“…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; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” -Ephesians 4:20-24

We’ve been talking about all these ‘new things’ that God has brought about. At the heart of them is what the Apostle Paul calls the ‘new self.’ We have an ‘old self’ which as Paul says is ‘being corrupted by its deceitful desires,’ and which is aligned with this present evil age. Our ‘old self’ is life apart from Christ.

But as those who are ‘In Christ’ we have a new self. As a believer, in the deepest part of our being, we have been changed. We are now God’s children. The old is passing away, and the new is here. We have a new self which is created to be ‘like God in true righteousness and holiness.’

I used to work on a farm as a young man. You name it and I shoveled it. Seven days a week, with every other Sunday off. I cared for two heifer barns and a barn full of chickens. When I would get home at night my mom would say “take those clothes off! You’re stinking up the house!” Now I didn’t really notice, I had gotten acclimated to the smell. But it was true. I needed to put on some new clothes.

Likewise we are to ‘take off’ our old self. Colossians 3:5-11 makes the same point and gives a list of those things we need to take off. By grace and through faith we ‘take off’ these behaviors and live a new life. We are no longer to live that way.

And then we are to put on our new self, by grace through faith. We are to live out our new identity in Christ, to live according to who we really are. It begins with right thinking, and then works itself out in right action. God renews both our minds and our actions.

We are called to receive Christ and follow Him as Lord and Savior. This is a big decision which we are not to make lightly. It changes everything in our lives.

If you are already a believer, perhaps you need to get back on track. To continue taking off the old and putting on the new. Allow God to speak to you, and be ready to listen. God has given us the Spirit to help us. Take off those old clothes and put on the new!

Pastor Tim, August 12, 2007