Bible Talk with Sister Deb: Embracing a New Identity in Christ—Transforming Through the Power of Words and Spiritual Renewal

This episode focuses on the transformative power of embracing a new identity in Christ, as outlined in Ephesians 4:22-32. Listeners are encouraged to leave behind their old ways, adopt a mindset centered on truth and kindness, and actively embody the new man in all aspects of life. 

• Emphasizing spiritual transformation and renewal 
• Distinguishing between the old man and the new man in Christ 
• The importance of truthfulness and uplifting conversations 
• Managing anger and emotional responses appropriately 
• Speaking words that edify and promote grace 
• Recognizing the impact of our behavior on the Holy Spirit 
• Encouragement to live a life of compassion and forgiveness

Chapters

• 0:29 Transforming Lives Through Spiritual Growth
• 12:21 Harmful Effects of Words and Actions
• 25:13 Show Promotion and Contact Information

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:29

Hey, you're listening to Bible Talk with Sister Deb Osborne. You can also listen to her show and much more on 421 Podcast. You can also find her on WUIC 88.1 Christian Radio Station every Sunday at 5 pm. 88.1 Christian Radio Station every Sunday at 5 pm. If you'd like to email Sister Deb, you can email her at OsborneDevorK at gmailcom. That's one word. That's O-S-B-O-R-N-E-D-E-B-R-A-K at gmailcom. If you'd like to support the show in any way, you can support it through PayPal slash H-O-R-421, or you can go through our website, hor421showbuzzsproutcom. All shows are recorded live, no post-editing, recorded at the 421 studio. For contact information for all of your studio needs, you can email at hor421ministries at gmailcom. Phone number is 239-849-1502. At gmailcom, phone number is 239-849-1502. Now we give you your host, the Bible Talk Sister.

Speaker 2: 1:32

Deb Osler. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, and a new year is here. Happy New Year everybody. I figured out what I'm going to. I've been working on what I was going to talk about today and I thought you know what I'm in Ephesians 4. I'm going to talk about it. I'm going to start, probably right around 22 through 32. I'm not going to go through the whole, every single one of them, but I thought you know what Better way to start off a new year than bettering ourselves and trying to walk closer to God?

Speaker 2: 2:07

Now, if you read, the Apostle Paul told us in Ephesians 4, 23 and 24, actually he started at 22,. He said that you put off, concerning the former conversation, the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness. Now, see, friends, this is a call for our spiritual transformation. This is a call for us to put aside, or cast aside, our old sinful self and put on a new man. Put on a new man of God. Now, putting on a new man is not just a mere suggestion or even an optional step in our spiritual growth, friends, this is a critical requirement. See, that old man that we're putting away represents our old sinful self and things that we've got ourself into before. And in our old sinful self we have these desires, sinful desires, sinful thoughts, worldly ambitions, anything that is contrary to the will of God. See, when we give our life to Christ, when we ask him to be our Savior and guide our lives, you know we have to disregard those sinful ways and we have to put on a new man. Now. This is not really a physical change, although we may have to change some physical things. I went through a point that I had to change some physical things about me.

Speaker 2: 3:39

But I'm sure that you've heard that old compliment you clean up nice. You know it takes more, of course, for some people than it does others. So you can give someone a shave, a shower and a nice set of clothes and they can dress up and look pretty good if they want to. But simple hygiene and new clothes can become a total makeover and make you feel and look like a new person. But see, people, god tells us to put on the new man Now. Our biggest mistake is we mistake the new man for the old man cleaned up. And this is really easy to do. It's easy to do Because when people decide to live for the Lord, their first and, of course, natural reaction is to pull out all the things that they've always known was good behavior and put it on the old man.

Speaker 2: 4:31

But, people, we can't just put religion on the old man. See, that new man that I'm talking about, it's about your new identity as a member of the body of Christ. It's identified by Christ in you. You don't just put on a new set of religious clothes on an old man. You put on the new man. You put on Jesus Christ. That new man is not it may not be a new look or even new behaviors. It's Christ in you.

