Leon Fontaine - The New Species
Today, I want to talk about an area of Christianity that, that has been one of the biggest causes of failures in people's lives. You see. The enemy of our souls, the devil, there is a spirit world. And that spirit world is filled with beings as well. The Bible teaches us, God, Jesus is there. The Bible teaches us, that all those who have died before us, are in heaven. Then we know we have fallen angels, which the Bible calls demons. We have angels, which is the host that follow God. And so, there's an active dimension, superimposed on this dimension. That all you have to do is live a little while, and you'll see such evil, and you'll see such remarkable goodness. And you wonder, what is going on?
So we need to be very aware of that. But the enemy of our souls, does not want us to understand who we are. And so, I want to give you a verse, and then I'm going to break it down for you, and if you can get what I'm saying in the next 25 minutes, it will radically, radically change you. It will change what owns you. It will change your struggles. It will change you to a place of victory in every area of your life. Because this is an area that Christianity as a whole, mostly, has backed away from. Here in first, or 2 Corinthians 5:17, it says here, that we are new creatures. We are new creatures.
Now, this word 'new creature' what does that mean? Does it mean, like, you took the old house and you renovated it? No. Does it mean like, no you know, we took this old house and we kind of gave it new siding, and it's not reformed. It's not, like that. It is actually, this is what it means. When the Bible says you give your life to Christ, and you become a new creature, it literally means, a new species of creature, as never seen before. Now when you go to a Strom's Concordance of the verse that I just read, it says there, as in respect to the substance of this new creature that you are, if you've given your life to Jesus. It says you are a new kind. This is unprecedented. Novel. Uncommon. Unheard of. It takes religion to take something so incredibly powerful, beautiful, and amazing, that when you give your life to Christ, you are a new creature as have never been before.
Someone says well Leon, I mean, that's kind of like Adam and Eve in the Garden, we're back to being like them. No, no, no, no. That's not possible because, Adam and Eve sinned, and the whole world came under the darkness. You can't do that today as a new creation. Aren't you glad the guy beside you can't sin and destroy your life? Why? Because Jesus is the second Adam, not you. And we are in Christ. And this new species, is not just a figment of our imagination. You are a new kind, as never before, with new desires. With a new will. With, everything is new in your spirit.
And so when people begin to try to tell you or teach you, you know you, you're just a sinner saved by grace. That's not accurate. It doesn't stand up to the New Testament, to the Epistles. You were a sinner, because we're talking about who you are internally. We're talking about your identity. You know, and so you are not a sinner. You are a saint. He doesn't write to the saint, to the sinners in Rome. To the sinners at Galatia. To the sinners in Colossi, so the sinners in Corinth, no. He writes to the saints at Rome. To the saints in Galatia. To the saints at Colossi, to the saints. He's writing to the family of God, the saints. But religion, religion kind of wants to give you an excuse, oh golly, shucks, gee, I mean we're just sinners saved by grace. No. You were a sinner saved by grace, and nobody has told you who you are.
This is a huge problem. There are people listening to me right now, that you really think you can't get rid of the desires that own you, the addictions that keep you, and the things that haunt you. You can't get rid of the guilt, that freezes you. And you can't get rid of the condemnation that owns you, and this is you know so I'm just going to do the best I can and hang in there until Jesus comes back. That is so flawed. You, if you've given your life to Jesus Christ, and you believe on Him, a miracle has taken place within your spirit, and Holy Spirit has recreated you. And you are a new species. As never before existed. And I want you to understand, that if you have never been taught, what is this new species that you are. Then you will live in the failures of your old life, thinking it's really a part of your new life.
But the Bible teaches us, that when God gets on the inside of us, that sin no longer in Romans 6:14, for sin shall not have dominion over you. For you are not under the law. You are under grace. The law was a rule you had to obey. Grace is the very presence, power, and favour of God that is yours to live. So, if sin doesn't have dominion over you, you could take the word sin out there and put the word devil in there, because it's got the same result. Sin shall not have dominion over you, the devil shall not have dominion over you. You see, when you do not have the spirit of Christ in your spirit, as you grow up, you're so self-focused, that it's all about you and there's this little sense in there of how much fun it is to do bad. Watch teenagers as they grow up.
