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; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
New Self
Only a few years ago in Bonavista, a small and sleepy windswept fishing town in Newfoundland, dozens of pastel-colored heritage homes facing the sea sat dilapidated and empty. The collapse of the cod industry had pushed about 1,000 residents to seek their fortunes in places like Texas, New York and oil-rich Alberta, about 6,000 kilometres away. These days, however, so many migrants are arriving from across Canada — mostly young professionals from big cities like Toronto — that some local developers have a three-year waiting list for home buyers.
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Many urban Canadians, desiring to own an affordable home, are making a new start in Atlantic Canada. Most of us have made those kind of changes over the years. But ultimately we need something far more than just a new location or a physical makeover. Paul writes this in Ephesians 4:22-24: “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; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” What every human being needs is an entirely new nature. We are all born in sin, which is the root cause of many of the challenges we face in life. The good news is that our Creator God has provided that new nature through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But we have a role to play – we need to put our faith in Jesus Christ and then daily invite Him to continue His sanctifying work in our hearts and lives. Put off your old self today and put on Jesus.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley