Put off your Old-self and put on your New-self created to be like God
Text Ephesians 4:20-24
To change from your old self to become your new self in Christ is a central message in the Bible.
The New self: This is the original you, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (4:24). With your new self, you will bear fruit, you will do well in life, and you will receive eternal life.
The Old self: this is what you got from Adam, shaped differently by life’s circumstances; its deceitful desires corrupt your life.
Every human being has an old self that can destroy if you don’t get rid of it. How do you know this? Keeping Your Old self will be your downfall as a child of a God.
Why you should put off your old self:
Because of God’s kindness towards you (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10).
To escape judgement, hellfire ( Mark 9:43-48). What Old self should you put off? Any desire, lifestyle, attitude, character, friendship, person, association, dream, or vision that takes you away from God; or that makes you not be faithful to God.
How do we get rid of our Old self?
Knowledge of God to know what is good and what is not, 2. prayer to God for help, and 3. self-discipline, to think right, to do what is right, and to keep on obeying God (1 Cor 9:24-29).
Case 1: Jacob’s marriage to Rachel and Leah ( Genesis 29:16-27).
Jacob laboured unnecessarily to get his wives, mainly because he was used to doing things his own way, not according to standard traditions.
Case study 2: The story of Rachel and her father’s gods
Rachel’s old self was responsible for her untimely death when she stole her father’s gods (Genesis 31:19; 31-37; 35:16-18).
The Old Testament believers had idol worship problems (Exodus 32; Joshua 24:23-24).
In our days, self-worship (subjective-spirituality) is the problem ( 1 Timothy 3:1-5) and the following of deceiving spirits (1 Timothy 4:1).