Ephesians 4:22 and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
My daughter told me recently that the movie The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has been remade. Having seen the original, I told her that I don't want her near a theater that shows the new version.
The original movie was a type of horror film that I do not enjoy watching. The horror is a result of seeing demented, reprobate people do to tourists what they once did for a living, back when the local slaughterhouse was in business. I'm not going to give you the details, and I can't in good conscience recommend that you see the movie in either version.
If you've already seen this picture, perhaps there is something you can learn from it. One scene features the patriarch of the family of evildoers. Grandpa has already departed from this life, but that doesn't stop his relatives from inviting him to their festivities. His body has been tied to a chair and stored in the attic for several years. When it's time to victimize strangers, someone always goes up and fetches Grandpa. His old carcass is the life of the party, although there's no life left in it.
Ephesians 4:22 tells Christians to put aside the old man, explaining that he is corrupt and deceitful. How often do we store the old man in the attic instead, bringing him out when we want to indulge in the ungodly things of the former life? When we find ourselves turning our steps toward the stairs, wouldn't it be better to pray for God's strength to resist sin?
While we live in this corrupt world, and while we still have a sinful nature, we can't expect to bury the old man. God can enable us to take him back and lock him up, or just put him aside and run. May we keep those options in mind as we live for our Lord!