Jesus Christ was under scrutiny and condemnation from the scribes and Pharisees of his day because he forgave people’s sins, and because he ate with “tax collectors and sinners,” and because he and his disciples did not fast, but they ate and drank. So Jesus answered them with a parable:

Luke 5:36-39 NKJV

Then Jesus spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. 37And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. 38But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. 39And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”

Adding On

Jesus Christ was bringing in the new way of the cross, and the new way of God’s grace and redemption through Jesus’ shed blood on the cross for our sins. But the new way was not an addition (like the patch of un-shrunk cloth) to the old system, but the new way of redemption was all by itself (new wine in new wineskins). For it is not the Old Covenant law plus Jesus. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. For it is by God’s grace that we are saved, through God-given faith in Jesus Christ, and it is not of our own doing.

Also, I believe the old garment and the old wineskins represent our old lives of living in sin and for self. Therefore, we cannot put Jesus Christ, in the person of his Spirit, into our old sinful lives. He is not an add-on to our old lives. He is a replacement for our old lives of living for self and in sin. For he died so we would die to sin and live to righteousness, in walks of obedience to him, by his grace and in his power, or else we don’t have genuine faith in Jesus Christ, nor salvation from sin, nor eternal life with God in heaven.

Therefore, we cannot combine righteousness with worldly living. We cannot mix sanctification with degradation. We cannot live for the pleasures of the flesh and live for Jesus Christ, too. Just because we pray a prayer to “receive Christ” it does not mean that, in truth, we really received Christ into our lives if we have not first died to our old lives of sin. For Jesus put our sins to death with him on that cross that we might now die to sin and walk in obedience to his commands as servants of Christ and of his righteousness.

I also believe there is a caution here against following religious practices which we think are going to make us more spiritual, but then for us to still end up living our lives for ourselves. For what good is it to deny yourself food for a period of time so you can pray and draw near to God if, once the fast is over, you go right back to business as usual? God doesn’t want that kind of fasting. He wants the kind of sacrifice to him that is there all the time, and that doesn’t just add him on to our old lives, but which allows him to put our sins to death so that we can now live new lives by faith in him.

Letting Go

There are many people professing faith in Jesus Christ, though, who don’t want to let go of the old system or the Old Covenant or the old traditional religious practices which are not of God. And there are many of them, too, who don’t want to let go of their old sinful lifestyles and practices, many of which they may have been living according to for many years. For them, having to let go of their sinful addictions is like having to break up with someone they want to be with for forever, like a love/lust relationship.

Just the thought of having to get rid of those sinful practices out of their lives is heartbreaking for them, and so they are holding on for dear life, hoping that somehow they don’t have to let go but that they can still believe in Jesus and still have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. But it doesn’t work that way, even though many people are teaching it that way. But the Scriptures teach that we have to die to sin so we can live for God and for his righteousness in obedience to his commands, in his power.

The ones who won’t let go of their old sinful lifestyles are like those who want to be married but who also want to live like they are single. Those are failed marriages even before they begin. Sadly, many marriages are just like that. They want the best (what they perceive is the best) of both worlds. But Jesus makes us make a choice – Him? Or them? We can’t have Jesus and the world and the lusts of the flesh and the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life all in one big happy package deal. It is him or them! We must choose!

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

No Less

An Original Work / March 19, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

I can do no less than praise You,
Lord, for all You’ve done for me.
You died for my sins to save me,
So I would be set free.
I adore You! Lord, I praise You!
Jesus, Savior, King of kings!
You provided my redemption.
Your grace has pardoned me.

I can do no less than serve You.
Lord, Your witness I would be,
Telling others of Your love,
And why You died on that tree.
Tell of how You gave of Your life,
So from sin we’d be set free,
So we could worship You forever,
And live eternally.

I can do no less than love You,
Lord, for You have first loved me.
You gave of Your life so willing,
Because You cared for me.
Turn from my sin! Obey freely!
Live for You each passing day.
Read Your word, and follow Your lead,
Lord, as I humbly pray.

Adding On or Letting Go?
An Original Work / May 10, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love