Faith to Crucify the Old Man
ICS Daily Devotions
Ephesians 4:22 (NKJV) that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.
In his letter to the church in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul reminds us that we are called to live as new creations by embracing the new creation realities Christ has made possible. He urges us to put off our old selves and, through faith, step into the glory of Christ.
The “old man” is summed up in individualism, where people live for themselves. The selfish self, or, in religious terms, sin, lives independently of God. Concerned with self-worth, self-esteem, security, and appearance, people lust for worldly goods and wealth because they want others to admire, respect, and even worship them. However, if any of these collapses in their lives, their emotions will be everywhere, and those closest to them will suffer from verbal and possibly physical abuse.
If we pursue success and significance for self-glorification at all costs, we will have no moral absolutes because we think moral values and principles will hinder our success. We also risk forgoing relationships, including with those closest to us, when life is all about ourselves and our self-interests.
Why does the Apostle Paul call them “deceitful lusts”? They are deceiving because we think we will be satisfied and secure after obtaining them. Sadly, even after becoming the highest achiever, there will still be an emptiness in our hearts. Perhaps our emotions are all over the place because we struggle with rejection, so we crave affirmation, validation, and endorsement from people. We also fear that someone will overtake us sooner or later.
When everything fails to satisfy the emptiness in their hearts, some people attempt to numb their emotions, insecurity, rejection, and pain through substance abuse. However, the lust will never stop because we will always crave more. We want to be better than others and be the centre of attention, just like Lucifer did before his fall.
We think those lustful things help us, but they are destroying and corrupting us. The love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Unless Jesus is the Lord of our lives, we are all lost and will fall into eternal damnation.
Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
It is God’s will for us to prosper in our souls by having good interpersonal relationships. If we want to live the “new man” and the new lifestyle in Christ, we must crucify the “old man” through faith in the new creation realities. This new identity is how God has chosen to view us. He did this by blessing us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, which we can apply and walk in now.
Sermon Series: Faith in the New Creation Realities
