Daily Devotional for Tuesday 24th September
A New You: Living the Transformed Life
I like to watch those TV make-over programmes that promise to transform your life! Like DIY SOS, Garden Rescue or Sort Your Life Out with Stacey Solomon! I love the before and after scenes and seeing the way people’s lives are radically improved as they start to live in a new way.
In our reading today, Paul draws a stark contrast between the life we once lived and the new life we are called to in Christ. He urges believers to abandon the ways of the ‘Gentiles’—a term he uses here to describe those living apart from God. These are people who, because of their hardened hearts, live in spiritual darkness, driven by futility, ignorance, and desires that lead to a life far from God.
Paul uses strong language to describe this state He says they are ‘darkened in their understanding’ and ‘separated from the life of God.’ This describes a life lived without the light and guidance of God's truth, where the heart has become so calloused that it no longer responds to His love and conviction. It’s a sobering reminder of what life can become when we live apart from God, seeking fulfilment in things that ultimately lead to emptiness.
But Paul reminds us that this is not the way we have learned to live in Christ. Through Jesus, we have been taught a new way—a way of life that involves a complete transformation. This transformation begins with a conscious decision to ‘put off your old self.’ Our old self is marked by deceitful desires, a mindset focused on selfish gain, and a life that is often dominated by sin. In Christ, we are given the power to lay aside this old nature.
However, this is not merely about avoiding bad behaviour. It’s about being ‘made new in the attitude of your minds.’ The Christian life is marked by a renewal that starts on the inside. It's a transformation that begins with our thinking, our attitudes, and our desires. This inward change then reflects outwardly as we ‘put on the new self,’ which is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
In Christ, we are given a new identity. We are no longer who we once were. Our lives are now marked by a pursuit of righteousness, holiness, and a relationship with God that changes everything. This new life is not about rules and regulations but about living out of the identity that God has given us—becoming who He created us to be.
Time to reflect…
Are there areas in your life where you still feel the pull of the ‘old self’?
How can you actively renew your mind daily to align more with the new life Christ has given you?
What does it mean for you to ‘put on the new self’ in your everyday actions and decisions?
Pause to pray…
Lord, thank You for the new life You have given us in Christ. Help us to put off our old selves and to be made new in the attitude of our minds. Teach us to live in true righteousness and holiness, not in our strength but through the power of Your Spirit. Renew our hearts daily, and help us to reflect Your love and truth in all that we do. May our lives be a testament to the transformation that comes through knowing You. Amen.
