“Same Old, Same Old” Part 3 By Rayola Kelley

The problem with the society we live in is that it wants to be entertained. If entertainment is not constantly pacifying it, then it begins to become listless or restless. It can’t be content because it operates in sensationalism and demands instant gratification because in the selfish mind of such individuals, they deserve the best. They do not believe they should have to work if they don’t feel like it. They know nothing about restraint of appetites, discipline of actions, and being responsible to do their part in families, societies, or professionally to maintain a status quo of order and excellence in all they do.

The fruit of these people is that they constantly display rotten attitudes. They do not know how to laugh at themselves when they embarrass themselves because of foolish thinking and silly ways. They avoid maturity because that would require tasting failure and learning how to keep going when the going gets tough. They know nothing of honoring others, sacrificing for the benefit or betterment of others, or hard work that actually ends in accomplishment that speaks of honorable character.

Although the description I gave of some of those of recent generations may seem unique, it is not. Like the many wicked generations before them they fit into the categories mentioned in Romans 1:26-32; Galatians 5:18-21 and 2 Timothy 3:1-7. Do a study on the Roman Empire before its demise and you will see the same scenario existed then as it does now. Every nation that begins to digress, due to its deviating moral state, reveals the same attitude that existed in the Roman empire when it came to its dwindling and final generations before the nation’s demise.

It seems at first that man is simply slipping away by a degree or so, but the reality is man does not simply slip away due to compromise, he begins to fall away from what is true and right (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Like Cain he departs from the presence of the Lord because he can’t get his way. After all, being right was so important to Cain he had to kill his brother. Sadly, this is true for those like Cain today. Only the “murder” that comes is by way of lying, falsely accusing, and slandering a brother’s reputation. But, should that be a surprise to us because they are just carrying out the deeds of their father, Satan? (Genesis 4; John 8:44).

A generation may start out with God, but most of the time it will not end up with God. The reason is because each generation becomes more like the world in their thinking. After all, culture esteems their practices, family influences attitudes, society’s condition as to preferences, man’s religion provides surface garments of theology and traditions, and education indoctrinates in order to determine man’s worldview.

As believers we are to develop the mind of Christ. This mind is a transformed mind that is no longer conformed to the world’s way of thinking. God’s thoughts and ways are higher and man must ascend above the darkness of the world to see the light of a matter according to God’s attitude about it. Is it any wonder that, as believers, we have been placed in heavenly places to remind us that our perspective must not be from the earthly premise of the world, self, culture, and man’s religion? We must be ever ascending in our understanding of God and His ways. We must by faith travel the narrow paths of righteousness to scale the mountains of excellency. We must avoid settling for tree branches like turkeys when we have been called to soar on the currents of the Spirit like an eagle (Psalm 23:3; Isaiah 40:31; 55:8-9; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:6; Philippians 2:5).

Once again, we are reminded of what the preacher in Ecclesiastes brought out many times—that nothing is new under the sun. It is hard to see that what man contends with has not changed. It is in reality the same old, same old. The timeless ruts kingdoms, nations, and people spiritually travel in are the same no matter what age they are in. Perhaps certain nations became empires but where are they now? They are buried in the sands of time. We may think the times are different with the changing of the generations, and in cosmetic ways that might be true, but it is simply cosmetic. Underneath it all is the same old same old moral deviation of iniquity that clearly brings man to the same threshold of destruction.

The message of sin, repentance, redemption, reconciliation, and restoration are the same. Man became lost to God in the garden and has remained lost ever since. God calling out to man has never ceased but man refuses to hear as he insists on going his own way. I can’t count the number of times that many heard His calling in the distance, but refused to heed it. Like our first parents, people try to conceal their spiritual nakedness behind fig leaves of excuses while hiding in the dark shadows of “trees” from God (Genesis 3:1-11).

As I have pointed out nothing has changed. God is unchangeable, the world is dying, man is in the same death spiral, and generations may hit peaks to only digress. The other thing that has never changed is the path of mankind. He is either a sinner that chooses death or a saint that chooses to walk in the Spirit according to the eternal life of Jesus in him. He is walking in the ways of wickedness or righteousness. He is either on the broad path to destruction or he has chosen to walk away from the world and follow the footsteps of Jesus up narrow paths of righteousness (Matthew 7:113-14; Romans 8:2; Galatians 5:15-23; 6:7-8).

The depressing reality about life in this age is that there is nothing new that will change the dynamics of it. When man comes to the same dead ends, he finds the same unbearable scenery of hopelessness before him, as well as having to face the realization that the world is nothing but vanity. It all becomes quite agonizing to the soul.

The only thing that changes mankind’s destination is that he chooses to follow Jesus. Jesus leads away from the same old, same old destructive patterns of this world towards a new life that holds incredible adventures, wondrous discoveries, and glimpses of glorious promises that await those who finish the course.