Speaker 2: 5:00

We have to have a different mindset on that people, and I'm talking about a spiritual change. We have to change our attitudes, our desires, our priorities, our thoughts. We will be renewed in the spirits of our minds, and doing God's will should be our new mindset everywhere, no matter what we do. It should be our new mindset. We must choose every day to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and put on the new man. We must, every single day, reject sinful desires and worldly temptations, and I'm not leaving me out people, I've got myself up in here too. We must strive every day to be Christ-like in our thoughts, our desires, our actions, our words. I mean when we put on the new man.

Speaker 2: 5:49

Ephesians 4 and 24 says that we are created in the likeness of God, in righteousness, in holiness. You see, people, by putting on the new man, we're choosing a new life. We're choosing a new life of peace, of joy, of comfort, we're choosing righteousness and we're choosing a fellowship with God. And by putting on the new man, we're showing the world out there the power that the gospel has to change all of us. And, trust me, he really had to work on me and he did. He changed me in the twinkling of an eye, it didn't take a second. And when you go through that experience, then you can talk to people and explain to people and say, hey, you know what? See what Jesus Christ done for me. Look what God done for me. He can do the same thing for you. You know, and when we go through which I'm going through today, is Ephesians 4, 22 through 32. And that gives us a very valuable explanation of how we had to live out of Christian life.

Speaker 2: 6:49

Now, if we go on down there, ephesians 4, 25 says Wherefore, by putting away lying, speak ye every man the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Now, you know, do we always speak the truth all the time? I really worry about that. Sometimes I really worry about that, and there's times, especially if I'm texting somebody, I'll change and reword a whole sentence, just so I know that I'm saying it right, you know. Just so that I know I got it right.

Speaker 2: 7:19

And if you read Proverbs 6, 16 and 17, one of the sins that God hates is a lying tongue and people, friends. Proverbs 12 and 22 says that lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. See Jesus as our example. He always spoke the truth and God loves the truth and that's what we should love. Ephesians 4 and 15 tells us that we need to speak the truth in love and we should love our neighbor as ourselves. So we should always be truthful with our neighbors. Right?

Speaker 2: 7:57

If you move on down to Ephesians 4 and 26, he says Be anger and sin not, and not let the sun go down upon your wrath. Now you see, jesus got angry. Jesus got angry. He got angry and he made a whip and he drove the money changers and sellers from the temple courts. That's in John 2, 13 through 17. So he told them that you're disrespecting his father's house is what he told them.

Speaker 2: 8:22

But you see, people, our uncontrolled anger is a sin and that shouldn't have no place at all whatsoever in our lives. And we have to seek God about it. We have to give that to the God and talk to the Lord about it. And you know, being angry is not an excuse to sin and being angry is not an excuse for revenge. And when we feel that anger boiling up inside of us, we have to seek God and we have to listen to his anger and listen to his answer. You know, anger is not a sin, but it can lead us to sin Easy. It can get out of hand. But it can lead us to sin Easy. It can get out of hand.

Speaker 2: 8:59

Anger is a normal reaction and everybody does it. We just can't let it get the best of us people. It's okay to feel some anger. There's probably some things that we as Christian people really are to be mad about sometimes, angry about sometimes. And if you read Exodus 4 and 14, it tells us that even God expressed anger. We just have to know when to stop. We have to know when to not let it get out of hand.

Speaker 2: 9:23

The point that I'm saying here is not to let it go unsolved. Unresolved Believers should make dealing with anger a first priority. It's not meant to be lived in, it's meant to be dealt with and we must, you know, handle it carefully and quickly to avoid it leading us to sin, because it can lead us there very easy. See, the reality is people, just about everybody, has been hurt by someone whose anger was out of control. I mean, not only have we been hurt before, but I'm sure we have said things to other people that may have hurt their feelings and maybe, in anger, said things that we didn't mean to say. We may not even remember it, but it is a reality that we have probably done that and we all feel anger at times. But see, our call as Christ followers is to control that anger, to not let our anger hurt those around us and lead us away from the things that God has called us to do.

