December 5, 2014 PUT IT 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 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 is in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” If we allow or entertain wrong actions, wrong words, wrong thoughts and wrong responses, we are living in the old self-the person we use to be before we were redeemed. Unless we are deceived or have huge blind spots, we know that the actions and thoughts we have when living in the old self are not according to Christ. As we see in this verse, there is a need for learning-that is, learning Christ. It’s not so much about learning about Christ, but learning or coming to know Him for who He is. We can’t know Him without being changed and we can know truth only by knowing Him. The scriptures reveal that Christ and the Holy Spirit have been given to us enable us to understand the scriptures. Learning Christ and being taught in Him or non-optional if we are to know and experience the fullness of our salvation. The more we know Christ, the easier it becomes to lay aside the old self-the old ways. As we learn Christ, we are changed and what use to be important is no longer that important. Christ gives us new appetites and new desires. By laying aside the old self and putting on the new self proves to be the best trade or exchange we will ever make. The laying aside of the old self and putting on the new self happens at a point in time, but it is not a one- time deal, but a hourly or daily process. Because we live in a fallen world and are surrounded by darkness, there is a need to be renewed in our minds-in our thinking- in a continual sense. The believer can either walk in the Spirit, or he can walk in the flesh. The scripture teach that “there is a way that seems right to man, but it leads to death” and another scripture admonishes us “not to lean to our own understanding.” Putting on the new self, or walking in the Spirit is a must if we are to avoid walking in the flesh or leaning to our own understanding-both lead to spiritual death and we miss out on real life. The believer is a new creation and is no longer limited to a “natural” way of living, but rather lives a super-natural life if he or she is living life as God designed. We have to know that the ways of God or not the ways of unredeemed man. For example; the natural man hates his enemies while the believer can love his enemies or, the natural man has his own interest as a priority while the believer has the interest of others at heart. The entire New Testament is an example and an admonition for believers to walk in the Spirit-to put on the new self-to walk in their new identity and not fulfill the desire of the flesh. To walk in the Spirit is not a vague or mystical thing we do and it does not mean we are not involved with “practical” issues. When we put on the new self, when we walk in the Spirit, when we renew our minds, we have the power and the ability to do the things that we need to do and we do the things “heartily as unto the Lord”. Living in the “new self”, we find that life is no longer mundane and we find purpose in all that we do. There is nothing greater or anything that brings more fulfillment than knowing that we are actually partnering with God in life in all that we do. Our partnering with God enables us to demonstrate the very nature of God. It is our privilege to be able to lay aside the old and put on the new-the new nature that is “in the likeness of God”-and to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. Let’s do it today-right now!
Galatians 5:16: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” Colossians 3:8-10: “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him….”
Blessings,
Buddy
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 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 is in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” If we allow or entertain wrong actions, wrong words, wrong thoughts and wrong responses, we are living in the old self-the person we use to be before we were redeemed. Unless we are deceived or have huge blind spots, we know that the actions and thoughts we have when living in the old self are not according to Christ. As we see in this verse, there is a need for learning-that is, learning Christ. It’s not so much about learning about Christ, but learning or coming to know Him for who He is. We can’t know Him without being changed and we can know truth only by knowing Him. The scriptures reveal that Christ and the Holy Spirit have been given to us enable us to understand the scriptures. Learning Christ and being taught in Him or non-optional if we are to know and experience the fullness of our salvation. The more we know Christ, the easier it becomes to lay aside the old self-the old ways. As we learn Christ, we are changed and what use to be important is no longer that important. Christ gives us new appetites and new desires. By laying aside the old self and putting on the new self proves to be the best trade or exchange we will ever make. The laying aside of the old self and putting on the new self happens at a point in time, but it is not a one- time deal, but a hourly or daily process. Because we live in a fallen world and are surrounded by darkness, there is a need to be renewed in our minds-in our thinking- in a continual sense. The believer can either walk in the Spirit, or he can walk in the flesh. The scripture teach that “there is a way that seems right to man, but it leads to death” and another scripture admonishes us “not to lean to our own understanding.” Putting on the new self, or walking in the Spirit is a must if we are to avoid walking in the flesh or leaning to our own understanding-both lead to spiritual death and we miss out on real life. The believer is a new creation and is no longer limited to a “natural” way of living, but rather lives a super-natural life if he or she is living life as God designed. We have to know that the ways of God or not the ways of unredeemed man. For example; the natural man hates his enemies while the believer can love his enemies or, the natural man has his own interest as a priority while the believer has the interest of others at heart. The entire New Testament is an example and an admonition for believers to walk in the Spirit-to put on the new self-to walk in their new identity and not fulfill the desire of the flesh. To walk in the Spirit is not a vague or mystical thing we do and it does not mean we are not involved with “practical” issues. When we put on the new self, when we walk in the Spirit, when we renew our minds, we have the power and the ability to do the things that we need to do and we do the things “heartily as unto the Lord”. Living in the “new self”, we find that life is no longer mundane and we find purpose in all that we do. There is nothing greater or anything that brings more fulfillment than knowing that we are actually partnering with God in life in all that we do. Our partnering with God enables us to demonstrate the very nature of God. It is our privilege to be able to lay aside the old and put on the new-the new nature that is “in the likeness of God”-and to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. Let’s do it today-right now!
Galatians 5:16: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” Colossians 3:8-10: “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him….”
Blessings,
Buddy
RSS Feed