“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:7-9 (ESV).
We cannot start on the new way until we have left the old way. Thoughts from the old way can often trouble us as they show up again.
Satan will not so easily let go of a person and will come with many accusations. On the sinful way that many have gone, there are deep footprints of unrighteousness, lying, impurity, greed, pride, discouragement, and every other sin.
Leave your way: Leave your thoughts
We cannot leave our own way without turning away from all our sinful thoughts. To become free from these sinful ways of thinking and evil habits, we have to fight a fight of faith. God is quick to forgive if we sincerely want to leave this evil way and these evil thoughts and be truly converted.
Then He will lead us onto a new way, with good and noble thoughts that are only pure. To carry a heavy burden of sin with you is terrible, but when we obey the gospel, it will free us from all kinds of sin. We start on a new and living way in the service of righteousness and glory. The fruit of this service is sanctification where we grow in all the virtues of Christ, and the end result is eternal life in eternal glory (Romans 6:22).
Paul exhorts us to forget the things that are behind and reach out to what lies ahead, to run toward the goal so that we can receive the prize of the heavenly calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).
So there is hope for many to share this prize.