Is Our Inward Man Being Renewed Day By Day?

Good morning, everyone! It is a beautiful Sabbath day. Let's enjoy it. The rest and the worship and meditation. It's a wonderful thing, the Sabbath day, each week. After six days of work and accomplishment, God gives us a wonderful break. I hope that you're all doing well. It's certainly good to see you. We sure miss our two large families, don't we? They would be more in number than what we have here this morning. The Buller-Rosky family and the Hunter family.

They would be 14. We have 13 here today. So we do miss them. The Buller-Rosky family is out of state. They have a wedding in their family. I think this is up in South Carolina, North Carolina, and then the Hunter family. They're not able to be here every time. They have some health issues that they have to consider. Well, good to see you all, and have a wonderful Sabbath day. Well, last Sunday, you know, this is the second time we're having meetings this week. We met on Sunday, the first day of this week in Pentecost, and it was a wonderful day.

How did we go on forward after Pentecost? Led by God's Spirit, walking in the Spirit, living in the Spirit. There's a scripture I want us to enlarge on. Let's turn to it over in 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 16. A very fitting scripture to consider as we go on forward after Pentecost. 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 16. Here we are. Okay. Therefore, we do not lose heart, even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

So, I want us to think about this inward man. We're going to see that this inward man is the new man within us, but there's an old inward man that continues with us as well. But this renewing of the inward man will help us to fight our spiritual battles and to grow, and we can go on forward.

Philip's translation says the inner man is refreshed from day to day. Every day this inner man needs to be refreshed. Philip's translation says the outward man does indeed suffer wear and tear, but every day the inward man receives fresh strength. I want to stress in this sermon today that there must be a renewing that is going on every day, or else we're not making progress toward God's kingdom and toward eternal life that we hope to be given one day.

We need fresh strength every day to be able to attain our goal. Else we may faint spiritually. If we ever feel spiritually weak, I'm sure we all do. But why? Maybe it's because we're not being renewed that particular day the way we need to be. So 2 Corinthians 4, 16 has something for us to consider as we go on forward after Pentecost. The inward man must be renewed daily, day by day. I've given this sermon the title, Is Our Inward Man Being Renewed Day By Day? Of course, we know that it is very important that this inward man is renewed every day.

First of all, let's identify this new inward man. Who or what is this inward man? We'll leave in the very next verse. It helps us a little bit. Verse 17, For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, Is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. So there is something going on, and it is of a spiritual nature. There is actually a new spiritual creation that is underway.

Something is underway that we were not born with. When we came into the human family, we were not born with this new spiritual creation. Let's go to John chapter 3. We'll read several verses to help identify this inward man. Who is this inward man? When did he begin? Well, John chapter 3, and in verse 3, Nicodemus had come to Jesus by night, and asking Jesus questions about his teaching. And in verse 3, Jesus said to Nicodemus, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And Nicodemus said, he understood what Jesus said. The word that Jesus used, well, in the Greek, it's ganau, means birth.

It's what happens when we're born, when our mother gave birth to us, our father and mother, actually. Because ganau does include the whole process, from conception all the way through, delivery from your mother's womb all the way through. And Jesus said that unless you are born again, we cannot see the kingdom of God.

When Nicodemus said, how can a man be born when he's old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? So Nicodemus understood exactly what Jesus said. You've got to be born again. And Jesus said in verse 5, Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

So Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus that this is not the same kind of birth that you had when your mother gave birth to you. That was a birth to human physical life, just a temporary life. But this is a spiritual type of birth that Jesus is talking about. So if we are to enter into God's kingdom, there has to be a spiritual birth, a spiritual conception, and then a spiritual birth. Let's go to 1 Peter. We're going to read quite a few verses helping to identify this inward man that is to be renewed day by day.

Brethren, this inward man, which if we have been baptized, and if we have, well, if we have repented, if we have been baptized, if we have received the Spirit of God, then a new spiritual birth or conception has taken place. It's a begettle, actually, a spiritual begettle. Let's go to 1 Peter 1 and read a couple of verses here. And this is what happened at the time that we repented and that we were baptized and we received the Holy Spirit. 1 Peter 1 and verse 3.

