New Life New WaySample

Grow Up

There comes a time in our lives when we need to put aside the old self, the old way of thinking, our sinful nature, and grow up spiritually into new men and women in Christ. We need to realize that we are not who we used to be anymore. There comes a time when we need to leave the old self behind and know that, as we abide in Christ, we need to start releasing what is within us.

What is our old way of thinking and sinful nature? According to Apostle Paul in Ephesians, it is pointless thinking, darkened understanding, being excluded from the life of God, ignorant, with hardened hearts, and calloused (when we lose the capacity to feel shame). It is being promiscuous, impure, and greedy—with a constant desire to want more and more of the things that do not come from God. It means having an appetite for sin.

Sin is an appetite, and the more we eat from it, the more we are going to want. That is why it is so important for us to leave our sinful nature behind. Christian author and evangelist Ravi Zacharias put it this way: “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

Whenever we begin to have the sinful appetites of our old self, we need to remind ourselves that is not what we really want and not who we really are. We do not want sin if we are believers in Christ; and even if we do not believe in Christ, we do not want a life of sin either. There is a famous quote that says: “Every time a man knocks on the door of a brothel, he is really knocking for God.” Even the most sinful man is looking for God.

Can you imagine the owner of a business saying that he wants his employees to be ignorant, impure, greedy, hard-hearted, always thinking about pointless things? Even if he is not a Christian, he will want his employees to be like the new man in Christ, not like the old man.

I pray that you may put aside your old sinful nature and grow up spiritually. Embrace your new life in Christ, leaving sin behind and following in His steps.