And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. — ACTS 24:16

Soon after I was saved and healed, I returned to high school. Now, I don’t know how it happened exactly — none of my family cursed — but we had a neighbor who could “cuss” up a storm, and I guess I picked it up from him. So at school one day, I said to one of the boys, “Hell, no . . .”

The minute I said it — and I didn’t know a thing about the Spirit-filled life — in my heart I said, “Oh, dear God, forgive me!”

What condemned me? The Holy Spirit? No. It was my own spirit. This new creature, this new creation, this new man, doesn’t talk that way.

Now, the flesh may want to continue doing some things it used to do, or talking like it used to talk, but you have to “crucify” the flesh. And a good way to crucify the flesh is to bring any problems right out into the open immediately.

That’s what I did when I realized I had cussed. I didn’t wait until I was “moved” to repent; I immediately asked the Lord to forgive me. The young man I had said it to had walked away. I found him and asked him to forgive me. He said he hadn’t even noticed what I’d said; he was used to people talking that way. But I wanted to get things right with him and with God.

Confession: I am a new creature in Christ. I talk like a new creature. I think like a new creature. I act like a new creature. My spirit leads me to do so.