Bless be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope. There is something a spiritual conception has taken place. You might say a second begettle. Our first begettle was when we came into the human realm, to corruptible human life. You know, the first begettle was brought us into the world. When our father and mother, from our father, joined with that from our mother, and we were in the womb for about nine months, then that was our first begettle.

That's how we came to be. It began with a little pinpoint beginning. The ovum of the female and the sperm of the male joined together. We all began that way. But that was to corruptible human life. Jesus is saying in John chapter 3 that there has to be a second begettle. And Peter is describing that second begettle here. And he does say that we have been begotten again. And this one is to, this begettle is to incorruptible eternal life.

So a new conception took place at the time of baptism. It's a spiritual conception to eternal life. So when we repent and are baptized and receive God's Holy Spirit, that is the moment when God gave us His Spirit. There was the laying on of hands. At that moment, God gave us His Spirit. That Spirit joined with our human spirit. And that was the beginning of the new inward man. The one that needs renewing every day. Let's go to Romans chapter 6. And at that time when we were baptized and received God's Holy Spirit, then it was a new beginning.

And in John chapter 6, at the time that we were baptized, beginning in verse 4, we were buried with Him through baptism into death. That just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life.

Suddenly we are headed in a new direction, alright? A totally different direction than where we were going before. Verse 5, if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man, we can add the word inward, the old inward man, the human being that we were self-centered, looking out for number one, driven by the carnal nature without any spiritual nature yet, but the old inward man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

So the old inward man was crucified, and we begin to walk in newness of life, developing the very character image of God, the divine nature of Almighty God. So new creation, a new inward man, began a new creation. Let's read about, and the Bible describes it as a new creation.

Let's go to Colossians chapter 3. Jesus told Nicodemus, unless this happens, you will not enter the kingdom of God. It has to be then a new inward man, and that begins at the time of repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Spirit. Colossians 3 and verse 8.

You must also put off all these, the new inner creation that is going on, or the inward man then begins to combat the old man, the old inward man. You must put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie one to another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds. So we're striving to put off the old inward man with all the carnal deeds that we see happening all around us and that we fight ourselves to no longer have. Verse 10 goes on to say that we have put on the new man, the new inward man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him. And so the inward man, the new inward man, is a new being, a new creation that is renewed in knowledge and taking on the character image of God. Ephesians 4 and verse 17. Let's skip on down to verse 22. That you put off concerning your former conduct, the old man. So there's an old inward man that we're striving to put off, which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that you put on the new man which was created according to God in righteousness and true holiness. So we're striving to put on the new inward man, which is actually taking on the very nature and character of Almighty God. This inward man, that new creation that has begun in us, actually delights in God's law, but still has to do battle against the old inward man that is still there. We have actually a new inward man, which is the begettle that takes place when God's spirit joins with our human spirit.

And we have also the old inward man still there that we have to fight against. Let's go to Romans 7. I'll tell you, this is a chapter that describes very well that struggle that we have, that battle within. The new inward man battling against the old inward man that is still there. Romans 7, verse 22, the Apostle Paul said, I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.

Isn't that true of all of us? We delight in God's law in our minds. The new creation, the new inward man delights in God's law. But look at verse 23, I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin that's in my members.

So the old inward man is still there, and we have to do battle against that old inward man. So there's a renewing, a transformation that is taking place, and there's a struggle that is going on. The new inward man must be fed and renewed, and that's a process that must go on daily. The purpose of this sermon is to show that this renewal of the new inward man must take place daily. Is our inward man being renewed daily? If we fail to renew the inward man, then we will fail in our quest to become a member of God's family.

If we renew the inward man every day, then we will succeed and we will gain the victory. We will have the mind and the character of God in us. So how can we renew the inward man? I want to bring up three important ways that the inward man is renewed daily. How can we renew the inward man daily? Number one, we must have the Holy Spirit flowing into us every day. The inward man, if we are to grow and develop, must be renewed daily by having the power of the Holy Spirit flowing into us. Let's go back to Ephesians chapter 3.

Again, we'll read quite a few verses on this. We must have the Spirit that is from God flowing into us every day if we aren't to be renewed daily. Ephesians 3 and verse 14, Paul wrote, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.

So we must have God's Spirit flowing in us if we are to be strengthened in the inward man. The inward man needs strengthening every day, and the Holy Spirit does strengthen us with power and might. Let's notice that God sends His Holy Spirit, John 14. Let's read a few verses Jesus wrote on the night before He was crucified, in John 14 and verse 16.

