‘STRIP OFF THE OLD PERSONALITY WITH ITS DECEPTIVE DESIRES’

8. (a) According too Paul, what kind of desires can linger with the “old personality”? (b) How have some justified their choice of degrading forms of entertainment, and is such reasoning Scripturally sound?

⁸ So urged the apostle Paul at Ephesians 4:22. No, do not patch up the old personality, but ‘strip it off,’ get rid of it. (Col. 3:9) Why? Because its “deceptive desires,” which linger in our “treacherous” heart, can ‘corrupt’ or make the old personality go from bad to worse. (Jer. 17:9)

9. What disturbing report shows how consciences can be gradually altered?

⁹ It is easy to let our consciences gradually become defiled by “deceptive desires.” From the branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses in a European land comes the following disturbing report:

“It is certain that about 10 years ago our brothers would not have looked at the majority of films now being played, because their sense of decency has been altered. There is no doubt that the tendencies of this world have in a certain measure influenced some of our brothers.”

10. (a) How was acceptance of the gladiatorial games maneuvered in the first century? (b) What can be learned from this?

¹⁰ Ever so gradually Satan endeavors to have his depraved standards accepted.