Our hearts contain key ideas about God, ourselves, those around us, and our circumstances. If our core beliefs are skewed, we are well on our way to sinful bitterness of heart and life. We can never change until we give careful attention to what we believe. Proverbs 23:7 reminds us that, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” In the area where we struggle with bitterness, we need to evaluate what wrong beliefs need to be discarded and what correct beliefs need to be developed. As we rebuild our core beliefs, through the principles and precepts of the Word of God, we can find the joy we long for in the midst of the circumstances of life. It is not always easy to change the way we think and react to our circumstances, but it is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in the heart of every true follower of Jesus Christ.… READ MORE

Because there is an essential difference between the believer and their old life, we need to implement the “Put Off”/”Put On” principle that is outlined in Ephesians 4:22-24. Christians grow by stopping what is wrong (either in their heart or behavior) and REPLACING sinful approaches with ones that please the Lord. The beauty is that this happens both positionally and practically the moment we trust Christ. In the account books of heaven, we laid aside the old self (Ephesians 4:22), and the new self was placed upon us (Ephesians 4:24). Practically speaking, now we must put of what is wrong behavior, and replace it with what is right as outlined in the Word of God. In the power of Christ, God’s people stop doing what is wrong and start doing what is right. This process is accomplished through the renewing of our minds (Ephesians 4:23). As we live the Christian life, the principles and precepts of the Word of God are written on our hearts, and change will take place. There is an element of the will that is connected to the transformation that comes with Christ, so that our motivation for change is not to gain merit for our … READ MORE

We need to build a strategy from growth and change as a believer, and that change must be built on the foundation of the gospel. We need to understand that there is an essential difference in our who we are now that we are a follower of Jesus Christ. The Doctrinal truths found in Ephesians are not given in a vacuum. God is most honored when His children make genuine, specific concrete changes in and through His power. The principles found in Ephesians 4:17-2 can go a long way toward helping us achieve that purpose. We are given a contrast between an unbelieving lifestyle in verse 22 and the saved lifestyle in verse 24. The hinge on which this contrast turns is essential for understanding the nuts and bolts of how to change. Verse 22 speaks about an approach to life that is characterized as “being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit.” The opposite of this approach is seen in verse 24, which is to live “in the likeness of God” according to the “righteousness and holiness of the truth.” This means that spiritual growth requires a gospel-centered focus on living less by our feelings and desires ad … READ MORE