of His “Spirit of life” works within all of us as “His body” members. The Spirit of life in Christ” governs or regulates the out-flow of the “new wine” from all the believers. While all Christians have His life as the “New Wine,” but we sometimes don’t embrace Him as our “new wineskin,” as the Lord of our daily living. Thus, the Lord continues His work in us; “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)

We are not to live by Religion’s outer laws or the O.T. precepts, but rather, we are now to live according to the power of His indwelling, governing, “Spirit of life.” He is the One Lord (Gk. kurios, “governor) of our lives. “God hath made that same Jesusboth Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36) (Strong’s, ‘Lord’ - kurios, Greek 2962, kurios, supreme in authority, i.e. controller).

Our obedience is to the innermost sense of Christ’s indwelling Spirit, governing us. Christ as the “Lord” of His body members “shoulders” the load of our lives as we learn to trust and depend upon Himresting in Him.

“unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isa. 9:6)