Jesus said, I will pray the Father, and He will give you another helper. The margin says paracletus or comforter. This word paracletus means helper or comforter. That He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, because the world cannot receive, which the world cannot receive, because it neither sees, it should be it.

The New King James misses the mark here. The world does not see it, the Spirit of God doesn't know it, but you know it, for it dwells with you and will be in you. So God sends His Holy Spirit. What does the Holy Spirit do? In John 15 and in verse 26, When the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, He will testify of me.

In John 16 and verse 13, When it, the Spirit of truth, has come, it will guide you into all truth. It will not speak of its own authority, but whatever it hears, it will speak and tell you things to come. It will glorify me, for it will take of what is mine and declare it to you. So God's Holy Spirit guides us into truth.

It teaches us. It refreshes our memory. It helps us to grow. It spiritually nourishes us every day, and we need it every day then. In John 15, again the night before Jesus was crucified, In John 15, we must be connected to Jesus Christ, the vine. Let's notice John 15 and verse 1. I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser.

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every branch that bears fruit, He prunes that it may bear more fruit.

You are already claimed because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine. Neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. We have to be connected with the vine, Christ, and have God's Holy Spirit flowing into us if the inward man is to be renewed day by day. And God's Spirit flowing into us does renew us daily. Let's go to Titus chapter 3.

Titus chapter 3 and verse 3.

We'll read verses 3 through 5. Titus chapter 3 verse 3. We ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another, because we were just following the ways of the old inward man. But when the new inward man entered our lives, things are to be different. Verse 4. When the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. God's Spirit has begun to clean us up, flowing into us. We need that Spirit poured into us every day. And God's Spirit is powerful. It's compared in the Scriptures to a powerful rushing wind. It's compared to fire. It's compared to springs of water. It's compared to oil. So God's Spirit is power and it is might. And it gives us the power to make changes and develop godly character and divine nature. Every day we need the Holy Spirit, then, to work in us. It convicts us of sin and righteousness and judgment. It empowers us to put to death the deeds of the flesh. It guides us into all truth. It teaches us all things. It brings all things to remembrance. God's Spirit is truly our comforter and our helper. Many Scriptures admonish us to be led by the Spirit, to walk in the Spirit and live by the Spirit. 2 Timothy 1 will not turn to that right now, but we are admonished to stir up the Spirit.

Because the Spirit is to be our source of power and love and a sound mind. We need this mighty power daily.

But are we asking for it? Let's go to Luke 11. And this is something we need to be asking daily.

Notice what Jesus said here in Luke 11. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he wants a fish, will he give him a serpent instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? And no loving parent would ever do that.

If you, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, notice how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? So are we asking for God's Spirit daily? We need it. If the inward man is to be renewed, we must be asking and receiving the Holy Spirit daily. Philippians 1, verse 19 says we need a supply of the Holy Spirit. The inward man, to be renewed, needs that Holy Spirit every day. And if we're not asking for it, then guess what? We aren't quenching the Spirit, actually. Let's notice a couple of verses on that. We don't want to do this because we certainly can't grow quenching the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 19. 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 19. Short little verse, just five words. Do not quench the Spirit. And how could we quench the Spirit? But not using it to grow. Not using God's Spirit to overcome the old man that keeps coming at us. He's still there. We have to keep fighting that battle. We have to use God's Holy Spirit. And Ephesians 4, we could grieve the Spirit by not using it day by day to overcome the old inward man that is still there and take on more of the new inward man which is created in God's character and righteousness. Ephesians 4, verse 25. Therefore putting away lying, each one speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, but do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath. Nor take place or give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands, what is good. Verse 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth of what is good for necessary edification.

Verse 30. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. So we would grieve God's Spirit if we give in to these things mentioned above. We did get involved in giving in to the old inward man that is still there. And we would grieve God's Spirit if we don't resist and overcome the old inward man. And take on the new inward man instead. So to be renewed day by day, for us to be renewed day by day, we need a constant flow of God's Holy Spirit.

And we need to ask him for it. And if we read in Luke how willing God is to give his Spirit, but do we remember to ask? I know that sometimes I forget. I think we all probably do. But we must have God's Spirit flowing into us every day if we are to be renewed in the inner man.

