Be Made New

 As Christians, how can we escape how we used to be before we became Christians and live the new life we have in Christ Jesus? Live the life God intended for us to have?

It's like standing around at a New Years Eve party and at the stroke of midnight everyone starts singing that song "Let old aquaintance be forgot and blah, blah, blah." "Out with the old, in with the new." That's once a year. However, for us it's an everyday process. "Out with the old, in with the new."

Ephesians 4:22-24 gives us the key to live this new life, which is getting rid of who you used to be and becoming who God meant for you to be. How?

Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV

[22] 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; [23] to be made new in the attitude of your minds; [24] and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Our "old self," which is living naturally, has to constantly be ignored or disregarded. It's constantly bugging us everyday to do what we've always done, be who we've always been. It tries to bug us with "deceitful desires" that are always rearing their ugly heads everyday. That's why Paul said follow the Holy Spirit and we will not think of ways to satisfy the "flesh" which is our old sinful nature.

Galatians 5:16 NIV [16] So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 

Paul says it this way also, Colossians 3:2 NIV [2] Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 

So the key in Eph. 4:22-24 above is verse 23, "to be made new in the attitude of your mind."

Everyday you have to "renew your mind", "be made new" in your thinking. You have to remind yourself who you are. You reset your thinking to who you are in Christ and that you are not that person you used to be.

When you do this you are "putting on your new self." You are "walking in the Spirit." You remind yourself that you were "created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Everyday remind yourself of who you are:

I am a child of God. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I am in Christ forever. I am a new creation in Christ. I am born again by the Holy Spirit. I am in the family of God, the kingdom of God. I am holy, unblameable, unreproveable in His sight. I am in the royal priesthood, a holy nation. My citizenship is in heaven. My name is written in the Lamb's book of life. I have the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ my Lord. We have the peace of Christ, the mind of Christ. God is not the author of confusion, so we don't have a confused mind. We have the rest of Christ. We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is just a taste of who we are and what we have in Christ. There are all kinds of other passages telling us who we are in Christ. 

So, forget who you used to be, remind yourself who you are now. It has to be done everyday. Renew your mind everyday.  

When trials, temptation, or trouble comes, or old patterns of thinking come around just say "Nope, that's not who I am anymore," until it goes away.

See? "Out with old, in with the new."

CONTACT ME AT: postjeff0321@gmail.com. I'd love to connect with you!!! 

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Love you all,

Jeffrey Post