Spirit Filled Living (Part 1)

If I asked you how your sanctification is going.

How well are you growing in Christ?

How transformed is your soul?

Last week we talked about how experiencing our relationship with God brings sanctification.

Our relationship with God should be a soul transforming relationship.

Paul gives us three outward expressions of a soul transforming relationship.

Changed Identity

Deeper Understanding of God

True Repentance

Changed Identity

In verses Seventeen through Nineteen Paul says you should outwardly express a new identity.

Ephesians 4:17–19 NKJV

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Paul once again uses his what you were, what you are form of argument. He says, let me remind you that you have a new identity.

In your new identity you should no longer walk as you once did like the rest of the Gentiles. Again the word walk means the entirety of a person’s life.

How they talk, how they act, how they think, and even what motivates them. He says don’t be futile in mind.

The Greek word translated “futile” here means pertaining to being useless. The Greek word translated “mind” means particular way of thought.

Until the 2000’s we probably wouldn’t have realized there was a useless way to think. Paul says, any thought that is not Christ is useless.

Ecclesiastes uses this same word over and over again for the meaninglessness of life without God. Everything we think, do, say, accomplish, are all useless in the end without Christ.

Useless thoughts lead to a darkened understanding.

That means a persons ability to reason, think, or make decisions has become dark. Has become unable to perceive, thus unable to understand.

Paul again reminds them of the stranger, foreigner aspect before the walls were broken down by Christ. When he says alienated from the life of God, it would reverberate back to Israel as the chosen nation.

The Ephesians again are reminded how they were dead in their sins. Because of the ignorance that is in them.

Paul isn’t giving them a pass because their ignorance was just a lack of knowing. Rather, he’s saying they are culpable. They are willfully ignorant of God.

The King James versions say “because of the blindness of their heart”. Other versions say, “the hardness of their heart.”

The Greek word translated “blindness” or “hardness” means a stubborn inability to learn.

One commentator defines the hardness of heart as “the progressive inability of conscience to convict them of wrongdoing.”

Of course, that’s just talking about ancient times. It couldn’t possibly be relevant for today. I mean I can’t imagine where we might see that happening in our society.

Okay, maybe I’m being a little facetious. But the truth is, that hardened heart is callous. The King James versions say “being past feeling.”

This is the only place in the New Testament that this verb is found. It means “to lose the capacity to feel shame or embarrassment.”

So they “give themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” I prefer the English Standard Version translation here.

“Given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” Paul is saying they have initiated their own immorality.

The word translated “lewdness” or “sensuality” means completely lacking in moral behavior. Think about this for a minute.

The Gentile social norms were completely lacking in moral behavior. Man, have we had it waaayy to easy in America for far too long.

These sensual acts in every kind of impurity would have violated all our social norms.

Not so much any more.

Now, in today’s society, maybe we can relate to what Paul is telling the Ephesians.

What Paul is telling us. He says, this is also how you once were, but don’t be like that any longer.

Because you now have a new identity. An identity that is rooted and grounded in a triune God.

An identity that, unlike the secular world, comes from an understanding of God.

Deeper Understanding of God

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.

I’m using the English Standard Version for this part of the sermon. Verse Twenty in the King James Versions can be a little confusing.

Paul is now referencing their roots and where they are grounded. He says don’t be that way because that is not how you have learned Christ.

That sentence is constructed in a weird way. We generally say we have learned about something or someone. We don’t say that we have learned a person.

Paul qualifies this with “assuming you have heard about Him and were taught in Him.”

Being a Christian isn’t just learning propositions, doctrines, or a set of truths written down. It’s about knowing a person.

It’s about a relationship with the person Jesus Christ. Our understanding, our character, our life comes from the truth Jesus.

This is our experienced relationship with God.

Some of you are like, forget about experiencing a relationship with God. How do we even have a relationship with God?

How do we have a relationship with each other?

We tend to associate the physical senses with relationships, right? I can see, feel, touch, hear, and smell the other person.

