Reaching in Love: By Putting on a New Life in Community
Rooted in Christ, Reaching in Love • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 6 viewsBelievers reveal the reality of new life in Christ when they replace the habits of the old self with actions shaped by God’s truth and love.
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Reaching in Love: By Putting on a New Life in Community
Reaching in Love: By Putting on a New Life in Community
Subject/Modifier
Putting on the New Self
Opening Theme.
When I was younger, I had a truck that was sprayed by a skunk and
Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:25–5:2 remind us that if we truly belong to Christ, our lives must be a welcoming aroma to the Lord-that we are to stop walking in the old ways and start walking in ways that pleases the Lord.
Need.
The Ephesian church — like ours — was full of people who believed in Jesus but still struggled to live like Him.
They had been made new in Christ (4:22–24), yet Paul knew that new life had to show up in their speech, temper, work, and relationships.
The same tension exists today. We live in a world that normalizes deceit, outrage, greed, and bitterness — and if we’re not careful, we begin to wear those patterns as if they still fit us.
But they don’t. We need to rediscover what it means to walk worthy of our new life in Christ.
Question.
What does it look like to live out our new life in Christ everyday?
Paul begins right where life together usually breaks down — with our words.
Outline
Speak truthfully because we belong to one another (4:17-25)
Handle anger righteously so Satan gains no foothold (4:26–27)
Work Honestly, Give Generously (4:28)
Use your words to build others up (4:29–30)
Imitate God’s forgiving love through Christ (4:31–5:2)
Speak truthfully because we belong to one another (4:17-25)
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.
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.
They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.
But that is not the way you learned Christ!—
assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,
to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
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.
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Principle:
New life speaks truth because we belong to one another in Christ.
Timeless point: Christ restores honest, loving relationships among His people.
Explanation.
Paul begins with a “therefore,” linking this command to the “new self” he just described (4:22–24). In the ancient world, lying was culturally acceptable when it served one’s advantage — truth-telling was not expected unless it benefited one’s reputation or standing.
But for the church, Paul grounds honesty in a new reality: “we are members one of another.” Just as the parts of a body must communicate truthfully to function, believers must speak truthfully to maintain spiritual health and unity.
Falsehood fractures fellowship; truth builds trust.
Jesus, who is “the truth” (John 14:6), creates a truthful people who reflect His nature in their relationships.
Illustration.
Your body relies on your nervous system to tell the truth. If it lied to your brain about a handle on a pot being to hot it could cause permanent damage.
That’s what happens when believers lie to one another. Truth keeps the body healthy; falsehood can destroy us.
Argumentation.
If we can’t trust the truth of one another’s words, the body of Christ breaks down.
Paul’s claim is dependable because it’s grounded in the nature of God Himself —“It is impossible for God to lie” (Heb. 6:18).
Since believers are made new in His image (4:24), truth-telling flows from who He is, not just what we do.
Even in a skeptical culture that says, “truth is relative,” the resurrection of Christ proves truth is absolute — a historical, verifiable event that anchors every other truth claim of the gospel.
If Christ’s resurrection is true, then everything He claimed possible through His resurrection is true.
Application.
For believers:
Speak honestly in love, even when uncomfortable, because truth sustains the body’s health.
For unbelievers: Life without Christ breeds self-preservation and deceit; only His truth can make you new and trustworthy before God and others.
Handle anger righteously so Satan gains no foothold (4:26–27)
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
and give no opportunity to the devil.
Principle:
Righteous anger guards unity; sinful anger gives Satan an opening.
Contrast: Sinful rage → Controlled, righteous response.
Timeless point: Jesus redeems our emotions so they serve God’s purposes, not the enemy’s.
Explanation.
The phrase “Be angry and do not sin” quotes Psalm 4:4.
Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
Paul isn’t forbidding anger but regulating it.
Righteous anger aligns with God’s justice — such as anger toward sin or injustice — but we must make sure it doesn’t erupt into sin.
In Jewish thought, to “let the sun go down” was an idiom for quickly resolving conflict.
Anger left unchecked gives “the devil” meaning literally, “the slanderer” — a foothold to divide relationships and destroy peace.
Jesus, who was righteously angry at sin yet sinless in emotion, redeems our hearts to respond with holy restraint and timely reconciliation.
Illustration.
Imagine a campfire left burning overnight — small at first, but by morning, the wind spreads it into the forest. Unresolved anger works the same way: a spark of hurt turns into a wildfire of destruction.
