"How Do I Live?"

Intro: Dante Autullo believed he was only grazed when a nail gun went off and didn't believe doctors when they showed him X-ray.

So how does something like this happen? How can a man accidently shoot himself in the head and not realize or feel the pain of the nail going in? He lacked ganglia nerves in that part of the skull.

The ganglia nerves are the tiny nerve branches which go out from the main nerves. The ganglia nerves cover our whole body but sometimes they can be compromised.

Their main job is to warn us, so we cannot stick a pin in the body without a message flashing to the mind to warn us of an invasion into our body. It’s a fantastic warning system protecting our lives.

Now this may seem like a fantastic thing to have this kind of nerve damage in some cases, but is it really? If the ganglia nerves cease to work in our bodies, then we have an issue.

We might think it would be great to have no pain. But it could mean death. Many are like this spiritually. No warning system. Sin with no pain and the truth is the unfelt pain is killing them.

Spiritually, we must have the same sensitivity which warns us of harmful danger to our spiritual life.

You have heard the saying, clothes make the man, and while that is not always the physical truth, it is absurdly the truth spiritually. We all received new clothes when we became believers.

When soldiers, firemen, policemen, or astronauts first put on their distinct uniforms, they are taking on new responsibilities corresponding to their new identity. So, it is with the Christian.

When we put on Christ, we receive a new spiritual identity and new corresponding responsibilities. Let’s read our passage: Read: Ephesians 4:17-32

Ephesians 4:17–32 ESV

17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Having put off the corrupt garment of the old self (4:22) and put on the new garment (v. 24), we must live in light of our new identity.

Ephesians 4:17-32 is all about identity in Christ and what it looks like when we live in light of that.

Today we are to avoid living a certain way, claim our identity, and then what it looks like when we live in the identity given to us.

We begin by looking at what Paul said is the way we should avoid living like and he said ...

1. Don’t live empty (17-19)

Paul begins very strongly with an exhortation basically pledging them not to live empty and futile lives. Let’s look at that little section as we dive into our passage this morning. Read: Eph 4:17-19

Ephesians 4:17–19 ESV

17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

Paul lays out some intense language here. “I say this and testify”, or some translation use the word insist instead of testify, but then continues to say that he is doing this in the Lord.

Paul is laying this out as not on his own authority, but the authority of the Lord Jesus. You know what he is about to say has great weight.

This reminds me of the 80’s and the commercial of EF Hutton. The ad was always centered in a crowded room or building, and someone would say the words EF Hutton.

This would was a very strong stock broker firm of that day that made lots of money for lots of people, and the whole room would stop in silence.

“When EF Hutton speaks, everybody listens.” This is the same sentiment playing out here when Paul is speaking, right?

So, what is an empty way of living? Living like the rest of the world, he says. He is not using the word Gentile in the ethnic sense here, but like that of describing the way those outside of the faith live.

We might here the word today as being a pagan way of living. The future that is outside of Christ. Essentially Paul is saying not to live like the culture that surrounds you, that’s empty living.

You have entered into this new relationship, and you don’t want to waste it on empty living. The condition of an empty and fertile living does not allow you to understand the will of God.

Why? Because you are choosing to live still separated from God. The worst part is that you won’t even realize that you are in that place.

Paul uses the phrase “hardness of heart” The Greek word here, porosis, translated as hardness, literally is speaking of a stone that is harder than marble.

Their hearts have become so hardened that they have lost the power to feel. So, what happens when you lose the power to feel? Paul describes it.

He says that you become so sinful that you don’t even try and hide your sin.

You don’t care what people around you think, even if it is shocking, and you defy any kind of decency because your desire to gratify your desires is more important.

This is called Plexonexia; arrogant greediness; the person who does not care whom they hurt and what method they use so long as they get what they desire.

The ability to sin and feel nothing. This is what happens when those ganglia nerves die off in our body friends. We don’t recognize we are being hurt and dying.

From here Paul says that we are to claim our identity and so this leads us into our next section. Paul tells us to claim this new identity given to us. He makes it quite easy to understand it as well.

2. Out with the old, in with the new (20-24)

So, Paul is making this fairly clear here using three object lessons of some sort: education, changing clothes, and becoming a new creation. Read: Eph 4:20-24

Ephesians 4:20–24 ESV

20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

So, he starts off with Christ centered education. Truth is if you have not taken the time to dig into the word, and at the very least, you need to let someone know so that we can make this a priority in your life.

But Paul is speaking to people here who have had some sort of scripture background. This education is not formal education but transformational education.

