Ephesians 4:20-24 Podcast
In Christ, we have a different way of living, a different way of thinking. In Christ, we have been given the truth by which we can test everything. We have found in Jesus Christ the truth about life, about ourselves, about the world, about the makeup of all things.
In Christ, we have a different way of living, a different way of thinking. In Christ, we have been given the truth by which we can test everything. We have found in Jesus Christ the truth about life, about ourselves, about the world, about the makeup of all things.
Christ is the truth who reveals to us the truth. Truth is realistic and it reveals to us the senselessness of the alternative.
The key is we have heard the Lord Jesus and we have been taught by Him. In Romans 10:17, Paul writes, "Faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of Christ." Faith is created by hearing the spoken word of Christ. The word used for "word" in Romans 10:17 is rhema, meaning the spoken word.
The key is we have heard the Lord Jesus and we have been taught by Him. In Romans 10:17, Paul writes, "Faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of Christ." Faith is created by hearing the spoken word of Christ. The word used for "word" in Romans 10:17 is rhema, meaning the spoken word.
You are probably thinking, "the world knows truth. In fact, the discoverer of the Laws of Gravity wasn't a Christian." To which I would say, the world doesn't have God's vantage point on this life, they don't know God's principles of dealing with relational issues. In Christ, we have the tape measure for recognizing the false.
The Apostle Paul uses a metaphor. He says, "put off" and "put on." Put off means to rid ourselves of something, to get rid of something that is destroying us. We reject the thinking and the culture which is contrary to Christ's, putting them off, just as we would put off our dirty clothes.
We do this because, from these, comes corruption. He says our old life is corrupt, decayed, selfish, and dead. These are the things which make our lives miserable. Paul identifies these ways as "deceitful lusts." This word lust is any urge or basic drive. It is the drive to fulfill our desires in ways God has told us not to.
God intends for us to recognize the false from the truth. Put off the old way, lay it aside, refuse to accept it, no longer give it place in our lives. Then recognize the new life that Jesus died to give you.
Paul writes, "be renewed in the spirit of your minds." This is the fundamental difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. The Christian has the possibility of living on a different level, because we have been renewed in the spirit of our mind.
In v.22, we are told to "put off our old man (our old nature)." In other words, we do not have to live the old way. We now can live differently. The new man has within him the life of God. So, we are to appropriate His life because it is available to us. It is not something put on the for the moment, it is real and alive if appropriated.
Paul writes, "be renewed in the spirit of your minds." This is the fundamental difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. The Christian has the possibility of living on a different level, because we have been renewed in the spirit of our mind.
In v.22, we are told to "put off our old man (our old nature)." In other words, we do not have to live the old way. We now can live differently. The new man has within him the life of God. So, we are to appropriate His life because it is available to us. It is not something put on the for the moment, it is real and alive if appropriated.
And, not only that, it is holy. An accurate translation of this word holiness is wholeness. As God intended us to be. Again, we must appropriate His life by not feeding the flesh (the old man) and feed the Spirit (the new man).
