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We have just celebrated the beginning of a new year with a glorious Watchnight service and many joyous wishes for a “Happy New Year.”  The new year is a time for new beginnings, new resolutions, new habits, and, most importantly, new attitudes.

A favorite activity during the holiday season is the joy of shopping and wearing our new clothes.  In speaking of our spiritual lives, Paul also uses the illustration of clothes: “Put off…put on.” (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:9-10)   Paul admonishes us to “…put off your old self… be made new in the attitude of your minds… and to put on the new self.”  (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10) 

The Greek verbs translated put off and put on indicate a once-for-all action.  When we trust in Christ, we put off the old life and put on the new.  The old man has been buried and the new man is now in control.   This is the truth we symbolize by water baptism.  However, the verb translated renewed or be made new is a present participle—“who is constantly being renewed” (Colossians 3:9).

When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour we are instantly given a new position--we become a new creation in Him.  The crisis of conversion begins the process of sanctification—day by day we must by faith appropriate what God has given us.  It is our responsibility as believers to renew our mind every day   Paul spells it out:   “Be made new in the attitude of your mind” (v. 23).  In another place he states “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2)   How can we do this?  .  

The Word of God renews the mind.  “Sanctify them through the truth, Your Word is truth” (John 17:17).  As the mind understands the truth of God’s Word, it is gradually transformed by the Spirit.  This renewal leads to a changed life.  Physically, you are what you eat.  Spiritually, you are what you think.  “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).  This is why it is important for us as believers to spend time daily meditating on the Word, praying and fellowshipping with Christ.

We need the enlightenment and nourishment that come from the Scriptures.  The apostle Paul said the Word “is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32)  This building up does not come by reading a dozen chapters one day and never opening the Book again for a week.  Like the nourishment of regular meals, it comes by following a regular Bible diet, “every day a portion” (Jeremiah 52:34).

The Bible will nourish us.  “nourishing up in the words of faith and of good doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:6 KJV)  The Bible will change us.  Moses climbed the mount to receive the Word and he experienced a miraculous change.  His face shone until he had to put a veil on it.  

Let this be our goal for the year 2018: to grow more like Christ.  That’s what Paul was talking about when he exhorted us to put on a new attitude.  Listen to what he said: “Be made new in the attitude of your minds, and put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:23-24)  This is my prayer for the new year.

                      “Oh, to be like Thee, oh, to be like Thee; 

                        Blessed redeemer, pure as thou art;

                        Come in thy sweetness; come in thy fullness;

                        Stamp thine own image deep on my heart.”  

                                          T.O. Chisholm