Changing Your Oil
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)
Cars need good oil to run well. If you change your oil yourself, you know the first thing to do is jack up the car, put jackstands under it (DO NOT RELY ON THE JACK ALONE!), and drain the old oil. As oil ages, it becomes dirty and sludgy and does not lubricate the motor’s working parts as it should.
So what does motor oil have to do with Scripture? In a way, quite a bit. If you receive Jesus as Saviour, say, as an adult, you may have already developed certain behaviors like profane words, attitudes toward people, habits, music you listen to, TV shows you watch, or internet sites you visit. Even if you received Jesus at a very young age, you can still pick up behaviors like these, which can be hard to break.
Certain behaviors are like old motor oil. As old, dirty motor oil must be replaced, old behaviors must be replaced with new. That’s why our verse says to put off concerning the former conversation with the old man. That means not to continue with sinful ways that were in your life before you received Jesus as Saviour.
One way to know if some behavior is “old oil” is to think of Philippians 1:27. It says, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ:” How are your speech habits? Profane? Gossipy? Negative? They can be changed. If you slip, ask the Lord to forgive you and help you change: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,” (1 John 1:9) You may have to confess this sin a lot throughout the day, but don’t quit. Confessing to the Lord will help you develop a conscience.
The word “conversation” includes conduct as well as words. For instance, do you use tobacco, drink, or gamble? If so, what impression do you give people of the Lord? Would you be a good witness for Jesus with a cigarette in your mouth or a drink in your hand? When Lot tried to tell his sons-in-law that God was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrha, “…he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law.” (Genesis 19:14) However he lived his life before his sons-in-law, he obviously had no credibility.
How about music or movies or TV shows? The Bible doesn’t say you can’t listen to non-religious music or watch TV or sports. It does say, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes:” (Psalm 101:3) If a show or song has wicked scenes or words, you will know it. You won’t need anyone to tell you what to do.
Our passage doesn’t just talk about dropping “old oil” behaviors as a Christian but starting new ones. When you receive Jesus as Saviour, you now belong to the Lord and have a relationship with Him. Paul said, “That I may know him [Jesus],” (Philippians 3:10) He already knew Jesus as Saviour, but he wanted to know Him better. The way to know Jesus better, quite simply, is to spend more time in His word.
The Bible is filled with words of encouragement, guidance, and wisdom. And as you hear God’s voice in His word, God wants to hear from you in prayer: “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” (Psalm 55:17) Make faithful attendance at a Bible-believing church a habit, too. Bible preaching and teaching, as well as fellowship with people who love the Lord, will strengthen you in your Christian life: “…strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.” (Psalm 96:6)
Most importantly, the Bible tells people how to have forgiveness of their sins and eternal life. If you want to see from the Bible how to have your sins forgiven and eternal life by receiving Jesus as Saviour, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 10/4/2024