Part 5 – The “New Wine”
| This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called The "At Rest" Christian. |
The 3rd of the four “new” items in Jesus’ parables of the “new garment” and “new wineskin” is the “new wine.”
“... Neither do men put new3 wine into old bottles (old wineskins): else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles (wineskins), and both are preserved.” (Matt. 9:17)
The “blood of Jesus” was shed at the cross; 1) to wash away all sins, and 2) to “whiten” the raw, unprocessed ‘cloth’ of His humanity… needing to be “finished” by His Cross-work of Jesus on behalf of mankind. As we’ve already discussed, the crucified Lord is now the ‘whitened, fully processed” cloth of our “new garment” of righteousness.
Christ’s blood cleanses us of all our sins making us “white as snow” (Isa. 1:18). Then also, immediately upon believing, the believer receives imputed righteousness of Christ (Rom. 4:22) as his “new garment.”
Christ’s Cross-work fully satisfied God’s ‘righteous requirement.’ Christ clothes us in His righteousness so we can now “boldly” approach “the throne of grace.”
“In whom (in Christ) we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith (faithfulness) of him. (Eph. 3:12)
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) “Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard over) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Now, concerning our personal individual need, we know that all men are created with an inward God-given hunger, a desire seeking satisfaction. This is inner hunger is intended by God to drive lost men to find the Lord to fulfill their innermost needs. God planned that believers would eventually find God’s grace and love and become fully satisfied with the “new wine” of Christ’s own “Spirit of life” dispensed into their human “spirit of man.”
The word “new” in the “new wine” here is the Greek “neos,” meaning “new as to time, recently made,” only available since the cross. This “new wine” is Christ’s own ‘resurrection Life’ that flows from His cross… to satisfy the believer’s innermost hunger and need.
The Father, by Christ cross, satisfies both God’s righteous requirement for ‘justice’ and also at the same time, this inner need of mankind as well. We see the need of both satisfied by the “new garment” of Christ’s righteousness IMPUTED (counted) to us, and then the “new wine” of Christ’s Life is IMPARTED INTO US. In this way both God’s righteous requirement for justice and man’s needs are fully satisfied.
- First, by the cross of Christ the justice of God the Father was SATISFIED with the “new garment” that clothes every believer with Christ’s righteousness... making them “accepted in the beloved” (Eph. 1:6).
- Simultaneously, the Father SATISFIES the believer’s heart… and man’s need with the “NEW WINE” by the deposit of “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” into the believer’s own “spirit of man.”
Christ’s resurrected “Spirit of life” is the fruit of His being crushed as a wine grape at the cross… releasing His “Spirit of life” to all His recipient believers. His “Spirit of life” is literally dispensed into every believer’s human spirit the very moment they first believe to receive Christ as Savior… by faith. They thereby become “one spirit” with Christ’s “Spirit of life.”
“But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” (1 Corinthians 6:17)
The “finished” work of Jesus Christ was conducted at the Cross, where His Royal Blood and the Water of His Spirit-life flowed to bring; 1.) ‘redemption’ by Christ’s Royal blood shed at the cross, and 2.) ‘regeneration” by Christ’s own “Spirit of Life” imparted into the believer’s spirit.
“… he (Jesus) said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” (John 19:30b)
“one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out Blood and Water.” (Jn. 19:34)
“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be IN him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)
So, both the “blood and water” flowed from Jesus’ impaled side at the cross. (John 19:34);
1) Relationally: Jesus’ “Royal blood” flowed from His side as payment to redeem us from the penalty for and the effects of “sin” that “bringeth forth death” (1Cor. 15:56). His blood forever washes us of ALL sin, to reconcile us to God and secure our eternal relationship with Him.
2) Personally: The “water” of Jesus’ “Spirit of life” flowed from His side at the cross… flowing TO US and then IN US as His very “life,” intending then to flow out THROUGH US to bless others.
The out-flow of the water Jesus Christ life at the cross comes into us to be His everlasting life IN US, individually, personally (1Jn. 5:11-12). Christ Himself now is the “water” of the “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2a; cf. 2Cor 3:17, Jn. 4:14). Thus, Paul wrote;
“by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body (Christ’s body) … and have been all (each individually) Made to Drink Into One Spirit” (to satisfy our inward need). (1 Cor. 12:13).
The “drink” here refers to His newly available “Spirit of life,” which the parable refers to as the “New Wine.” We see here in 1 Cor. 12:13 (above) that we are both “in Christ” and also, we did drink His Spirit into us. We thus enjoy a mutual indwelling; not only has every believer been placed by the Spirit into “the body of Christ,” but also, we have “been all made to DRINK INTO (His) ONE Spirit” – we in Him and He in us.
