我家院子裡的藍雲杉不停地掉松果和松針。專治樹木疑難雜症的樹醫師只看了一眼，就告訴我們說：「這棵樹只是像所有的雲杉一樣。」我希望他可以作更詳細的解釋，或提供解決方案，但他只是聳聳肩，又說了一次：「雲杉都是這樣的。」雲杉這種樹就是會掉松針，天性如此。

還好，我們屬靈的生命並不受限於我們的天性。保羅向以弗所的新信徒強調這令人寬慰的真理。他先指出外邦人「心地昏昧」，心思意念與上帝隔絕，剛硬的心裡包含「種種的污穢」，只追求享樂和滿足私慾（以弗所書4章18-19節）。

但保羅接著說：「既然你們聽過耶穌的事，學了來自祂的真理，就要脫去舊有的罪惡本性」（21-22節，新普及譯本）。保羅指出我們舊有的本性，「因情慾和欺詐而敗壞了」，所以他說：「要讓聖靈更新你們的思想和心態。要披上你們的新性情，這性情是照著上帝的形象造的，有真正的公義和聖潔。」（22-24節，同上）

保羅列出新的生活方式：不撒謊、不發怒、不懷恨、不偷竊，「用自己的雙手努力做正當的工作，然後慷慨地贈予有需要的人」（28節，同上）。我們在基督裡的新性情，使我們能活出與所蒙的呼召相稱的生活，順服救主的道。

Our blue spruce was dropping pinecones and needles. The tree doctor took one look at it and explained the problem. “It’s just being a spruce,” he said. I’d hoped for a better explanation. Or a remedy. But the tree man shrugged, saying again, “It’s just being a spruce.” By nature, the tree sheds needles. It can’t change.

Thankfully, our spiritual lives aren’t limited by unchangeable actions or attitudes. Paul stressed this liberating truth to the new believers at Ephesus. The gentiles were “darkened in their understanding,” he said, their minds closed to God. They possessed hardened hearts containing “every kind of impurity,” and sought only after pleasures and greed (Ephesians 4:18-19).

But “since you have heard about Jesus” and His truth, the apostle wrote, “throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life” (v. 22 nlt). Paul noted how our old nature “is corrupted by lust and deception.” He said, “Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (vv. 22-24 nlt).

Then he listed new ways to live. Stop lying. Resist anger. Stop cursing. Quit stealing. “Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need” (v. 28 nlt). Our new self in Christ allows us to live a life worthy of our calling, yielded to our Savior’s way.