When you become a Christian, you do not merely learn about the teaching of Jesus; you develop a relationship with Him.

Paul says, “Assuming you heard about Him” (v. 21). It had been a long time since Paul was in Ephesus. He knew false teaching was around since he was there last.

So here, in passing, he notes the necessity of hearing about the real Jesus. He wants to make sure they have heard of Christ and have come to know Him. Do we know Him?

This is something that we should ask ourselves. It does not matter if you have come to faith because you came here week after week as a child, or because you are here every week, you must dig into the word.

It is about knowing Christ. Jesus said, “This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent Jesus Christ” (John 17: 3).

Knowing Christ through others will take you about as deep as getting as getting a flu shot in someone else’s arm will cover you from the flu. You must know Him on a personal level.

Next Paul says that we need to begin the process of getting rid of the old. In other words, as we begin to put away our old self, we must begin a process of putting on the new at the same time.

This means we will be putting away sin practically, daily, continually. And as we do so we must live differently since we are new people. John Stott summarizes it this way:

“It is because we have already put off our old nature, in that decisive act of repentance called conversion, that we can logically be commanded to put away all these practices which belong to that old, rejected life.” (Ephesians, 180)

This is not going to happen overnight but will continue for years and years to come. The more you put on your new self the more you look like the righteousness you have been given.

God made humanity in His image, but sin entered the world at the fall. Now, through Christ, we are re-created into His image.

When we put on Christ, we put on a new person. We never want to forget that we are this new creation.

Being renewed is in the present tense, like “being corrupted” (Eph 4:22). The present tense indicates that this renewal is an ongoing process God performs in us.

We need a continual renewal of our minds. We need to be reminded constantly of our new identity. God created us but sin separated us from Him.

Through Jesus we can be new creations, reflecting the glory of God by living holy righteous lives as His redeemed image bearers.

God does this work in us, but we also have the responsibility of setting our minds to it. And as we do that then Paul says we begin to take a hold of this new identity and when we do we accomplish our third step and that is we ...

3. Live out the new (25-32)

This means a new lifestyle starts to set in. It does not mean we change The Who we are, but way we live The Who we are. We begin to replace sinful habits with righteous and holy habits.

Again, this will not happen overnight, but the more you take claim of that new identity and put it on, the more you will live out the new you. Read: Eph 4:25-32

Ephesians 4:25–32 ESV

25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

While Paul gives a solid list of the things that will change in our lives, this is by no means an exhaustive list.

Yes, these are behaviors that we should all seek to see change in our lives, but these are not the only behaviors that will mark our lives.

When we observe the behavioral changes that Paul lists here or any behavior changes, the key truths that you don’t want to miss is first, they are relational changes.

Our new union with Christ should change the way we live in community. Our sin affects others negatively, just as our righteousness will bless others positively.

Second, you see that the negative is corrected in his list. The old no longer hold on, now you are living out the new. That is important. Get this:

Holiness is not just about saying no to sin; it is also about saying yes to God. We must not only throw our dirty clothes in the hamper; we must put on the new suit as well!

Verse 30 reminds us that more is going on than meets the eye in relationships in the local church. Relationships involve spiritual warfare.

Let us learn to walk by the Spirit and yield to Him in our conversation and attitudes, eagerly maintaining the unity of the Spirit.

So then Paul gives us a couple practical ways to maintain that unity. Replace bitterness and be kind to one another. If we can figure this out, we could be something incredible.

We should be a people who are known for this. It should be what we breathe in and out daily, but is that what comes out of us? God is kind and forgiving and we are called to be imitators of Him.

You cannot prove otherwise because that is what we see all over the scriptures. So, Paul rounds it out by giving us one of the most powerful verses on forgiveness that you will find in scripture in verse. Read: Eph 4:32

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Here is the implication, if God can forgive us, while we are still sinners mind you, then don't you think that just maybe we should be forgiving others?

Look, I am not saying that we won't have not been hurt by each other at times, and maybe some real hard and painful hurts, but to not forgive is to not rightly understand or appreciate the forgiveness of Christ.

Think of His kindness and love daily and it will change you. So, what do you wear? Have you come to know Christ? Are you dressed in His righteousness? Have you changed your clothes at all?

Maybe you’re no different or you just went back to your old clothes. My plea is this, live out your new identity as a new creation in Christ for the good of others and the glory of God.

Repent and get after it. If you have not even taken that first step, will you join me right now in prayer and asking God to forgive you of your sins and ask Him to make you new?