SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 34

TITLE: THE NEW WALK

TEXT: EPHESIANS 4:20-24

INTRODUCTION: (1) CHRYSOSTOM, THE EARLY CHURCH FATHER, SAID THAT THE ANIMALS WHICH CAME OUT OF NOAH’S ARK, CAME OUT THE SAME WAY THEY WENT IN.

* THE CROW WENT IN AS A CROW AND CAME OUT A CROW.

** THE FOX WENT IN AS A FOX AND CAME OUT A FOX.

*** THE PORCUPINE WENT IN AS A PORCUPINE AND CAME OUT STILL ARMED WITH ITS LIVING ARROWS. THERE WERE NO CHANGES.

(2) HOWEVER, THOSE WHO ENTER INTO JESUS CHRIST, THE GREAT ARK OF SALVATION, GO IN ONE THING AND COME OUT SOMETHING ELSE, TOTALLY TRANSFORMED.

* CHRYSOSTOM SAID THIS: “LIKE UNTO A SPITEFUL FOX, THAT SWINDLER ENTERED THE CHURCH WHO BUILT HIS HOUSE ON THE RUIN OF HIS COMPETITORS; AND BEHOLD, HE GOES OUT MORE HARMLESS THAN A LAMB, WILLING TO SACRIFICE HIS OWN INTERESTS FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS.

** LIKE A CROW, THAT SINNER ENTERED THE CHURCH, BUT NOW HE GOES OUT COOING LIKE A DOVE.

*** AND THAT IMPATIENT, QUARRELSOME MAN WHO MADE EVERYONE SMART WHO TOUCHED HIM, CAME LIKE A BRISTLING PORCUPINE; AND BEHOLD HE GOES AWAY LIKE A LOVING SPANIEL THAT IS GENTLE TO ALL.” (END QUOTE)

(3) NOW WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALL OF THIS. WHAT WAS CHRYSOSTOM TRYING TO SAY?

* WELL, THE POINT IS, THE TRANSFORMATION THAT WE CALL CHRISTIAN CONVERSION, THIS DRAMATIC INNER MIRACLE, DEMANDS AN EQUALLY DRAMATIC OUTER CHANGE IN LIFESTYLE.

* FOR YOU SEE WHEN WE ENTER THE ARK OF CHRIST IN ONE FORM, WE ARE TRANSFERRED INTO ANOTHER, AND ARE THUS TO BEHAVE CONSISTENTLY WITH THAT TRANSFORMATION.

** AND THAT IS THE POINT OF OUR TEXT TODAY SINCE WE ARE IN CHRIST, SINCE WE ARE A NEW MAN, DON’T PUT ON THE OLD ANYMORE.

*** A NEW LIFE DEMANDS A NEW LIFESTYLE AND WHEN WE BECAME CHRISTIANS, WE CEASED TO BE AN OLD MAN AND BECAME A NEW MAN, II CORINTHIANS 5:17 (READ IT).

(4) AND SINCE WE ARE NEW IN CHRIST THE PRACTICES WHICH WERE NORMAL TO THE OLD MAN ARE ALL OF A SUDDEN ABNORMAL TO THE NEW MAN, THEY DON’T FIT, THEY ARE INCOMPATIBLE, INCONSISTENT, UNSUITABLE, THEY’RE OUT OF SYNC.

* AND YES, ALL OF US WHO ARE TRULY IN CHRIST, A NEW MAN, HAVE ACTED UNSAVED AT TIMES, LIKE OUR OLD MAN.

** SOMETIMES WE GO AROUND DOING THINGS WE USED TO DO, BUT THOSE THINGS ARE ABNORMAL AND NEED TO BE DISCARDED.

*** FOR THE MOMENT WE TRULY BELIEVE IN CHRIST, BY A DIVINE MIRACLE OUR OLD MAN DIES AND WE RISE TO A NEW LIFE, THUS BECOMING A NEW MAN, SO WE NEED TO LIVE OUT WHAT WE ARE.

(5) WE ARE NEW, BUT NOT YET ALL NEW. WE ARE RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY, BUT NOT YET PERFECTLY RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY.

* AND UNDERSTANDING THE GENUINE REALITY OF OUR TRANSFORMING SALVATION IS ESSENTIAL IF WE ARE TO KNOW HOW TO LIVE AS CHRISTIANS IN THE CHURCH WHICH WE BELONG.

