The apostle Paul in this section begins his in-depth, prolonged teaching on the sanctification of the believer and personal holiness. He does so by showing us that God has made us brand new people with new desires and ambitions. He shows us that sanctification is to a great extent believing and acting on the truth of who we are in Christ.
Teaching Notes:
New Clothes For A New Man
Ephesians 4:17-24
Intro: Before I got smart and paid someone to change the oil for me, I used to change it myself. I had special clothes to do this chore in. I would wear an old, ugly green jacket that I had owned even before I got married. I would wear an old pair of jogging pants, and some beat up tennis shoes that have seen better days. By the time I was done changing the oil, I would have managed to get used oil on these clothes and my hands. Afterwards I would strip off these old clothes and shower really good to get all the grime and grease off my hands. But when I got clean I would put on different clothes. Those old grubbies are only used to change the oil, and once I’m done, I’m done with them. It wouldn’t make any sense for me to put them back on when I got out of the shower. Neither does it make any sense for God to cleanse us by the blood of Christ, and then for us to continue to go on in the old habit patters of sin we were accustomed to before conversion. Paul’s point in this passage is that because God has made us completely clean and brand new, therefore, we ought to lay aside our old clothes and put on some new ones. We should strip away the evil things we used to do, and instead practice righteousness and holiness.
Lay aside (vs.22); Put on (vs.24); Laying aside (vs.25); Put away (vs.31). He’s talking about laying aside our filthy clothes of an unrighteous life, and putting on the clean clothes of a holy life.
Paul lays out the main theme of this paragraph right up front in vs. 17. The word “Gentiles” is sometimes used in a racial sense as a Non-Jew. Sometimes it is used in a religious sense as a pagan (1 Thess.4:5). That is the sense he is using it here. Notice the use of no longer. Paul is saying that we used to walk just as the pagans walk now. We were no different. But now that God has saved us, our conduct must change.
He uses the word walk for the second time. In 4:1 he uses it to speak of walking in unity. Now he uses it to speak of walking in purity.
He also begins with so. In the old NASB, it was therefore. Because God’s goal for the church is spiritual maturity & Christlikeness, therefore this is what you must do in order to attain it.
Say and affirm: This is a solemn declaration. Paul is identifying with Christ and giving an exhortation as thought Christ Himself were giving it. He’s saying, “This is not just my opinion. This is the commandment of Christ Himself.” Why is Paul so solemn here? He knows that our former life exerts a strong pull. The Ephesians had left the way of life they had followed all their life. The influence of the past was strong. There was the constant temptation to revert to old and familiar ways. There were ungodly friends and pastimes which gave them pleasure. There was the ever-present temptation to revert back to them.
As we get into this text I want to ask 3 questions: What was true of our old self? What is true of our new self? What do we need to do now that we are new selves?
1. What Was True Of Our Old Self? Here we have a Biblical description of the lost man. Is he basically good? Paul tells us something about the sinner’s mind, heart, life, and character.
A. We Had A Darkened Mind: Notice the expressions Paul uses here: the futility of their mind; being darkened in their understanding; the ignorance that is in them. Why were their minds futile? Because they were ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. They can never grasp the most important spiritual realities. They are blind to the truth. They can quickly grasp the things of the world, but find their attempt to grasp the things of God futile. Their minds are like a living room in which the doors are closed, and the shades are pulled down, so that even in mid-day, they can’t see a thing. This was us! At one time we were blind as a bat to spiritual things. What a miserable condition! It was as though we were walking around with blindfolds on. Salvation includes receiving a revelation of God. God breaks through our darkness and lights up our understanding. He takes the blinders off, drops the scales from our eyes, and gives us spiritual sight.
B. We Had A Hardened Heart: Sin petrifies the heart, so that it becomes as a stone. The heart of the person who continually chooses to sin becomes hardened and insensitive to the things of God. Callous: this word means “past feeling.” People who play a stringed instrument develop callouses on their fingers. The ends of the fingers get very hard, and insensitive, so that they don’t hurt even though they are pressing down on strings constantly. The person who live sin eventually develops a seared conscience so that he becomes numb to right and wrong. This was our condition! Ezek.36:26. Oh, how good and gracious our God is! He changed us from the inside out. He ripped the callouses off our heart and made us sensitive to sin and His voice.
C. We Had An Alienated Life: Paul says that we were “alienated from the life of God.” We were cut off from God’s life. Apart from His life, we were experiencing a living death. “He who has the Son has the life.” Apart from a living relationship to Christ, we are dead. An accurate description of the Christian is that he possesses the life of God. There only 2 kinds of people in this world: those who have His life and those that don’t. Henry Scougal wrote a book in the 1600’s called “The Life Of God In The Soul Of Man.” That title says it all. 1 Timothy 5:6.
D. We Had An Evil Character: Because we were cut off from God, we gave ourselves to sin. Sensuality: this is speaking of unbridled lust. We see this everywhere today. Prostitution is one of the biggest business in the U.S. We see it in films, TV, billboards, magazines. Greediness: this is the opposite of contentment; the desire to have more. This was us! What can we expect from a person cut off from God? A person with a darkened mind, a hardened heart, an alienated life produces a wicked life. If we are out of fellowship with God, sin is the only result.
