A principle taught in the Bible is one that is taught in secular psychology as well. If you have ever quit a bad habit (sin) you know that it is one of the hardest things to do. Smokers will chew gum and when I quit drugs I began to drink a lot of caffeine. What we were doing was replacing one thing for another. When you quit something like drugs or alcohol you will find that you will have free time during which you used to indulge in your addiction (sin) and if you don’t replace it with something else your mind will wander back and eventually you will be doing those old things again.
So now you say what does that have to do with the Bible? When we are saved, as we saw earlier, we become a new man, however; the old nature still abides within us as we still have our sinful bodies. Paul would deal with this in writing to the church at Ephesus. In Ephesians 4 Paul is dealing with a church that is falling back into old behaviors: Eph 4:17-20 ¶ This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ. His desire is to teach them how to become successful in their daily walk. This is where the teaching of putting off and putting on comes in.
Eph 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Eph 4:25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
Eph 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Eph 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.
Eph 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Paul clearly is telling us that we not only need to stop doing what we are doing, but that we are to start doing new things in their place. A mature christian is not only avoiding sin but is seeking righteousness. May this be our daily prayer and desire to please God in our life.
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