** SO BECAUSE OF OUR NEW LIFE, OUR NEW LORD, OUR NEW NATURE, AND OUR NEW POWER, WE ARE THEREFORE CALLED TO LIVE A CORRESPONDINGLY NEW LIFE-STYLE.

*** WALK NOT LIKE AN UNSAVED PERSON, SINCE YOU ARE A NEW MAN, DON’T PUT ON THE OLD MAN ANYMORE.

(6) TO ILLUSTRATE WHAT I MEAN, I READ THAT IN THE EARLY ROMAN EMPIRE THERE WAS A CUSTOM IN SOME CASES, THAT IF YOU MURDERED SOMEBODY, THE PUNISHMENT WAS TO STRAP THE DEAD BODY OF THE VICTIM TO YOUR BACK.

* NOW, IT WOULDN’T TAKE TOO LONG FOR THAT TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON YOU, A VERY DRAMATIC EFFECT.

** NOW, PAUL MAY HAVE HAD THIS IN MIND WHEN HE WROTE EPHESIANS 4:17-24. FOR HE MAY BE SIMPLY SAYING, “IF YOU ARE A NEW MAN, WHAT IS THE SENSE IN CARRYING AROUND YOUR OLD DEAD MAN STRAPPED TO YOUR BACK?

*** ALL IT’S GOING TO DO IS CORRUPT YOU. HOW MUCH BETTER IT WOULD BE, ACCORDING TO COLOSSIANS 3 (A COMPANION PASSAGE WE’LL SEE IN A LITTLE BIT TO EPHESIANS 4), HOW MUCH BETTER IT WOULD BE TO CLOTH OURSELVES ON THE OUTSIDE WITH THE NEW MAN THAT WE ARE ON THE INSIDE.

- IN OTHER WORDS, SINCE YOU HAVE PUT OFF THE OLD MAN AND PUT ON THE NEW MAN, ACT LIKE IT. MATCH UP YOUR PRACTICE WITH WHO YOU ARE.

(7) AND WHAT WE’LL SEE IN THE REST OF EPHESIANS 4 IS THAT WE’RE TO BE WORKING OUT IN OUR PRACTICE, OUR DAY TO DAY LIVING PROCESS, THE NEW PATTERNS AND LIFESTYLE THAT CONNECT UP WITH OUR NEW MAN.

* AND BECAUSE OF THAT I’VE TITLED OUR MESSAGE THIS MORNING, “THE NEW WALK”.

** AND UNDER THAT TITLE WE’LL LOOK AT 3 THINGS: NO. 1 THE REALITY OF OUR NEW WALK, VV. 20&21; NO. 2 THE REMINDER THAT WE HAVE PUT OFF THE OLD SELF, V. 22; AND NO. 3 THE RENEWAL THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE OF OUR NEW MAN, VV. 23&24.

- SO WE’LL LOOK AT THE REALITY, THE REMINDER AND THE RENEWAL UNDER THE THEME OF OUR NEW WALK TODAY.

- AND WITH THOSE POINTS TO HANG YOUR THOUGHTS ON, LOOK AT V. 20 WHERE WE’LL START TO SEE OUR FIRST POINT, THE REALITY.

I. THE REALITY, (READ V. 20)

A. NOW IN VV. 17-19, PAUL DESCRIBED HOW UNSAVED PEOPLE WALK AND ACT, AND WE STUDIED THAT LAST SUNDAY MORNING IN DETAIL.

* NOW BEGINNING IN V. 20, PAUL STARTS TO TALK ABOUT THE NEW WALK OF THE BELIEVER IN CONTRAST TO HOW UNSAVED PEOPLE WALK.

** AND IN CONTRAST, AND THE REALITY OF THE MATTER IS IN V. 20, PAUL SAYS BUT YOU, BELIEVER, DID NOT LEARN CHRIST THIS WAY.

*** IN OTHER WORDS, THAT IS NOT THE WAY OF CHRIST OR OF HIS KINGDOM OR HIS FAMILY.

**** YOU AS A BELIEVER ARE NOT TO HAVE ANY PART OF SUCH THINGS, PAUL INSISTED, WHETHER BY PARTICIPATION OR ASSOCIATION.

1. AND GET THIS, SPECIFICALLY IN V. 20, THE PHRASE “YOU DID NOT LEARN CHRIST” IS A DIRECT REFERENCE TO SALVATION, TO LEARN CHRIST IS TO BE SAVED.

