THE OLD HAS TO GO

 

THE OLD HAS TO GO

II Cor. 5:17 What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! NLT

We say it, but do we mean it? By the way many of us live, I question how much we really mean it. We hang onto our old ways. We don’t let the Lord change us where we need to be changed. We resist getting rid of those things which once brought us meaning and pleasure. We do not take on the new life that is ours in Christ very easily.

When Christ takes up residence in our hearts, things cannot remain the same. He is righteous and holy and cannot dwell where sin dwells. He does not sit idly by and not deal with sinful habits. He deals with sinful motives and attitudes. He changes the way we think and feel. He roots out everything in our hearts that is not pure and holy.

The work of Christ in us is a process. For some of us, it takes a long time for us to get rid of our old ways and for some of us the process is much quicker. One of the strongest hindrances we have to change is the breaking down of our wills. In order for us to grow in Christ, we must have the desire to grow. The Lord will not violate our wills. He wants us to want to change before He sets in motion what needs to be done to make us change.

The goal of Christ in us is to make us holy. It is what we will be if we yield ourselves to His lordship over us. If we resist Him, we will never have the peace and victory that we long for in our walk with Him. Let Him have His way in you and you will be much happier.