You know, you can just see, they just, give them a rule they just want to break it. They just, I'm going to go try everything else out I can. I'm going to, I want to try alcohol, and drugs, and sex, and, and, gangs, and, and, and, and. And, just golly shucks gee, you know, no. You don't have to have teenagers that desire that or feel it. The Bible says, that God is at work within us, both to will, and to do, what pleases Him. That means, that your will, your desires are good desires. You see, much of what people do isn't sin in itself. God's designed sexuality for the beauty of marriage. He's designed money and He's designed desiring to be happy and party. But, not with drugs giving power, and shutting down your mind. Not with alcohol et cetera.
So, when it talks here about sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace. When you are born again, there are new desires that are in your spirit. You know, I was raised in a Christian home, both my parents taught us the Word, showed us the Word, and, and just taught us. I mean every year of our lives, who we were in Christ. What Jesus had done for us. What He is doing for us now. Et cetera, et cetera. Because so many Christians don't have a hot clue about how the, how the Bible works or even how to pray. And I remember when I became a teenager and sports was my thing. I loved the football and basketball, and track and field. But when you hit teen years and you get on the road with some of these school teams, the whole lot of stuff going on. From the parties, to the hotel rooms.
Then at 17, I beat out all the university throwers in javelin, and I ended up traveling at that too young age with university teams. And, provincial teams, and I'm telling you there's a whole new level of partying, a whole new level of just doing what you can when you're away. And here's the thing. I found that I would get to the edge of incredible temptation, and said boy I was tempted. But I would look at it, and now I know why. Back then I didn't really. Just, that's just not me. I mean yes there's a desire to be happy, there's a desire to get along with people. Yes there's a desire for sex. Yes there's a desire. All these things. But there was something in me that was coming out of the depth of me, that goes I can't do that.
And, as I begin to study the Word of God, I begin to realize the wisdom of my parents, as they taught me to memorize the Word and they taught me who we were in Sunday school, and then in youth. And how the Word of God began to be planted in my heart. And I knew that sin couldn't have dominion over me. I knew, that even though there are desires that are from God, like the desire to party and be happy and get along with people and sexuality and all the rest. But that, when it came to being tempted to fulfilling those outside of the will of God, that's not me. There was just this crazy awkward sense of I don't fit. I don't fit. And they knew it, too. Boy, I was bullied and, and pushed out, and because you know, it's like somebody who's got a drink. They just want you to have a drink in your hand, too. Just got to have a drink in your hand, too. Or if we're smoking, just got to have you smoking dope with me. Or, it's just, the way of the world is just this push.
And I want you to know, that in the new creation, in the new species, deep within you are all the desires of honor, integrity. There's still desires for passion and to rise up and be all that you can be and risk and inventor, it's all in there. But not that evil self-centered, hurt others to get what you need. That doesn't come from the spirit of God. So when someone gives their lives to Jesus Christ and becomes born again, they need to spend time in the Word of God. Some people say you know I gave my life to Jesus, pastor, and I'm coming to church and I'm starting to hear about who I am, but I, it doesn't feel like me. It's just like, it doesn't feel real to me.
And I go well, are you acting like it's real? Oh what do you mean, I have to act like it's real? When you got married, did you feel married for the first while? Well, no. No, most of us went ooh, who's in bed with me the first morning you woke up. And, you know, going to go to the gym with a guy, wait a minute, I'm married, I've got to go home and check with my wife, what does she want to do? You don't feel married. But you begin to act married, you begin to work through marriage, begin to see the beauty, the amazingness of it. And so we have to understand that when we give our lives to Jesus Christ, we need to begin to find the Word of God, we need to begin to speak it, meditate on it, dive into it to find out what this new species is. What is a born again believer like?
Now when you begin to go into God's Word, you're going to find two issues that need to be looked at and understood. The first, is your legal position with God. What is your legal position with God, which I just said to you. Jesus, took your sin. The punishment for your sin. Went to hell in your place. Rose again with a new life, and you can now be born again, become a part of this new species, and heaven is your home and because, we are seated with Him in heavenly places, we have authority and understanding. Yes. That's your legal. Those are all very legal terms. But many Christians begin to understand some of the legal rights of a believer, but they don't, they haven't begun to experience them. They're not experiential. They're just legal.
