The Bible explains to us in Ephesians 4:17 that while we were lost and in the world (Gentiles), we operated in the "futility of our minds". What is a mind without God? Someone who looks for answers but never finds any. It is someone who seeks joy in things or people but can't find anything that lasts. It is a mind without focus on what's really important. It is a mind that often feels hopeless and adrift in the world.
What Is Futility
To be futile means that you are striving for something that you can't find, seeking something that always seems out of reach. A mind without God is concerned only with itself. The opposite of futility is wisdom, sanity, judgment. This is what God wants for us. He wants our minds to be renewed by the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 10:16 says that God will write His covenant in our minds.
The Old Man And The New Man
In Ephesians 4:22 Paul says that we must put off the old man with its sinful desires and lusts and in verse 24 he says we must put on the new man. The new man is renewed in the spirit of your mind. Our mind needs to be daily refocused on God. This new man is created in righteousness and holiness. He picks up this idea in Romans 8:5 where he says we should live according to the Holy Spirit of God and that our minds should be set on those things that come from the Spirit. Romans 12:2 says,
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
A Renewed Mind
Our goal as Christians is to have a renewed mind. But how? I Corinthians 2:16 says that we "have been given the mind of Christ." How do we go about renewing our mind with the help of the Holy Spirit? By reading and studying the word of God. By reading the word we grow in faith and knowledge day by day. Hosea 4:6 says that God's people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. We steadily grow and mature by learning more and more what the mind of Christ really is.
Sanctified
When Jesus prayed for us to God in John 17:17 He said "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." To become more like Christ, to be sanctified, we need to know the truth and that truth is found in His Word. When we go to church and hear the Word read, we often feel like we have enough. But do we understand what we have heard, really? Have we prayed over it? Have we meditated on it? Have we read the entire chapter it is from, not just the one verse or two that we heard?
What Is The Difference?
The new man that Paul talks about in Ephesians is one who grows more and more to be like Christ. Colossians 3:10 says that the new man is renewed in knowledge. Knowledge of what? Knowledge of Him who created us. Paul describes the differences between the Old Man and the New Man.
Old Man | New Man |
lies | speaks truth |
steals | works so he can share with others |
speaks "corrupt words" | edifies (builds up) people with their words |
angry | kind |
holds grudges | forgives |
holds on to hatred | loves |
greedy | generous |
lewd (lust, fornication, adultery) | sexually pure |
Put On The New Man
Paul continues in Ephesians 4:18 to say that the old man was blinded by his sin and alienated from God because of his ignorance of the love of Christ and his mercy. Now that we have "put on" the new man, quite literally clothed ourselves with Christ, we should grow in holiness daily to become more like Him. Our new man, our new clothes, should be obvious to those around us.
Study The Word
Reading our Bible every day should be as normal as eating breakfast or watching the news. It should be part of our routine, but it should be the most important part. I want to quote Jenny Hawkins about reading the Word daily. She said,
" When I was so tired I couldn't remember what I'd read; when I was mad and couldn't feel what I read; when I was sad and could not hear God's voice in what I read; I still read - and that saved me through difficult times."
We should dedicate ourselves to being obedient and learning about God even when we don't feel like it.
Do You Really Want To Know Him?
To grow in Christ, to grow in love, we need to write His words on our hearts and in our minds. We need to want to know Him. We have the Holy Spirit of God within us. Let Him renew you! Rejoice in Him!
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