NEW LIFE: TAKE OFF THE OLD, PUTTING ON THE NEW SELF

Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
²⁵ So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. ²⁶ And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ for anger gives a foothold to the devil.  Ephesians 4: 24-27

If there is one thing that we'll all be doing today is putting on.......something.   I mean we'll be putting on clothes (prayerfully...at these temperatures...I couldn't see how you couldn't).   Some will be putting on a face (true and false).   Some will be putting on fronts.......I mean really we all will be engaged in putting on something.   Paul begins to encourage this young church in Ephesus, that they need to put on their NEW NATURE where they are truly righteous and holy.

What does that look like for you?  Surely we know what it means to be fake.....because in Paul's next comments he tells us to stop telling lies and rather tell the truth.....for we are all parts of the same body.   So what does that mean?  Does it mean I'm to now let people KNOW HOW I REALLY FEEL ABOUT THEM?  UH....NOT in this since people.....what it means is that you are to see people as CHRIST sees them....so much so that you give them the same grace that He gave you.   When was the last time the SPIRIT of GOD told you, yes you personally that YOU SUCK, YOU ARE WRETCHED, and GOD REALLY THINKS YOU NEED TO GO TO HELL?

To be truly HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS means you see the faults of yourself and others, and you THROUGH the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT fall on the grace/mercy of GOD, and that you are supposed to demo this to others living in darkness as to win them over with that same grace/mercy/forgiveness and love!

Paul takes this a little further to simply compare us to the human body, by saying aren't we all part of the same body?   Can you imagine what it would be like if the heart hated the rest of the body.   Or if the brain thought the hands and feet were useless?  What if your intestines went on strike because it felt disrespected?   Sure we all have feelings, but we can't let those feelings dictate how we are to be.   Paul says don't go to bed, don't let the sun go down, don't let the day end with us being angry.....because remember everything begins with a thought, and if you end the day angry, you will begin the next one in anger.    Satan will use that.....will use you to execute his destructive will.

So as you are getting dressed....what are you putting on?  Is it the righteousness of JESUS CHRIST, with His Armor, the armor of light, the full armor of GOD?   Or are you putting on the frustrations of the job, the world, your marriage, etc?  I guarantee only this........putting off the old, you will experience the NEWNESS of THIS WONDERFUL DAY THAT HE HAS MADE.   PUTTING ON THE OLD....will only yield more frustrations, and this day will be more of the SAME OL, SAME OL....and you'll totally miss out on the blessings GOD has intended for you to experience.   LGLP