And as I would travel and meet with denominations and pastors, I would meet experts in the Bible and the Greek and Hebrew and the Aramaic and degree after degree. And they could sit down, and just spell out your legal rights as a Christian. But, it gets dry if you don't experience the very things you have rights to. So where's the experiential in that? So the legal side is crucial. It's vital. It's the area, a lot of people already don't believe in. That our, you know, what's the legal right of a born-again believer. In the mind of God, this has all been dealt with. What is, what do we do to experience these things? Well, according to the Word of God, in Hebrews 4:14-16 it says, seeing then that we have a high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.
Let us hold fast our confession. Let's just stop there for a minute. Wait. Hold fast, now most of us have heard about the confession of sin. You know, if you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive you, your sins and to free you from all unrighteousness. But, most of us just make negative confessions. But the Word of God is filled with verses that teach you to make positive confessions. And that by the, what you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, leads to salvation. Romans 10:8, 9, and 10. And so, this issue of, of beginning to know who you are, so you know how to act. And then, you begin to act that way. Because that's who you are.
You know, Sally and I were married and we had our first baby, and I remember running home from work one day and, I'm just going to sweep her up in my arms and take her out for supper, and just bless her, and I've been gone for a while. So I ran into the house, and I'm just you know, trying to be my charming best and wooing her down the steps and out to my car. And as I'm, come on, honey. I'm taking you out for supper, we're going to go. She goes Leon, LEON! What? We have a baby. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I'm a Father. Now, I was single, then I got married, I had to act married. Now I'm a father, I need to act like a father. There's nothing wrong with recognizing who you are in these changing zones of our life, and applying them to Christianity. That you are now a born-again believer. You are as a species that never existed before. You are unique. You know, you are uncommon. Why do you live, act, think like everybody else on the planet?
So, as a born-again believer, as this new species, how do we, once we know this legally, how do we begin to walk in it, experientially, vitally, enjoying the healing that is a part of this, enjoying the joy that is ours. The Bible says the kingdom of God is not meat and drink and all those rules. But righteousness, peace, and joy. How do I feel righteous and clean and amazing and loved and accepted? How do I walk in the joy that's unspeakable and full of glory? How do I have a peace that passes all understanding, given to me by Jesus? You need to start talking it because He's the high priest of what you say.
Now someone says well, I've not heard that before. Yes you did. When I said hey, you want to give your life to Jesus Christ? Let me guide you through the prayer. Dear Jesus, and you said, dear Jesus. Come into my heart. What's going on? You have begun to believe that you need Christ, so you're believing with your heart, now you must confess with your mouth. There's something about confession and what you're saying that landmarks you, it sets the bullseye on your future. It's the direction you're going to go, you're going to think, you're going to feel, you're going to act.
And so, Christians who are gosh golly gee, I'm just a poor sinner barely saved by faith and at least one day I'm going to go to heaven, but I'm going to have to live like hell until then. No. You are completely and utterly wrong according to all of the Epistles, which is the new covenant. When you get into the book of Hebrews, and you begin to flesh out who we are, and what we can do. It's stunning. So let's not live our lives in a place where Satan still has dominion over you. If you say well Leon I just can't stop this. And you are born again.
Now if you're not, I understand. Because what comes out of you, is, it's awful. Like until you become born again and Jesus rebuilds your, your spirit, you have this selfish, self-centered desire to meet every one of your needs sooner than you should, where you shouldn't, with who it shouldn't be. Because it's just you, it's just you. Who cares about a future wife? Who cares about who you hit with your car when you're drunk? Who, it's just you, you, you, you. So it's a self-centered life. And even if you teach your children behaviour, and you teach them good manners and all these things, they still have to try to use behaviour and manners to fight off all of these dark desires on the inside that have never been dealt with because they're not born again.
So once you become this new species, once you become this new creation, you've got this head to, to contend with. And so Satan doesn't have dominion over you and I. If he did, he would be the head of the church. But Jesus is the head of the church. Ephesians teaches us that all the way through. He's the head of the church, we are the body. It's His will. The Bible says that God is at work in you, in Philippians, both to will and to do. It's not like, oh I'm going to do it, but my will I sure wish I could go get drunk and pass out and hang out in the, in the, no, no no no. If, when God is in you, it is both to will. Your will, recognizes, it's I want to do this right. I want to laugh and love and enjoy life and treat people with excellence and raise up a life that's generational.
