Scripture - Mark 2:21-22 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins."
Observation - God is very concerned with the tearing and tattering of a young life in Christ. This concept of putting new wine into new wineskins and sewing unshrunk fabric on to old fabric is one that many elder Christians need to understand. Putting old habits into a new vessel is going to cause the vessel to break just like putting new habits into an old vessel will cause both the habits and the vessel to have issues. A new life in Christ must progress in such a way as to allow the old vessel to be made new. Too many times we are trying to stuff our old things into this new life that we have with Christ and it just doesn't work. Both things need to be made new together and then progress can take place.
Application - Coming to know Christ and then tearing at a life to try and force perfection is not the design of God. We must understand that this life with Christ is a journey not a destination. When we come into relationship with Him, we are allowing him to mold our lives and eliminate the stuff one item at a time. He does not throw the baby out with the bath water - so to speak. As believers we should be striving for a life that resembles Christ. This doesn't happen over night and can not be done by holding on to your old habits, issues and stuff that defined the old you. You must put your new life into a new vessel.
Prayer - God help us to all to move our lives toward you. I don't want any new wine in the old skins. God make it new...
