Throw Off … Put On

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

OK, I’ll admit it. I love to watch home remodeling shows on TV. I have absolutely no skills in that area, so I’m in awe of how they transform an older (or very old) house into a beautiful, modern home. Seeing those transformed houses reminds me that God transforms us when we submit our lives to Him. 

There is a big difference between those transformed houses and our transformed lives. The houses can’t do anything about the transformation. They just exist and someone does all the work on them. In our transformation to Christlikeness, we have an active roll. Paul told the Ephesian Christ followers to, "throw off your old sinful nature” and to “put on your new nature” [Ephesians 4.22-24].

Here’s my take on it: keep embracing the new nature you have instead of holding on to the old nature you had before believing in Christ. The truth is, it’s easy to regress to our former state — old patterns, habits, desires, impulses, weaknesses — our old sinful nature. That’s why we must continually submit to the Holy Spirit’s transformation. 

And the really good news is this, as we continually put on the new nature, we become more like Christ moment by moment. In other words, we aren’t stuck in the muck and mire of sinful patterns of behavior. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can live in a “new and living way” [Hebrews 10.20].

Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4.21-23