Christ, the Peacemaker, calls us to extinguish the flames before they spread.
Argumentation.
Anger itself isn’t sin — even God expresses righteous anger. But it becomes sin when it’s unrestrained, selfish, or delayed in reconciliation.
Psychologically, unchecked anger corrodes relationships; spiritually, it opens a “foothold” for Satan
— giving him emotional leverage to divide families, churches, and hearts.
The text’s dependability is both theologically and practically observable.
Application.
For believers:
Don’t let anger linger; reconcile quickly to protect unity.
Paul doesn’t qualify that with you and the other person being reconciled. He instructs each individual to resolve in their own heart to not be angry.
Apart from Christ, anger will rule you; with Christ, you can master it by His Spirit.
Work Honestly, Give Generously (4:28)
“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.”
Principle:
The new life turns takers into givers.
Contrast: Stealing → Serving.
Timeless point: Christ transforms selfishness into generosity.
Explanation.
In the first-century Roman world, theft was common — especially among slaves, day laborers, and soldiers who lived on meager wages.
Paul doesn’t just tell the thief to stop stealing; he gives a redemptive alternative: “Let him labor… so that he may have something to share.”
The word for “labor” (kopiáō) means to toil to the point of weariness.
Work is not punishment but partnership with God’s creative design. The gospel transforms takers into contributors.
Jesus, who worked to serve others and gave His life as a ransom, transforms selfish hearts into generous hands.
Illustration.
When John Newton, the former slave trader, met Christ, he stopped exploiting people for profit and began serving the poor he once ignored.
He didn’t just quit stealing — he started giving.
That’s the kind of gospel reversal Paul envisions here: laboring not to accumulate, but to contribute.
Argumentation.
The transformation from taker to giver is one of the clearest evidences of genuine salvation.
Paul’s command rests on the dependable reality that God Himself is a worker — He created, sustains, and provides (Gen. 2:15, John 5:17).
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
But Jesus responded to them, “My Father is still working, and I am working also.”
Work, isn’t a curse but a calling.
Furthermore, this verse harmonizes biblical ethic and stewardship:
When Christ redeems the heart, greed becomes generosity.
The same gospel that changed Zacchaeus — a thief turned giver — demonstrates this truth’s reliability across history.
Application.
Work diligently and view your income as a means for generosity, not greed.
Without Christ, work is self-centered; with Him, it becomes worship and service.
Use your words to build others up (4:29–30)
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up… and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.”
Principle:
Our words should strengthen others and honor the Spirit who dwells in us.
Contrast: Corrupt speech → Constructive speech.
Timeless point: Jesus purifies our words to reflect His grace and Spirit.
Explanation.
The phrase “corrupting talk” (sapros) literally means “rotten” — like spoiled fruit. Paul contrasts destructive speech with words that build up and give grace.
In a world filled with gossip, flattery, and slander, Paul’s standard is radically different.
Words are to be redemptive tools, not weapons. Then he adds a striking statement: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.”
Our speech and actions affects God personally — He indwells us, and when our words corrupt instead of bless, His heart is grieved.
Illustration.
I don’t think we consider the ramifications of being sealed by the Holy Spirit.
The Affair. Forcing to watch an affar.
Think of a construction site.
Every word you speak is either a hammer that builds or a wrecking ball that tears down.
You can’t grieve the Holy Spirit and build His house at the same time. Christ calls us to build with words that fit His blueprint of grace.
Jesus, whose words gave life and grace, fills His people with the Spirit so that their speech becomes a channel of His kindness.
Argumentation.
Paul’s teaching is dependable because it’s consistent with the Spirit’s sanctifying work in believers.
The Holy Spirit is called “the Spirit of truth” (John 16:13) and “the Comforter” (John 14:26).
Words that wound or corrupt grieve Him because they contradict His purpose.
Even secular research affirms the biblical claim: words have measurable power to shape emotional and psychological health.
Illustration
Japanese scientist Massaru Emoto Had a hypothesis that human consciousness could affect the molecular structure of water And that water could react to positive thoughts and words and polluted water could be clean through prayer and positive reinforcement.
The water spoken too in negative and derogatory ways under a microscope showed broken, disruptive and chaotic patterns
Water that was prayed for and spoken to positively under a microscope showed patterns order, rhythms and great beauty
Im not a scientists, and you might wonder why that matters and I would say it seems insignficant until you learn that the human body is 70% water.
