Walk A New Path

Ephesians 4:17–28 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. 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 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.

No Longer Walk As the Rest of the Gentiles Walk

Paul is giving instruction here to the Ephesian Christians, and to us

He begins again with another “Therefore”

Connecting this with what he has been saying

Since we can see this wonderful mystery of God revealed to us

That we are chosen in Him before the foundation of the World

Partakers of His divine nature

Since we are admonished to “walk Worthy of Our Calling”

Since we are called to ministry and given grace to accomplish

to grow to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ

For the unity of the church, edifying itself in love

Then we need to Walk a new Path, in purity, holiness, sanctified, and worthy

This I say and testify in the Lord - Insist by the authority of the Lord -

That we live our lives in this holiness, this worthy of our calling life in the unity of the Spirit, In Christ

He tells us how not to do this:

Not walking like the rest of the gentiles

These Ephesian Christians were not Jews.

In saying they should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles, he implies two thingsL

That they used to live that way

That the errors he is about o describe, are in fact the way these Christians (and most of us) used to live

Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners

Consider some of the people that Jesus has saved - from the thief on the cross to Paul, to people like John Newton, and Chuck Colson to you and I

Such were some of you… but you are washed.

And, that they could do so again.

Even thought hey were Christians, it was possible for them to fall back into this way of thinking and being

If it we not possible, he would have no need to admonish them

In fact we are told repeatedly in the new Testament that we must “Hold fast” to our profession, to be steadfast, to endure until the end

The Christian walk is compared to a race, and we area told to “run in such a way that we may obtain”

Peter says we must be sober, be vigilant

You must be intentional about you salvation and sanctification

reminds us that the same word was preached to them that were saved as to those who perished

1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

In The Futility of Their Minds

Futility, or vanity of their minds

This is a summary statement of the description that follows. The vanity of their minds has led to this sinful lifestyle he describes

Thinking, Being, Doing

Solomon used this Word 36 time in Ecclesiastes

All is vanity - futility - (that is all that can be done apart from eternity, from Christ)

He does not say that their minds were empty, on the contrary, they were very full

People like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle in their culture

Rather, he says that all if the things filling their minds is futile, leads nowhere -

Speaking of Futility, consider our culture today

How much people waste their time, thoughts and resources on useless and empty things

The entertainment industry shapes most of the thinking of our young people

Religion, morals and even virtue seem to be censured from our education and society

So that people shape their thinking and values based on fictional media made for entertainment (and often depraved)

Video games and computer games

Fortnite, currently the most popular video game

over 250 million players, 5 million concurrent

millions of dollars spent on skins and such

Futility

So much of even the things we consider meaningful is also vanity when viewed in the eternal frame

As Jesus said, what good is the whole world if you lose your own soul?

Having their understanding darkened:

devoting our minds to amusement and carnal lusts, causes our understanding to be darkened

like when you dim the lights in a room

things that were clearly seen become less noticeable, then invisible

So it is when we crowd out the quiet meditation on God’s Word with the daily cares of this present time

Being Alienated From The Life of God

It’s not just that these gentiles were not as enlightened as their Christian counterparts

Not just that they were wasting valuable and productive time and energy on futile and worthless things

Not just that they were ignorant of the most profound and wonderful things on the universe, and a glorious hope

But they were in fact, in this darkened state, alienated from the very life of God

They were living apart from the one thing that mattered, and from the only thing that could save them for eternity

They were not only ignorant of God, they were enemies of God.

Because of the ignorance that is in them - (ignorance is not stupidity)

Because of the blindness of their heart (Spirit)

It is for this reason that Jesus Christ came into the world ()

Aliens: outsiders,

Think about this for a moment

we were all aliens once

citizens of our own country, but not citizens of the kingdom of God

I recall first walking into a church were people were genuinely worshipping God

as virtuous as I thought they were, I knew I didn’t belong

I had nothing against them, I just wasn’t one of them. And I knew it.

Pul is clear about this state of the unbeliever: Alienated from the Life of God

Jesus said that they servant does not abide in the house forever, but the son abides forever

He wants to adopt us as sons

This is not at all unlike the culture today, even here in this country

So many people, even those who know about Jesus, are living lives just like these gentiles

living in the futility of their minds - filled with worthless things

having their understanding darkened, and now separate from God

Being Past Feeling

No, after thinking and being, they begin doing

They do not “feel” the conviction of the holy spirit as they begin to sink into these lives of debauchery

We think that the sexual promiscuity of today’s culture is something new. In fact, it is not.

The people here in Ephesus were well acquainted with immorality

the place of Artemis’ temple - goddess of fertility

worship acts included all kinds of immorality

an area around the temple was protected - so that no criminals could be arrested there

These had become so normal no one even “felt” shock or guilt

Also, as we discussed in another message, they were past feeling, as dead to feeling, the things of the spirit

So much of our culture today has become “past feeling”

Just think about how much different the entertainment industry is

Things that used to shock us at a rated R movie are now on television

and no one “feels” anything

As a result they gave themselves over to lewdness (lasciviousness )

When the spirit within us no longer restrains us, we can regress to almost anything

this led to working all uncleanness with greediness

not only had the human state descended to this, but they were greedy for more, and lived to get gain from it

sin is profitable

Be assured, this was not written for the purpose of criticizing these gentiles

Paul was not writing to try to put down all the outsiders, indeed he was still trying to win them

He was writing to remind the Christians both from where God had brought them, and to exhort them not to return

If they had been mindful where they cam from, they could have returned

Hebrews 11:15 NKJV

15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.

We need to put this in mind today

with the culture around us as it is - so many Christians do not live any different from the rest of the world

not only that, they will argue passionately if you try to correct them, that Jesus wants us fit it

But Paul says we must not live as the rest of the gentiles live

our lives must be different - we must be set apart - holy

You are a Peculiar people, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood

You Have Not So Learned Christ

What a beautiful statement

you have not learned this from Christ

We have received quite a different nature from HIm

His Spirit living in us, leads to a different walk

Not a forced walk by rule or commandment or religious ritual

But a peaceful, and natural walk, led from the Inside.

If indeed you have heard Him

notice he did not say “heard about Him”

Jesus Christ lives inside of every believer

If you will “hear His voice”, He will lead you

Have you heard Him? Do you Hear Him?

A boy recently told me a story and at a certain point he prefaced a statement with “I know this was probably inappropriate”

How did he know?

Have been taught by Him

He is able to teach you

by His Word - the bible

By His example

By His Spirit

By His Church - not only these sermons, but fellow believers in you lives

Christ working in you - will teach you all things ()

As the Truth is in Jesus

He is the Truth. A Truth you can trust

a Truth you can rely on

A Truth you can rest in.

Put Off The Former Conduct

So, now, If we have heard Him, we can put off this old way

That old man which grows corrupt by its deceitful lusts

Be renewed in The Spirit of you mind

He will put his laws on our inward parts, in our hearts and minds

being “renewed” brought back to the right place with God

That is difficult while you are still living in that old conduct

Put on The New Man

Jesus invites us to “put on the new man”

really be transformed

salvation is instant -

although sanctification may last a lifetime, you are saved immediately

you are either saved or not - no such thing as partly saved

This “New Man” was created according to God

In True Righteousness and Holiness

True Righteousness is not some heavy burden impossible to attain

It is a natural state for the Spirit of God, and the natural state for this New Man whose walk is according to God

Put On The New Man Today