Put on the New Self
Notes
Transcript
Handout
So, there’s a lot more of you than we normally have, and there’s a lot more gray hairs than we normally see, so let me update you guys on what we’re doing in youth group
We are going through the Book of Ephesians, and we’re now in Ephesians 4. The first 3 chapters of Ephesians has been mostly about God’s plan for salvation and the effect on our lives. We’ve talked a lot about grace and what that means, we’ve talked about God’s love for us, and a lot more.
Last week, we were in the first half of Ephesians 4, where we talked about calling and growth, how we’re called by God to live in the light of the Gospel and that God has provided us ways to grow up so that we can then get to be an influence that grows other people.
This week, we are going to continue our study of Ephesians and talk about Ephesians 4:17-32.
There’s one main idea in this whole thing. This passage shows us who we were, who we are, and what we’re doing now.
Who we were
Who we were
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.
Paul uses two main terms for who he’s talking about here, he talks about “you” and then “they”
“You” means followers of Jesus and “they” means the Gentiles who don’t follow Jesus.
Gentile is a term that means not-Jewish, but it could just as easily be changed to “Americans”
Basically, the “they” in this is you and me before we met Jesus.
So, who were we? (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.
Darkened in our understanding
The way in which we look at the world is not right! Without God, we can’t understand the good things that he’s given, we don’t have any hope.
Alienated from God
We were far from God! Instead of having the close relationship with God that we were created to have, we we’re instead far away from Him, unable to come any closer.
Hard of heart.
This is a way of saying that we didn’t care. We might have known that we were far from God, but that doesn’t change our lives in the slightest.
What did we do? (19)
They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.
Callous
Another word for callous is heartless.
We can so easily stop caring about suffering in the world.
There are people that are freezing right now because of homelessness, there is brutal oppression, there’s a systemic racism that pervades society, and yet we can have such a hard time caring!
Given to sensuality
This is an older term, we might call this “pleasure” now.
We consume entertainment, politics, alcohol, pornography and any other thing that feels good so that we don’t have to sit with our own difficulties and problems.
We might think this isn’t us, but look at how much Netflix or Youtube you’ve consumed in the last week and you ight find yourself convicted, I know I was!
Greedy
Our culture is a culture of more.
We want more stuff, more money, more space, more time, we need more!
And yet, the Bible calls us to radical simplicity.
But then we get to move on to vs. 20! We get to read the “But,” Which means that it isn’t who we are now!
Who we are
Who we are
We don’t have to belong to those things anymore, so what are we now!
to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
Put off the old self
We’re told to get rid of the “old me,” the way I used to be. That doesn’t need to be me anymore!
I used to have a massive anger problem, but that was the old me, I don’t need to belong to that anger anymore!
Now, that doesn’t mean that I’m never angry or don’t sin, it means that I’m not enslaved by my sin by the blood of Jesus.
That old me is broken. It used people, it was selfish, it was fully immersed in sin. I don’t like the old me, and I hate every time that old me starts showing up again.
and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Put on the new self
If we follow Jesus, then we don’t need to be the old person.
The key is to be renewed in the spirit of our minds (23)
Notice, it doesn’t say that you need to renew your own mind, it says that you are renewed!
God changes us to make us more like Him, which is sanctification!
So, instead we put on the new self.
That looks like abandoning the old me, and putting on the Dylan that is in Christ.
This Dylan-in- Jesus is created in God’s righteousness because of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross!
It’s true righteousness and holiness, which is from God, not from me!
It’s like this sweatshirt.
I just got this sweatshirt, and I never wear white because I’m a slob.
If I get this messy with, let’s say, a chili dog, there’s no saving this thing! Sure, bleach might help, but what if a really get those stains rubbed in?
This thing is ruined! It’s corrupted, it’s now the old sweatshirt. I need something new. I don’t just put on the old sweatshirt that smells like chili, I put on the new self which is clean.
But then, what do we do now? If we put off the old self, what does this “new self” actually look like?
What are we doing now?
What are we doing now?
Vs. 25-32 help point to us some of our weak points and what we are to do with them.
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Lying
How many of us can find it easier to stretch the truth than tell it?
Would our parents, or our children, say that we’re people of truth, or are we more comfortable in lies?
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
Anger
What about anger?
It can be so easy to be an angry person, but this passage seems to say that we are to be people that don’t hold on to anger.
Oh, there’s going to be times when you’re going to be angry, but do we hold on to that and let it define us, or are we able to let it go.
This seems to say that the devil is given some of his best opportunities when we’re angry
I don’t know about you, but I know that I’m not my godliest when I’m pissed off.
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.
Laziness/Taking advantage of others
This isn’t just about stealing, which is still super common; I think it’s a lot more about laziness and taking advantage of others.
We’re supposed to work hard and not take advantage. A follower of Jesus can’t always be looking for the easy way out, we have to work at following Him well.
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.
Language
Is our language reflecting Jesus, or do we sound like our coworkers and classmates?
This says that the only things that should come out of our mouths are for building others up, I’m pretty positive that’s not me.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Apathy
I think the thing that this is talking about is apathy, or not caring.
We grieve the Holy Spirit when we sin and stop caring about God
Do we care for the things that God cares, or are we comfortable being Christians who show up and then leave?
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
I think that these are a summary of what we aren’t supposed to do, and then what we are.
Lying
Anger
Laziness
Language
Apathy
Can we take a moment to pray, and ask God which of those define us, and then beg forgiveness for the ways in which we still chase after the old self?
Here’s the good thing, this isn’t about us. This is about what God is doing in us!
If this was just up to me, I’d still be the old me! I’d still be just as selfish and angry and full of sin as I’ve ever been
But, by the grace of God, we can be made new!
It is only through Christ’s love and sacrifice on the cross that we can be called to new life and a new self with Him.
Some of us are still the old self, we’ve never given our lives to the Lord, or we say we have and don’t actually believe it.
God is calling you to be with Him. To abandon the futility of your thinking and sin, and instead to follow Him.
Some of us have a new sweatshirt, but we’re really comfortable with the same old chili stains.
God is calling you to abandon the former way of being and instead to follow after Him completely.
Questions:
What is your ideal topping on a hot dog?
How does our culture look like vs. 17-19?
What does it mean to you to “put on the new self. (24)
What are the weak points in 25-32 that you find in your life? How can you begin to let those go this week?
