Welcome and thank you for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word.
This week's question:

As Paul says, we all walk upon this earth in the flesh. God has given us the freedom to make the choice of walking according to the mind of the flesh which leads to spiritual death or of the mind of the spirit which leads to eternal life (Romans 8:1-15). We talk many times of having "Faith in God", but the question that comes to mind is-"How do we gain that faith?" Romans 10:17 says "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." So we must turn to the New Testament scriptures to learn how to live for life eternal by hearing the word of God.

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be

ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.

We see that the one who hears the word of truth must believe and confess with our mouths Jesus as Lord:

Romans 10:8-10 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart"-that is,

the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe

in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes,

resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Peter told those who had cried out for Jesus to be crucified to:

Acts 2:38-39 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the

forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and

your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself."

So for our answer to today's question of "What is the 'new self'?" we start by turning to Romans 6:1-7 where we see that one who is "buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in the newness of life…. Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with so that we would no longer be slaves to sin: for he who has died is freed from sin." So the old self has been put away and now the new self is born through that watery grave coming up in the newness of life by walking as He walked and instructs us through the New Testament scriptures through obedience to Him as "slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:17-18).

To Ephesians chapter four we go to see that we are not to be tossed by every wind of doctrine, but to speak the truth in love recognizing the unity of the Spirit:

Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your

calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who over all and through all

and in all.

We are to no longer walk in the sensuality of the flesh as the "old self " (Galatians 5:19-21) but to "put on the new self" in the likeness of God:

Ephesians 4:21-24 But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been

Taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the

Old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the

spirit Of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in

righteousness and Holiness of the truth.

So there we have the answer to our question. The new self is the new creature that arises out of the watery grave to live in the manner of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1-6). To understand Him is to study the scriptures of Him so that we may be equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Some examples of what to put on the new self in the Galatian letter are

Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love , joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ

Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passion and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the

Spirit.

Paul exhorts us in the Philippian letter;

Philippians 2:2-8 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in

spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind

regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal

interest, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ

Jesus,who, although He existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God a thing to be

grasped, but emptied Himself, taking on the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of

men. Being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of

death, even death on a cross.

What about us? Have we become a child of God? Hear the word with understanding, believing and confessing that Jesus is the Son of God, repenting of our sins, and with obedience in the likeness of His death, go into that watery grave of baptism to wash away your sins and the "new self " is born.