You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds…
Ephesians 4:22-23 NIV
Your Old Self
A major archaeological discovery near Sturgeon Lake First Nation territory, the traditional home of the Plains Cree territory in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, is reshaping history, challenging long-held narratives about early Indigenous civilizations in North America. The revelation of an 11,000-year-old pre-contact settlement—one of the oldest known Indigenous sites on the continent—confirms that highly organized societies existed in that region far earlier than previously believed. The surprising dating of this settlement places it among some of the world’s most well-recognized ancient sites, such as the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Stonehenge in England, and Göbekli Tepe in Turkey.
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It has long been Christian language to speak about the “old man.” It is a great phrase to describe what we were before we met Jesus Christ. The “old man,” Biblically, is our life before Jesus. It is marked by selfishness and pride. It is described in songs that are popular in the world – I did it my way, for example. When Jesus takes up residence in a person’s life, that old man is put to death. We aren’t that person anymore – male or female. Listen to how Paul describes it in Ephesians 4:22-23: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds…” As a follower of Christ, sometimes the “old man” wants to come back to life. We must continually ask the Lord to keep our old nature dead. There must never be a place for deceitful desires to rise up again – you’re a new person in Christ. Let His life live in you.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley