WHAT YOUR LIFE SHOULD LOOK LIKE
You are called to live radically different than the world. When you get saved and give your life to Christ, you give him everything…your dreams, aspirations, hidden lifestyles, secret sins, patterns of thinking, addictions, gifts, talents, time – you must give God the good and the bad. He’ll take it all…The problem is we keep some things to ourselves and confess Jesus while walking like the world. We’ve got to move on from the way we used to live and fully pursue the life, calling, and destiny God has for us.
Paul teaches this perfectly in Ephesians 4:17-24. The verses are mapped out below in red with some commentary added beneath.
“Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused…”
This has never been more true- people are confused about the future, politics, their identity, gender..you name it.
“Their minds are full of darkness;”
When you don’t have God, your mind has no light- dark thoughts, evil thoughts, hopeless thoughts surround you.
“they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.”
This is why some people who are closed off to God and will not accept him…their minds are closed off so they can never have ‘the mind of Christ’. They will never receive revelation or be illuminated to the truths of God- they are closed off. Their hearts are hardened and so God cannot soften them. Because of this, they ‘wander’ far away from the life God has for them. Maybe you’ve been there..You knew the truth but because of a hard heart you intentionally moved in the opposite direction from God. People will give the illusion they are making progress but without God, they’re just wandering in life. You can accumulate wealth, status, and even good things while in reality, outside of God, you’re just wandering and inside you’re wondering ‘what’s the purpose?’.
“They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.”
Our sense of shame is gone. The world has gone numb. ‘If it feels good then it must be okay’ is the new mantra of a generation chasing pleasure by practicing impurityv. We’re naked but unashamed…perversion is rampant…sex is flippant…sexuality sells…porn is more public than ever. We have a problem and we know it. Let God restore our sense of shame so our eyes would be open to the dark levels of impurity we’ve allowed.
“But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 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.”
Paul makes it clear…This is not what we learned and we should have no part with it. We’ve got to throw off the old…our former way of life should no longer exist when we are in Christ Jesus. Get rid of every part of it…Throw it off…leave no trace.
“Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.”
The Holy Spirit will lead us and help us in our thoughts and in our emotions. Ask God to give you wisdom and to renew your mind. You don’t have to keep your old patterns of thinking alive while you follow Jesus. He can give us a “sound mind” free from the darkness in our pasts.
“Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”
When we throw away our old nature, God doesnt leave us exposed…We can put on a new nature.. We put on Christ like the Bible teaches and walk as righteous and holy men. This is the goal. To be fully IN CHRIST having cast away every trace of our old life walking as holy men of God.
What are you clinging to from your old life that you need to throw off?
Remnant, was this blog helpful to you? Leave a comment and let us know.