PUTTING OFF THE OLD PUTTING ON THE NEW
Jeremiah 29:11 (Johns) “For I know the purposes I have for you all,
declares the Lord, purposes for peace and success and not for misery
and disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Philippians 3:12-14 “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ
Jesus took hold of me. I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of
it. But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining toward
what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God
has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
The greatest things are still ahead in your life regardless of the
circumstances that you're going through.
One of the keys to living a new you in the new year is asking yourself the
right questions at the beginning of the year.
First question is what do I need to put off and what do I need to put on?
Ephesians 4:21–24 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned
the truth that comes from him, 22 Put off your old sinful nature and your
former way of life, which is corrupted by deceitful desires. 23 Instead, let
the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature,
created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
You put off the old. You put on the new.
The new is what God has given you in Christ.
The gift of new character. The gift of new passions. The gift of new
things that are important in your life.
New thoughts, new words, new actions.
So you have to take off the old before you can put on the new.
As long as you're caught up in the old, getting closer and closer to the
old, you're never going to change.
The only way to get rid of the old is turn around and go the opposite
direction and choose something new.
As long as you're focused on the new, you don't even see the old.
The trap of perfectionism.
There's no perfection until we get to heaven.
A second trap is the one and done trap.
It's not a one-and-done. It's an every moment decision
The third big trap is the this doesn't feel right trap.
Romans 13:12 “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us
cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”
Romans 13:14 “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision
for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
You're putting on Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:27 “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put
on Christ.”
There's both the spiritual baptism and a physical baptism.
You're baptized into Christ. You're immersed, that's what the word
means, into Christ spiritually when you put your faith in him.
There's a physical baptism and that physical baptism shows other people
and also says to ourselves what happened in our spiritual baptism.
Baptism it's not the finish line of the Christian life. It's the starting block
Second question is this. Where are the closed doors and where are the
open doors?
God's plans for your life, they are not delivered. They are discovered.
It's a process of faith.
1 Corinthians 16:9, “there is a wide open door for a great work here
although many opposed me.”
An open door is a place where God is working in your life. God is working
through your life.
An open door often comes with problems
Revelation 3:8 “ …‘Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no
one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you
have kept my word and have not denied my name.”
When God opens the door, no one can shut it.
Acts 16:6–10 “Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia
and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching
the word in the province of Asia at that time. 7 Then coming to the
borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but
again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. 8 So instead, they
went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas. 9 That night Paul had a
vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there,
pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 So we
decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was
calling us to preach the Good News there.”
Notice two things that Paul kept doing. He kept trusting and he kept
moving.
Sometimes when you get moving, he directs you back to the door that
you thought was closed before.
A third question: what seems important and what's truly important?
For us as human beings to get stuck on what seems important and by
that we miss what's truly important.
Matthew 6:25,33. “Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink or about your body. What you will wear. Is not
life more important than food and the body more important than
clothes? But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these
things will be given to you as well.”
God's kingdom, that's what's truly important
Seek first. Take time to seek first what God puts first.
Seek first what God puts first: daily time in his word
Matthew 25:36-39 “Teacher, somebody in the crowd asked him, what
command and the law is the most important? Jesus answered love the
Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.
This is the first and the most important command and the second
command is like the first. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
Love God and love people.
The number one definition of success is love God and love others.
Galatians 5:6 “What is important is faith expressing itself in love.”
Comments