Chosen to be made new

Church of Christ Dapto The letter to the Church in Ephesus Lesson 10—Chosen to be new Ephesians 4:17-32      Chosen to be new Ephesians 4:17 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. I insist in the Lord This is a command from God, strongly voiced by Paul to us. It is not an option or advice I can choose to hear or ignore. This command concerns the very core of my salvation, my obedience to God and my witness as one of God’s people No longer live I must begin to live out what I claim to believe. I must practice the Truths I have been taught and I say that I believe. I must never again choose to return to my old way of life in any area because if I do, I am ignoring God and denying the power of Christ’s sacrifice. Futile thinking Ephesians 4:18 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. When I lived like the people of the world, my mind did not understand anything that was True, nor did I ever seek anything that was Light. I was committed to my own ignorance about God, and found it easy to justify myself because I had hardened my heart to anything that did not appear to satisfy me. Selfish living Ephesians 4:19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. This ignorance made it impossible for me to be sensitive to the needs or value of anything else but myself and so my life was spent indulging myself in anything I felt that I needed or wanted. I was ruled by my own lusts; my god was my own body. It was easy to justify myself and pretend I could justify my life to God because I believed the lies of the world about Him. He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to the Ephesians—Lesson 10 Chosen to be new November 24, 2019 Page 2 The path to life Ephesians 4:20 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. I did not learn about Christ through using the methods of thinking or the values and ideas of the people of the world. Their hearts and minds are focussed on satisfying their most basic and selfish lusts. Their attitude would never bring them to consider the call of Truth by Christ Jesus. Ephesians 4:21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. I came to know Christ through the Truth He lived and taught. I came to know Christ because Christ chose me to see, hear and believe in Him, despite the selfish focus of my mind and the hardness of my heart. Since the old way could not bring me to Christ, the old way cannot help me continue in Christ, or live in Christ. The old way of my life and thinking must be removed because it is an obstacle to the Truth in Christ and the life He died to give me.      A new way of life Ephesians 4:22-24 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, I have been taught these things before. John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Colossians 3:9-10 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 2 Peter 1:4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. God knows that I need to be reminded of what I have been taught because I am not yet putting this teaching into practice. This teaching is all about my relationship to the person I used to be, and those who used to influence me. He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to the Ephesians—Lesson 10 Chosen to be new November 24, 2019 As far as my life before I was saved by Christ I must: Page 3 1. Put off put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; The old me was not every going to improve or turn into a better person. It was destined to become more and more corrupt. The desires that my old life had were deceitful because while I believed that they would satisfy me, make me happier, make me healthier, or even make me more acceptable to God, they could never do so. The lies which I chose to believe, led me into greater corruption, not a better life. The old self is worn out, decrepit and useless so it must be put off like removing an old, dirty set of clothes before I can put on my new and wonderful clothes. Once I have obeyed God and made the decision to put off my old corrupt and deceitful self, I must never think about putting these old “clothes” back on again. Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, The putting off is not just a once for all event. Each time I am tempted to think or behave in my old ways, I must put them off by refusing to take that path. This refusal to be my old self is the work of the Spirit of Christ in me. 2. Be made new be made new in the attitude of your minds; The part of me that must be made new is not my clothes, or my complexion, or my hairstyle, but my mind. When my mind is truly changed, then everything in me and about me is changed. The very inner part of me where I examine what I have been taught, and make decisions about obeying or disobeying, must be made new. I should still, in my thoughts, examine what I have been taught but not on the basis of my old thinking. I must examine what I am being taught on the basis of what the Holy Spirit has taught me in Scripture and with the aim of obeying this teaching. I must no longer think about whether or not I will obey God. I must always choose to obey. I must never make a decision to obey, while planning the excuse I will use when I fail and disobey. I must not be a “butter”. My new attitude is to be one of joyful, willing obedience to all that God says because that is how His people are to live and I have been made one of them. Christ has made me new. Why would I not want to live this new life? He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to the Ephesians—Lesson 10 Chosen to be new November 24, 2019 Page 4 3. Put on put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Having taken off the old filthy life of my past, I can now put on the new glorious clothes of my new life given to me by God through Christ. It is a permanent and continuing decision of faith in God and His promises and commands. The new self I am to put on, by denying any influence and power to my old self, has been created by God to be like Him! My new self is like God Himself in its righteousness and holiness, just as God is righteous and holy. There is no shadow of darkness or sin in God. There can be no shadow of darkness, my old way of thinking, or sin, my old way of living, in my new life. The putting on of the new life is what happens each time I refuse to put on the old life again and I seek to do what God commands me to do. Putting on is a continuing decision in my life and a continuing commitment to a new way of thinking in my mind.      Living your new life In Truth Ephesians 4:25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body. In self control Ephesians 4:26-27 “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. In fruitful labour Ephesians 4:28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. In wholesome talk Ephesians 4:29 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. At peace with God Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Without worldly passions Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to the Ephesians—Lesson 10 Chosen to be new November 24, 2019 Page 5 With the love of Christ Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.      The new life All the attributes listed in verses 25 to 32 are how the people of the world live, and are the attitudes of my mind that I must put off. I am being called to be new in my mind and spirit. I have been chosen by God, through Christ, to be new, and to be like Him. I am to be new by continually putting off the old, believing that God has made me new as He said, and putting on the new attitudes of mind so I can be like Him. My new life will be apparent inside me as I refuse to live by the attitudes of my past mind and seek to live with the mind of God. My new life will be apparent outside me in my new attitude to my brothers and sisters in Christ, and my behaving like God in true righteousness and holiness. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!      He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to the Ephesians—Lesson 10 Chosen to be new November 24, 2019 Page 6 What does this verse mean for my life? I have been given the opportunity to begin my life anew! No past, only present and future in Christ. No burden of guilt for past sins. No burden of having to pay for past sins. No burden of past problems or relationships. No burden of how you were raised, or by whom. No burden of regretting all your mistakes. No burden of seeking revenge or finding someone to blame. No burden of irresistible temptations. No burden of trying to run, or improve, your own life. I have been commanded by God to begin my life anew and given the power to do so! How do I begin my life anew? I accept responsibility for my own sins. I accept that they have all been forgiven in Christ. I accept that they are now the past and forgotten by God. I accept the fact that I have a new Spirit within. Put on the new life given in Christ. Put off the old life. The old life of my mind. The old life of my body. The old life of my spirit. I have been made new! I am to be new! I will live my new life, not my old life, because I believe in the Words and Power of Christ Jesus.  Next Lesson: Chosen for light Focus Verse: Ephesians 5:8     Ephesians 5:1-14      He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4