A Word from THE WORD

Good Morning Happy Church,

Today is Thursday, May 19^th, 2016. Today is the 140^th Day of 2016.

There are only 226 days left in this year; and, there are only 31 days left until Father’s Day; and, there are only 220 days left until CHRISTMAS…

“Off with the Old and On with the New”

Ephesians 4:21-24
²¹ “assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,
²² to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
²³ and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
²⁴ and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Again today I want to use the passage I plan to preach on this coming Sunday for my devotional.

It is a fearful thing for a person to “assume” they are a believer when they are not. Paul uses this warning language as he speaks to the Ephesians.

The point is not that he wants to doubt the reality of their relationship with Christ; neither does he want them to doubt the reality of their relationship with Christ – but, he does often make the point that one who lives like an unbeliever cannot know that they are not an unbeliever.

Walking, or living, like the Gentiles walk in continual sin may show the fact that they have not really been saved. On the contrary, walking like Christ is strong evidence that they are, in fact, a new creation in Christ.

PLEASE NOTE that while salvation is completely and solely a work of God, sanctification (becoming progressively more and more like Christ) requires the willing and active obedience of the believer.

What does this willing and active obedience look like?

Simple. It looks like changing clothes. Off with the old and on with the new.

Putting off the old lifestyle and behaviors and putting on the new lifestyle and behaviors.

A believer will stop living like an unbeliever and begin living more and more like Christ.

How is this done? By renewing of the mind through the work of the Word.

Romans 12:2
² “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Sanctification (transformation) comes through the work of the Word in the life of a believer.

1 Thessalonians 2:13
“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”

The Word of God works in the life of a believer transforming them into the image of Christ.

So, what does that look like? Like putting off the old and putting on the new.

It is the work of the Word.

Do not miss the opportunity for Mid-Week Prayer and Bible Study Wednesdays from 6:30 – 8:00pm. We are studying the Second Coming of Jesus and the events that follow into the Eternal State.

Each evening features a stand-alone lesson, so if you can’t make them all; be sure you catch as many of these lessons as you can.

Carpe Diem!