Ephesians 4:23-24, the Message: “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 4:23-24, NIV: “to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
BarbTalk: As I ponder the above scripture, the Message gives me a deeper understanding. When I read it in the NIV, I miss the fact that the word created is used. I somehow think I am in charge of the project called Barb. The word created does not say that at all. Looking it up in the Hebrew Greek Dictionary and Lexicon, I found that this is a simple action, that changes the state of things. Also the fact that the Greek word for created is represents an action of creating something out of nothing. This helps me understand about grace more fully.
It is easy to try to take off the old self and put on the new self. In fact, many of us work very hard to do that, and get frustrated with ourselves when we do not succeed. The old self creeps up. Scripture says that we have been crucified with Christ. We are dead. Sin no longer has a hold on us. We are free of condemnation. We are set apart, and we are fully forgiven. Sometimes we are persuaded that we just ‘don’t cut it’ after all. How can our old dead self still rear its ugly head? The spider that still jerks around after it is dead, and the chicken running around with its head cut off are good examples of that.
Two things come to mind: 1) Submission, and 2) Believing God and His Word. When we strive to be good, there usually is no submission involved. When we surrender our own ability and our own ideas about how everything ‘should’ work, then we have a fighting chance! When the people asked Jesus what they could do to get in on what God was doing, He simply said believe. Believe in the One He sent. Believe His Words, believe Who He is.
Now back to the ‘created’ word. If I believe God, and surrender to Him, submitting all that I am and all that I have to Him, He creates something out of nothing. He creates a new Barb, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Now that sounds a bit crazy to me. However, I do see things differently than I did before I asked God to be part of my life. I have a new view of people, situations, and processes.
What can I attribute these changes to? Why did the bunny rabbit that ran around inside of me making me crazy stop? Why do I see my part in sin and want to turn from it? What makes me want to have God in my life and want to walk away from things that are not from Him? The answer: one day I decided to believe. That day God began creating something out of nothing. He killed what was killing me and brought to life what was dead. He gave me a new start, a new heart, a new mind. I wish He would have given me a new body at that time, but He is saving that for later. He promises to give me a new body when this life is over. I am truly looking forward to that!
My hope is that today, as we enter our worlds, that we will remember God has created a new living, breathing creation in us. One that is like Him. As we surrender our moments and our days, He will show us all He has for us. He gives us opportunities that we never thought we would have. He gives us life, and life abundantly (John 10:10).
The Word tells us about this transformation in 1 Corinthians 6:11King James Version (KJV)
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
And I do like the Message version of 1 Corinthians 6:9-11The Message (MSG)
9-11 Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I’m talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.
May God bless us as we look to Him for all we need.
Ephesians 4:23-24, NIV: “to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
BarbTalk: As I ponder the above scripture, the Message gives me a deeper understanding. When I read it in the NIV, I miss the fact that the word created is used. I somehow think I am in charge of the project called Barb. The word created does not say that at all. Looking it up in the Hebrew Greek Dictionary and Lexicon, I found that this is a simple action, that changes the state of things. Also the fact that the Greek word for created is represents an action of creating something out of nothing. This helps me understand about grace more fully.
It is easy to try to take off the old self and put on the new self. In fact, many of us work very hard to do that, and get frustrated with ourselves when we do not succeed. The old self creeps up. Scripture says that we have been crucified with Christ. We are dead. Sin no longer has a hold on us. We are free of condemnation. We are set apart, and we are fully forgiven. Sometimes we are persuaded that we just ‘don’t cut it’ after all. How can our old dead self still rear its ugly head? The spider that still jerks around after it is dead, and the chicken running around with its head cut off are good examples of that.
Two things come to mind: 1) Submission, and 2) Believing God and His Word. When we strive to be good, there usually is no submission involved. When we surrender our own ability and our own ideas about how everything ‘should’ work, then we have a fighting chance! When the people asked Jesus what they could do to get in on what God was doing, He simply said believe. Believe in the One He sent. Believe His Words, believe Who He is.
Now back to the ‘created’ word. If I believe God, and surrender to Him, submitting all that I am and all that I have to Him, He creates something out of nothing. He creates a new Barb, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Now that sounds a bit crazy to me. However, I do see things differently than I did before I asked God to be part of my life. I have a new view of people, situations, and processes.
What can I attribute these changes to? Why did the bunny rabbit that ran around inside of me making me crazy stop? Why do I see my part in sin and want to turn from it? What makes me want to have God in my life and want to walk away from things that are not from Him? The answer: one day I decided to believe. That day God began creating something out of nothing. He killed what was killing me and brought to life what was dead. He gave me a new start, a new heart, a new mind. I wish He would have given me a new body at that time, but He is saving that for later. He promises to give me a new body when this life is over. I am truly looking forward to that!
My hope is that today, as we enter our worlds, that we will remember God has created a new living, breathing creation in us. One that is like Him. As we surrender our moments and our days, He will show us all He has for us. He gives us opportunities that we never thought we would have. He gives us life, and life abundantly (John 10:10).
The Word tells us about this transformation in 1 Corinthians 6:11King James Version (KJV)
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
And I do like the Message version of 1 Corinthians 6:9-11The Message (MSG)
9-11 Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I’m talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.
May God bless us as we look to Him for all we need.
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