Thursday Devo
Scripture Reading:
Ephesians 4:21-24
21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
Commentary from the ESV Study Bible:
4:22 put off your old self. As Christians seek to do this, God makes it a reality, as seen in Col. 3:9–10. Even Paul’s Gentile readers can be part of the new creation in Christ. (As the ESV footnote indicates, “self” is the generic Gk. for “man” or “human”—perhaps an allusion to Adamic man apart from Christ.) Ephesians 4:22 describes the negative side of regeneration, while vv. 23–24 point to the positive side. corrupt. People need inner transformation because their hearts are “deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jer. 17:9).
4:23 renewed. Paul expressed the negative side of the new creation in v. 22 as putting off the “old self,” while vv. 23–24 express the positive side as an entire transformation of believers’ inner selves, focusing here on their minds (see also John 3:3–6; Col. 3:9–10). Christians sometimes distinguish between knowledge of head and of heart, but the Bible shows that they should love and serve the Lord with all that is in them, including their minds, at all times (Deut. 6:5; 10:12; 13:3; Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). The “renewal” or “transformation” of the mind (Rom. 12:2) is a process in which believers begin to think in new and right ways as they meditate on the truths of God’s Word.
4:24 put on the new self. Paul focuses on the individual aspect of the corporate “new man” as described in 2:15. Believers are created anew in Christ (see also 2:10). Created after the likeness of God further shows the connection with the original creation in Genesis, where “God created man in his own image” (Gen. 1:27; cf. 1 Cor. 15:49).
4:23 renewed. Paul expressed the negative side of the new creation in v. 22 as putting off the “old self,” while vv. 23–24 express the positive side as an entire transformation of believers’ inner selves, focusing here on their minds (see also John 3:3–6; Col. 3:9–10). Christians sometimes distinguish between knowledge of head and of heart, but the Bible shows that they should love and serve the Lord with all that is in them, including their minds, at all times (Deut. 6:5; 10:12; 13:3; Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). The “renewal” or “transformation” of the mind (Rom. 12:2) is a process in which believers begin to think in new and right ways as they meditate on the truths of God’s Word.
4:24 put on the new self. Paul focuses on the individual aspect of the corporate “new man” as described in 2:15. Believers are created anew in Christ (see also 2:10). Created after the likeness of God further shows the connection with the original creation in Genesis, where “God created man in his own image” (Gen. 1:27; cf. 1 Cor. 15:49).
Study Questions:
- As you know, we are all born into sin. We have a sinful nature at birth. When we receive Jesus as our Savior we have a new Spirit within us. Our old nature and new nature are constantly at war inside of us, battling over every thought, action, attitude and decision (see Romans 7:14-25). Paul is saying here that if we are to live a victorious Christian life, we have to take it by force. It doesn't happen by accident. We are to take the initiative by "throwing off' our old nature, and instead let the Spirit work in our lives. This is a daily choice we make, on purpose. What do you think this looks like in real life? How do you "throw off" that sin nature?
- Once we have thrown off our old nature, along with its thoughts and attitudes, we are to put on our new nature. This new nature, as Paul clearly states, is "created to be like God". I mean, WOW. Truly holy and righteous. This, of course, is all because of the righteousness of Jesus that is credited to us. This makes US righteous and holy, just as HE is righteous and holy. And the way we do this, Paul says, is to let the Holy Spirit renew our "thoughts and attitudes." Let's be honest... we could all use renewed thoughts and attitudes. But notice this isn't something we accomplish on our own. It is through the work of the Holy Spirt of God that is inside us. And we have to yield to him and let him do this work in us. Take a few minutes today and let him do that work in you. Ask him to renew your thoughts, attitudes, emotions, perspective. Just let him do what he does best and then live your life today in your new nature, holy and righteous, created to be like God.
Pray:
- That you would make a habit of throwing off your old nature.
- That you would let the Holy Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes on a daily basis.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
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