This brings me to the reality that in this world there is nothing new under the sun. It is the same old, same old, but when it comes to the next world, that is a different story. Whether we believe it or not in this world we are preparing for the next. There are two ways. As we know, one way leads down and the other leads upwards. One way leads to destruction, the other to eternal bliss. The broad way leads to spiritual death and the narrow way leads to eternal life. The broad way will prove to be the same old, with the same old outcome where everything dies, but the narrow way ends up in heavenly heights that are too great to describe.

This is where the great difference in this world will occur for those who choose the narrow way of life. It is at this time the same old, same old is changed up as all things are being changed and actually becoming new. This change has been referred to as glorious, unspeakable in scope, too wonderful to describe, and beyond imagination. Even though the believer remains in a world where nothing new under the sun happens, they are now being influenced by an unseen dimension that has no time limits on it and operates according to an eternal plan that will be brought to fruition regardless of the times we live in (Ecclesiastes 1:9; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 2 Corinthians 9:15; 1 Peter 1:8)

This new way is contrary to the old way. The old ways traveled in the deep ruts of death while the new way is where a person is lifted out of those deep ruts and set on a new path. The old way blinded people to its deadly direction with false promises, while the new way proves challenging but prepares people to enter in and receive promises that are attached to an eternal inheritance.

It is God’s heart to do a new thing in our lives that will cause a new song to arise up out of the depths of our weary souls. Let us now consider what this new way entails. It, of course, points to a new life, which speaks of new beginnings as all things become new. As believers, we live and walk according to the life of Christ in us. This new life occurred when we were born again of the Spirit. This new birth points to a new heart and receiving the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit in us that renews the inner man in us while the outer man, the body is decaying with the rest of the world and will fall to the wayside as we wait in expectation to take on a new resurrected body that will live forever (Isaiah 42:9-10; 43:19; Ezekiel 36:26-27; John 3:3, 5; 1 Corinthians 15: 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20).

We indeed are being made into a new creation. I want you to pause and perhaps meditate on this a bit. The old passes away and all things become new. Do we believe that? When it comes to our life in God, there is no same old same old rut we walk in. We are on a journey and the route changes scenery and elevation.

We can only believe this life and way is new if we walk in the newness of this life. We are told in Ephesians 2:24 that we are to put on this new man which is created in righteousness and true holiness. To put on the new man means to walk according to a new life. The problem is the concept of righteousness and true holiness is so contrary to the same old, same old life and ways. It is for this reason we must realize to put on the new man, we must also be renewed in the spirit of our mind in order to develop the mind of Christ. If we are to think in accordance to this new life, our minds must be transformed by the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:23). Ephesians 2:25 tells us what we must put away in order to put on the new man.

The Apostle Paul put it in this perspective in 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 the newness of this life.” Peter talks about how we have been begotten unto a lively or new living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:4). The joy of walking in the newness of life was brought out by the Apostle Paul in Colossians 3:10, “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” We are called to be conformed to the image of Jesus when our journey of this earth ceases (Romans 8:29).

To walk in the newness of this life means we need to walk in the newness of the Spirit as well. This means that whatever challenges we face, we can be assured that the Lord’s compassions and mercies are new every day to meet us. It also reminds us that the great sanctifying work of the Spirit is to bring us into that place where one day we will receive a new name from the Lord that is only known individually by the Lord and each believer, but we must finish the course set before us to receive that new name (Lamentations 3:22-23; Romans 7:6, 1 Peter 1:2-3; Revelation 2:17).

As believers, we are also looking forward to a new heaven and earth that has been proclaimed through the Bible (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 1:13; Revelation. 21:1). The earth as we know it will pass away to give way to a new earth, and heaven, which we receive small glimpses of, will come down in such array of glory that we would never be able to describe it.

As believers, we have a glorious future and it is for this reason, we must not run back to the old way. If we do, we will fall into the same old same old traps. We can’t afford to foolishly parlay with the devil, test the troubling seas of the former life, and dare to move lines of morality without ultimately finding ourselves returning to taste of the same old vomit that caused such despair to our lives in the first place. Like the children of Israel, we do not have to wonder about how soon we will forget the glorious, promise of new life in the midst of challenges as long as we choose to remember the worldly conveniences and the fleshly pleasures of an old life is temporary while forgetting about the great bondage it brought us.

We may remember the diverse tastes of the world while forgetting its main course leaves a bitter taste of oppression. We may long for the good times while forgetting the emptiness, tears, and despair left on our soul by the bad times. To juggle between the old and the new is to defile the new and spoil the old. It will make us lukewarm towards God, and listless towards the world (Deuteronomy 4:24-33; Matthew 9:16-17; 2 Peter 2:17-22; Revelation 3:15-19).

As Christians, we must ask ourselves if we are tasting the same old, same old because we refuse to let go of the old life, move on from the old ways, let go of the false hope and promises of this age, and flee from worldly pleasures that will ensnare our soul. The fruits of our lives from our attitude to our conduct will tell us if we have gone backward, stand at a stalemate while losing ground, or going forward in our life to secure the promises of an eternal life and inheritance because we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.