Repudiating the Old and Bringing In the New (Part 1)

A path in the wilderness—where the old ends and the new begins.

Devotional Credit: eManna
Photo Credit: Unsplash

Today’s reflection from Witness Lee draws our attention to John the Baptist—not as a man standing inside the established religious structure of his day, but as one who stepped entirely outside it. Though born into the priesthood, John rejected the formality and legacy of the temple and chose instead to become a voice in the wilderness. His ministry was not shaped by robes, rituals, or lineage, but by a divine calling that broke away from tradition to proclaim something entirely new.

John’s emergence in the wilderness signaled a shift. The old system—the religious framework built on law and ceremonial worship—was coming to an end. The wilderness was not just a location but a symbol: it revealed a break from cultural expectations and religious norms. God's New Testament economy was not a continuation of the old—it was a new birth. John's call to repentance wasn’t just about changing behavior; it was a summons to turn from the old way of relating to God and embrace the nearness of His kingdom through grace.

In this beginning of the gospel, we see the end of law. With John, the new dispensation—the dispensation of grace—was inaugurated. God was no longer working through external systems, but preparing hearts for the indwelling of His life. This was not reform; it was replacement. And it all began with a wild prophet in the wilderness, declaring the arrival of something far greater.

✍🏼 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

I am not calling you to polish the old or refine what once was. I am calling you into a new way—one that cannot be lived in temples made by hands or through rituals carried out in your own strength. I began this shift long ago through the voice of one crying out in the wilderness. John turned his back on the expected, the cultural, and the religious, to make way for Me.

Do you see? The wilderness was not a detour. It was My design. It stripped away what was no longer needed so that hearts could be made ready to receive grace, not law; life, not shadows. The gospel began not with grand ceremonies but with a raw invitation: Repent—for the kingdom has come near. That kingdom is not distant. It is within you now.

Let go of the old priesthood—the self-effort, the rule-keeping, the attempts to earn My presence. I have already drawn near. I am not asking you to perform. I am inviting you to receive. Where law once stood to judge, grace now opens the door wide. John’s cry still echoes: Turn around. Make room. The new has come.

Luke 1:5, 13; Matthew 3:1–2; Matthew 11:13; Luke 16:16

🌾 Real-Life Analogy

It’s like cleaning out a refrigerator that hasn’t been emptied in a long time. At first, it’s hard to throw away what you’ve grown used to—containers, leftovers, even expired condiments. But once you clear it all out, there’s space for something fresh, nourishing, and good. The new cannot dwell with the stale. Grace enters where there’s room.

🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence

Father, thank You that I no longer need to cling to the old systems or patterns. In Christ, You have already brought me into something entirely new. I rest in Your nearness. I praise You that grace has replaced striving, and that the kingdom is not far off—it is here, within. I walk not in religion but in relationship, confident that You have made the way by Your Son and now dwell within by Your Spirit. I welcome this day with empty hands and an open heart.