Articles
Life Changing! Part 1
We hear of events in life that are life changing. We most likely have experienced these
types of events in our own lives. We graduate, have a wedding, the birth of a baby, a big move,
and the list goes on. In life, events unfold that will forever change the way we think and act.
Each one of us has events in our past that changed the course of our lives in noticeable ways.
Some events were of our own choosing, while others were thrust upon us.
Becoming a Christian should be one of those life changing events. A profound decision is
being made to take on a new identity and become a disciple of Christ. In the book of Ephesians
Paul writes about the importance of this life changing event. “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” (Ephesians 4:22-24).
The first point Paul made is that these people were “taught” what they needed to do. The
changes we need to make as Christians do not come naturally or miraculously once we are
baptized. In order for us to become the people God wants us to be we must study and read His
word and decide to make the changes in our lives.
Second, we see that there is a putting away of the old life that we led before we became a
Christian. This can take many different forms, but we must be willing to give up all that we were
attached to and follow Christ.
Third, Paul calls us to have a profound change that affects us down to our core. He calls
for a change in the very attitude of our mind. To truly become a new self, a new person in Christ
Jesus. Our goal is to be holy like God and we can’t do that living a worldly life. ~ Brad
Tolbert
