The room was brightly lit with white walls. Yet, two spots were more vivid than anything else. Damage to the paint had allowed old blue wallpaper to shine through the paint. The old had overcome the new and was obscuring the beauty of the space.
As Christians, we’re supposed to be transformed by the gospel (Romans 12:1-2). Our thinking, behavior and perceptions must be trained by the Word of God, so we can glorify Christ (Ephesians 3:20-4:1).
Every minute brings a fresh challenge to live by the spirit (Galatians 5:16). Our fleshly self was a bundle of sins, prejudices and faults (Romans 3:23). When we’re immersed into Christ, we retain these weaknesses despite possessing the strength to rise above them (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Faced with daily temptations, we fight to maintain the spiritual walk (1 Peter 5:8) as we battle the darkness (Psalm 119:105; 1 John 1:5).
When we take our eyes off of Christ, we’re distracted by the annoyances of life (Matthew 14:28-30). We hurt the cause of Christ when we fuss and fight over opinions, tastes and preferences. We allow the old to shine through when we lose our spiritual focus.
Brethren, we must remain firmly in the Word so we can minimize the old bleeding through. When we drop our armor, Satan’s arrows pierce our spiritual skin (Ephesians 6:10-17).
We must mature spiritually so we can prioritize the things around us. Winning souls is more important than our opinions.
We must hold firmly to God’s Word and never negotiate truth (John 14:15; Galatians 1:6-9). Yet, far too many Christians will defend their opinions far more diligently than they ever will the truth of God (1 Peter 3:15).
Putting the spiritual over the fleshly at all times is the greatest challenge we’ll ever face. However, Christ and heaven are worth the sacrifice.