* FOR THE KEY WORD IN V. 20 IS THE WORD LEARN, WHICH IS THE GREEK VERB MAN-THAN-O, WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN.

** AND THIS VERB CAN BE USED IN REFERENCE TO THE PROCESS OF LEARNING TRUTH AS IT IS IN ROMANS 16:17 AND PHILIPPIANS 4:9 (READ THEM).

*** BUT IT CAN ALSO MEAN TO COME TO KNOW, AS A ONE TIME ACT, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE VERB IS AORIST ACTIVE INDICATIVE, AS IN THIS CASE, WHICH MARKS A SPECIFIC TIME, SPECIFICALLY HERE THEIR CONVERSION.

**** IN THE AORIST TENSE, THE TIME OF ACTION IS PAST AND IS A FINISHED ACTION IN PAST TIME.

2. NOW THE VERB USED IN EPHESIANS 4:20 IS THE SAME VERB THAT IS USED IN MATTHEW 11:29 WHERE JESUS OFFERED ONE OF THE LOVELIEST OF ALL SALVATION INVITATIONS: TAKE MY YOKE UPON AND DO WHAT? LEARN OF ME, COMING TO HIM FOR SALVATION.

* AND AGAIN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A SINGLE UNREPEATED ACT, TO LEARN CHRIST IS TO BE SAVED.

** AND GOING BACK TO EPHESIANS 4:20, WE SEE THAT BOTH THE CONTEXT AND THE USE OF THE AORIST TENSE OF THE VERB TO LEARN LEADS TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS LEARNING REFERS TO THE MOMENT OF SAVING FAITH. THE REALITY OF SALVATION.

*** NOW WITH THAT IN MIND, LOOK AT V. 21 WHERE PAUL CONTINUES TO TALK ABOUT THIS REALITY IN CONTRAST TO UNSAVED PEOPLE.

B. READ V. 21. NOW INSTEAD OF BEING IGNORANT OF GOD’S TRUTH, THE CHRISTIAN HAS HEARD CHRIST AND IS TAUGHT IN HIM.

* AND THE PHRASE, “IF INDEED” AT THE BEGINNING OF V. 21 MEANS A FULFILLED CONDITION, SOMETHING THAT IS ASSUMED TO BE TRUE.

** TO ADD TO BOTH VERBS, HEARD AND TAUGHT IN V. 21 ARE IN THE AORIST TENSE, AGAIN POINTING TO A ONE-TIME PAST ACT, AND IN THIS CONTEXT REFERRING TO THE TIME WHEN THE READERS WERE TAUGHT AND CAME TO BELIEVE THE GOSPEL, HERE CALLED THE TRUTH IN JESUS.

** AND BELOVED THESE TERMS DESCRIBE THE MOMENT OF SALVATION, OF CONVERSION. FOR WHEN A PERSON RECEIVES CHRIST AS SAVIOR AND LORD, HE COMES INTO TRUTH, HE IS THEN IN CHRIST.

*** FOR THE PHRASE “IN HIM” IN V. 21 MEANS IN UNION WITH CHRIST AND FURTHER EMPHASIZES THE FACT THAT AT CONVERSION WE RECEIVED THE TRUTH EMBODIED IN CHRIST, BECAUSE WE CAME TO BE IN HIM.

1. IN FACT, AS BELIEVERS WE CAN MAKE THE SAME STATEMENT THE APOSTLE PAUL MADE IN II CORINTHIANS 11:10, “THE TRUTH OF CHRIST IS IN ME.”

* NOW THIS IS ALSO BROUGHT OUT IN EPHESIANS 1:13 WHERE PAUL SAID ABOUT THE EPHESIAN BELIEVERS, (READ IT).

** AND AS WE PUT ALL THOSE THOUGHTS TOGETHER, WE SEE THAT THE TRUTH THAT IS IN JESUS, IS FIRST OF ALL THE TRUTH ABOUT SALVATION.

