New Life, New Way

Ephesians 4:17–5:2 NIV

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Introduction: Cindy and her butterflies.

The Old Way of Life

Description of Life in Pompeii

In 1819, when King Francis visited the Pompeii exhibition there with his wife and daughter, he was so embarrassed by the erotic artwork that he had it locked away in a "secret cabinet" (gabinetto segreto), a gallery within the museum accessible only to "people of mature age and respected morals". - Wikepedia

Not everyone who is a Christian lives this way. Often there are people who live as though there is a God.

In general, without God we are forced to live in a way to either please others, or please ourselves. And both end about really being about ourselves.

Christ’s Way is Sacrificial Love.

Christ’s way is entirely different. God does not need creation, God does not need the Cosmos, because God is in eternal relationship within the trinity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in one God is all that God needs.

Yet God’s character of Love and generosity has compelled God to create the Cosmos, and all of the heavenly creatures, and earthly creatures. It is this cosmos that Jesus is sent to redeem, out of God’s Grace and love.

We talked about the Cosmic nature of Jesus’ Love

The Christians Way of Life is Sacrificial Love.

So Christians are called to imitate God, to Imitate Christ.

The focus of the Christian’s way of life - It begins by the changing of our mind/heart - Our Thoughts.

An ancient Chinese proverb says, “Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words. Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions. Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits. Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character. Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny” (Robert C. Jameson, “Be Careful of Your Thoughts: They Control Your Destiny,” Huffington Post, updated June 28, 2014, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-c-jameson/be-careful-of-your-though_b_5214689.html). in the New Century Version puts it this way: “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.”

This is what Paul has been trying to do by emphasizing the greatness of the Gospel, God’s Grace, and His Love so that our world view and thought processes would be transformed… - Here Paul’s vice and virtue list moves from thoughts, to words, to behaviors.

We Sacrifice: We Love by:

Deceitful Desires Spirit Driven

License to do whatever/Greed Displaying God’s Way

Lying for our benefit Being Truthful

Allowing Anger to take over (Devil) Work Through your Anger -

Stealing Working in order to give to others

Unwholesome Talk Words to Build others up.

not in good condition (damaged or decaying): unsound and useless.

Bitterness, Rage, Anger, Slander Kindness, Compassionate, Forgiveness,

Grieving the Holy Spirit - “Israel rebelled against God and they grieved the Holy Spirit, so the Lord became an enemy to them: he himself fought against them.”

Therefore there is the command to Be Angry/Disturbed but not to sin. And then secondarily to think it over on ones bed and grieve over it. Verse 8 in the Psalm ends with the command to lie down and sleep in peace having thought through how the Lord alone brings safety. - This seems to suggest that Paul is arguing for a righteous anger and disturbance that comes from seeing injustice in the world, but at the same time not to be caught up in how the world deals with things by sinning more. Instead to on a nightly basis, bring those things that disturb us and anger us to God and be reminded of the Cosmic nature of the Gospel and how God will restore all things and protect us.

Application Point: Make note of which of these God wants you to grow in. Motivated by God’s Love and His genuine desire to make you a Masterpiece pray to God about how he wants to grow you in one of those areas.

Why? is growth in Character so Important?

The New Way Represents God well.

It Represents the Family well - Notice the last verse in which we are called God’s dearly loved children.

Again the motivation is the Love of God who is making us and the Church a masterpiece.

A multi-cultural, multi-temporal Cosmic Family of God in which is also called the temple of God, where God dwells, and where heaven and earth meet, and therefore is a testimony to both the world that does not believe in God, and to the powers, and authorities, and principalities (demons) that what the restoration God is doing in the Church, he wants to do in the Cosmos.

If we remain motivated by our desires to please ourselves, and please others, and we continue to live with the Old Hat on. Than how in the world will the world see the transformative power of the Gospel.

Church Discipline - talking to a new Elder about the purpose of church discipline and someone standing by showing disdain for the concept of Church discipline. It is not about judgment, it is not about a self-righteousness, it is about helping eachother be transformed by the Love of God so that the Church can represent God well.

Application Point: How can we challenge each other to grow in Christ-likeness in the love of Christ, with the purpose of building each other up. How do we speak the truth in love?

Conclusion:

Reference the Reformed Confessions: The Reformed Confessions are statements of faith written to clarify the Gospel at times when the Church was in crisis. Heidelberg Catechism: Q&A 32-33, 43, 76, 86, 90-91, 114-115, 122, 124 Belgic Confession: Articles 24 Canons of Dort: Head I, Article 13: Head V, Article 6, 12-13