Monday: PUTTING ON MY NEW SELF

May 1, 2023
2 min read

Ephesians 4:17-24

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.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.

There are two ways of thinking. One is a darkened understanding; separated from the life of God because of ignorance that leads to a hardened heart.

Paul describes a hardened heart as one that has lost all sensitivity. This heart desires only to please itself, indulges in sensual pleasure, has all kinds of impurities in it, and is greedy for more impure things.

Jesus taught me a new way to think. His way requires me to cleanse myself daily so that I can remove the impurities and refresh myself in His Word, live for His purpose and know my calling is in His Kingdom. My old self is corrupted by the flesh—with all of its deceitful desires. Those desires are deadly and will slowly eat at my heart until I turn bitter and cold.

THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS: Christ has a new plan for my life. He wants me to repent or think differently about sin. I have to acknowledge what the problem is—I am a sinner, and then understand His solution to my problem—He wants to cleanse me of the sin. That means I will have to put it behind me. I just can’t clean up the sin—He wants me to be a holy, pure offering to Him, which requires me allow Him to cleanse my heart and the attitude of my mind, so that He can transform me to be more like Him in His righteousness and holiness.

Lord, I want to acknowledge each sinful habit in my life and ask You to refresh my heart and mind with Your righteousness and holiness.

May you be blessed,

Chaplain Wayne Ruckman