The new life

Ephesians 4:17–5:2

(HCSB):

Living the New Life

17 Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts.

18 They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.

19 They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.

20 But that is not how you learned about the Messiah,

21 assuming you heard about Him and were taught by Him, because the truth is in Jesus.

22 You took off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires;

23 you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds;

24 you put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

25 Since you put away lying, Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.

26 Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger,

27 and don’t give the Devil an opportunity.

28 The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.

29 No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.

30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by Him for the day of redemption.

31 All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice.

32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

5:1 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children.

2 And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.

“Title: Instructions for New Recruits

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Text: “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind” (Eph. 4:17).

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Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:17–5:2

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Introduction

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When I left for boot camp in February of 1990, I had no idea what I was in for. I thought I did; but I didn’t. I quickly figured out that there were several others just like me. My first night I remember looking out the window seeing a kid in fatigues moving sandbags from one end of a parking lot to the other. When he was done wouldn’t you know it he started moving them back to where he had gotten them. Did I mention it was raining out. You see, this young man was from New York and he wasn’t going to let anyone tell him what to do. That is until he met this one drill sergeant. He mouthed off to othis particular drill sergeant; and you see how that worked out for him.

Eventually this recruit became a good soldier, because he accepted his new life and way of living. Many of the people to whom Paul wrote had just accepted Christ. They were new recruits. Paul wanted to give these new believers some instructions. If they heeded his instructions, they would become accustomed to the new life in Christ and would develop into disciplined soldiers for the Lord.

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I. Forsake pagan practices (4:17–19).

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Everybody has a former life.

Paul addressed believers who were converted from paganism. We often have the tendency to think that all believers were converted from paganism “This is not true. Some have been converted from religious backgrounds with strong morals. Nonetheless, all of us have a former life.

This former life is self-centered. Any life that seeks to put self at the center dishonors God.

“Dwight Lyman Moody was born the sixth child of Edwin and Betsy Holton Moody in Northfield, Massachusetts on February 5, 1837. Dwight’s formal education ended after fifth grade, and he rapidly grew tired of life on the family farm. He left home at age 17 to seek employment in Boston. After failing to secure a desirable position, he asked his uncle, Samuel Holton, for a job. Reluctantly, Uncle Samuel hired Dwight to work in his own retail shoe store. However, to keep young Moody out of mischief, employment was conditional upon his attendance at the Mt. Vernon Congregational Church.”

“At Mt. Vernon Moody became part of the Sunday school class taught by Edward Kimball. On April 21, 1855, Kimball visited the Holton Shoe Store, found Moody in a stockroom, and there spoke to him of the love of Christ. Shortly thereafter, Moody accepted the love of God and devoted his life to serving Him. The following year brought Moody to Chicago with dreams of making his fortune in the shoe business. As he achieved success in selling shoes, Moody grew interested in providing a Sunday School class for Chicago's children and the local Young Men's Christian Association.”

Everybody needs to forsake the former life.

The self-dominated life must be forsaken. Paul described those who lived in sin as “having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (vv. 18–19).

Paul enumerated some of the prominent features of the pagan life: vanity, darkness, alienation, ignorance, blindness of heart, callousness, lasciviousness, uncleanness, and greed. It is a grim and revolting picture.

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II. Find the Christian conduct (4:20–24).

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A. Christian conduct begins with Jesus Christ.

“But that is not how you learned about the Messiah” (v. 20).

The term “learn” describes an experience with the risen Lord.

Only by opening their lives to Christ can people start their Christian pilgrimage.

When people receive Christ, they are taught that Christian discipleship requires the renunciation of pagan practices and the cultivation of true Christian holiness.‌

Christian conduct becomes part of a believers’ lifestyle.

The essence of the Christian lifestyle is defined by three constructions.

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1. Christians are to “put off” (v. 22). This is the picture of stripping off an old garment and donning a new one.

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2. Christians are to “be renewed” (v. 23). This expression is in the present tense. It denotes continuous progress in the believer’s life.

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3. Christians are to “put on” (v. 24).This statement is the counterpart of to “put off.” “The “new man” is the new self, the new life in Christ.

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New recruits to Christianity must discover Christ’s lifestyle for them.