Speaker 2: 10:28

And the biggest thing is 426 also says let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Now I've heard people say, wow, is that a figure of speech? Just to tell us to deal with our anger soon. Well, I don't know about y'all, but I take that pretty literally. And when it says don't let the sun go down, you know, I think we have to deal with our outbursts of anger quickly, especially if we hurt somebody, if we hurt somebody's feelings.

Speaker 2: 10:56

I know my twin sister and I we never, hardly ever, agree on just about nothing, you know, but we always seem to have a little spat when we get together. We know she's my twin power and pretty much every time we get around one another we have some kind of a little spat over something crazy, you know. But I know that if I hurt her feelings I quickly make it right. I don't let her leave out of my sight unless I make it right, because, people, if we stay angry, it only gets worse, it festers, and this is what the enemy wants. We have to deal with our anger. We can't wait. We also have to deal with the people that are affected, and that's what the enemy wants us to do is let it fester and let it boil and boil and boil and then eventually it's going to overrun us and we're going to sin. And I mean so. I never let my sister.

Speaker 2: 11:55

Leave my sight that I don't make it right, and so I never let my sister leave my sight that I don't make it right and I hardly ever will I lay down and go to sleep without asking God to forgive me. I'm not letting the sun go down upon my wrath and, like I said, a lot of people, they don't take that literally and I do. I take that pretty literally. But if we move on down, ephesians 4 and 27 tells us not to give place to the devil. You know, people, we cannot give the devil a foothold in our lives. The only power that he has over us is what we give him. It's the only power. Satan looks for every opportunity to get a foot in our door of our lives and and our uncontrolled anger gives him that opportunity. And James 4 and 7 says Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Friends, don't give him the opportunity to lead us to sin.

Speaker 2: 12:49

And Ephesians 4 and 29 says Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. People, foul words, all of that kind of stuff, it must never come out of our mouths. Foul language is the talk of the world and we use different kind of words. We don't use those words. We don't use filthy words and cuss words and we don't misuse God's name. Friends, we have to clean up our conversation. You know we have to clean up our conversation. We should be saying things that build faith in others. Whatever comes out of our mouths has to be used for building up. Our words should give grace to those who hear us. Our words should benefit others. I'm telling you, if nothing else, believe me on this. The Bible says in Matthew 12 and 36, tells us that every idle word that we speak we will give account for in the day of judgment. People, we will give account for that in the day of judgment. And we move on down. Ephesians 4 and 30 says on down.

Speaker 2: 14:02

Ephesians 4 and 30 says and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye have sealed unto the day of redemption. Now see, as saved Christians we are capable of sin. The Bible says we fall short of the glory of God every day and we can make the Holy Spirit sad and we can make Him disappointed because sometimes we get stubborn and we refuse to follow God's will in our lives and we refuse to be obedient to what he's telling us to do. You see, the Holy Spirit cares about us and when we don't live up to the standards God has for us, you know it pains the Holy Spirit. You know our bitterness, our anger, our evil speaking of somebody you know this and plenty of more things grieves the Holy Spirit. You know. We just have to, we have to watch what we say, people, we have to watch what we say and you know this. We, the Bible says that we are marked by the Holy Spirit in anticipation of the day when we meet Christ.

