Reset: Out with the old and in with the new You

Ephesians 4:17–24 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.

Introduction

Ephesians divides roughly in half:

1st half addresses God’s purposes for us in Christ

2nd half addresses the practical consequences of following Jesus

Paul was writing to a church neck-deep in the culture of Ephesus

Temple of Artemis, 1 of 7th Wonder of Ancient World

One of ancient Rome’s most important cities

Cultural, political, religious center

Center of emperor cult

occult practices: magic, astrology

Christians came out of THIS culture, but they wrestled with their own pasts but also the present world in which they lived

Paul gives some straightforward, practical advice that they must do

Empty the closet

Put off; lay aside

clothing imagery

something that covers and identifies

Paul likens the believer’s old life to old garments that need to be discarded

As Christians, it was time for them to lay aside the old garments, aka, way of life

Time for a change

renewed — to cause something to become new and different, with the implication of the new being superior

renewed — to cause something to become new and different, with the implication of the new being superior

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains (58.72 ἀνακαίνωσις, εως; ἀνακαινόω; ἀνανεόω)

renewed in the spirit and the mind

Jesus renews the spirit and mind, but we must cooperate with him

both require us to work with Jesus in making changes

The new you

to clothe oneself

again, clothing imagery

Again, Paul connects their new life to new garments.

Conclusion

What are you still hanging onto from your old way of living?