Would you like a sample?

I have been working for See's Candy for the last couple of weeks and have used that title phrase quite a lot!

I have also been working on that 365 day devotional book that I mentioned in my book, Going Forth in the Name, based on the 365 day reading plan that I gave in the book, and I thought some of you might like a sample of that. So here it is. Let me know what you think.

I retain full copyright of the following. Quote it in part or in it's entirety if you want, just tell where it came from.

Throwing Off and Putting On

“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. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”  Ephesians 4:21-24 (NLT)

The apostle Paul, in this passage, calls on his Ephesian brethren to take two distinctly intentional actions. First, he admonishes them to “throw off your old sinful nature, and your former way of life”.  The picture of “throwing off” that these words depict is one of purposely and even enthusiastically throwing away something that is useless and no longer wanted or desired. Kind of like throwing out the trash or getting all that useless stuff out of the basement that is in the way and is taking up space that could be better used for something else.

Once there was a song that extolled the supposed virtue of “. . . doin’ what comes naturally” and we often feel uncomfortable with things that don’t feel “natural” but Paul tells us here that our nature is “corrupted” that is, it is distorted or spoiled by lust (a desire for that which we think will please us) and deception (being deceived by our enemy into thinking that we are doing the right thing when, in fact we are not). I think we have only to turn on the evening news to see where “doin’ what comes naturally” has gotten us as a people.

But the second intentional action that Paul tells us to take is to put on our new nature, a truly righteous and holy one; one that is like that of God Himself. Paul says we are to do this by letting the Holy Spirit renew our thoughts and attitudes (compare Romans 12:2 and Colossians 3:10).  

As we walk with the Spirit, and seek to draw closer to Him, and as we study His word, we are allowing Him to renew our minds, our thoughts, and our attitudes.

Many Christians think that the change of attitude that they experienced when they came to Christ is all that is necessary. If this were so, there would have been no need for Paul to deliver this admonition to this group of folks who were already believers. Paul said these words precisely because we all come into the Christian life carrying the baggage of our sinful nature, and of our former way of life. It is necessary that we deliberately become engaged with the Holy Spirit in this marvelous and mysterious process of throwing away, piece by piece, and part by part our old nature, and putting the new Christ-like nature in its place. Like the Ephesians, we too must become intentional in this process.

Read all of Ephesians 4

Pray today:         Holy Spirit, renew my thoughts and attitudes today. Continue to show me ways that I can be more like Christ, and then give me Your power to put these new thoughts and attitudes to work in my life.       

 copyright 2012 Glenn Rivers