Speaker 2: 14:56

Apostle Paul talked about us being sealed by the Holy Spirit. People. That marks us, that makes us His, secured in His love. And when we do little things and we don't be obedient, that does pain Him. God tells us in Ephesians 4 and 1 through 3, he says To walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and greatness and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Speaker 2: 15:29

See, there's more times than one that the Bible talks about the Holy Spirit being grieved. In Isaiah 63 and 10, it says despite God's graciousness to Israel, the people rebelled and grieved the Holy Spirit. Genesis 6 and 6 says that the Lord was grieved at his heart from the wickedness of evil of men. Friends, it's easy to grieve the Holy Spirit and we probably don't even realize that we're doing it. It's like when we read a book and we pull our iPad out and we turn our TV on while our Bible's laying there in front of us open. It's like when we make no room for prayer with our Father and we make time for worldly things and spare time for relaxation and amusement, but we don't take time for God. Those things and a lot of other things grieve the Spirit and people. We can change this. When I say let's put on a new man. Those are the things that I'm talking about, that we need to change.

Speaker 2: 16:30

In Ephesians 4 and 31, the Apostle Paul warns us that we put away all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil, speaking with all malice People. These are the actions of the world and, as Christ followers, there should be no room in our hearts for bitterness. And who are we to take our anger out on others with? Wrath and clamor is a sin. Angry noise, slamming doors, throwing things it is a sin. Malice is a sin. Angry noise, slamming doors, throwing things. It is a sin. Malice is a sin.

Speaker 2: 16:58

A desire or a teaching to do harm to others, that's a very dark word. We shouldn't have any ill will toward anybody at all. Only good will. You know people. We should instead be kind to one another, you know, be tenderhearted Ephesians 4 and 32, kind to one another, tenderhearted, do good to one another. You know, display kindness, compassion, forgiveness. That's what the new man looks like. That's what the new man looks like right there.

Speaker 2: 17:29

We need to have the renewal of our mind. We must change our way of thinking. You know, we're not justified in unrighteous behavior. See the new man, the new man that I'm saying let's put on. The new man shows love and kindness and goodness and compassion. And how do we do this? Read Ephesians 4.32. It says Be ye kind to one another. It says Forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. That's how we do that, as God and Christ forgive you, because God has compassion and kindness. He forgives our sins. God don't blow up when we make a mistake. God doesn't show slander or clamor because we sinned yesterday. God doesn't harbor malice when we maybe disregard and forget to pray or don't pray for one time. He doesn't throw things around in heaven. He doesn't do all that. He's still kind and compassionate to us, no matter what we do, he still has that compassion for us and people of God.

Speaker 2: 18:32

I'm telling you we need to stop all this sinning from anger and corrupt talk and bitterness and wrath and clamor and all that. We need to practice speaking the truth, you know. We need to practice taking a control over our anger. We need to practice working to share and speaking words that help and build up. You know, kindness, compassion, forgiveness. You know we need to put on the new man, just like Paul said. We need to put on the new man because the works of the new man, you know, the new man loves God, above all, loves his neighbor as himself, walks in truth, speaks in truth. Don't stay angry, don't give place to the devil. You know, speaks properly when we're supposed to. It's the new man speaks that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers and people. The list goes on and on. It's all right there in Ephesians and Colossians.

Speaker 2: 19:32

You know I read a story here a while back. It's a little short story about a school teacher, a counselor, in Alabama and she was doing an exercise with her students on the power of our words and how our words affect others. And in this exercise she passed out little, small hearts to her students and each heart represented that student's heart. And she began to talk to these students and periodically she'd stop and tell these students to fold their heart, and every fold that she would tell them to fold would represent a harmful, hateful word spoken to them from others. So after doing this a few times, she stopped and she told her students now unfold your heart. And the students realized that their heart would never be the same due to all the creases caused by each fold.

Speaker 2: 20:26

See, people, this little story, this experiment that this teacher did, was to show the power of our words, what they can have on other people, the effect, and I'll let you know right there that phrase Thin sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. That simply just isn't always the truth. You know, words do possess power, people, great power. They can be used for good or bad. They can be used for medicine, they can be used for poison. They can be used for good or bad. They can be used for medicine, they can be used for poison. They can be used to build up and, people, they can be used to tear down, and that's why God tells us to be fast to think and slow to speak.