Okay, number two, if we are to renew the inward man daily, we must feed on the bread or the manna from heaven every day. Our inward man, to be renewed, must feed then on the manna or the bread from heaven daily.

You know, Jesus was well aware of the Scriptures, the Word of God, upon which we must feed every day. Jesus, when he was tempted, said, it is written. It is written. It is written. You can read that in Matthew 4 and Luke 4. When he was tempted by Satan, Jesus knew the Scriptures.

And we also, if we are to triumph and overcome the world and overcome our own inward nature, the old man, we must be feeding on the bread of life every day and renewing the inner man day by day. Let's go to John 6. John 6 and beginning in verse 32.

John 6 and verse 32.

Let's skip on down to verse 47.

The Jews did not understand that.

In verse 53, Jesus said, Verse 55.

As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, he who feeds on me shall live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not as your fathers ate the manna and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever. So, how do we eat Jesus Christ? How do we do that?

How do we feed on Jesus Christ? You know, Jesus Christ is the living Word. The Bible here that we all have is the written Word. And as we feed on the Word of God, as we read the Bible, the living Word, the written Word, I should say, then we are being spiritually renewed.

As we read, study, and meditate, we are feeding on the manna from heaven.

The Israelites gathered manna, we know each day, gave them nourishment, gave them energy, strength.

Likewise, we feed, don't we feed the manna we have is not something to go out and gather like they did, but we eat physical food every day. If we don't, it doesn't take very long. Miss one meal or two, and you begin to feel weak. And you need nourishment badly in order to have energy and strength. So, in the same way spiritually, if we don't feed on Scriptures, in reading the Scriptures every day, then we fail to have the spiritual energy and strength that we need. Jesus will understand in John 6 and verse 63, it is the Spirit which gives life.

For the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. And so, we need to feed on Bible study every day. God's Word is powerful. These words are spirit, and they are life. We need them every day. Let's go to 1 Peter chapter 1.

1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 22. The Scriptures, the written Word of God, which really becomes the living Word of God as we read with God's Spirit, embedding these words upon our hearts and minds. In 1 Peter chapter 2, chapter 1 rather, and verse 22, Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, and a better way of saying that would be begotten again, not of corruptible seed. The first time we were begotten by our human parents, it was of corruptible seed. But having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible through the Word of God, which lives and abides forever. The Scriptures do help us in this process of begettle because they become living words in our hearts and minds. Verse 24, All flesh is as grass, all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.

Verse 25, But the Word of the Lord endures forever.

And so, we are begotten again, it says, by the Word of God. These words come alive in our hearts and minds. And the Word of God endures forever.

Now, God's Word is powerful. Let's read that in Hebrews 4. It's able to convert our hearts and minds. It's able to help us see things we need to work on to grow into, overcome.

In Hebrews 4, verse 12. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God. Here are people that had not fed on the Word of God. They had not really grown. They were not nourishing that new emirate man day by day the way they needed to. And they've been in the church for quite a while. By this time you ought to be teachers. You need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God and come to be in need of milk and not solid food. Everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the Word of Righteousness, for he is a babe.

The solid food belongs to those who are of full age, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Yes, God's Word is indeed very, very powerful, and we need to be skillful in being able to use it.

Let's read also Hebrews 4. Hebrews chapter 4 and verses 12 and 13.

So God's Word is living. It is powerful. It cuts right to our deepest thoughts and intents and motives. To be renewed, to be renewing that inward man daily, we must feed on the Word of God daily.

It is actually feeding on Jesus Christ, the living Word. It is eating, in that sense, Christ.

We know that we will faint and be weak if we fail to eat physical food every day. Likewise, we will be faint and weak without feeding on God's Word every day.

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, Romans 10.17. God's Word is truth, John 17.17. God's Word is a lamp to our path, Psalm 119.105. So for the inward man to be renewed daily, we must feast on the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth every day.

For the inward man to be renewed daily, we must also be in constant communion with God through prayer and meditation.

We must continually commune with God in the spirit of our mind.