*** AND JOHN SUMMED UP THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH TRUTH WHERE HE WROTE IN I JOHN 5:20: “AND WE KNOW THAT THE SON OF GOD HAS COME, AND HAS GIVEN US UNDERSTANDING, IN ORDER THAT WE MIGHT KNOW HIM WHO IS TRUE, AND WE ARE IN HIM WHO IS TRUE, IN HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. THIS IS THE TRUE GOD AND ETERNAL LIFE.”

2. SO THE TRUTH IS IN JESUS ABOUT SALVATION, ABOUT ETERNAL LIFE. AND IT LEADS TO THE FULLNESS OF TRUTH ABOUT GOD, MAN, CREATION, HISTORY, SIN, RIGHTEOUSNESS, GRACE, FAITH, SALVATION, LIFE, DEATH, PURPOSE, MEANING, RELATIONSHIPS, HEAVEN, HELL, JUDGMENT, ETERNITY AND EVERYTHING ELSE OF ULTIMATE CONSEQUENCE.

* AND WE AS BELIEVERS DO NOT NEED TO ASK LIKE PILATE, WHAT IS TRUTH?

** FOR WE KNOW THE TRUTH AND TRUTH HAS SET US FREE, THE TRUTH BEING JESUS WHO IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE, THE ONLY WAY INTO HEAVEN, JOHN 14:6 AND READ JOHN 10:9, ACTS 4:12,

I TIMOTHY 2:5.

*** POPULAR THINKING TODAY, BY EVEN SOME EVANGELIST, SINCERELY SERVING GOD THROUGH WHATEVER RELIGION, THERE ARE MANY SAVIORS.

**** BUT WE MUST MOVE ON, AND IN VV. 20&21 WE SEE THE REALITY OF THE EPHESIANS’ SALVATION. NOW LOOK AT V. 22, WHERE WE’LL SEE THE REMINDER.

II. THE REMINDER, (READ V. 22)

A. NOW TO DEMONSTRATE THE TRANSFORMING NATURE OF REGENERATION, PAUL FURTHER DESCRIBES THE INHERENT REALITIES OF THE TRUTH IN JESUS THAT HIS READERS HEARD AND WERE TAUGHT AT CONVERSION.

* AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE AND IN THE NEXT TWO VERSES, VV. 23&24, THAT PAUL IS NOT EXHORTING BELIEVERS TO DO CERTAIN THINGS.

** IT CERTAINLY APPEARS THAT WAY WITH OUR ENGLISH TRANSLATION.

*** BUT NOTE THAT PAUL WILL USE 3 INFINITIVES IN THE GREEK TO SUMMARIZE WHAT THEY HEARD IN THE CALL OF THE GOSPEL, THE WORDS LAY ASIDE, BE RENEWED AND PUT ON.

**** NOW WHAT IS AN INFINITIVE? WELL, AN INFINITIVES IS A VERBAL NOUN, MEANING THAT IT PARTAKES OF THE NATURE OF A VERB AND THE NATURE OF A NOUN IN IT’S FUNCTION.

1. AND THESE 3 INFINITIVES DESCRIBE THE SAVING TRUTH IN JESUS AND ARE NOT IMPERATIVES OR COMMANDS DIRECTED TO CHRISTIANS.

* FOR “LAY ASIDE”, “BE RENEWED” AND “PUT ON” ARE ALL DONE AT THE POINT OF CONVERSION AND ARE MENTIONED HERE ONLY AS A REMINDER OF THE REALITY OF THAT EXPERIENCE.

** AND SPECIFICALLY IN V. 22, THE PHRASE “LAY ASIDE THE OLD SELF” IS RELATED TO “HAVE HEARD AND HAVE BEEN TAUGHT” IN THE GOSPEL, V. 21.

*** AND IN CONTRAST TO THE UNSAVED PERSON WHO CONTINUALLY RESISTS AND REJECTS GOD AND LIVES IN THE SPHERE OF DOMINATING SIN (THE FORMER MANNER OF LIFE, THE BEGINNING OF V. 22), THE CHRISTIAN HAS HEARD THE CALL TO LAY ASIDE THE OLD SELF.

2. AND THE VERB LAY ASIDE MEANS TO STRIP OFF, AS IN THE CASE OF OLD FILTHY CLOTHES, AND THE TENSE HERE ACCORDING TO SCHOLARS IS AORIST MIDDLE, WHICH INDICATES A ONCE AND FOREVER ACTION DONE BY THE BELIEVER AT SALVATION.