Speaker 2: 21:11

And, people I'm going to close with this by the blood of Jesus Christ, you, you've been redeemed and sanctified and reconciled with the Father. You've been made holy and righteous. Therefore, you're no longer a sinner, and when we are no longer a sinner, we should not walk as a sinner. We should not do the works of the sinner and all them things that I talked about a while ago. That is works of the sinner, that's works of the center. People do the baptism in water and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We have become a new creation. We have become a new person. We no longer belong to the darkness. We no longer belong to the enemy and his kingdom. We belong to the kingdom of God.

Speaker 2: 21:57

You know so you need to step out of your comfort zone, people. If you don't, you know 2025 ain't going to be no different than 2024. Step out of your comfort zone. Put on the new man Because, friends, even the smallest change in all that you can make will make a big difference. We no longer belong to darkness people. We belong to the kingdom of God and we need to put on that new man, and I'm talking about all of us.

Speaker 2: 22:26

Put on that new man, put on a new mindset, Put on new thoughts, new behaviors. Start treating your neighbors the way we're supposed to be treating them. Start doing the things that we're supposed to be doing, praying for the people we're supposed to be praying for, being obedient to God when he tells us to do something. And I know it's hard, I know it's hard to step out. Trust me, I know, but we need to do this, people. We need to do this. It's a new year. Let's put on a new man. This, it's a new year. Let's put on a new man. Let's put on a new man in Christ. And I hope this has blessed you as much as it's blessed me to bring it to you.

Speaker 2: 23:02

I just want to say Happy New Year to everybody. God bless each and every one of you, and I'm going to close this out with a prayer and I want you all just to pray and ask the Lord to give you that new mindset, to give you that new mindset of putting on that new man in Christ, of stepping away from all the old things that we did this past year and putting on a new man. Now let us pray and everybody have a good, good, good, happy and safe new year. Our Father, god in heaven, we thank you, lord, for these words that we've heard here today. We thank you for the many, many blessings that you've bestowed upon us and the many prayers and stuff that you have given us this past year. We thank you, lord, for everything that you've given us, everything you've done. We thank you, we honor you, we praise you and we love you, lord, and we ask you, god, to give us that new mindset, to give us that new man.

Speaker 2: 23:54

Let us put on that new man and let us step up to the plate and do the things, lord, that we're supposed to do.

Speaker 2: 23:59

Let us step up to the plate, lord, and talk to the people we're supposed to talk, to Be obedient the way we're supposed to be obedient, to listen to your words. Help us, lord, to minister to the people that we need to minister to. Help us, lord, to put on that new man, each and every one listening to the sound of my voice, everybody out there that needs to step up and step out of their comfort zone. Help them to put on the new man. Help us each and every one, and we thank you, lord, we praise you and we honor you. We ask you to forgive us all of our sins. We ask you to help us to worship you and serve you, lord, in spirit and in truth. Help us to get into your word. Help us to get into prayer. Help us, lord, to put on the new man in the new year. We praise you, we honor you, we love you. We thank you for everything. We ask these and all things in Jesus' holy, holy name.

Speaker 1: 24:47

We pray, amen and amen hey, you was listening to bible talk with sister deb os. You can catch her show on WUIC 88.1 Christian Radio Station every Sunday at 5 pm. You can also listen to her show and much more on the 421 Podcast, google, apple and Spotify. For contact information and Sister Deb, you can email her at osborne-debrak at gmailcom. It's one word O-S-B-O-R-N-E-D-E-B-R-A-K at gmailcom. If you guys like to support the show you can support it through PayPal slash H-O-R-421 or you can go to hor421showbuzzsproutcom. All shows are recorded live, no post editing, recorded at the 421 studio. For contact information for all of your studio needs you can email at hor421ministries at gmailcom. Phone number is 239-849-1502. Thank you.