Casting Away The Old Man: Putting On The New Man

But as for you, speak the things

Which are proper for sound doctrine:

that the older men be sober, reverent,

temperate, sound in faith, in love,

in patience; the older women likewise,

That they be reverent in behavior,

not slanderers, not given to much wine,

teachers of good things––that they

admonish the young women to love

their husbands, to love their children,

to be discreet, chaste, homemakers,

good, obedient to heir own husbands,

that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

Titus 2:1–5

            After taking time off during Christmas and New Year’s Day to visit family, and friends, it is time to get back to the work at hand. That work is not to prove people wrong, rather it is it attempt to move people to think, to ask as Socrates would have employed; think, ask the question why, and when you find an answer ask the question, why, again, keep searching for the truth. It is the truth we seek so that our faith is Authentic Biblical Faith, that we change from the inside out and our lives are living lives that demonstrate to the world: Jesus Christ. By examining the past, those philosophers and others that have made an impact on the world, upon the lives of people, we can determine and authenticate what we believe and how our beliefs align with Scripture. It is not enough that we can quote from memory the creeds of the Church, that we can recite the Lord’s Prayer, that we attend regularly Church services, sing songs of praise in rote. There must be a conversion that is a shaking off the old man and putting on the new man: “If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 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” (Ephesians 4:21–24). As we grow in knowledge of Jesus Christ, His commands, His requirements as to how we are to live, we find that we are enlightened as we study how men from the past have so influenced us that we are not as God has intended for His children to live, we are corrupt. Until we come to understand both Scripture and acknowledge those influences that lead us to be lustful, corrupt, we will not completely allow ourselves to be converted; we hang on to parts of the path that need to be shaken off. Conversion and not just a decision must occur if we are not to blaspheme God by our thoughts, our actions. This renewing of the “old man” is not a one time event, it is a life long effort for we are fallen in our nature, and we will sin, either by commission or omission, and we must fall on our knees before our Holy God and ask for repentance. This He gives to His children through the efficacious work of His Son Jesus Christ: “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the tow, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity” (Ephesians 2:14–16). Our foundation is not some philosophers ideology or philosophy; our foundation is Jesus Christ, the cross. It is the sure hope built upon the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the grave and ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God making intercession for all those God has given to Him: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). God draws those He has elected and gives to them the faith to convert to Him. A person may object to this fact but Scripture is plain and clear: No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day…..And he said, ‘Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father’”(John 6:44,65); “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).  We can choose either to allow His grace to work in us, allowing ourselves to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit working in us, or we can choose to follow the wisdom of this world, a wisdom that is passing away and is opposed to righteousness. How can anyone know which they are following? Worldly wisdom? Or, wisdom of God? This we do by considering those things that are so often purported as truth when all it is, is Satan attempting to shine as the light of truth. We take the time to consider how we are affected by such teachings by men and women who teach their ideologies and avoiding the truth of Scripture. This I will continue to do by looking at those who have gone before us and have had an impact on society, on us individually so that we arrive at Authentic Biblical Truth, and that we live by Authentic Biblical Faith. We have looked briefly at Platoism, and now we must examine neo–Platonism and its affect upon the Church. So the next blogs will consider this philosophy. I am going slow so walk with me, question me, add comments, or questions so that iron will sharpen iron. Our goal: Changing from the Inside Out, to reach Authentic Biblical Faith.

For you have need of endurance,

            So that after you have done

The will of God, you may receive

            The promise:

                        Hebrews 10:36

Draw Near To God With A True Heart

Richard L. Crumb