Saturday, February 9, 2013

The New Man (Featured Devotion)


Day 18

Saturday

The New Man

Ephesians 4:24

Put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Ever been in a mud pit?  Believe it or not, it’s a favorite experience for youngsters at summer camp.  They can slip, slide, roll and wrestle in the mud to their hearts’ content before being hosed down and heading for the showers.  For most adults, however, jumping in the mud has lost its charm.

Isaiah 64:6 says that without God’s forgiveness we’re dressed in “filthy rags.”  We’re caked with mud and filth.  After His forgiveness, we’re clothed in the righteousness of Christ.  Becoming a Christian means, according to Colossians 3 and Ephesians 4, that we “put off the old man with his deeds,” such as anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, and lying.  We clothe ourselves in “the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him [Christ].”

Take a moment and imagine being covered with mud, mire, grime, and filth.  Now think of hot showers and fresh clothes.  That’s a picture of how it feels to put on the new man.  That’s what it means to be a forgiven follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Quote

I was like a stone that lies in deep mud, and He who is mighty came and in His compassion raised me up and exalted me very high and placed me on the top of the wall.

St. Patrick

From: “Turning Points” Magazine and Devotional
Turning Points

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