And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:24
Read: Ephesians 4:17-24 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
An encounter with Jesus Christ
is such a powerful experience that it can bring about a change of name (Mark
3:16). This change of name indicates a change of destiny. His power of
transformation changes you from a sinner to a saint (Romans 1:7). There is no
greater change than that of a changed life made possible by the redeeming power
in the blood of Jesus Christ. If you were known as a night crawler before
encountering Jesus, you will become known as a more responsible person after
encountering Him. The truth is, if you really encounter Jesus Christ, you will
lose most of your old friends because it would be difficult for them to relate
with the new you. They won’t understand you anymore, because you won’t talk the
way you used to talk, drink like you used to drink or even dress the way they
dress. Following a definite encounter with the person of Jesus Christ, what you
like and hate will change, so much so that if you fail to leave your old
friends, they will be the ones to desert you. If you say you are born again,
and all of your old pals still feel comfortable around you, your salvation is
most likely not genuine.
Before I became born again, I
had many friends, some of whom were sailors. When they returned from their
trips, they brought me assorted alcoholic drinks. Therefore, when my friends
wanted to drink alcohol, they would visit me because they knew I would have a
lot in store. They sometimes said they could not pass by the house of the king
without saying hello to the king. I never knew I was king of alcohol in those
days. However, after my conversion, when my old friends visited me, I would
offer them soft drinks. They would protest, saying that I already knew the
choice alcoholic drinks they normally enjoyed, but I simply told them that I
did not stock such anymore. Consequently, I lost most of my friends, but today,
God has given me like-minded, godly people as replacements. Have you truly
encountered Jesus? What changes have you noticed in your life? Are you still
keeping all your old friends, or have they observed the changes in your life
and dumped you? Sometimes, some people are afraid of losing their old friends,
and as a result, they do everything to hide their new found faith from them. This
is unacceptable in the Kingdom of God. The reality is that if you have met
Jesus, you are linked to the greatest Friend anyone could ever have. You should
be proud of that and let all your friends know about it. If you are ashamed of
Him here on earth, He too will be ashamed to talk about you in Heaven (Mark
8:38).
Action Point: Some people have
bars in their houses. If you are truly saved, such bars should not accommodate
any alcoholic drinks. Get rid of that alcohol!
Bible in one year: Exodus 4-6,
Isaiah 59:16-60:7
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