Putting on the New - Ephesians 4:17-24

New Life, New Ways

We are to live differently than the world for we are no longer identified with the world. We are His and we need to use what we are taught to live to honor Him.

Paul starts to show us specifics in the NEW and the OLD.

We must PUT ON-- action statement -- we must chose what to

"wear" daily.

Illustration -- what we wear defines us... uniform, tight hair cut, Hawaiian shirts, long hair, suits, shorts, hats they give an image of who we are.

How we are perceived, the choices we make are important

Lets remember what we have learned so far...

Change Your Walk

Lets remember earlier in Ephesians that we are HIS and we need to act accordingly.

We Ephesians 2:1 were dead in our sin, in the way that we USED to walk

We followed the world and its power that is supplied by Satan, we sought our earthly desires

BUT in Ephesians 2:8 we learn that because of Christ and the gift of grace we were able to live again. Live NEW, CHANGED lifes. NOT because of any thing we did but because of everything that HE did.

Ephesians 2:11 tells us that we were separated from Christ, alienated from God, WE had NO HOPE.

Christ died and rose again to display the dead in the old and alive in the NEW

and when we accepted Christ by Faith we were born again.

Part of a NEW NATION

With access to the WISDOM of God Ephesians 3:10 and part of God’s eternal purpose.

Paul prays an amazing blessing through prayer for us to remember and know the Spiritual Strength that we have through the Holy Spirit who resides in US.

It is because of ALL of this that we are joined in a new nation, each individually gifted to DO OUR PART for the Glory of GOD and HIS eternal Purpose

Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

We do all things to equip the saints Ephesians 4:12

Ephesians 4:12 (ESV)

12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

We learn to speak in love to teach, correct, rebuke and encourage others to grow and live in the Fruit of the Spirit

So that we move, live and operate as the BODY OF CHRIST

Now in today's verses Paul will change his TONE

He changes to an example of speaking TRUTH in Love

What the Gentiles Do

Paul tells us, Commands us to Stop living in the OLD WAY and DO NOT LEAN INTO CULTURE.

The Gentiles in Ephesus were particularly sinful.

Ephesus was a leading city of commerce and culture in the Roman Empire, the home of the pagan temple of Diana

The temple of Diana at Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Worship of Diana involved the worst immorality of degraded pagan religion.

Diana. Roman name for the mythological Greek goddess Artemis, daughter of Jupiter and Latona and the twin sister of Apollo.

She renounced all idea of marriage,

supposedly because she was appalled at the birth pains her mother had suffered in bearing her,

and remained the unattainable virgin goddess.

That influence made Ephesus a wretched hive of scum and villainy, a wicked place indeed.

Temple prostitution, graft, crime, immorality, idolatry, and every conceivable form of sin abounded.

Many of the Christians in Ephesus came out of that kind of background.

In contrast with that evil background,

Paul made his appeal, “Don’t live like that any longer!”

First, he says, it is futile to live like that.

It leads to nothing.

Learning

Ephesians 4:21 “21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,”

Look at the words and phrases that Paul has chosen

No longer walk as Gentiles

Futility

darkened

alienated

ignorance

hardness

become callous -- this is a hardening process- callous build with use

impurity

----- not the way you were taught

Put off your old self

be renewed

Put on the NEW self

created in likeness of God [Gen 1:26-27]

This list is straight to the OLD heart that we all can relate to.

Paul is never going to leave us hang on a matter of our honoring GOD.

We are part of a church and the church’s mission must be a form of Horizon’s mission

To Glorify God, but growing others in Christ

We do this by submitting to sound teaching on sound doctrine and learning NOT to be tossed to and fro

Ephesians 4:14 “14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”

To grow into mature Christians able to handle and administer the WORD of GOD.

Applying Our Learning

Paul reminds us that we are to live different.

Ephesians 4:22 “22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,”

ILLUSTRATION- EDC -- everyday carry - popular in the culture today

It is bringing "things" that you carry everyday so you are prepared

it may be a knife, wallet, keys, phone, tissues, even a mask

company market-- everyday carry bags, --- place for your multi tool, flashlight, first aid, snacks, pens, ipad --- etc.

Hey women have been doing this for years -- its a purse

US studly men --- call it a backpack

The point is as Christian we EDC the HOLY SPIRIT

Do you bring other items -- bible (whether in book, or in your heart)

do you know Scripture to bring Spiritual first aid

do you bring prayer

Paul is telling US --- change your clothes, dress as a Christian in outer and inner coverings -- live differently -- see things differently -- chose your perspective in all things James 1:2

We are to PUT OFF THE OLD SELF --- not maybe or it would be a good idea, or if you want --

but our COMMANDER IN CHIEF telling us to cease and desist - it is an order!

Put off the OLD --- you are HIS fully and completely - So live like it!!

in verse 17 the "must" is a translation of the word for INSIST.

we must see this section of Scripture as an imperative

Paul is not being wishy washy or suggestive.

He is telling us WE MUST NO LONGER.

Mark your Bible -- this is not to be read with hope, but with command of our daily actions -- our JUST FYI —

I told you that Paul was going to move from our Position - to the Practical ---

He laid the foundation, and now we are going to start the remodeling ---

we are to walk worthy and then strongly tells us to get rid of the old self --- Our character is going to and NEEDS TO CHANGE

Renewed Mind

Ephesians 4:23 “23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,”

We are to live as redeemed people because of the work of Christ, we are to live as we are born again putting off the old and walking as the new in Christ

this word === RENEWED in the original Greek

- not a changing of clothes but a changing of character.

the verb is used as a command, not a suggestion.

Chose to live differently

make the choice that Glorifies God

Take of the Old and Put on the NEW

there is a connection between the original Adam, the image bearer,

then the fall and the curse To the coming of Christ,

the death of the curse and then the redemption

-- it is a return to “WITH GOD” that Adam first experienced.

We can walk with God in cool of the day (Genesis 3:8)

Workmanship to Wicked to Wonderful in God's eyes??

We are returned to be an image bearer and therefore should act and live like it!

Likeness of God

Created in the beginning as the image of God, failed and lost Eden because of submission to sin,

BUT God so loved the whole world that He sent HIS SON to pay the needed price

we are redeemed made anew

and we are once again able to be with GOD in our Eden.

Ephesians 4:24 “24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Remember this verse in Genesis 1:26-27 “26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

We were in the Very BEGINNING created to be HIS Masterpiece, Created to be LIKE HIM.

Sin enters the world and that relationship and that position are changed.

Humans were cursed, but never abandoned.

we are adopted children of God given the eyes of our heart to walk wise, to focus on the grace and love of Christ .

Redeemed to live a new life that is lead worthy of our calling -

honoring and fulfilling Christ by equipping the saints to build the body for His glory.

New life, New man ,

New ways,

New directions and goals,

New measuring stick

not the world but Christ.

Don't miss this -- if we are saved, seal, and secured in Christ --

Then we have a guide with us every moment of every day of our NEW LIFE, NEW BIRTH -- the NEW YOU

Lets Pray and Finish in worship to our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ.