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Have you ever renovated something? Your core focus tends to be in ensuring that whatever is being renovated, is restored and refreshed. Ultimately, the object of your renovation is made new all over again. Yes, it is renewed. When it comes to living a life that honours God, our lives must be renovated, reinvigorated, totally refreshed. In essence, our way of living has to be renewed.

Remember, we have highlighted in earlier devotions, that when a person chooses Jesus as their Saviour, their latent “image-of-God-gene” becomes activated, and their once active “image-of-satan-gene” (aka the propensity to sin; the habit to sin) becomes deactivated. However, though deactivated, the propensity to sin – that “image-of-satan-gene” – remains present within us until Jesus calls us home. Therefore, keeping the “image-of-God-gene” activated, requires the right environment to sustain it. Now, the environment we had within our lives prior, was suitable for the “image-of-satan-gene” to thrive: unethical behaviour, lying, lack of concern for the needy, unforgiving spirit, among other things. Consequently, when an individual initially repents and makes a decision to serve Jesus Christ, God can forgive and redeem them in that instance. However, while God can enter an unclean environment (i.e. a sinners life) to reach out and save an individual, God cannot dwell, God cannot remain, in that environment.

“12Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

Matthew 21:12&13

When the temple of God was desecrated by individuals turning it into a market place, Jesus sought to restore and renovate the space, by driving out the behaviour that made it unclean. Now, you may be quick to point out that Jesus cleansed the temple and thus what does that have to do with our lives and being renewed. Well, it’s simple, when we read 1 Corinthians 6:19&20, it reveals the following

“19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

I hope I have painted a clear picture for you thus far. Regardless of how deep in sin a person may be, regardless of how long the “image-of-satan-gene” – that propensity, that habit to sin –  has been activated, God is willing to step in, to intervene and redeem anyone, once they are repentant and are willing to turn away from sin. The act of repenting of one’s sinful life and accepting Jesus as one’s Saviour simultaneously deactivates the “image-of-satan-gene” and activates the once latent “image-of-God-gene” – the propensity to engage in righteous, Christ-like living. However, just as the “image-of-God-gene” is activated by choosing Jesus Christ in a given moment, it remains activated by us choosing Jesus each and every moment in our lives, each and every day. The ability to remain in Christ depends on the state of our temple, our lives, as Jesus will not dwell in an unclean temple. However, our lives, our temple once allowed for buyers and sellers, for activities that did not honour God, to thrive. Therefore, our temple, our lives need to be “refreshed & renovated”, our lives need to be renewed and this point is driven home by Romans 12:2 which states

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”.

As you go about your day today, reflect upon the importance of keeping your temple, your life, renovated and renewed, so that the Holy Spirit of God, has a place to dwell. Also, don’t forget, this is not a job that Jesus leaves you to do alone. Just as He was the one who chased out the buyers and sellers from the temple of God in the New Testament, He will do the same job in you today and cleanse and make you whole. Your job, is simply to invite Jesus into your life each day, for Jesus shared these words to all who will listen:

“ Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

Revelation 3:20.

Therefore, don’t delay, invite the Saviour into your heart, each day