A New Life in a New Home -- Bulletin Article 07.01.07

This past week, Amanda and I began moving into the minister’s house adjacent to the parking lot. We are thrilled to finally be closer to the building and to the Midway community. We look forward to the opportunities opened by living here in the house. We are truly thankful to the elders for allowing us to live in the house and for all the work they have put into updating it prior to us moving in.

There are often new attitudes and practices that accompany a new move. We as human beings view our new surroundings as an opportunity to improve certain aspects of our lives. Generally, we hope that a new place will give us new enthusiasm, motivation, and resources to live comfortably.

Paul addressed a closely-related spiritual concept in writing to the church at Ephesus. Notice his words in Ephesians 4:17-24:

“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

As Christians, we are to show the “new” way we know exists in Christ—a way that’s different from the world. In exemplifying this new way of life, Paul teaches there are several things we must do:

Put off the old self. All of us have struggles and temptations that we associate with the worldly way of thinking and living. We must continue to put that old way of life to death in order to follow Christ. The wording here is akin to Jesus’ words in John 11:44. After raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus says, “Unbind him (from the garments of burial), and let him go.” Likewise, we must put off the garments of death to live the new life.

Be renewed by the spirit of the mind. In order to please God with our lives, we must have a change in our spiritual attitudes. This principle is reminiscent of Paul’s words in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” A change of life only happens after we have had a change of mind. Truly changing our attitudes and perspectives is difficult—but it’s necessary if we are to have a Christ-led life.

Put on the new self. Paul described one who has put on Christ in baptism as “a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). There is a new way of living that is expected for all Christians. We often view this only as a list of “don’ts” that hold us back. Yet, here Paul says the new self is “created in the likeness of God…” Living as the “new self” in Christ means living like God in righteousness and holiness. May we keep our feeble minds from confusing that lifestyle with a list of limiting rules.

Amanda and I are excited about our “new home” across the parking lot. May we all be excited about our “new home” in Christ.