Ephesians 4:24 AMP
…and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation].
Humans beings are creatures of habit. As it is said, we build a habit and then it takes over and builds us therefore build good habits. The problem is, because we are born with a sinful nature, though we may try to be good, we are inclined to build bad habits. As children, no one teaches us how to lie or how to be selfish, its just in our nature.
When we get born again, that old nature dies and through Christ we are given a new nature. We are made new, now we are righteous meaning we have right standing with God. That’s our new nature. From that new nature then we are to develop new habits which are formed as our mind is renewed day by day through reading his word and having fellowship with him through the Holy Spirit.
Our key scripture begins with the word “and”, meaning it is a continuation of something. The verse before it tells us things that we must put off now that we have been given a new nature. We are to put off the old self with its corrupt and deceitful desires. Thats our responsibility. Then from there we are to put on the new nature being righteous and walking in holiness made in the image and likeness of God.
Think about it this way, imagine you are a destitute homeless dirty individual hooked on drugs and all you have ever known is the rough life in the streets. The king of the land offers you an invitation that you accept and he adopts you to be one of his sons, now you have a new nature, one of royalty but the problem is, you still think and behave like a street person. A teacher is assigned to you so that he can teach you the ways of royalty, your authority, your inheritance and how royalty thinks and behaves. As you lean this new way of life and apply it, soon you start to live out what you were made at the point of adoption. You put off the old ways of the street and you put on the new way of thinking and new life and character of royalty.
We are royalty, kings and priests unto God and though we may still have some street habits, the Holy Spirit our teacher is there to teach us and empower us to live out what God has done on the inside of us hence the importance of always having fellowship with him.
The rest of the verses in this chapter tells us things we should reject and what we should put on…. Read it and take note.
Reflective Thoughts.
Are there characteristics of the old man that you are struggling to put off? Why?
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Are there characteristics of the new man that you are struggling to put on? Why?
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Can people around you testify of consistent change in your character? If not, what does that mean?
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