Contemplative Bible Reading

Ephesians 4:21-24 (New Living Translation)

21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Paul is writing to Christians in Ephesus. There are many sentences in this section of Paul’s letter encouraging the Christians to be “like Christ” instead of like all the folks living around them. Those folks lust and crave after every shiny object and every pretty person they see. Get this; get that, and grab it all.

“Stop that childish behavior,” says Paul.

But it is more than that. It is more than “good clean living.” Put on the new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

In the eyes of many, Christians behave. That is one reason people sort of like us some of the time. We cut our grass, put our trash cans at the right spot on the right day of the week, and everything else to keep up the property values in the neighborhood. We are nice folks. Good neighbors.

There is more to it. I shouldn’t be satisfied with that. Let the Spirit of God renew our thoughts and attitude. This happens daily, hourly, minute by minute. I have the strength of God in me. I can do and be much better. Please God, help me in my unbelief.