Forsaking old ways is not enough.

Taking on Christ’s kind of life is essential.

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III. Follow Christian conduct (4:25–5:2).

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Paul gave six specific commands on how to live the Christian life.

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Christians practice truthfulness. Since you put away lying, Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. (4:25).

Instead of being deceitful and dishonest, Christians should tell the truth.

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Christians control anger. “Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger,” (4:26).

Anger should not be given a place to take root within the heart.

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Christians should not steal. “The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. ” (4:28).

Stealing was an ordinary means of livelihood for pagans.”

Christians honor God with their speech. “No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.” (4:29).

Personality may be defined as the power of self-communication.

To abuse conversation perverts the personality.

People may be blessed or hurt with words.

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Christians should not grieve the Holy Spirit. “And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by Him for the day of redemption.” (4:30).

God is grieved when people rebel against him.

I came across this article by Brett McCracken, when looking for an illustration for this sermon. It’s titled;

The Dead End of ‘Your Truth’

In Oprah Winfrey’s lifetime achievement award acceptance speech at the 2018 Golden Globes, she said, "What I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have."

“Your truth.” Those two words are so entrenched in our lexicon today that we hardly recognize them for the incoherent nightmare that they are. Among other things, the philosophy of "your truth" destroys families when a dad suddenly decides "his truth" is calling him to a new lover, a new family, or maybe even a new gender. It's a philosophy that can destroy entire societies, because invariably one person's truth will go to battle with another person's truth, and devoid of reason, only power decides the victor.

"Your truth" also puts an incredible, self-justifying burden on the individual. If we are all self-made projects whose destinies are wholly ours to discover and implement, life becomes a rat race of performative individuality. "Live your truth" autonomy is as exhausting as it is incoherent. Depression is the inevitable result and “the inexorable counterpart of the human being who is her/his own sovereign.”

Source:

Brett McCracken, The Wisdom Pyramid, (Crossway, 2021), pp. 59-60

Christians guard their disposition. “All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” (4:31–5:2).

As children imitate the attitude of their parents, so should God’s children imitate their Father.

I have talked about this song before by Rodney Atkins. Here are the Lyrics.

Driving through town, just my boy and me

With a happy meal in his booster seat

Knowing that he couldn't have the toy

'Til his nuggets were gone

A green traffic light turned straight to red

I hit my brakes and mumbled under my breath

As fries went a flying and his orange drink covered his lap

Well, then my four year old said a four letter word

That started with "S" and I was concerned

So I said, "Son, now where did you learn to talk like that?"

He said, "I've been watching you, dad, ain't that cool?

I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you

And eat all my food, and grow as tall as you are

We got cowboy boots and camo pants

Yeah, we're just alike, hey, ain't we dad?

I wanna do everything you do

So I've been watching you"

We got back home, and I went to the barn

I bowed my head, and I prayed real hard

Said, "Lord, please help me help my stupid self"

Then this side of bedtime later that night

Turning on my son's Scooby Doo night light

He crawled out of bed, and he got down on his knees

He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands

And spoke to God like he was talking to a friend

And I said, "Son, now where'd you learn to pray like that?"

He said, "I've been watching you, dad, ain't that cool?

I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you

And eat all my food, and grow as tall as you are

We like fixing things and holding mama's hand

Yeah, we're just alike, hey, ain't we, dad?

I wanna do everything you do

So I've been watching you."

With tears in my eyes, I wrapped him in a hug

Said, "My little bear is growing up"

He said, "But when I'm big, I'll stil know what to do"

"'Cause I've been watching you, dad, ain't that cool?

I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you

And eat all my food, and grow as tall as you are

Then I'll be as strong as Superman

We'll be just alike, hey, won't we, dad?

When I can do everything you do

'Cause I've been watching you"

Writer/s: Brian White, Rodney Adkins, Steve Dean

Publisher: CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing, MIKE CURB MUSIC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

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Conclusion

This is exactly how we should be just like this son wanting to be just like his dad, we should want to be just like Christ.

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Come into God's kingdom and receive abundant life. You can’t change on your own, but by his Holy Spirit within you, Christ is able to teach you his ways and make you like himself.”