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Bible Quotes About Starting a New Life Elsewhere

The concept of starting a new life, often involving a change of location or a profound personal transformation, appears throughout the Bible. This idea can manifest as a physical relocation, a spiritual rebirth, or a renewed sense of purpose.

One prominent theme is the physical act of moving to a new place to begin anew. In Genesis, Lot is given the choice to separate from Abraham, with Abraham stating, "Isn’t the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right hand, then I will go to the left" [5]. This illustrates a decision to establish separate lives in different territories. Similarly, when Lot is fleeing Sodom, he pleads to escape to a nearby city, saying, "See now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there (isn’t it a little one?), and my soul will live" [1]. This highlights the desire for a fresh start in a new location for survival. The term "Exodus" itself, as in the biblical book, means "going out" or "departure," signifying a mass movement to a new land [7]. Jeremiah also presents a choice of relocation to the people, stating, "behold, all the land is before you; where it seems good and right to you to go, there go" [4]. Even Abraham describes himself as "a stranger and a foreigner living with you" when seeking a burial place, indicating a life lived in a land not originally his own [3]. The city of Neapolis, mentioned in the Bible, literally means "the new city," further emphasizing the concept of new settlements [6].

Beyond physical relocation, the Bible frequently speaks of a spiritual "new life" or "new birth." This is often referred to as "regeneration," a term found in Matthew 19:28 and Titus 3:5. It literally means a "new birth" (Greek: palingenesia) and signifies a profound change of heart, a "passing from death to life," becoming a "new creature in Christ Jesus," or a "renewal of the mind" [8]. Charles Hodge explains that regeneration is "raising the soul dead in sin to spiritual life," which then manifests in actions appropriate to its new nature [13]. He further notes that this "new heart" implies a radical change in the entire "interior man," encompassing intellect, will, conscience, and affections [18].

The Apostle Paul frequently emphasizes this spiritual transformation. He instructs believers to live a "new life in Christ," distinct from the ways of unbelievers [10]. This involves stripping off the "old sinful nature" and putting on a "new nature," allowing Christ to guide their lives [11]. Baptism is presented as a symbolic representation of this death to an old life and birth into a new one, where believers are "united with Christ" and receive a new identity [12]. This new life is characterized by spiritual growth and changed lives, as the "Good News is effective to change lives and bring about spiritual growth" [16].

The prophet Isaiah also speaks of God doing "a new thing," making "a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert" [2]. This prophecy is interpreted by John Gill as having an accomplishment in the early days of the Gospel, where a "new face of things appeared" and a "new church state was formed" through God's "creating power" and grace [14]. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown interpret Isaiah's call to "sing to the Lord a new song" as a response to a "new manifestation of God's grace," signifying a fresh expression of worship for new mercies [17].

Augustine of Hippo connects this renewal to the apostle's teachings about being "dead with Christ and raised together with Him." He describes this "renewal of our life" as a "transition from death to life which is made first by faith," where the "inward man is renewed day by day" [15]. He also speaks of putting off the "old man" and putting on the "new," laying aside lying and speaking truth, as actions suitable to this "newness of life" [19].

The "New Testament" itself is understood as a "New Covenant," succeeding the "old broken covenant of works." This new covenant is described as "ever fresh, flourishing, and excellent," dispensed with greater clarity and power under the Gospel [9]. This theological framework underscores the pervasive biblical theme of new beginnings, whether through physical migration or, more profoundly, through spiritual regeneration and a transformed way of living.

