Last years New Year sermon was about resolutions, I'm not good with resolutions. To have that level of commitment. But I want to talk about a renewal this year. A renewal of our commitment to God. We all like new stuff; new house, new car, etc. But God never changes. Everything God does is perfect. We're the ones who changes. Resolutions such as losing weight, excercising, etc., not really get stuck to. But we're going to talk about our renewal of commitment to God.
Ephesians 4:17-25
It talks about putting away the old man. The last few years we've had big changes, with presidents, covid, etc. I want to focus on verses 22-24.
What Paul is trying to teach is to "Don't be like you use to be." Don't be like the other gentiles that turned away from God. He says you should put your focus on God. If we're not renewing ourselves daily, we're going to be pulled away from the relationship that we should have with God. We shouldn't walk like the non-believers. We're christians, and should walk around telling others about Jesus. The non-believers walk around in sin, talk in sin, and what's worse is they don't care. How many people have you talked to about Jesus? And when you find that person that puts their hand up and not wanting to hear about Jesus because they don't want change. I can tell you even for a pastor, it's a fight, a struggle, to but the devil and his temptations that will keep us from Christ.
It's easy to put the old you back on. It's like a comfortable pair of jeans. But God says don't do that. As a christian, the worst place you'll be is out of the will of God. for those who live in sin say that it's ok. Even those church who say it's ok to have sexual immorality in your life. Don't ever get yourself in the position that you're living in the past. We need to be renewed every single day. You need to go back to the day that Jesus entered into your heart and refresh the joy that filled your heart and soul. You need to renew that.
God knows we struggle with sin daily. That's not what putting on the new man means. It's not easy to be a christian. They turned Jesus away and they will put you down when you share yout testimony.
You can look in other directions for your salvation but I'll tell you, you're looking the wrong way. Salvation comes from on high. Jesus said look at me every day. Put on that new man every single day. It's easy as christians to act like Jesus, after services but it's easy to fall back into that old man. But we have to call on jesus for help. We know when we sin. If you're not feeling the conviction when you're doing something wrong, you need to find otu who your shepherd is. If you're not being in the word of God on a regular basis, if you're not praying, how are you talking to Him and building your relationship with God?
You have to be willing to live for Jesus, to be willing to witness for Him, and to renew that commitment every single day. If you get away from jesus, the darker your life will get. Jesus is the light of the world. I don't want to get to the point wehre God won't speak to me anymore. When you're focused on your life and that selfishness has entered into your heart, that's when you're in trouble. God should have focue every single day. Just like the prodigal son, we need to put on the new robe that covers a mulititude of sins.
2 Corinthians 5:17
When you focus on the old man, the things you did in the past, you start coveting the sins. You have to put that away and focus on what is now and what is to come. It's only because we're going to walk through the streets of god and be with Jesus for eternity. Unless you were saved, from birth on, you're going to think back to your past and the sins you committed. You can't covet those times and know God.
Keep your eyes focused on God and He will bring you where you need to be. This world is temporaty, so we need to keep our focus on Jesus
I'm going to ask you to renew your commitment and put on that new man.