* AND THIS IS BROUGHT OUT IN TWO COMPANION PASSAGES OF EPHESIANS 4:20-24, COLOSSIANS 3 AND ROMANS 6.

** AND TO SHOW YOU WHAT I MEAN AND THAT I’M NOT STRETCHING THE GREEK TO MAKE A POINT, WE’LL LOOK AT COLOSSIANS 3:1-14.

* NOW COLOSSIANS 3:1-14 IS A PERFECT COMPANION TO EPHESIANS 4:20-32. (READ VV. 1-14)

1 THEREFORE IF YOU HAVE BEEN RAISED UP WITH CHRIST, KEEP SEEKING THE THINGS ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST IS, SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

2 SET YOUR MIND ON THE THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THE THINGS THAT ARE ON EARTH.

3 FOR YOU HAVE DIED AND YOUR LIFE IS HIDDEN WITH CHRIST IN GOD.

4 WHEN CHRIST, WHO IS OUR LIFE, IS REVEALED, THEN YOU ALSO WILL BE REVEALED WITH HIM IN GLORY.

5 THEREFORE CONSIDER THE MEMBERS OF YOUR EARTHLY BODY AS DEAD TO IMMORALITY, IMPURITY, PASSION, EVIL DESIRE, AND GREED, WHICH AMOUNTS TO IDOLATRY.

6 FOR IT IS BECAUSE OF THESE THINGS THAT THE WRATH OF GOD WILL COME UPON THE SONS OF DISOBEDIENCE,

7 AND IN THEM YOU ALSO ONCE WALKED, WHEN YOU WERE LIVING IN THEM.

8 BUT NOW YOU ALSO, PUT THEM ALL ASIDE: ANGER, WRATH, MALICE, SLANDER, AND ABUSIVE SPEECH FROM YOUR MOUTH.

9 DO NOT LIE TO ONE ANOTHER, SINCE YOU LAID ASIDE THE OLD SELF WITH ITS EVIL PRACTICES,

10 AND HAVE PUT ON THE NEW SELF WHO IS BEING RENEWED TO A TRUE KNOWLEDGE ACCORDING TO THE IMAGE OF THE ONE WHO CREATED HIM--

11 A RENEWAL IN WHICH THERE IS NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN GREEK AND JEW, CIRCUMCISED AND UNCIRCUMCISED, BARBARIAN, SCYTHIAN, SLAVE AND FREEMAN, BUT CHRIST IS ALL, AND IN ALL.

12 SO, AS THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CHOSEN OF GOD, HOLY AND BELOVED, PUT ON A HEART OF COMPASSION, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, GENTLENESS AND PATIENCE;

13 BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND FORGIVING EACH OTHER, WHOEVER HAS A COMPLAINT AGAINST ANYONE; JUST AS THE LORD FORGAVE YOU, SO ALSO SHOULD YOU.

14 BEYOND ALL THESE THINGS PUT ON LOVE, WHICH IS THE PERFECT BOND OF UNITY.

3. NOW IN COLOSSIANS 3, THE FACT OF SALVATION IS DESCRIBED BY USING 4 VERBS AND PHRASES: “YOU HAVE BEEN RAISED UP”, V. 1; “YOU HAVE DIED AND YOUR LIFE IS HIDDEN WITH CHRIST”, V. 3; “YOU LAID ASIDE THE OLD SELF” (MAN), V. 9; AND YOU “HAVE PUT ON THE NEW SELF (MAN) WHO IS BEING RENEWED TO A TRUE KNOWLEDGE ACCORDING TO THE IMAGE OF THE ONE WHO CREATED HIM”, V. 10.

* AND AS IN EPHESIANS 4, ALL 4 VERBS ARE IN THE AORIST TENSE IN THE GREEK, INDICATING THAT THEY REFER BACK TO AN ALREADY COMPLETED ACTION AND MUST THEREFORE REFER TO THE SAME PAST EVENT OF SALVATION.

** AND TO ADD TO THIS INTERPRETATION AND PERSPECTIVE, PAUL’S TEACHING IN ROMANS 6 IS THE SAME. FOLLOW ALONG ON THE SCREEN AS I READ.