I have know that people who are spoken to negatively or come from cruel harsh environments often live broken, disruptive and chaotic lives,
and those who come from church environments where they are prayed over and encouraged positively live lives of beautiful rhythms of order and health.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Application.
Filter every word through grace, ask, “Will this build up or break down?”
The words of your mouth reveal the condition of your heart; only Christ can make both new.
Imitate God’s forgiving love through Christ (4:31–5:2)
“Let all bitterness… be put away… Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you… therefore be imitators of God… and walk in love, as Christ loved us.”
Principle:
The ultimate mark of the new life is love that imitates Christ’s forgiveness.
Contrast: Bitterness → Kindness and love.
Timeless point: Christ’s sacrificial love becomes the model and motivation for ours.
Explanation.
Paul ends this section with a sweeping contrast between bitterness and love. The six vices in 4:31 —
bitterness,
rage,
anger,
brawling,
slander,
and malice — describe relational decay.
Instead, believers are to show
kindness,
compassion,
and forgiveness, modeled after God’s forgiveness “in Christ.”
Then comes the summary call: “Be imitators of God… and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.”
This verse transitions into chapter 5, reminding the Ephesians that imitation of God is grounded in the cross — love that sacrifices for others.
Jesus is the supreme model of love and forgiveness; His self-giving sacrifice empowers believers to love as He loved.
Refusing or withholding forgiveness is where
bitterness,
rage,
anger,
brawling,
slander,
and malice start to develop.
Withholding forgiveness is an opportunity for the devil to get a foothold so we should resist the temptation to withhold forgiveness.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Illustration.
Corrie ten Boom, who survived a Nazi concentration camp, once faced one of her former guards after the war.
When he asked for forgiveness, she said she couldn’t — until Lord reminded her of Christ’s forgiveness to her.
When she extended her hand, she said it felt like an electric current of love flowing through her.
That moment illustrated the supernatural truth of this passage: we forgive because Christ forgave us first.
Argumentation.
Forgiveness isn’t merely moral advice; it’s theological necessity.
Paul’s argument stands because it rests on God’s character — “as God in Christ forgave you.”
The cross proves forgiveness is not sentiment but sacrifice.
Without forgiveness, communities collapse; with it, they thrive — a truth observable in human society and fulfilled perfectly in Christ
Application.
For believers:
Let go of bitterness and choose kindness and forgiveness as acts of worship.
For unbelievers: Only through Christ’s forgiveness can you learn to forgive others.
Love begins where His grace meets your guilt.
Appeal.
Beloved, this passage calls us to live as people who have put off the old self and put on the new. It’s not a call to try harder — it’s a call to live truer to who you already are in Christ.
The gospel doesn’t just save us from something; it saves us for something. — a new way of living marked by truth, peace, generosity, grace, and love.
So if you’ve been living in deceit, anger, bitterness, or selfishness, the Spirit is inviting you to put off the old ways today — not to impress God, but because you belong to Him.
Let go of anger, because Christ carried God’s wrath for you.
Work not to take, but to give, because you’re a child of a generous Father.
Speak life, not decay, because His Spirit lives in you.
And forgive as He forgave you — fully, freely, forever.
Response.
To believers:
This is your moment to walk in the reality of your new identity.
Where there’s falsehood — bring confession.
Where there’s anger — bring forgiveness.
Where there’s greed — bring generosity.
Where there’s bitterness — bring grace.
Let Christ’s love define you more than your wounds or your past.
You are His beloved child — so imitate your Father and walk in love.
To unbelievers:
Friend, everything this passage calls you to be — truthful, forgiving, loving, generous — begins not with your effort, but with Jesus’ mercy.
You can’t put on a new life until you’ve received it.
But today, that life is offered to you.
Christ died for your sins, rose from the grave, and offers you forgiveness and freedom right now.
Turn from the old life and receive His — one marked by truth, peace, and love.
So here’s the call: Take off the old, and Put on the new.
Pray.
(Run to the Father)
Study Questions
What does Paul emphasize as the starting point for living out our new life in Christ?
According to Ephesians 4:25-5:2, what are some specific behaviors Paul urges believers to adopt?
What connections can be made between God’s character and our call to speak truthfully?
In what ways can we evaluate our speech to ensure it reflects God’s truth and grace?
How can we actively demonstrate the new life in Christ through our emotions, specifically anger?
What practical steps can we take to transition from being takers to givers in our daily lives?
How can we identify and remove bitterness from our lives to cultivate kindness and forgiveness?