Our righteous pure, whitened “new garment” was made possible only by Christ’s death of the cross, when also “water” flowed from His side representing the “new wine” of His resurrected “Spirit of life” (Rom. 8:2). His water of life is the “new wine.” The “new wine” of His life enliven us and empowers us, while inwardly teaching and guiding us.
The Spirit baptizes or sets us “into” Christ’s “One body” positionally. We’re thus clothed with the “new garment” of His righteousness. But note also that Paul says in the same verse that we have been “made to drink into” His “One Spirit” of life.
We drank and took His “Spirit of life” into our spirit once and for all time at the moment we first believed. We are now “one spirit with Him” (1Cor. 6:17). Thus, Jesus’ words are today fulfilled in us Gentiles as it will be fulfilled in believing Jews at His 2nd coming; for He told His disciples; “ye shall know that I am in my Father, and Ye (all of you) In Me, and I In You” (Jn. 14:20)
Metaphorically, at the cross Jesus was as a grape or orange that had to be crushed in order to release His life juice for us to drink in. At the cross Jesus gave His life in our place, but at the same time He was crushed to release His “Spirit of life” as the “new wine” to dwell IN US. Jesus was thus processed to become “the life-giving spirit.” (1 Cor. 15:45) in His believers.
So a change had occurred in the form Jesus had taken. Thus, Paul wrote “NOW the Lord is that Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:17), such that we may receive His very life into us; His Spirit into our spirit. Again, we drank of His “Spirit of life” into our spirit the very moment we first believed. During this age of “the dispensation of the grace of God,” under pure grace; “… whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been ALL made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Cor. 12:13b)
Jesus “Spirit of Life” is the “new wine” of our ‘new life,’ individually… as well as “the life” of the whole “body of Christ.” Our one initial drink of the Jesus as the spiritual “water of life” fills our spirits, supplying us inwardly with the fulness of Him.
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” (Colossians 2:9-10)
Please carefully note these verses below and the important point that I make below them.
“whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be IN him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)
“…If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly (spirit or innermost being) shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet ‘given’; because that Jesus was Not Yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39 KJV)
NOTE, the word “given” is italicized in the KJV because it does not appear in the Greek text at all. the translator erroneously added the word “given”; At least they were honest to tell us they had added the word “given.” This is significant because Jesus, at that time He spoke these words, was not fully processed by the cross of Calvary to become the resurrected “Spirit (water) of life.” He was not yet in resurrected and glorified His Spirit-form, not yet available to be dispensed into man. So, He could not be “given” at that time!
Initially our ‘drinking’ (1Cor 12:13b) of His “Spirit of life” regenerated our spirit (cf. Tit. 3:5) that was dead toward God. Then Christ’s indwelling “Spirit of life” works in us to bring about a total renewal of our soul as we learn to walk in accord with “the Spirit.” (Gal 5:16, 18, 25)
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” (Titus 3:5 (KJV)
“If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]” (Galatians 5:25 (AMP)
To the Jews Jesus said; “that which is born of the Sprit is spirit” (Jn. 3:6). All genuine believers since the cross are thus permanently joined to the Lord, the “Lord’s Spirit” … within their “spirit of man.” (1Cor 6:17). Now, having His life, He desires to flow out from our spirit… into our soul’s mind, to renew us and fully satisfy us. His Spirit enlightens our soul, bring revelation (cf. Prov. 20:27, Eph. 1:17). He then flows out of us to other hungry souls.
When we yield to the Lord in our Spirit in our daily living, we as a soul-self are embracing Him and taking Him into our soul. We’re being filled with the ‘influence’ of His Spirit, just as physical wine influences the drinker. “be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” (Eph. 5:18)
When we drink of Him daily our soul comes under the influence of the Christ’s Spirit ruling, governing and regulating the out-flow of His Spirit from us. Drinking His Spirit into our soul is an indication of our dependence upon Him. Drinking Him in… is to take Him as “Lord” in place of our past independent self-rule.
One drink at the moment of our rebirth filled our spirit with all that He is. “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: … because as he is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17 (KJV)
But as we see below, there often is an initial negative reaction to the first taste of the “new wine” … many resist the “new wine” in favor of “the Old.”
“But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. 39 No man also having drunk Old Wine straightway (immediately) desireth new: for he saith, The Old Is Better.” (Luke 5:38-39)