Daily Renewal

Daily Renewal

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:10 and Ephesians 4:22–24

Series: Comments on Galatians

Today's Scripture Jigsaw

Paul exhorts us to put off the old nature and be renewed in the spirit of our minds, to put on the new nature that is created in Christ’s nature, in righteousness and holiness. That is a tall order to fill for many people. In the light of the Ten Commandments, they are reminded of their “old man,” so they try to be religious, forgetting the benefits of Christ. But day by day, their sinful natures rear their heads over and over again. For in this flesh, we are always sinning and will continue to do so every day until the day of our earthly deaths.

That is why we must, every day, put off the old nature and put on Christ (Romans 13:14). We must renew our minds, lest we think our sin has done us in. If our minds are bogged down with thoughts of self, of sin and failure to keep the commandments, then we cannot remember the commandment. What commandment? “This is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” Here, John gives us the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36–40) with this refinement: that the first table may be understood as believing in the Son of God. 

When we look to him with trust that he loves us and forgives us then we are sorry for the sins of our old man but do not languish, depending instead upon God’s promise to renew us day by day. Then our hearts are flooded with the light of God’s glory instead of our own sins. We may then live in confident hope that when days are no more, we will have a share in the glorious inheritance of saints. These are the benefits of Christ to those with faith in him, those who daily renew the spirit of their minds by believing (Ephesians 1:18–19). 

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