Ephesians 4:17-24

Recently I was reading through my wife's favorite book of the Bible; Ephesians.  As I was reading through chapter 4, verses 17-24 really stood out to me.

Paul is urging the believers in Ephesus to no longer to live like the Gentiles(unbelievers).  How do unbelievers live?  As we look at the text, we see that, in the futility of their minds they are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of their ignorance due to the hardness of their hearts. They have become callous, given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

Paul then goes on to tell the believers that they did not learn those things from Christ. Paul tells them that they are to lay aside the old self that was corrupted with deceit. He further says that they are renewed and  are to put on the new self which is in the likeness of God created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Have you put aside your old self?  Can people around you see the new self, which is in the likeness of God.

If you are having difficulty putting aside your old self, continue to pray that  the Lord will change the hardness of your heart, and then surrender to His will.