(Ephesians 4:22)  “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;”

This morning I have to make a choice what to wear to work. Do I put on my shorts, t-shirt and running shoes? I think people would be confused if I walked into a meeting dressed like that. My clothes won’t match my position and they definitely won’t match what I’m expected to wear and I won’t be able to get the job done. Whatever clothes I pick out today, they need to portray my identity.

“That” = as a result of the previous verse, this is what we should do. We’ve heard Christ by the preaching of the gospel. We’ve been taught by Him through the message of His grace. There is a result of receiving this teaching.

“put off concerning the conversation the old man” = we have a conscious choice to make. Do we continue to identify with our old life and old lifestyle? Do we continue to walk in those things that are contrary to His thinking and His will? It is a choice based on faith on our new identity in Him. We don’t have to live like who we were before Christ. We can make a decision to change our life to be consistent with who we are now.

If my clothes are old, ragged, dirty and smelly, why would I wear them? If I just showered, should I put them back on? No, now that I’ve been washed, I’m clean. It’s time to choose to wear something clean because that’s who I am. If I am really clean by the blood of the lamb, I also have a choice about the lifestyle I live. Do I live like a person who doesn’t know Christ, pursuing those things against the will of God? Or do I live a life that is aligned with someone in a personal, intimate relationship with the Lord? I have the freedom to choose my lifestyle not as an external display but as a result. As a result of the gospel, I am now clean on the inside. Now I can pursue a life that is clean and throw away the old life because that is who I am in Christ – and so are you!

Renewed Thought – Christianity is not forced labor. It is the pursuit of a life consistent with our identity.