2. What Is True Of Our New Self?
A. We Have Learned Christ: This is the greatest subject in the universe! Being saved is not a matter of learning a particular creed, doctrine or brand of theology. It is learning Christ! Paul has already told us that the church is to grow until we all attain to the knowledge of the Son of God to a mature man. Maturity has to do with learning Christ. When we learn Christ we also learn holiness. Notice “But you did not learn Christ in this way.” What way? In the way of sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
B. We Have Heard Christ: Though preaching about Christ came through a pastor or evangelist, you heard Him. You can tell me about someone all day long. As a result I will know some things about that person, but I will never know that person until I spend some time speaking with him and he with me. It takes a relationship with someone before we can know them. You must speak directly to Jesus, and He must speak directly to you. I’m not saying that you have to audibly hear Him speak to you. But make no mistake – when God sets out to save a soul He will speak to that person powerfully through His Word. John 10:27; 6:44-45; Eph.2:17.
C. We Have Been Taught In Christ: “just as truth is in Jesus.” This point is so important. How or where are we going to find truth? That’s what so many are looking for. They look for it by examining all the religions of the world, and reading all the writings of the gurus and “holy men” of the world. When they are done they have a lot of opinions of men, but still don’t know the truth. If you want to know truth, you must know Jesus, because truth is in Jesus! All spiritual truth stems from Christ and Him crucified. Make sure that whatever you are learning from Scripture you relate to Christ. I trust that my preaching and teaching will always be full of Christ. Make Jesus the sum and substance of your thoughts, meditations, and prayers. Paul said it this way, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).
D. We Have Been Created In Christ: Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.” The New Self has been created in the likeness of God in righteousness and holiness of the truth. The New Self refers to the new nature that we are reborn with. When a person is born again he becomes a partaker of the Divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). “For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” (Gal. 6:14). “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17). To be born of the Spirit is to be a new creation! Do you see why if anyone is a Christian, it is a miracle? Only God can create something. The New Self you have become gravitates toward righteousness and holiness. When you want to do right and live a holy life that is the Real you. When you find yourself indulging in the lusts of the flesh, that is the old you. When we are born again, we have God’s own desires within us!
3. What Must We Do Now?
A. We Must Lay Aside The Old Self: Who is the old self? He is the person we used to be in Adam, the person we were by birth and nature. He is the unregenerate person who was dominated by a depraved nature. He is the fallen, polluted, depraved, corrupt, sinful person with a bias against God and towards evil. What happened to the Old Self? He has been crucified with Christ! Gal.2:20; Rom.6:6. If you are in Christ, you are no longer in Adam. The man you used to be in Adam is gone forever. The new nature is not added to the old nature; it replaces it. You don’t have two different natures. Rather you are one person with one nature – the new nature you possess in Christ. Why then are we to lay aside the old self, if he is already dead? Paul, in Ephesians is speaking of the characteristics of the old self; the conduct of the old self. The Old Self is dead; we can continue to live on as if he were still alive! Don’t go on living as if you were the old self. You’re not! After the Civil War was over, the slaves in the south kept forgetting that they were free, and continued to act like slaves, living with a servile spirit in fear. They were free legally and positionally. The same was still alive, but the slave he was once was now dead. Out of habit, he could go on living as if he were still a slave. He had to tell himself, “You’re no longer a slave; live as a free man. Be what you are!”
What sins from the Old Life must we put away? Eph.4:19 – sensuality, impurity, greed. 4:25 – falsehood. 4:31 – bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, malice. Whenever these sins of the flesh rise up in you, recognize that they are habit patterns from the Old Self who is now dead. Repent and renounce them, and take off those filthy clothes!
B. We Must Put On The New Self: Put on the garments which are characteristics of the New Self. What are they? True righteousness and holiness (4:24); speaking truth (4:25); labor with your hands (4:28); speaking edifying words (4:29); kind, tender-hearted, forgiving (4:32). Romans 13:14 says “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” That says it all in a nutshell. The New Self is all about Christlikeness!
C. We Must Be Renewed In Our Mind: How do we put off the old self and put on the new self? By renewing our minds. Notice that this is passive – “be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” We don’t renew ourselves. God does that. But there is a part we must play. We must saturate our minds with the truth. Rom.12:2. Our responsibility is to saturate our minds with Scripture. God’s responsibility is to renew us. We must learn to think Biblically about ourselves, as to who we are in Christ. What has Paul told us so far in Ephesians about who we are in Christ? Chosen, predestined, graced, redeemed, heirs, sealed, quickened, raised, seated in heavenly places, created anew, brought near, given access, members of His temple.
Application:
1. What Sinful Practices Continue From Your Old Life? Drugs, alcohol, profanity, pornography, temper, pride, lust, greed, materialism. These must be forsaken as inconsistent with who you are now. That old guy’s dead. When you are tempted, recall God’s truth of who you really are. Remember you’re free. You are not a slave to those sins. You’ve heard someone say, “He’s not acting like himself.” Well, that’s true when we pursue sin. We are not acting like the person we really are.
2. What Fruits Of The Spirit Are Not Evident In Your New Life? What’s the answer? Christ! Put on Christ! Be clothed with Christ! Let the lack of fruit drive you to Christ, and a deepening of relationship to Him. Hold fast to the Head! Only Christ can produce His character and life. We must go right to the power source!
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