I’m In A New World

The Lord has been so good to me,
He set my captive spirit free;
Old things are passed away. All things are new today.
He gave me light for paths so dim,
O how I’ve changed since I found Him,
I’m in a new world since the Lord save me.

Chorus:
I’m in a new world, old things have passed away.
Behold all things are new ever since that happy day.
He opened up my blinded eyes, and then I had a great surprise,
I’m in a new world since the Lord saved me.

While traveling down the sinful road,
I had no friend to share my load,
I wandered here and there, yet no one seemed to care.
But when I knelt that night to pray,
I stepped into a brand new day,
I’m in a new world since the Lord saved me.

I can’t explain the way I feel,
There’s not a doubt, I know it’s real.
There’s glory in my soul, the hallelujahs rolls.
Tho’ earthly friends may turn me down,
I’ll still retain the peace I’ve found,
I’m in a new world since the Lord save me.

Written by Vesphew Benton (VEP) Ellis, “I’m in a new world” is a classic Red-back song if there ever was one.  Fast tempo.  Four part harmonies.  Echoes on the chorus.  A song that gets in your head and stays with you all day and all week.  Born in 1917 and a Church of God minister for almost 50 years, Vep Ellis wrote numerous hymns and convention songs.  One of his more recognized songs is “Let me touch Him.”  I know for a fact there are folks on the “Hymn of the Week” distribution list here in Cleveland, Tennessee that actually knew Vep Ellis.  Although I don’t believe I have ever met him, I can and do appreciate the songs that he left us.

One of the things I love about this particular song is that it is a “happy song.”  One cannot think about what the Lord has done for us and not be happy about it.  To think about being brought from sin to salvation.  From spiritual death to eternal life.  From the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.  Sure, there are Christians songs that are convicting.  Songs that make us sad and bring tears to our eyes.  Songs that urge us to remember the Cross and the suffering that Jesus endured for our sins.  But when we think about what He did for us, it ought to make us happy.  I am grateful for songs that make me happy and joyful.  Songs, like this one, that give me an extra spring in my step.

Couple of comments on the lyrics:

• “The Lord has been so good to me” – There’s a little phrase that has caught on in some Christians circles that goes “God is good….All the time……All the time…..God is good.”  But “good” is one of those funny words.  If by “good” one means “alright” or just “okay,” then we have the wrong definition of good when it comes to God and how He loves His children.  If, however, we mean “virtuous” or “righteous” or “of high quality” then we can say that God is good.  He has been “so good” to each one of us. Psalm 86:5 says “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”  His goodness is linked to His mercy and forgiveness.  His goodness and mercy are “plenteous.”  Even during difficult times, we can see God’s goodness at work.  We can say “God is good….all the time.”

• “Since I found Him” – This is one of those phrases that, if we aren’t careful, can create pride and arrogance in our hearts.  Did we find God or did He find us?  The parables of the “lost” in Luke 15 were pictures of God searching for the lost.  The shepherd seeking out the lost sheep.  The women seeking out her lost coin.  But in the story of the Prodigal son (the Lost son), the Father did not seek after his son.  He waited…and waited…and waited.  I am sure he prayed and prayed and prayed some more.  But the son had to come to his senses.  He had to eat some pig slop, and then he had to seek out his father.  Jeremiah 29:13 says “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”  Is Jesus seeking and finding?  Absolutely.  Does God require us to seek and find Him as well?  The answer is “Yes,” and to find Him, we have to seek Him with our whole heart.  Isaiah 55:6 says “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” 

This time of year it is real common to see TV advertisements for fitness centers and weight loss programs.  People (like me) gain too much weight during the holidays, make a New Year’s resolution to eat better, exercise, and lose weight, and these companies target advertising to many people this time of year.  One of their advertising methods is personal testimonies and “Before and After” pictures.  Someone that used to be a size 16 is now a size 8. Someone holds up an old pair of jeans and now they can fit into one leg of the old jeans.  You know what I am talking about.  Outwardly, one can see a dramatic change in this person because of their weight loss. You can hardly recognize them.  You need the “before” and “after” pictures to fully understand where they used to be.

The hymn this week is a song about change the the Lord gives.  A new life.  A new world.  So the question for me is, “Has their been a dramatic change in my life since the Lord saved me?”  “Do I have a personal testimony of what the Lord has done in my life?”  “What do my “before and after” pictures look like?”  “Do I act the same as I used to act?”  “Do I love the things I used to love before I was a Christian?” Can you recognize me?

I pray today that the Lord continue to change me, and conform me more to the image of His son.  I don’t want to be the same man I used to be.  I want others to see a difference in me because of what the Lord has done, and I know that is your prayer too.  I want someone to see my “before and after” photos and say “I can’t hardly recognize him.”