Renew Your Minds

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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.

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