*** 1 WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN? ARE WE TO CONTINUE IN SIN SO THAT GRACE MAY INCREASE?

2 MAY IT NEVER BE! HOW SHALL WE WHO DIED TO SIN STILL LIVE IN IT?

3 OR DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT ALL OF US WHO HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST JESUS HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED INTO HIS DEATH?

4 THEREFORE WE HAVE BEEN BURIED WITH HIM THROUGH BAPTISM INTO DEATH, SO THAT AS CHRIST WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD THROUGH THE GLORY OF THE FATHER, SO WE TOO MIGHT WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE.

5 FOR IF WE HAVE BECOME UNITED WITH HIM IN THE LIKENESS OF HIS DEATH, CERTAINLY WE SHALL ALSO BE IN THE LIKENESS OF HIS RESURRECTION,

6 KNOWING THIS, THAT OUR OLD SELF WAS CRUCIFIED WITH HIM, IN ORDER THAT OUR BODY OF SIN MIGHT BE DONE AWAY WITH, SO THAT WE WOULD NO LONGER BE SLAVES TO SIN;

7 FOR HE WHO HAS DIED IS FREED FROM SIN.

8 NOW IF WE HAVE DIED WITH CHRIST, WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHALL ALSO LIVE WITH HIM,

9 KNOWING THAT CHRIST, HAVING BEEN RAISED FROM THE DEAD, IS NEVER TO DIE AGAIN; DEATH NO LONGER IS MASTER OVER HIM.

10 FOR THE DEATH THAT HE DIED, HE DIED TO SIN ONCE FOR ALL; BUT THE LIFE THAT HE LIVES, HE LIVES TO GOD.

11 EVEN SO CONSIDER YOURSELVES TO BE DEAD TO SIN, BUT ALIVE TO GOD IN CHRIST JESUS.

12 THEREFORE DO NOT LET SIN REIGN IN YOUR MORTAL BODY SO THAT YOU OBEY ITS LUSTS,

13 AND DO NOT GO ON PRESENTING THE MEMBERS OF YOUR BODY TO SIN AS INSTRUMENTS OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS; BUT PRESENT YOURSELVES TO GOD AS THOSE ALIVE FROM THE DEAD, AND YOUR MEMBERS AS INSTRUMENTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS TO GOD.

14 FOR SIN SHALL NOT BE MASTER OVER YOU, FOR YOU ARE NOT UNDER LAW BUT UNDER GRACE.

4. NOW IN ROMANS 6 PAUL IS POINTING OUT THAT WE HAVE DIED WITH CHRIST AND THAT OUR OLD SELF WAS CRUCIFIED, THE OLD MAN IS DEAD, SO WE WILL NO LONGER BE SLAVES TO SIN.

* KNOW AND BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU USED TO BE.

** SO PAUL POINTS OUT IN VV. 11-14, LIVE OUT WHAT YOU ARE, SIN IS NO LONGER YOUR MASTER, SO LIVE LIKE IT, PRESENT YOURSELVES TO GOD AS THOSE ALIVE FROM THE DEAD.

*** NOW THE CONCLUSION I COME TO FROM WHAT PAUL SAYS IN ROMANS 6 AND COLOSSIANS 3 IS THAT SALVATION IS A SPIRITUAL UNION WITH JESUS CHRIST IN HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION, THAT CAN ALSO BE DESCRIBED AS THE DEATH OF THE “OLD SELF” WHAT WE WERE IN ADAM AND THE RESURRECTION OF THE “NEW SELF” WHO NOW WALKS IN NEWNESS OF LIFE, WHAT WE ARE IN CHRIST.

**** AND AS WE GO BACK TO EPHESIANS 4:22, WITH ROMANS 5 AND COLOSSIANS 3 IN MIND, AND THE GREEK TENSES THAT DO NOT COME OUT HERE IN OUR ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF EPHESIANS 4:22, PAUL IS SAYING:

- “THAT IN REFERENCE TO YOUR FORMER MANNER OF LIFE, YOU LAID ASIDE THE OLD SELF WHICH IS CORRUPTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LUSTS OF DECEIT.