However, let’s examine our close relationships a little deeper. How much is actually related to physical, verses emotional? Remember, emotions, thoughts, feelings are directly connected to our souls.

Our relationships are close because we have feelings for one another. We give the other person our time, our trust, our love.

We feel their love towards us. We feel their trust and recognize the time they give to us.

In order for the relationship to be fulfilling and work well we must exercise humility towards each other.

Those are the primary, foundational, experienced connections that must be in any close relationship.

Now, granted I can’t drive over to God’s house, knock on the door, and say, “get in we’re going to get some coffee and spend the day fishing.” I can’t take God on a dinner date for our anniversary.

That might be a little weird. But, the truth is, I don’t need all of those physical things to have a relationship with God. I just need to be humble in His presence, give Him my time, love, and most importantly trust.

We will learn to hear His voice, feel His presence, and His love through the time we spend with Him. How many times have we heard or said God doesn’t talk audibly to me.

I’m going to assert something here, we may talk to each other audibly but that doesn’t mean the other person hears what we intend to say.

I have had to learn to hear my wife’s voice. She says something and I respond or jump into action. Then, she gets mad and asks me, don’t you listen to anything I say?

It’s the same thing in reverse. I remember not that long ago a conversation we had.

I have been telling her for a long time how grateful and appreciative I was that God placed her in my life. I would say I don’t deserve a woman as wonderful as you.

She finally asked me not that long ago to quit saying that. She said it made her feel like she had to keep doing more and more and be better in order to live up to that expectation.

In my mind, I never had any expectations, in anything I said. I was expressing my humble feelings of gratitude. My feelings of being inadequate, due to my imperfections, in our relationship.

I was hurt deeply by her admission. What I thought were my expressions of love and gratitude, were actually causing my wife to feel pain and anxiety.

We have to learn how to hear each other’s voice. It’s not an audible sound. It’s a deep understanding of the other person, that allows us to hear the truth.

I now understand my wife better, and in my humble love for her, I have changed my behavior. My character also changed to provide a safe trusting relationship.

It’s the same with God. We can’t audibly hear Him, but we don’t need to. He speaks to us in Scripture, in our thoughts, through others around us, and our circumstances.

As we learn hear His voice and understand Him better. The truth in Him should convict us of our wrongdoing.

This is what should cause us to put off the old self belonging to the former manner of life. Those deceitful desires. Our sins.

We should feel convicted by our sins. We should recognize the pain our sins cause God in our relationship with God.

The verb renew is another passive verb in “renewed by the spirit of your minds.” We are convicted of our sins because we are in Christ.

This is where free will verses God’s sovereignty directly meet in our lives. We can choose to not let the Spirit have access to that part of our souls.

Or we can embrace that conviction and allow Him access. By doing so we allow God to transform our soul.

We have a deeper understanding of God. He transforms our souls so our character becomes His character.

Someone who truly experiences God in that way, lives a spirit-filled life.

That spirit-filled life leads to true repentance.

True Repentance

In verses Twenty-Five through Thirty-Two Paul discusses what true repentance looks like.

He gives character traits that as our souls are transformed should disappear and God’s character traits they should be replaced with.

Ephesians 4:25 NKJV

25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

We have another therefore to stop and understand what the therefore is there for. In this case Paul is talking about the previous verses Seventeen through Twenty-Four.

He says the experienced relationship with God has given you a new identity in Christ. We are sealed by the Spirit who is in us.

Therefore, your transformed souls should no longer be lying. This includes exaggerations, half-truths, and little white lies. We can even lie by omission. Hiding something we should have said.

Not only are to not lie, each one is to speak the truth to our neighbors. Paul is again referencing individually here.

The reason? Because we are all members of one another. Each one of us has a responsibility to be truthful with everyone we meet, but especially with other believers.

What if the eye saw a snake on the trail and lied to the foot? It’s just a stick nothing to worry about. The foot might get bit and cause severe damage to the body or even kill the body right?