All of this is in you. But what you need to know, is that it is the mind, you've got to get this mind renewed. You've got to get this body made a living sacrifice. But you'll never do it believing you're just a sinner. Saved by grace. But all these wicked desires and this fulfillment of doing it wicked ways that are just self-centered and selfish that this is okay. No, temptation will come. Jesus was tempted in all points as we are. But what gave Him such an incredible, was that within Him, was the spirit of God. The Holy Spirit giving Him new desires, giving Him an ability to control this.
And so for those of you who are struggling with addictions, struggling with things you can't control, struggling with a mind that's going all over the place. You understand, your mind sometimes is noisier than what's going on around you. You know what I'm talking about? Your mind's going brrrrr! As you're thinking and trying to, you know, you can't find peace and you can't find this. That's because your mind needs to be renewed in who you are. If you don't do that, your mind's going to do that the rest of your life. And your emotions will be all over the place. And you know what? Your life will never get better than your daily confession. Let me follow you around for a week.
Let me follow you around for a week, to listen to your conversations. And I will predict with unerring accuracy, your future. Bible says that what you say is prophesying to your future. So God has made you, and designed you, so that as you get His Word, you can change your thinking. Because your thinking is where you get your beliefs from. So until you change your thinking, you will not have established beliefs in your heart, that cause you to win. In fact, many people will just say no, I really don't sense those new. No you do. You just have never spent enough time in the Word to, to win over all the bad habits you've learned.
So the Bible teaches us, hold fast in Hebrews 4:14. Hold fast our confession. Well what does that mean? I'll make a confession. I'm saved. I'm going to grab that confession and hold it? Does it just mean to keep believing? No. It literally means to keep saying what He is saying. Keep saying what He says. Well what is Jesus saying? Jesus, is literally saying I died for them, I took their sins, I redeemed them, I became their sin for them. That they could become the righteousness of God in me. I took their infirmities and I bore their sicknesses. I delivered them from the authority of darkness. I created them a new species, a new creation. This is what He is saying at the right hand of the Father.
So what are we supposed to do? We are to say what He says. He had said that we may boldly say. Did you know that daily, the best thing you can do is not say well, I'm doing good, okay, but you know, pastor, some sickness came in so now I'm speaking the Word of God over sickness. Then a few months later, oh, oh, got a financial problem. I'm speaking the Word over my financial problem. Cool, that's important to do. But I think where most people struggle, is at the very beginning as a baby Christian. You need to rise up in your prayer closet, and you need to declare who you are. Because your mom thinks she knows who you are, and your dad thinks he knows who you are. And your friends think they know who you are. And your gym teacher thinks they know who you are, and your English teacher thinks they know who you are. Nobody knows who you are, except the one who made you.
And so, your confession about who you are and what you can do, and what Jesus did for you, and what Jesus is doing for you right now. Until you learn these things and begin to speak them out every day, it's, your confession will either set you free, or your confession will imprison you. As a born-again believer, if you don't believe me, if you're born again and you don't believe this, then get up every day and just say I'm stupid and I'm a loser. See where it gets you. Say it every day of your life, watch what happens. Or no one likes me, everyone hates me. Nothing ever goes good in my life. Just, repeat Murphy's Law, go buy the book. And yet we say it in our casual conversations.
And so my challenge for you today, is make a change. If you don't know Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord, do that. And then you will become a creature. Ever wonder why the Bible says you are a new creature, why doesn't it say a new man? Says new creature. New creation, as never before seen on the planet. At that very foundation, I pray that this touches your heart. And you'll make a promise today to yourself and to Jesus, I'm going to find out who I am as this new species. If you don't know Jesus but you're listening to this, and you say I don't know if I even know or am a Christian. Just right now say:
Jesus, come into my heart. I give You my life. I choose You, and I choose to follow You. I'm going to get to know You better, I'm going to learn Your Word better, but right now I just choose You and I'm asking You to come into my heart. I believe on You as my Lord and Saviour. In Jesus' name, amen.
Pray that prayer, and keep following us. Let us know you made this decision, and together we're going to help you rise up to an overcoming, amazing life of walking by faith.