5. IN OTHER WORDS, THE OLD SELF IS ALREADY LAID ASIDE EPHESIANS, SO LIVE LIKE IT.

* KENNETH WUEST TRANSLATES V. 22 LIKE THIS, “THAT YOU HAVE PUT OFF ONCE FOR ALL WITH REFERENCE TO YOUR FORMER MANNER OF LIFE THE OLD MAN WHICH IS BEING CORRUPTED ACCORDING TO PASSIONATE DESIRES OF DECEIT.”

** AND AGAIN, THE POINT IS PAUL IS REMINDING THE EPHESIANS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THEY LEARNED CHRIST, SO LIVE LIKE IT. LIVE OUT WHAT YOU ARE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN RENEWED BY SALVATION, ACT LIKE A SON.

*** WHICH LEADS US TO OUR LAST POINT TODAY, THE RENEWAL TALKED ABOUT IN VV. 23&24. LOOK AT V. 23 PLEASE.

III. THE RENEWAL, (READ V. 23)

A. NOW IN V. 23, IN CONTRAST TO THE DEPRAVED, REPROBATE MIND OF THE UNREGENERATE PERSON LOOKING BACK TO VV. 17&18, THE TRUE BELIEVER IS RENEWED CONTINUALLY IN THE SPIRIT OF HIS MIND.

* AND THIS RENEWAL IS THE CONSEQUENCE OF LAYING ASIDE THE OLD SELF WHICH TAKES PLACE AT SALVATION. VERSE 23 COULD BE TRANSLATED, “AND BEING RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND.”

** AND THE TRUTH COMMUNICATED BY THIS VERSE IS AT SALVATION, OUR MINDS ARE RENEWED, BUT ALSO LET ME SAY, IT CONTINUES TO RENEW AS WE GROW IN GRACE.

*** FOR YOU SEE WHEN A PERSON BECOMES A CHRISTIAN, GOD INITIALLY RENEWS HIS MIND, WE RECEIVE THE MIND OF CHRIST, I CORINTHIANS 2:16 (READ IT).

1. BUT THAT RENEWAL CONTINUES THROUGH THE BELIEVER’S LIFE AS HE IS OBEDIENT TO THE WORD AND WILL OF GOD, ROMANS 12:1&2 (READ THEM).

* AND THE PROCESS OF ROMANS 12:1&2 IS NOT A ONE TIME ACCOMPLISHMENT, BUT THE CONTINUAL WORK OF THE SPIRIT IN THE CHILD OF GOD.

** AND WHAT ARE OUR RESOURCES? THE ANSWER IS THE WORD OF GOD, PRAYER AND THE CHURCH.

*** AND IT IS THROUGH THESE MEANS THAT OUR MINDS BECOME PURER AND WE THINK AND ACT MORE LIKE CHRIST. (ILLUST. THOUGHTS, ACTIONS, HABITS).

2. NOW UNDERSTAND THIS, THE RENEWED SPIRIT OF THE BELIEVER’S MIND IS A COROLLARY, WHAT NATURALLY FOLLOWS TO PUTTING ON THE NEW SELF, WHICH IS THE NEW CREATION MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF GOD AND HAS BEEN CREATED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS OF THE TRUTH. LOOK AT V. 24 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 24. NOW REMEMBER, WE HAVE ALREADY PUT ON THE NEW SELF AT SALVATION. AND NOTE THAT THE WORD “NEW” HERE DOES NOT MEAN RENOVATED BUT ENTIRELY NEW.

* AND THE NEW SELF IS NEW BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN CREATED IN THE LIKENESS OF GOD. THE GREEK WE’RE TOLD IS LIT. “ACCORDING TO WHAT GOD IS”, A WONDERFUL STATEMENT COMMUNICATING THE WONDROUS REALITY OF SALVATION.

** IN OTHER WORDS THOSE WHO CONFESS JESUS CHRIST AS LORD ARE MADE LIKE GOD! PETER SAYS WE BECOME PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE IN

II PETER 1:4.

1. AND SINCE WE HAVE THAT DIVINE NATURE, THIS DIVINE NATURE IS CREATED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS OF THE TRUTH, MEANING TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS, TRANSLATED THAT WAY IN THE NIV.

* AND THE POINT IS, THE NEW MAN IS THE NEW NATURE, THE NEW SELF. AND THIS NEW SELF PAUL TEACHES HAS BEEN CREATED AFTER THE LIKENESS OF GOD AND MANIFESTS ITSELF IN TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS.

