Ephesians 4:17-24 How do I Change Who I Am?
Notes
Transcript
Ephesians 4:17-24 How do I Change Who I Am?
Ephesians 4:17-24 How do I Change Who I Am?
1. How do I change who I think I am?
2. Can I change who I think I am?
Paul starts out saying with the Lord’s authority. Basically he’s saying I can’t change you that ain’t my job. You have to change but that is above my pay grade. So how does someone change. What does it take to truly change and become someone else?
Sunday School answer is get saved.
3. Do I just get saved and suddenly I am someone new?
4. How long does it take for me to become new?
Reading this in english makes it sound like Paul is talking to Jews, however, in Greek it is obvious Paul is talking to everyone. In Greek it means the rest of the Gentiles. Paul is telling them don’t act like everyone else you have to be different.
1st you have to quit following the crowd. If you want to change you have to start doing different stuff. You can’t be who you were and become someone new.
The other group can’t change because they don’t think they can. They don’t truly believe what they are saying they believe. They are just buying fire insurance.
5. Do I truly believe what I say I believe?
6. Is my heart hard or do I genuinely want to change?
They wandered far from God even after hearing the message because they just wanted to try and change a little. They had no true desire to become more like Christ. They just wanted to kinda change a little so they could go to heaven. Paul says it doesn’t work like this. You can’t be like them and be like Jesus.
They have no sense of shame. They have no shame and they eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
7. What does this look like in reality?
They don’t care for what God says they only do what makes them happy. They do what they believe works best for them. Living their best life. Following their hearts. Sound familiar. If I truly want to change then I have to understand that I knew I needed to change from the beginning. If I don’t want to change there is no way I am going to truly change.
Paul then tells them how to really change. Throw off your sinful nature and your former way of life. Get rid of the old and embrace the new. The trick is that I am now asking myself everyday “What would Jesus do?” I am leaning into the Holy Spirit for the change that I know I need.
I have to put on a whole new nature. I can’t keep just a couple of the old things that I like because they are what got me there to start with. If I want to truly change and make it stick then I have to change all the way not just part of the way.
Salvation is not something you can get just a little of…you either change or you don’t there is no halfway…there is no longer what I want and what God wants…its just what God wants period. That is how you truly change.
Paul says we put on our new nature, created to be like God, truly righteous and holy. We are striving to be more like God..like Jesus. We are no longer trying to fit in with the world. If I lose friends then God will give me some more…better friends. If I lose something for the glory of the Lord I know there is something better on the way.