Message Translation
20-24 But that’s no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.
Amplified Translation
22 Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;
23 And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],
24 And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.
What does striping of our former nature really mean? How do I discard myself when I have to live within my own skin?
When I look at Eph 4:22-24 it is calling us to action. The beautiful thing about God is that he doesn't leave it up to us on how to do the things He is asking us to do. Vs 22 he is calling a striping of wrong behaviors and Vs 24 calling us to new behaviors that are His image and character. Often times we read through a scripture and it has a wrong way and a right way and we miss that the "How To" post is right before us.
Vs 23 is our application for change. Be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind. The key is our thought life! That is how we go from wrong behavior to Christ Like behavior.
I recently walked through a tough situation and was really having a ugly old nature attitude about it. My flesh wanted to be justified and my thought life on the situation was feeding my old nature. The Holy Spirit kept tugging on me to submit my attitude and thoughts to him and to allow him to change my heart. See I can't do it on my own. No matter how many deep breaths or nice things I make myself say. Without the help of the spirit to renew my mind to the image and character of Christ I am dead in the water. I will continue in wrong thinking and behaving without that key ingredient.
The great news is that God left us with His spirit to help us navigate all these situations in our life. He knew left to our own fallen flesh we would be dead in this life and non producing of His character.
Lord help me to stay harnessed in your spirit and to live a life that shows the love of Christ in word and deed! Forgive me for my wrong thinking and call it forth to a renewal in your spirit and love.
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