** AND BOTH RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS ARE THE PROPER FRUIT OF EMBRACING THE TRUTH AS IT IS IN JESUS, A FRUIT OF GENUINE SALVATION.

*** THERE WILL BE CONSECRATION AND DEVOTION TO SOME EXTENT IN THE BELIEVER, BECAUSE HE IS A NEW MAN.

AND AS I WRAP UP THINGS TODAY: (1) LET ME SAY IN BALANCE AGAIN, WE ARE NEW, BUT NOT YET ALL NEW. WE ARE RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY, BUT NOT PERFECTLY RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY.

* BUT UNDERSTANDING THE GENUINE REALITY OF OUR TRANSFORMING SALVATION IS ESSENTIAL IF WE ARE TO KNOW HOW TO LIVE AS CHRISTIANS IN THE BODY OF CHRIST TO WHICH WE BELONG, THE POINT OF OUR TEXT TODAY.

** AND LET ME SAY THE REST OF EPHESIANS 4 CONTAINS EXHORTATIONS TO THE BELIEVER TO BRING HIS LIFE INTO OBEDIENCE TO THE WILL OF GOD.

*** FOR EXAMPLE, V. 25 THEREFORE, SINCE YOU ARE NEW, LAY ASIDE FALSEHOOD AND SPEAK THE TRUTH, V. 26 DON’T BE ANGRY AND SIN, SINCE YOU ARE NEW.

(2) AND LET ME CLOSE TODAY WITH AN ILLUSTRATION TO HELP YOU FURTHER UNDERSTAND EPHESIANS 4:20-24.

* WE ARE TOLD THAT MANY RESCUE MISSIONS TODAY HAVE WHAT IS CALLED A DE-LAUZ-ING ROOM, A ROOM WHERE LICE IS REMOVED, A ROOM WHERE DERELICTS WHO HAVE NOT HAD A BATH IN MONTHS DISCARD ALL THEIR OLD CLOTHES AND ARE THOROUGHLY BATHED AND DISINFECTED.

** NOW AFTER THIS IS DONE, THE UNSALVAGEABLE OLD CLOTHES ARE BURNED AND NEW CLOTHES ARE ISSUED. THE CLEAN MAN IS PROVIDED CLEAN CLOTHES. HE DOESN’T PUT ON HIS OLD CLOTHES, BECAUSE HE’S CLEAN.

(3) WELL, THAT IS A PICTURE OF SALVATION, EXCEPT THAT IN SALVATION THE NEW BELIEVER IS NOT SIMPLY GIVEN A BATH BUT A COMPLETELY NEW NATURE.

* AND THE CONTINUING NEED OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS TO KEEP DISCARDING AND BURNING THE REMNANTS OF THE OLD SINFUL CLOTHING, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO PUT THOSE OLD CLOTHES ON. IN LIGHT OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

** AND THAT IS WHY PAUL PLEADS IN ROMANS 6:13, “DO NOT GO ON PRESENTING THE MEMBERS OF YOUR BODY TO SIN AS INSTRUMENTS OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, BUT PRESENT YOURSELVES TO GOD AS THOSE WHO ARE ALIVE FROM THE DEAD, AND YOUR MEMBERS AS INSTRUMENTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS TO GOD.

(4) AND IT’S INTERESTING THAT THE MANY THEREFORES AND WHEREFORES IN THE N.T. USUALLY INTRODUCE APPEALS FOR BELIEVERS TO LIVE LIKE THE NEW CREATURES THEY ARE IN CHRIST.

* SO THE REALITY IS, BECAUSE OF OUR NEW LIFE AND WE ARE LIGHT, OUR NEW LORD, OUR NEW NATURE, AND OUR NEW POWER, WE ARE THEREFORE CALLED TO LIVE A CORRESPONDINGLY NEW LIFE-STYLE. LET’S LIVE OUT WHAT WE ARE! (PRAY)

** REMIND THE UNSAVED THEY HAVE NO CAPACITY TO LIVE FOR GOD, OR PLEASE GOD, OR UNDERSTAND THE TRUTHS OF THE WORD OF GOD, I CORINTHIANS 2:14, EPHESIANS 2:1-5, 8&9.