“And so I insist – and God backs me up on this – that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can’t think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.
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.”
– Ephesians 4:17-24 (Msg)
The transforming work of God’s Spirit in us is all part of the amazing gift of Salvation. God’s grace doesn’t leave us how He found us, but gently and truthfully moves us in a pursuit of holiness. While Christ has dealt with the eternal punishment of our sin, it’s our job to heed the Holy Spirit’s leading and deal with our own junk here and now. To rid ourselves of stuff that is weighing us down - the sin, the old ways of living - and trade them in for all of what God has planned for us. And He’ll help us do it!
Is there anything weighing you down? Are there habitual things in your life that are detrimental to hearing the Holy Spirit? Let’s get down to business and deal with them. Let’s not shy away from the hard work of addressing what’s going on inside of us.
God wants all of us! Our mind, will, and emotions are often what take the greatest hits from the enemy’s schemes. So, what if we asked the Holy Spirit to help us surrender our mind, will, and emotions to Him each day?
It’s time to say, “Good Riddance!” to any and all things that are stopping us from being made into the likeness of Christ. The things that are stopping us from fulfilling our purpose on earth. The things that are stopping us from putting on the new nature, the new mindset, and new perspective that God created for us. The Holy Spirit is ready, willing, and waiting to walk us through it, so let’s trust Him to do His purifying work in us, as we desire Him above all else.
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