Sources

  1. Genesis “See now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there (isn’t it a little one?), and my soul will live.” -- Genesis 19:20”
  2. Isaiah “Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs out now. Don’t you know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. -- Isaiah 43:19”
  3. Genesis ““I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” -- Genesis 23:4”
  4. Jeremiah “Now, behold, I release you this day from the chains which are on your hand. If it seems good to you to come with me into Babylon, come, and I will take care of you; but if it seems bad to you to come with me into Babylon, don’t: behold, all the land is before you; where it seems good and right to you to go, there go. -- Jeremiah 40:4”
  5. Genesis “Isn’t the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right hand, then I will go to the left.” -- Genesis 13:9”
  6. Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Neapolis — the new city”
  7. Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Exodus — going out, departure”
  8. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Regeneration — Only found in Matt. 19:28 and Titus 3:5. This word literally means a "new birth." The Greek word so rendered (palingenesia) is used by classical writers with reference to the changes produced by the return of spring. In Matt. 19:28 the word is equivalent to the "restitution of all things" (Acts 3:21). In Titus 3:5 it denotes that change of heart elsewhere spoken of as a passing from death to life (1 John 3:14); becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17); being born again (John 3:5); a renewal of the mind (Rom. 12:2); a resurrection from the ”
  9. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: New Testament — (Luke 22:20), rather "New Covenant," in contrast to the old covenant of works, which is superseded. "The covenant of grace is called new; it succeeds to the old broken covenant of works. It is ever fresh, flourishing, and excellent; and under the gospel it is dispensed in a more clear, spiritual, extensive, and powerful manner than of old" (Brown of Haddington). Hence is derived the name given to the latter portion of the Bible. (See [438]TESTAMENT.)”
  10. Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 4:17: 4:17–5:20 Paul gives believers specific guidelines for living a new life in Christ. 4:17 God’s people are called to a way of life that is different from that of the Gentiles (pagans, unbelievers) of the world.”
  11. Colossians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Colossians 3:9: 3:9-10 your old sinful nature . . . your new nature: Paul contrasts old and new identities (see also Rom 5:12-21; 6:6; Eph 4:22-24). Believers strip off their old life and put on Christ’s new life, allowing him to be Lord and to guide the way they live.”
  12. Galatians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Galatians 3:27: 3:27 united with Christ in baptism: See Rom 6:3-4. Baptism represents death of an old life and birth into a new one. In the new life, the law’s curse no longer has any force (cp. Rom 7:1-6). • have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes: Christ covers us and gives us a new identity. Cp. Col 3:12; 1 Thes 5:8.”
  13. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 6: acknowledged, they should be) devoted to securing them for ourselves and others. This is one of the forms in which the Bible sets forth the doctrine of regeneration. It is raising the soul dead in sin to spiritual 35 life. And this spiritual life unfolds or manifests itself just as any other form of life, in all the exercises appropriate to its nature. It is a New Birth. The same doctrine on this subject is taught in other words when regeneration is declared to be a new birth. At birth the child enters upon a new state of existence. Birth ”
  14. Isaiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Isaiah 65:17: For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth,.... This prophecy began to have its accomplishment in the first times of the Gospel, when through the preaching of it there was a new face of things appeared in Judea, and in the Gentile world, so that the whole looked like a new world; and this was all the effect of creating power, of the mighty, powerful, and efficacious grace of God attending the word, to the conversion of many souls; a new church state was formed, consisting of persons gathered out of the world, the old national church of the Jews being dissolved”
  15. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 1: Augustine — Confessions, Letters — CHAP. III. -- 4. Some, indeed, studying the words so frequently used by the apostle, about our being dead with Christ and raised together with Him, and misunderstanding the sense in which they are use: 5. This renewal, therefore, of our life is a kind of transition from death to life which is made first by faith, so that we rejoice in hope and are patient in tribulation, while still "our outward man perisheth, but the inward man is renewed day by day." It is because of this beginning of a new life, because of the new man which we are commanded to”
  16. Colossians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Colossians 1:6: 1:6 bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives: The Good News is effective to change lives and bring about spiritual growth (cp. 1:10).”
  17. Isaiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Isaiah 42:10: new song--such as has never before been sung, called for by a new manifestation of God's grace, to express which no hymn for former mercies would be appropriate. The new song shall be sung when the Lord shall reign in Jerusalem, and all "nations shall flow unto it" (Isa 2:2; Isa 26:1; Rev 5:9; Rev 14:3). ye that go down to the sea--whose conversion will be the means of diffusing the Gospel to distant lands. all . . . therein--all the living creatures that fill the sea (Psa 96:11) [MAURER]. Or, all sailors and voyagers [GESENIUS]. But these were al”
  18. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 5: regeneration is spoken of, it means the whole soul; that is, it includes the intellect, will, and the conscience as well as the affections. Hence the Bible speaks of the eyes, of the thoughts, of the purposes, of the devices, as well as of the feelings or affections of the heart. In Scriptural language, therefore, a “new heart” does not mean simply a new state of feeling, but a radical change in the state of the whole soul or interior man. Besides, this theory overlooks what the Bible constantly assumes: the unity of our inward life. The S”
  19. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 9.--THE BEGINNING OF RENEWAL; RESURRECTION CALLED REGENERATION; THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD WHO LEAD LIVES SUITABLE TO NEWNESS OF LIFE. (part 2): still children of the world; but inasmuch as they are also admitted into a new state, that is to say, by the full and perfect remission of their sins, and in so far as they are spiritually-minded, and behave correspondingly, they are the children of God. Internally we put off the old man and put on the new; for we then and there lay aside lying, and speak truth, and do those other things wherein the apostle”
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