“and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” Ephesians 4:24
As you read through the New Testament Epistles, one thing that stands out in Paul’s Letters is his division between Doctrine and Application. Romans is a great example where he takes 11 Chapters to communicate his “Teaching” and the last 5 to “Apply” what he has just taught. He does the same in Ephesians. The first 3 are his Doctrinal Statement and the last 3 his Application! But as you read the entire Book, one thing is clear; True Christianity is Radical!!!
It is not an Academic Assent to believing in Jesus. It goes far beyond that. It is a Complete Transformation of heart and soul. It is a complete and wholesale abandonment of one way of life, and the embracing of another. Jesus described this when He said to Nicodemus, “you must be born again” and when Paul told the Corinthians they were “New Creatures”. Here Paul continues that same thinking with the Ephesians and tells them in Verse 22 “lay aside the old self” and in Today’s Verse “put on the new self”. If that is not RADICAL, I don’t know what is! Does this describe your Faith?