The great words for communion is fellowship. We're fellowshiping with God when we pray and when we meditate. A great word also means sharing in common partnership. In other words, we're walking with God. Daily prayer and meditation are essential in our communion with God. And for the renewing of the inward man. David said he would pray three times a day. Daniel also prayed three times each day in Daniel 6. 1 Thessalonians 5.17 says to pray without ceasing. So that means that you are actually in a mental state of prayer all the time. Someone asked Herbert Armstrong how many times a day he prayed.

And he said hundreds. I think that's a very good answer for all of us. Hundreds of times. There's a constant communication. As we walk with God, we talk with God in our minds. And there's a constant communication that is going on. So if we are to be renewed in the inward man, there has to be constant communication, constant communion with God in prayer and in also meditation. Meditation is certainly a part of our communion with God. The Scriptures admonish us to meditate on God and His law. Let's read just a couple of Scriptures. We have time for that. And look to Psalm, a couple of Scriptures in the book of Psalms. Psalm 1. And let us hear that this communion of meditating with God is something that goes on daily and all the time, constantly. In Psalm 1 and verse 1, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord. And that is in His law, He meditates day and night. So there's a meditation that goes on day and night, constantly, as we walk with God. Let's go to Psalm 119. Psalm 119 and verse 97. Psalm 119 and verse 97. O, how I love your law, it is my meditation all the day. So, you know, we too need to be constantly communing with God, praying to God, praying without ceasing, and meditating without ceasing all the day. Verse 98. You through your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. So we do meditate on God and His love and His power and His law day and night. And by continuous prayer and meditation, we can be in constant communication with God, and we will be renewing the inward man. So what are we to do if we are to be renewing the inward man day by day? Number one, we must have a daily abundant flow of the Holy Spirit. And we need to be asking for God to give us more of His Holy Spirit.

Number two, we must be feeding daily on the Word of God, reading these words in the Holy Scriptures. And number three, we must be in constant fellowship with God in prayer and meditation. We certainly do need this very much. We cannot expect to win our spiritual battles on our own human strength and power. It's only through Christ in us working in us. And that's how the inward man can be renewed day by day. We can go out and win spiritual battles. We can cool off Mr. Hot Temper, if we have one. We can control Mr. Lust, which does come at us in this world, and Mr. Greed. We can defeat Mr. Pride and Mr. Vanity as well, and take on Mr. Love and Mr. Joy and experience the peace of God. The inward man must be renewed and nourished. It must be done daily. Brethren, we are on our march toward the Kingdom of God. And for us to gain the total victory, the inward man must be renewed day by day. With God's Spirit flowing into us, gathering the spiritual manna, the bread from heaven, feeding on the Word of God, and continuous communion and fellowship with God in prayer and meditation. So as we go forward after Pentecost, let's keep in mind 2 Corinthians 4, 16. I'd like for us to go back there and read on down just a little bit further.

And we certainly see that this is very important on our march toward the Kingdom of God. 2 Corinthians 4, 16. Let's read this verse and on down just a few more as we conclude the sermon. 2 Corinthians 4, 16. Therefore we do not lose heart. Other translations say we don't faint. We don't give up. Even though our outward man is perishing, the outward physical being that we are, we do see that we are perishing. We're getting older. We have some aches and pains here and there. Our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, we are going through an affliction in a way in this human flesh and the struggle, the battle that is going on, our light affliction is but for a moment. It's working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

There is something being developed in us. It's the divine nature and character of Almighty God that will allow us to be a member of God's eternal family. Verse 18, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at things which are not seen, the things that are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. So we're looking at things that are not seen. Let's continue in chapter 5, verse 1. For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, that is this physical life, is destroyed, we have a building from God. It's that inward man, that new creation. That's what the building from God is, which we are to be busy building during this lifetime after God has called us into His Church and given us His Spirit. We have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, we do during this process we're going through. We groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation, which is from heaven. That is, we'd like to have that change to immortality. If indeed having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, we don't want life to end either, but we'd like to be further clothed. We'd like to be changed to immortality. That mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now, he who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. And we can read on, therefore we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, this physical body, as long as we're still human, we're absent from the Lord. We're not with Him in the way that the full extent that we will one day be. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased, rather to be absent from the body and be present with the Lord. So we're in that process of developing the Holy Righteous Character, and that process involves the inward man being renewed day by day. Yes, even though the outward man is perishing, the inward man is being renewed day by day. Let's be diligent that our inward man is indeed being renewed day by day.