Past Commentary by a Common Terry
Everything was once new
April 12, 2026
Do you remember the first time…
...you ate at a fancy restaurant?
...you saw the ocean?
...you flew?
...you tasted the best dessert in the world?
...you met the love of your life?
...you saw a home computer...or a garage door opener...or a home sprinkler system?
...you used a cell phone?
...you learned you’d be a parent?
...you heard that song?
...you truly felt the presence of the Spirit of God?
...you realized your spiritual needs?
...you faced your mortality and the coming eternity?
How many of those things eventually became common instead of amazing? It’s what happens with most things. The moment gives way to the passage of time and the repetitive experience. What was once astounding or mind-blowing becomes everyday norms and nothing to give a second thought to.
A very specific challenge for the followers of Jesus is to avoid that trap. The special becomes ordinary. The excitement of salvation gives way to the mundane existence of life under the sun. That stunning teaching or book that “changed my life” fades.
Although Jesus, when dictating those seven letters to John to be relayed to the churches of Asia Minor, had some great things to say about the church in Ephesus, he said, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” (Revelation 2:4)
How often in the Hebrew history do we read of excitement that is eventually replaced by complacency or even outright dismissal of God and His commandments and will? It is a literal over-and-over-and-over-and-over process. Celebration followed by stagnation.
There’s an assurance in being comfortable. It’s a warm blanket. But it can lead us to satisfaction. Satisfaction doesn’t always lead us to the intentional pursuit of growth and anticipation of what’s next around life’s corners. From there it’s a short step from righteousness to self-righteousness. Put simply, we begin to depend on ourselves more than we do on the living and moving Spirit of God He has given us.
The description of the earliest church in Jerusalem after the Day of Pentecost is, in my opinion, a description of the church in the very purest form it ever was on this planet. Internal cohesion—great! A healthy relationship to the Father—great! Growth—great! Relationship to outsiders who watched and took note—great!
But it changed. External admiration became anger and threats. Internal peace gave way to seemingly petty arguments and conflicts. The intrusion of the Gentiles into the church created a heartburn for the Jewish Christians that wouldn’t stop. All those epistles by Paul, John, Peter, James, Jude, and the Hebrews author include positive teachings, encouragements, and guidance on how to solve problems (some of them were huge!) within their churches.
We do not simply get ourselves changed once and for all in spirit, thinking, and righteous living and then move on. We must, with determination, humility, and purpose, be renewed for a lifetime.
Paul told the Romans in 12:2 that as they avoided conformity to the world, they needed to be, “...transformed by the renewal of your mind…” That wasn’t a first-time instruction to brand new believers. He wrote this to Christians in an established church in Rome. He was reminding them of what they should be, not teaching them for the first time.
Renewal is a rare word in the New Testament. It’s critical to the spiritual growth and success for every believer. Don’t let the “new” fade.
...you ate at a fancy restaurant?
...you saw the ocean?
...you flew?
...you tasted the best dessert in the world?
...you met the love of your life?
...you saw a home computer...or a garage door opener...or a home sprinkler system?
...you used a cell phone?
...you learned you’d be a parent?
...you heard that song?
...you truly felt the presence of the Spirit of God?
...you realized your spiritual needs?
...you faced your mortality and the coming eternity?
How many of those things eventually became common instead of amazing? It’s what happens with most things. The moment gives way to the passage of time and the repetitive experience. What was once astounding or mind-blowing becomes everyday norms and nothing to give a second thought to.
A very specific challenge for the followers of Jesus is to avoid that trap. The special becomes ordinary. The excitement of salvation gives way to the mundane existence of life under the sun. That stunning teaching or book that “changed my life” fades.
Although Jesus, when dictating those seven letters to John to be relayed to the churches of Asia Minor, had some great things to say about the church in Ephesus, he said, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” (Revelation 2:4)
How often in the Hebrew history do we read of excitement that is eventually replaced by complacency or even outright dismissal of God and His commandments and will? It is a literal over-and-over-and-over-and-over process. Celebration followed by stagnation.
There’s an assurance in being comfortable. It’s a warm blanket. But it can lead us to satisfaction. Satisfaction doesn’t always lead us to the intentional pursuit of growth and anticipation of what’s next around life’s corners. From there it’s a short step from righteousness to self-righteousness. Put simply, we begin to depend on ourselves more than we do on the living and moving Spirit of God He has given us.
The description of the earliest church in Jerusalem after the Day of Pentecost is, in my opinion, a description of the church in the very purest form it ever was on this planet. Internal cohesion—great! A healthy relationship to the Father—great! Growth—great! Relationship to outsiders who watched and took note—great!
But it changed. External admiration became anger and threats. Internal peace gave way to seemingly petty arguments and conflicts. The intrusion of the Gentiles into the church created a heartburn for the Jewish Christians that wouldn’t stop. All those epistles by Paul, John, Peter, James, Jude, and the Hebrews author include positive teachings, encouragements, and guidance on how to solve problems (some of them were huge!) within their churches.
We do not simply get ourselves changed once and for all in spirit, thinking, and righteous living and then move on. We must, with determination, humility, and purpose, be renewed for a lifetime.
Paul told the Romans in 12:2 that as they avoided conformity to the world, they needed to be, “...transformed by the renewal of your mind…” That wasn’t a first-time instruction to brand new believers. He wrote this to Christians in an established church in Rome. He was reminding them of what they should be, not teaching them for the first time.
Renewal is a rare word in the New Testament. It’s critical to the spiritual growth and success for every believer. Don’t let the “new” fade.