May 20, 2021 LAY ASIDE AND PUT ON
Ephesians 4:20-24 “But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as the truth is in Jesus, that in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
One cannot live in newness of life until he or she lays aside the old life. We tend to see ourselves as having one life, like “I am who I am.” The idea of laying aside the life we were born with and grew up with, and putting on an entirely new life sounds radical to the logical mind-and it is radical to the one who does not know Christ. In fact, the one who does not know Him does not have the option of laying aside his old life, even if he wanted to do so. Paul is asking us if we have ‘learned Christ,’ have we ‘heard Him,’ and ‘have been taught in Him.’ Jesus, the Son of the living God, tells us to lay aside our ‘former manner of life,’ the old self, and to put on the new self; laying aside who we use to be and putting on the new self is not just an option for us to consider or a suggestion; it is a command and it is the only way that we can live the Christian life. We must be aware of the fact that we cannot have it both ways; either we live according to our old self, or we live according to our new self. The new self is not just an improved version of the old self. The amazing truth is that our new self that we are to put on is in the ‘likeness of God’ and created in ‘righteousness and holiness of truth.’ This brings us to a point where much of the body of Christ misunderstands a core teaching of the scriptures. Many have the view that ‘we are just humans’ and are still sinners who continue to sin, and we could never live as Jesus did. (Much could be said about that view and this has been addressed in previous blogs.) It is another truth that may sound radical to many, BUT our new self-the new life we live-is in the likeness of God! That means that our thoughts, our actions, our responses and our spirit will reflect the nature of God. Just as God is good, kind, forgiving, loving, compassionate, and etc., so are we as we put on and live in our new selves. This is an awesome truth to say the least. It means that we are not subject to the old self which is basically self-centered and that we are not bound by sin. It means that we can live in newness with new desires and new motives, demonstrating what God is like to all. It almost sounds too simplistic to just lay aside the old and put on the new-but that is just the way it is; by the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we can choose to lay aside and put on. Before coming to know Christ as Savior, we were bound to the old sin nature. But now, we can live our lives in the likeness of God! If need be, let us change our perspective about who we are as sons and daughters of God, and let us embrace the truth of the above scriptures and take off the old self and put on the new self-the self that God has made.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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