BC – AC

Ephesians 4:22-24 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

I ended up in Ephesians 4 this morning, and so much of it speaks of the new person and our change once we accept Christ. There is a true “BC” – Before Christ. There is also an “AC” After Christ in your life’s timeline. There is that point in history when your life changes forever, and the pursuit and the lens which you see this life is forever altered. As Dr. Ed Gravely puts it so well, you begin to see life through the “lens of the gospel”. We begin to feel conviction of the old habits that are still there. The Spirit begins to show us where our faults lie, and gives us the power through God’s grace to help us change our ways. This process is called Sanctification.

Sanctification is a process, not immediate, but continual throughout your life. 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. It is the  work of God in your life to mold you into a better person, a person closer to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Sanctification is spoken of twice in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor. This was always a huge struggle for me and in today’s society it is a large struggle for many. But Sanctification is not only in related to sex, but our speech, actions, and thoughts on a daily basis. When God begins to stir in your soul, it is His way of working through the sin in your life, through the conviction of that sin. The Spirit is strong enough to change you like you can’t, if you let Him.