NEW LIFE

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A Christian profoundly becomes an indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the very core of his personality when he or she is incorporated through living faith and the waters of baptism. The journey to new life begins at our baptism. By baptism, the Christian is thus sanctified and becomes a new creature, acquires something new and drinks in the very paschal life of the risen Lord. The body of the baptized Christian becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit. This baptism makes him a member of Christ's body and disposes him towards receiving other sacraments which will
enable him grow in faith and bear witness to the good news. But most often this is not the case, as sometimes the Christian grows weaker as he receives the sacraments because of his personal dispositions. By this fact, we are all called to new life in the Holy Spirit.

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Most Christians think they can go the whole spiritual journey alone in their life. This is not possible. In our Christian journey, we need the Church, fellow Christians and above all, we need the Holy Spirit. If one tries to live the Christian life by one's fleshy efforts, it is bound to become complex, difficult or even impossible. But when one decides to live a new life and invites the Lord Jesus to direct one's life, he will be glad to do that. Also, when we already know the reality of having been crucified with Christ; and raised with him in our baptism; he will surely endow us with the strength to live the demands of our Christian vocation. Equally, when we dispose ourselves to walk in the light of the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus will simply live his abundant life within us. This is what the new life entails. It is in the light of this, that this Chapter is aimed at highlighting the
state of mind expected of Christians who have this new life; having made efforts to imbibe the process of growth enumerated in the preceding Chapter. By so doing, we will look at the problems that may likely militate against our efforts to live the new life of Christ, Since the Spirit is already dwelling in our hearts through baptism, we have all been called to come out of the cold and stir the Holy Spirit in us by adequate dispositions so that he will be able to act in us.

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We are not saying here that if you encounter the Holy Spirit, you will have no difficulties or problems. The challenges of life, like poor health loss of a dear one, financial needs and other sad experiences of life will be there. They are the crosses associated with our earthly life. But some misfortunes are self-imposed because of our own worldly and selfish actions. But when such problems come, the man living by the prompting of the Holy Spirit will face them with calm and accept them joyfully as coming from God and he is aware that God's resources are available to him to carry his crosses. This is so, because we have been directed to cast our cares and worries upon Jesus Christ, because he cares for us. The spiritual person knows and believes in the trustworthiness of God.