PUTTING ON THE NEW
When I put on my new glasses, I could see better than I had for a long time! It was amazing! I am sure you have seen commercials of little children, when they get a new pair of glasses, the look on their faces of joy that they can now see clearly. That is how I felt. I had cataract surgery on both eyes at the end of last year. Because of my stigmatism, I was going to have to wear glasses. After my surgery I could see better, but not clearly. My glasses finally came in and I went to my eye doctor’s office to pick them up. When I put them on, it was like a switch went off in my eyes causing them to clear up from the blurriness that I had evidently been living with. My old vision had become new. I had not realized that I had slipped into living with lack of vision for a long time.
Isn’t that the same way we slip into sin, sometimes not even realizing it, until something causes us to see that lack of vision-lack of clarity? Maybe we have missed church services a couple of times and then we think we don’t want to go, easier to stay home. The people there won’t miss me! Maybe we miss a couple of times at the gym. We think it is much easier to just stay home. It won’t matter that much! Maybe we see that last cookie on the plate. You have been trying to be good but you think one more won’t hurt you! (I know that last one is not a popular one with Thanksgiving and the holidays coming with all those special treats we make.) Maybe we should wait till the first of next year to get back to church, get back to the gym and watch what we eat. But then the first of the year comes and we think all those new things you were going to do, don’t seem important anymore.
Those were all examples of staying in the old habits and not reaching out to replace them with new habits. God wants us to put our old man or woman to rest, who is full of sin, and come to Him, putting on the new. Maybe we have become more and more like this world. One more dinner out with someone who is not our mate, which can lead to adultery. Maybe that person in that car cut you off in traffic and you race after them, giving them a certain finger, cuss at them with anger in your heart. Maybe you justify one more drink of alcohol because you think you can stop at any time. Maybe you feel you are just so sinful that there is no use in trying to live a new life, sin free. Maybe you have your focus on the pursuit of things in this world. Your family is suffering from your lack of presence in their lives. But you condone it because you think you are taking care of your family, by the accumulation of things of this world. The world we live in today, has always been full of hanging onto the old ways and not searching for and changing to a new way. Without you knowing, it slowly creeps up on you.
In this world today, there are those who are searching for something-anything that will make them feel better about themselves and their circumstances. The problem is they look in the wrong places, in things of this world-alcohol-drugs-sex-possessions. We, as believers and followers of God, must show them a better way. We know that the old man or woman of the world must change and become new. There has to be some action! The only new way is Jesus! In John 14:6, Jesus tells His disciples, “…I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” God is the answer we need to share with the world we live in today. All those things of the old you, needs to be replaced with a new you, in and through our Lord and Savior.
Our old is in the past and the new leads us to our future, full of joy, looking towards our heavenly home. Here are a few verses, which show us that we need to step out of the old and step into the new, and thereby see more clearly.
- Romans 6:6 “…our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” A believer is not the same person he or she was before conversion, a believer is a new creation in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” These verses show us that Jesus is the answer to becoming a new creation!
- Colossians 3:8-10 “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.” Then also in verses 14-17, “…above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” These verses show us that we need to renew our knowledge by studying God’s word. Christ is the only true way to put off the old, of sin and put on the new, of life!
- Ephesians 4:22-24 “…that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” These verses show us that we have to stop living a life filled with this world and put on a new man or woman, which is a life filled with our God!
What is the common denominator in these verses? You guessed it! We have to stop doing sin which is our old life and start putting on a new life which is shown us by studying His word, the bible, and applying those truths into our lives. We have to show love to others, just as God has shown His love for us.
I am so thankful that we have access to glasses which help us see in this physical world and all the beauty of it that God has given us. The changing of the trees has been so beautiful! But, even more important, I am thankful that we have access to seeing, through the Word, our blessed Savior and what living a life of obedience and love to Him, can cause us to see that clarity.
Let’s all start putting off the old ways of this world, and start putting on the new ways of our Savior!
Till next time! Have a thankful and blessed Thanksgiving!
Keela