WE CAN'T GO BACK TO THE WAY THINGS USED TO BE

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. 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; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:17-32 NIV)

All of us can say "I used to live this way but now I live this way."  We should all have a testimony of the way things used to be but because of the grace of The Lord Jesus - we've all turned our lives around.

I remember as a child doing something really stupid one time.  I was playing with some of my friends around a little creek by our house when all of a sudden we noticed a skunk that had meandered into our path.  Here's the stupid thing I did - I took by BB gun and popped him with a BB and he didn't like that it all.  He immediately turned his tail toward and covered us with his presence.  Upon arriving home my mom wouldn't let me in the house and made me shed my clothes which she put in the trash can.  I then had to take a tomato juice bath to get the smell off me.  Even then - it lasted for days.

The problem was this - those were my favorite jeans and shirt that were now in the trash can.  I was tempted to retrieve them but every time I got close - I changed my mind.

Isn't that like a lot of as Christians?  We're given a spiritual cleansing yet we want to go and put on our old clothes again.

Paul warns us in this passage that we can't go back to the way things were.  We can't live like we used to in the past.  He then goes on to elaborate the way we used to live and warns us to not go back to our old way of doing things.  Notice this extensive list:

- We used to be darkened in our thinking and separated from God
- We used to given over to sensuality and indulged ourselves in all kinds of impurity
- We used to be full of greed
- We used to be full of deceitful desires
- We used to speak falsehood to our neighbors
- We used to steal
- We used to speak unwholesome words
- We used to grieve the Holy Spirit of God
- We used to have bitterness, rage and anger
- We used to brawl
- We used to slander
- We used to have malice in our life
- We used to have unforgiveness

But we are no longer the way we used to be.  We have been set free and now we can live and enjoy our lives.  Don't go back to old life and habits.  Keep your eyes forward and on the grace and mercy of Christ.  Don't put on those old and sinful characteristics - desiring it's pleasures.  Give yourselves fully to the work of Christ and allow Him to bring His blessings and promises to your new life.  That is where the blessings of The Lord are found today.