Pattern

<<mould, model>>

A pattern is a standard or guide by which all subsequent items are fashioned.

At creation, God made humanity in His holy likeness, however, by submitting to Satan’s deception the mould was damaged by the sin of disobedience and every human born since has been true to form – flawed by sin (Gen 1:26,27; Ps 51:5). However, Jesus came to earth to provide a remedy. “You must be born-again,” He said to Nicodemus (Jn 3:3,7). In becoming “a new creation the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:17). Through His death on the cross, Christ created a new pattern for us (Christians) to follow (1 Cor 15:22). We are to consider the old life dead, redundant and discarded while living a radically different new life in Christ (Rom 6:4-23). The Bible exhorts us to put off the old ways and put on the new (Eph 4:22-25; Col 3:10). With Jesus’ help, break the old mould and identify with the significance of water baptism – “We died to sin…were buried with Him through baptism…raised…to live a new life”, with the teachings of the Bible our pattern to guide our lives (Rom 6:2-4; 2 Tim 1:13, 3:16,17).

The Bible states, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom 12:2). Rather than being squeezed into the world’s mould of doing things its way and conforming to its practices, as believers, we are to have a radically different mindset and lifestyle, opposite to those who do not walk in God’s ways. By reading the Scriptures and revisiting our

Do I look more like the old or new pattern?

thoughts (meditating), in our minds, we reinforce them and they become powerful forces shaping our habits. Lives which reflect heavenly qualities, not those of the sinful nature, should distinguish us (Gal 5:19-24).

There are many types or patterns portrayed in the OT that are more fully outworked in the NT, such as the repeated outward cleansing by the blood of an animal for sinners being superseded by the once-for-all sacrifice of the Jesus, as the Lamb of God cleansing us inwardly from sin (Heb 9:13,14).