We do not want the experience of last year. We don’t even want to experience of yesterday. We want to be sons and daughters of fresh oil. Those controlled by the spirit of this age take great pains to obtain new things, but there is only one place where we can find real newness – in Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; the old things passed away; behold new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
The grammar in that verse is very enlightening. The phrase “the old things passed away” is in the aorist tense, and the aorist tense signifies summary action in the past, but the phrase “behold new things have come” is in the perfect tense, and the perfect tense signifies completed action in the past with continual present tense results. In other words, the person that you used to be no longer exists, but the new creation that you are in Christ is fully complete, but there are daily fresh discoveries and experiences of who you are in Christ to be enjoyed. Job said, “my glory is fresh within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.” (Job 29:20)
The wonders and the adventure of being a new creation in Christ is always a fresh experience from minute to minute, like a well of water spontaneously springing up to eternal life. Rivers are not stagnant, and the life of Christ lived through us is like multiple rivers of living water flowing out of our innermost being. It is a glorious life that exists in an atmosphere of a peace that passes all understanding and a joy unspeakable full of glory. Like a sea of glass mixed with fire. The psalmist in Psalm 92:10 says, “But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil.” There is a wonderful wildness to be experienced as Christ lives His life through us with fresh oil. Paul describes our life in union with Jesus as “newness of life,” and every night as we fall asleep, we can drift off in the hilarious anticipation of waking up the next morning to newness of life and fresh oil in Christ.