Devotion: Ephesians 4:24

Ephesians 4:24 …and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 

For those long time readers, this is a familiar verse that we have covered a few times before. Today we are going to look at it through the lens of renewal.

As we have learned the past, we actively abandon our former, sinful habits and we embrace a new, transformed, Christ-like demeanor. Paul uses the metaphor of a change of clothing to illustrate this transformation. We remove the old self, the old, corrupt, and sinful self, and we put on the new – transformed, renewed, a new creation.

We were created to be like God. This mirrors the creation of mankind found back in Genesis 1. Through Christ, we are given a new, fresh start and are a direct reflection of God’s love and His original design for us.

But God is holy and righteous, and we are sinful creatures. True righteousness describes the way you treat and interact with others. Holiness describes our inward devotion and our character. Both righteousness and holiness are attainable with the help of the Holy Spirit and some discipline and dedication. We choose to actively strive for these at all times, removing the old self and putting on the new.

To review a little… In the Bible, renewal is the ongoing process of God restoring, transforming, and breathing new life into us. This focus shifts the view from a self-oriented one to a Godly perspective, instead living our lives for Him instead of for ourselves. We can see how the process of removing the old self and putting on the new, like clothing, relates well to renewal

We seek renewal through  the process of being spiritually transformed and recharged. This is done by studying God’s Word and with the help of  the Holy Spirit. We move beyond reading scripture to actively applying the principles, replacing worldly thinking with a Christ-like mindset – a renewed mind.

Take off the old self like dirty clothing and discard it. Be done with it. Put on the new self, the renewed self that is righteous and holy and live your life for Him.

Prayer: Lord, Help me to discard the old self like clothing that is no longer needed. Instead, let me put on a new, renewed, holy, and righteous demeanor and live my life for You. Amen

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