Renew Your Minds

-


Scripture: Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT)

22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Devotion:

            In these words, Paul is telling the Ephesians that they must get rid of their old sinful nature because it will profit them nothing as they embark on their Christian life. Today we are faced with a similar issue. We as individuals and churches have accumulated many ways of acting in the world that are not pleasing to God. Yet we accept these things without question and live according to them. We lust after the pleasures in this world system and think we deserve to do and practice these things. Without considering if they are beneficial to our walk with Christ.

            The cure for our sinful inclinations is provided in today’s scripture. We are to become aware of the ways we rebel against God and we are to throw off all our wicked ways. Replacing these ways with the way of Christ. His way leads us to peace and rest. If we are in competition with others for favor with our bosses and significant others, we are to give that up and seek to walk peacefully with everyone. We must count every person as our equal at the foot of the cross.

            We will still sin from time to time,but we know from 1 John 1:9 that God is gracious and merciful to save us from our sins and transgressions. We must not listen to the lies our adversary infects our mind with. Such thoughts come from the pit of hell, and we are not to listen to one second of these lies and accusations from the devil. Instead, we are to listen to the promise that Christ has given to us in our world.

            Lord, keep us walking in your path of righteousness and peace regardless of the distractions the world provides. Let us constantly meditate on your world so that we may know what is right and wrong and choose the good. Keep us as the apple of your eye and help our lives to be witness to the world. There are many good reasons to keep practicing the Christian faith in the world. Let us pray that the Lord will revive our nation again and bring your rule into our government.

Prayer:

Lord hear our prayer to you today. Give us boldness and power to pray for our world. Help us reach those who do not yet know you. May we be able to witness to the gospel where every we are. Build us up in courage and strength that we can be affective in your world today. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reflecting on Reformation Day

-
  On October 31st, millions of Christians around the world celebrate Reformation Day, a commemoration of a pivotal moment in church history. It marks the day in 1517 when Martin Luther, a German monk and scholar, nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This act, challenging the practices and doctrines of the Catholic Church, ignited what we now know as the Protestant Reformation. The Courage to Stand for Truth Reformation Day calls us to reflect on the courage it takes to stand for truth. Martin Luther faced immense opposition and risked his life to speak against the corruption and abuses he saw within the church. His conviction was rooted in a deep understanding of scripture and a sincere desire to return to the teachings of Christ. As we remember Luther's bravery, let us examine our own lives. Are we willing to stand firm in our beliefs, even when it is difficult? Do we seek truth in God's word and let it guide our actions? Script...
Read more

We Will Wait for the Lord

-
  Scripture: Psalm 33:20-24 (NIV) 20  We wait in hope for the Lord ; he is our help and our shield. 21  In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22  May your unfailing love be with us, Lord , even as we put our hope in you. Devotion: The words of Psalm 33:20-22 resonate deeply with anyone who has ever found themselves in a position of waiting, hoping, and trusting in the Lord. "We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him, our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you." These verses encapsulate a profound truth about the nature of our relationship with God and our hearts' posture as we navigate life's uncertainties. The concept of waiting in hope is not passive resignation but an active, expectant stance. It signifies a deep trust in God's timing and His perfect plan for our lives. As we wait, we do so with the assurance that God ...
Read more

Bold Testimony

-
  Scripture: Acts 4:8-12 (ESV) Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9  if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10  let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11  This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Devotion: In this passage from Acts 4:8-12, we witness a decisive moment where Peter, emboldened by the Holy Spirit, addresses the rulers and elders of the people. His bold testimony is not just a defense of miraculous healing but a proclamation of the central truth of the Christian faith. ...
Read more