Daily Affirmations - Day 4 - The Former Things - Put Off The Old Self, Put On The New Self
Day 4: Put off the old self, put on the new self
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 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 (Ephesians 4:22-24).
Just and righteous God, we often compare ourselves to each other, and to the corrupt world around us, but we know when we look into our own souls that our best human efforts cannot hold up under the gaze of a pure and holy God.
We can never be good enough to live as Your people here on earth and in Your heaven— Your holy dwelling (Psalm 24:3-5). It is only by Your grace that we are saved, through faith... not from [ourselves], it is the gift of God— not by works so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). In Your sight, all our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
But You do not save us so that we can continue in our filthy rags— that would be contrary to the purpose of the costly sacrifice by Your Son Jesus. The apostle Paul strongly vigorously rejects the notion, explaining to the early Roman believers: "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Romans 6:1-2 - KJV).
We do not become godly by our own efforts, but once You save us by Your grace, You transform us by Your Spirit. Your divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness (2 Peter 1:3).
And yet our transformation process is not passive— You call us to make active and ongoing choices to walk by the Spirit, and to walk in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 25), so that we would stand in the freedom Jesus gives (Galatians 5:1); no longer chained to the former things that kept us fast bound in sin and nature's night.*
Today, and every day, Lord, by Your sustaining power, help us to put off our old corrupted identity of futile thinking, darkened understanding, ignorance, and hardening against God. Help us to cast aside the filthy rags in our old wardrobe; among them deceitful desires; lying; falsehood; unrelenting anger; dishonesty; greed; idleness; corrupt, profane, destructive, and hurtful communication; bitterness; rage; malice; and slander (Ephesians 4:25-31).
Make us new, O God, in the attitude of our minds, fashioned and modeled after Your example of true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:23-24). Help us to daily clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness (Colossians 3:12-13).
Cover us, Lord, from sin's exposure. Clothe us in the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14, Galatians 3:27).
*Charles Wesley, And Can It Be
Jesus, thy blood and righteousness,
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.
~ Nicolaus Ludwig, Graf von Zinzendorf, 1739
~ John Wesley, Translator
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