But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Ephesians 4:20-24
One of the early laws Congress passed under the new United States Constitution was the Naturalization Act of 1790, which laid out the process through which someone born in another country could become an American citizen. Though the terms and language have changed through the years, today a person can still become a new citizen with the following oath:
I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.
Being a citizen of a new nation requires a commitment to the new and a leaving behind of the old. The same thing is necessary when we become part of God’s family. We are to put on a new identity and live in a new way. This is not a one-time thing, but an ongoing commitment that must be repeated day after day. Through God’s grace we have a new citizenship, and it is up to us to live up to it.
