Ephesians 4:17-24
Finally, an end to a long weekend’s travels – hopefully I can get back on schedule with posting in the mornings instead of this late night stuff!
…that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, … and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self… (vv. 22-24a) Paul makes an important point here – in between laying aside your old self and putting on your new self, Paul tells us to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. Although I’m not sure what Paul means by “in the spirit of your mind”, beyond that misunderstanding there is a deep truth – that we can’t just decide to change from our old self to a new self, but that it takes a renewal of our minds to effectively make this change. I’ve been meeting with our Freedom Road folks for almost three years. I hear again and again how nearly impossible it is for someone to simply decide to quit drinking on their own, but that it takes a major intervention (like A.A.) for people to really change. But that doesn’t just apply to big things like alcoholism; it also applies to any of our bad habits. We can’t just simply change what we’ve been doing for years; we need help. And although Paul does not mention it here, the best help we can find is the Holy Spirit if we really want renewal “in the spirit of our minds”.
Slava Bohu!