Maybe the eye hates snakes. So instead it just omits the fact that it saw the snake. Same thing right?

My eyes see a snake they tell my feet to stop moving. They assess what kind of snake. Is it safe? Am I at a safe distance? do I need to back up?

Now my wife’s eyes see a snake, they tell her feet to turn around and run. That includes running over me if I happen to be behind her.

Putting away lying isn’t the only outward expression of our transformed souls.

Ephesians 4:26–27 ESV

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.

Wait did Paul just tell us to be angry? Yes there is a righteous anger and even appropriate anger toward each other.

But we are not to have sinful anger. We are cautioned that even appropriate anger is to be resolved before we go to bed at night.

We are to wake up the following morning feeling feeling no anger at all. Holding onto anger over night, just like manna from heaven, rots and breeds maggots. too many to count.

An unforgiving spirit, bitterness, malice, spitefulness, hostility, grudges, and the list goes on. This is an easy example of not giving a place for the devil.

Satan will exploit any sin in our lives and that will completely remove us from an experienced relationship with God.

Paul keeps going on his lists of character that should be transformed.

Ephesians 4:28 NKJV

28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

Our transformation should cause us to not steal so we can just get by. Rather we should have honest labor that provides not only for us but for those in need as well.

Ephesians 4:29 NKJV

29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

In Matthew Twelve:Thirty-Four Jesus says, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

The Greek word used for heart means the inner most being. It’s referring to the soul. The causative source of a person’s psychological life. With an emphasis on thoughts.

Having an experienced relationship with God, transforms the soul. That transformation changes our thoughts and how we speak to others.

Our mouth doesn’t exist for selfish benefit. It’s there for the betterment and benefit of others.

Every word out of our mouths should be said with those who hear and who we’re talking about in mind. Our words should only be for their good and their spiritual growth.

Ephesians 4:30 NKJV

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

“And” connects this to the preceding “let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouths.” However, it also relates to everything else discussed in this passage.

We are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. He doesn’t leave us.

But our sinful actions, especially how we speak, can grieve the Holy Spirit. The Greek word translated “grieve” means to cause someone to experience deep sorrow, to cause severe mental or emotional distress.

Our sinful actions, words and thoughts quench any influence the Holy Spirit has in our lives.

Ephesians 4:31–32 NKJV

31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

In this entire passage Paul is playing off the assumption those who hear or read this have an experienced relationship with God. That experienced relationship transforms the soul.

If the soul is transformed the outward display is that “all” forms of sin mentioned above is removed from our lives.

The word translated “put away” actually means to withdraw what you did not deposit. The word translated “malice” means a feeling of hostility.

Paul is saying your transformed soul should withdraw from the Holy Spirit what comes next. And the all the sinful behavior above should be viewed with hostility.

Our transformed souls should withdraw the character of God which produces kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness. The same forgiveness that God in Christ gave to us.

I’m going to be blunt and I’m just going to say it. This is the litmus test for anyone claiming to be a Christian.

If you have truly experienced God the Father through Jesus Christ by way of the Spirit, then your soul will show sanctification.

We can’t have an experienced relationship with the triune God and not have our character transformed to resemble God’s character.

We should continually see a genuine transformation from all these sinful behaviors to genuine kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness toward others.

What is your relationship like with God?

Is there a genuine transformation happening where you’re character is changing?

Do you find yourself being less sinful and even being hostile to sinful behavior?

Do you genuinely express more kindness toward others?

Do you genuinely forgive others?

If not, maybe it’s time to check your relationship with God. Because a genuine, experienced, relationship with a triune God will cause transformation.

It allows the Holy Spirit to make deposits in our souls. It is withdrawing from the deposits He makes in our soul.

We can withdraw from our flesh, or we can withdraw from what we didn’t deposit. From what the Spirit deposits in our souls.

That is Spirit filled living.