Rules for a new life:

RULES FOR A NEW LIFE, BY PUTTING OFF THE OLD MAN (OLD WAY OF DOING) AND PUT ON THE NEW MAN IN CHRIST:

EPHESIANS 4:20-32

Verse 20 --- But ye have not so learned Christ:

Verse 21 --- If so, be that ye heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

Verse 22 --- That ye put off concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts:

Verse 23 --- And be renewed in the spirit of your mind:

Verse 24 --- And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness:

Verse 25 --- Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor; for we are members one of another:

Verse 26 --- Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Verse 27 --- Neither give place to the devil:

Verse 28 --- Let him that stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he have more to give to him that needeth:

Verse 29 --- Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers,

Verse 30 --- And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption:

Verse 31 --- Let all bitterness and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

Verse 32 --- And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you:

These verses are pretty clear in what the apostle Paul has written: He is telling us how we should live after receiving Christ as our Savior:

We need to change our speech, our feelings, how we treat others, rather they are in Christ or not:

I know, I for one had a hard time changing to what God wanted me to be: You see, I had been made fun of all of my childhood life: I was with -drawn because I was bashed in the head with books on the bus to and from school: I could not go anywhere, other than to relatives homes, that I wasn’t made fun of:

This caused me to crawl in a shell, as to speak: I could not make friends (except for a few that went to our church) for fear of being made fun of or being bashed in the head with books:

This life style stayed with me right up to adult stage, where I was left alone:

Even after I found someone that loved me for who I was, did not make fun of me, I still had trouble opening up and making friends: But I can tell you that after letting the word of God change and develop me into who he wanted, I began to live a changed life:

I still don’t say much around strangers, but after I know them, I can talk to them without being concerned of being the way I was:

God’s word will change us if we put it to work and it will work for anyone else, if they will take the time to put the word of God to work:

I still find issues that I have to change, but you know what, I have the word in me and because of that, I use God’s word to transform me:

Verse 22 --- tells us to get rid of our former way of talking

Verse 23 --- Tells us to be renewed in our minds and spirit: that simply means, make a change:

Verse 24 --- Tells us again, to get rid of who we were before Christ changed us and put on righteousness and true holiness:

Verse 25 --- We ought to always be telling the truth in every situation:

Verse 26 --- If you get angry, forgive, don’t go to bed angry but put on the joy of the Lord which will come when we do what he says:

Verse 27 --- Very clear and simple: Don’t give any place to the devil:

Verse 28 --- very clear, if we stole in the past, stop it: Go to work with your hands and do the things that are good and learn to give to others:

Verse 29 --- Again, watch what you say: Use your mouth to edify, build up and minister grace to others: (Don’t put anyone down, but build them up). You can always find something good to say to others:

Verse 30 --- Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit; this is pretty plain

Verse 31 --- Get rid of bitterness, (in other words, forgive those who hurt you) (Bitterness will hinder your faith walk) Put away evil speaking:

Verse 32 --- Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving on another; act like God would act: If you don’t know how to handle someone, I always look and ask myself, What would Jesus do?

Become more Christ like in our daily walk, forgive and forget: Love others even if it is hard or seems impossible to do:

I can truly say, I have forgiven everyone who made fun of me, hit me over the head with books, laughed at me for no reason at all:

Be made in the image of God!

REMEMBER: JESUS IS LORD!

For more of my writings, go to: williamlear.org

Rules for a new life