O
THE
vercoming
Take Off Those Old Clothes!
SERIES
‘PUT OFF...THE OLD MAN...PUT ON THE NEW MAN’
EPHESIANS 4: 24..
There are some ‘old clothes’ you’ve got to take off when you commit your life to
Christ: old thinking patterns, old attitudes and old behaviour. You may not even
want to admit that you’re still wearing them but the truth is that you can’t put on
Thank You Lord
the new man until you fi rst take off the old one.
that You provide
Furthermore, you can’t hang your old clothes in a wardrobe for a rainy day or toss
the ability for our
them on the fl oor to be tripped over; you’ve got to get rid of them! Listen: ‘Put off
lives to change,
falsehood and speak truthfully to you neighbour...Do not let the sun go down while
that in You we
can exercise grace
you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing
when we don’t
must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his won hands,
want to, experience
that he may have something to share with those in need’ (Ephesians 4:25-28 NIV).
joy when we feel You ask, ‘Is such a lifestyle possible?’ Yes! Because God’s Spirit lives within you,
we can’t, Lord we
you don’t have to a) tell lies to advance your position b) steal to be prosperous c) be
can truly live a life
dishonest to achieve your goals d) use anger as a control mechanism e) engage in
given over to You,
corrupt communication. When you choose to live this way, you are literally ‘taking
we just need to
off the old man and putting on the new one.’ Commit yourself to living that way
open our hearts to
the depth of Your
starting today.
love for us. Fill
me with Your Holy
The Formula
Spirit today Lord
that I can walk
‘BE VERY CAREFUL, THEN, HOW YOU LIVE’
upright, understand EPHESIANS 5:15.
your will and give
more time to You.
In Ephesians chapter 5, Paul gives us the formula for a happy, fulfi lling life. Let’s
Amen.
look at it today.
1) ‘Walk circumspectly’ (v.15). The word circumspect means ‘to be disciplined in
your thoughts, speech, actions and motives.’ Your wandering stage is over. It’s time
You
to enter the Promised Land, drive out the enemy and take what belongs to you.
can be
2) ‘Redeeming the time’ (v.16). No more wasting your life on worthless diversions.
Get serious! Begin each day by praying, ‘Father, thank you for this day. Some were
Spirit-
alive yesterday, who didn’t live to see this one. I accept it as a gift from You and
filled commit myself to maximizing every moment, for Your glory.’
wherever
3) ‘Understanding what the will of the Lord is’ (v.17). The word ‘understanding’
you are.
here means ‘to make sense of.’ Often people say to us, ‘Hey, what’s happening?’
That’s because most of the time they don’t know. But we do, for our steps are
guarded, guided and governed by the Lord (Psalm37:23).
4) ‘Be fi lled with the Spirit’ (v.18). You ask, ‘How?’ Listen: ‘Speaking to yourselves in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs...making melody in your heart to the Lord’
(Ephesians 5:19). You can be Spirit-fi lled wherever you are. When it’s not
appropriate to sing, ‘make melody in your heart!’ When there’s no one around to talk
to, ‘speak to yourself’ in psalms! That’s the formula for a happy fulfi lling life!
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