Out With the Old, In With the New

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Scripture: Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Devotion:

            Paul writing to the Ephesians here discloses one of the secrets to living the Christian life. In our state before we met Jesus and accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, we were living a corrupt lifestyle. We were separated from God by our sins and lost, without hope in the world. Even if we were living an outwardly virtuous life, inwardly we were still steeped in our sin nature that we had because of the fall in the Garden of Eden.

            When we are saved, we receive a new nature from Christ. Although not until we are received in heaven does that nature remain with us fully and constantly. As long as we are in our earthly bodies, we have to be continually putting off the old self and putting on the new self. This is the secret to living a faithful life fully devoted to serving God. We are saved when we trust in Jesus but in order to be obedient servants of his, the Spirit must constantly renew us.

            Every believer will experience this tension in their lives. The already but not yet of our salvation. As long as the Lord delays in returning we must live as creatures who struggle with our own evil desires. We must wait patiently for our sinless selves to become a reality. That blessed day when our whole selves will be made new body, mind, and spirit, and we will be able to serve and worship the Lord as He deserves to be worshiped. Let us pray that God will return soon and save us from these wretched minds and bodies destined for renewal into the perfect minds and bodies on the last day.

Prayer:

            Lord God Almighty, we come before you today as poor, wretched sinners. Without you we have no hope in this world or the next. Come quickly Lord Jesus and renew our minds and bodies that we may serve you more fully and more faithfully. Come to us and stay with us in the new heavens and the new earth which you are preparing for us. While we await your return Lord, refresh us with your presence day by day, and hour by hour until we are finished with our earthly toil. We pray this in the name of Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God forever and ever. Amen.

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