Happy New Year! At the beginning of this new year, millions of people are thinking about change. They are thinking about changing the way they live their lives—the way they eat; the way they spend their money; the amount of exercise they get; the way they spend their time. The New Year is a fresh start for many, and perhaps many of you, our readers, have resolved or purposed to make some changes in your own life this coming year. But as believers, we must understand that God wants us to be continuously changing. Read through Ephesians chapter four. God’s Word makes it abundantly clear that if we are to be the kind of Christians God wants us to be, then we need to be people who are changing daily.
The world is changing all around us. Technology is changing the way we live our lives. The reality of global war and terrorism is changing our understanding of personal and national security. The boom in human population is changing the appearance of our cities and towns. The fashions that come and go are changing the way people look. The aging process changes many aspects of our lives. But the change that we need to focus upon is internal, not external. God’s Word says much about the need to be continually changing internally. As Christians, we must understand our need for change, the requirements for change, and the goal of change.
The Need For Change—A careful look at Ephesians 4 reveals that we need to change because God commands us to change. In no uncertain terms, we are commanded to “put off” the old man, to “put on” the new man, and to be “renewed” in the spirit of our mind. Yet we also need to change because we still possess a propensity to sin (vv. 14, 17). The apostle Paul battled against the flesh throughout his own life (Rom. 7:17-18), and if this great man of God struggled in this area, we certainly will too. We need to be continually changing because we are in a daily battle with the world, the flesh, and the devil. God’s Word teaches us that our inward man should be renewed daily (2 Cor. 4:16) and should never cease from changing as we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (Col. 3:10; 2 Pet. 3:18). We will certainly fail and fall short at times, but the God of grace knows our weakness and struggles, and He will not only see us through, but He has promised never to leave, fail, or forsake us.
The Requirements For Change—Our need to be constantly changing is undeniable. But what must we do to change? First, we must be willing to change and be used for the glory of God. Yet we must take this one step further. To quietly sit and think about our need to change or even to be willing to change or to purpose to change is not enough. We must be willing to be renewed to the point of action. While it may be difficult to change at times, change can come to pass with God’s enablement (Phil. 2:13; 4:13). Second, not only must we be willing to change to the point of action, but we must “put off,” or unclothe ourselves of, the “old man,” that is, our old habits and actions to which we are naturally accustomed (Eph. 4:22 cf. Col. 3:5-9). These include lying, wrathful anger, stealing, corrupt communication, bitterness, malice, evil speaking, fornication, covetousness, blasphemy or anything else contrary to the will of God. Third, we must then “put on” the “new man,” that is, we must clothe ourselves with new thinking, habits, and actions (Eph. 4:24 cf. Col. 3:10-17). Examples of that which we are to “put on” include righteousness, truth, holiness, forgiveness, kindness, meekness, patience, love, peace, thankfulness or anything else that finds itself in accordance with God’s will. Finally, in order to be continually changing we must possess renewed thinking (Eph. 4:23 cf. Col. 3:10). This is so vitally important, for the way in which we “put off” and “put on” is accomplished only through renewed thinking which leads to renewed habits and actions. Romans 12:2 reminds us that we can only be changed, or transformed, by this “renewing” of our mind.
The Goal of Change—Our goal as Christians is twofold. First, we must purpose to have the mind of Christ. Ephesians 4:13 and Romans 8:28-29 reveal that we are to be growing up and changing from the time we are saved until the time we are glorified. This life-long process involves putting on the mind of Christ (Eph. 4:20-21, 32; Eph. 5:2 and Phil. 2:5). How can we know the mind of Christ? First we must be his children through faith alone in His perfect sacrifice and bodily resurrection. Second, we must be yielded to Christ as obedient children. Third, we must study the written Word in order to know the mind of the Living Word. To be “Christ-like” involves our thoughts and motives and actions. Our second goal as Christians is to honor and glorify our Savior in everything we say, think and do. Ephesians 3:16-21 introduces us to the way in which we glorify God—by changing daily as we are “strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.” If our goal in life is to glorify God, and it should be, then we have no choice but to be changing daily into men and women who are yielded to Christ, who are putting off the lusts of the flesh, and who are putting on the mind of Christ. With God’s help, may each of strive to grow and change each day in the coming year into the kind of Christian that honors and glorifies our wonderful Lord. — Matt Costella
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