My Old-self

That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; (Ephesians 4:20-22 NIV)

I had a great weekend. I spent Saturday and Sunday with my CMA family riding the south central Indiana highways, eating, and just having fun. We had a wonderful Sunday morning devotion. I love time we spend with fellow believers and opening ourselves up to the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

I just don't understand how Christians can go through life without constant, daily contact with God. I am a sinful person and when I don't converse with Jesus, my corrupted old-self has a way of taking over. I need constant reminders of what I've been taught and what the truth is. I fight a battle every day over my former way of life. Like an alcoholic, the sinful desires never go away. Once an alcoholic always an alcoholic. Once a sinner, always a sinner. However, with the grace of God we can overcome those desires to live a righteous life. We must remember what we've been taught and keep our focus on him. We need to spend time with our Christian brothers and sisters. The Holy Spirit uses keep us on the correct path. Sharing our inner struggles and our victories help others. We need to be open to the promptings to share our hearts and listen to those who follow that prompting.  If we do, the Holy Spirit will defeat our old-self and we can be renewed daily.