There must be a change in the inner self. This time they were baptized into Jesus Christ and had hands laid on them to receive the Holy Spirit. This change into a new person is so vital that when Paul met a group of disciples in Ephesus who had been baptized by John the Baptist but had not received the Holy Spirit, he had them baptized again. God’s way, His law, is now being written in the person’s heart. He or she understands that whoever hates another person is spiritually a murderer. For example, the Christian understands that sexual lust outside of marriage is like physical adultery. Those who try on their own to alter their physical actions and behave in what they believe is a Christian manner cannot truly live the Christian life. A person attempting to live as a Christian without undergoing the inner change needed will not be fully successful. Some people consider themselves Christian and may even attend church, but lack the help of the Holy Spirit that is necessary. To learn more, read “ What Is Conversion?” An inner change is required The Holy Spirit enables the new Christian to live the new way. New Christians undergo these changes because, after being baptized and having the laying on of hands, they now have the Spirit of God dwelling in them. They develop a contrite heart, as described in Psalm 51:17. New Christians have and develop Christian thoughts, attitudes and approaches to life’s happenings. Walking in newness of life means living and thinking the Christian way. We are raised from the water into our new life. When we are baptized, we bury the old life. “Therefore 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” (Romans 6:4). Paul also wrote about this in his letter to the Romans: He or she lives differently and thinks differently and can be compared to new wine in a new wineskin. The converted Christian is to be a new person. It is not a matter of the same person behaving better. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation old things have passed away behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). He or she lives differently and thinks differently and can be compared to new wine in a new wineskin.Paul wrote about this to the Christians in Corinth. He or she lives differently and thinks differently than before. He or she is not the same person anymore, but is a new creation. Over time, the new Christian grows and progresses in godly character. When a person becomes a Christian, he or she is a new and different person. These descriptions of cloth and wineskins can be compared to becoming Christian. Therefore, they rupture, and the new wine is spilled. New wineskins can stretch to accommodate the increased volume. The sugar in the grape juice is being converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide. New wine is still undergoing fermentation. Old wineskins are stiffer and don’t have elasticity. ![]() Wine was, and in some cases still is, carried in bags made of goat skin. The garment is therefore worse than before. ![]() The hole may be even bigger than it was before patching. When the patch shrinks after washing, it pulls away from the garment and there may again be a hole in the garment. When the patched garment is washed, it won’t shrink further. If a person patches a garment that has already been washed and dried-and therefore undergone shrinkage-with a new, never-washed piece of cloth, the result will not be satisfactory. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Unshrunk cloth on an old garment Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. “No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Jesus spoke a parable to some of John the Baptist’s followers about becoming Christian. What is the meaning of His parable of new wine in old wineskins? ApJesus sometimes used analogies to teach spiritual lessons to His followers.
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