Put Off and Put On

Eph. 4:20-24

But that is not the way you learned Christ--assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to the former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

 

 

Here Paul develops the put off and put on way of life. Believers are to live like they have learned Christ leaving behind the former life with all of its attitudes and actions. That life was corrupt through deceitful desires, futile in mind and thought, darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God, ignorant because of hardened hearts, callous, given over to sensuality, and greedy to practice impurity. This is not the way of Christ! Instead, believers are to be renewed in the spirit of the mind, and part of that renewal is living in true righteousness and holiness. Certainly, these two approaches to life are vastly different and at odds with one another. To clarify this principle, Paul develops some practical, specific areas and contrasts them with the old life. 

• since lying put off, believers should speak the truth since Christ is the Truth. 
• instead of anger consuming your life, don't let the sun go down on your anger. Make relationship be honoring to Christ.
• instead of stealing, work honestly with your own hands and share what you have with others.
• instead of corrupting talk, speak what is edifying and fits the occasion giving grace to those who hear.
• don't grieve the Holy Spirit who is your seal of redemption, but listen and respond to His promptings.
• instead of bitterness, wrath, clamor, and malice, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, and forgiving as God in Christ forgave you.

What a contrast! Christ living in and through me must be evident and visible in all that I do. If I hang on to old, worldly behaviors, I am grieving the Spirit who indwells me.

 

Father,

Give me grace and strength so that I might put off lingering fleshly behaviors and thought. Help me put on Your grace and show me how to manifest it in what I do and how I live.

In Jesus name,

Amen