New Year New Nature

Well, amen. Would you take the Word of God with me and turn to the book of Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 4.

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

We've been going through this series in Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus for several weeks now,

and it worked out that we jump right back into our series after a break last Sunday for Christmas Eve,

because this Sunday, as New Year's Eve, the theme of the second part of Ephesians chapter 4

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

really ties in with the theme of the new year and our new nature.

So when we study the book of Ephesians, it's divided into two parts, who we are and how we live.

The background of the book, it was written by the Apostle Paul somewhere around the year AD 62.

It was written while he was imprisoned in Rome, but he was very familiar with this church far away in Ephesus

because he had been the pastor there for three years, and you can read that account in Acts chapter 19.

Acts 19 · chapter mention

The first part of the book is all about who we are in Christ.

Chapters 1 through 3, we covered that, our identity in Christ, and now we have launched into the second part,

the practical part, the application part, how then do we live for Christ?

So, that's what we're covering today. How do we live for Christ?

The theme or the topic for today is New Year, New Nature. New Year, New Nature.

If you're with me, would you go ahead and rise and let's stand together, if you're able to comfortably stand,

then let's read Ephesians chapter 4, beginning in verse 17, and we'll read down through verse 24.

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

I normally read from the Christian Standard Bible today.

I really enjoyed reading this particular passage from the New Living Translation,

so we're going to be using that today, but you follow along in your Bible.

It should be very similar to what you're hearing.

Ephesians 4, 17 through 24.

With the Lord's authority, Paul is writing, and he says,

I say this with the Lord's authority,

live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.

Their minds are full of darkness.

They wander far from the light that God gives,

because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.

They have no sense of shame.

They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

But that is not what you learned about Christ.

Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him,

throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life,

which is corrupted by lust and deception.

Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

Put on your new nature, created to be like God, truly righteous and holy.

Let's pray together.

Lord, I thank you for your word.

I thank you for the gift of your Son.

I thank you for the indwelling of your Spirit.

I thank you for your word that guides us through this life.

It's the same yesterday, today, and it will be the same in 2024 and beyond.

May you speak to us from it this morning.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

You may be seated.

Thank you for standing.

I'd like to talk to you for just a moment, based on what we read here in the second part of Ephesians 4,

about the idea of a new nature.

We're coming into a new year, starting tonight at midnight,

which would then make it tomorrow, right?

How many of you guys are going to stay up until midnight and ring in the new year?

Anybody going to do that?

Hardly anyone.

How many of you kids think you're going to stay up,

and then at some point you are going to crash?

I know.

It happens.

My kids, every year.

I'm going to stay up until midnight.

Sure you are.

It's a lot of fun.

We love the idea of the new year.

We love the hope that it brings,

partially because we don't often relish the past.

Sometimes the past holds regrets.

Sometimes it's tainted with failures.

There are things about the past that make us kind of look forward to something new,

and hopefully better.

Greener pastures, so to speak.

And so what do we do?

We set New Year's what?

Resolutions.

There it is.

Which, historically, have 100% accuracy, right?

Like, we always fulfill those New Year's resolutions, do we not?

Sarcasm is not a good form of humor.

I know that.

I'm sorry.

No, of course we don't.

Very rarely, probably, do New Year's resolutions get fulfilled.

Sometimes.

Maybe there's occasional times that you really stuck it through with something

and did what you resolved to do in the new year.

But as we set these goals and resolutions,

undeterred by past failures,

they get out.

This year, I'm really going to do it.

This is the year I'm really going to stick to whatever my resolution is.

Someone challenged me on this over a year ago,

and he said, you know, I stopped a long time ago making resolutions.

Now, I set values for my life.

Now, I set values for my life.

And values then determine what I'm going to do.

Now, hear me when I say this.

I don't think New Year's resolutions are a bad thing.

I don't think goal setting is a bad thing.

I think it can often be very important

and very productive to set goals and resolutions.

However, I do believe that they need to be based on values.

I do believe that they need to grow out of the values that you

and those you love the most have gotten alone with God

and set those values for your life.

And then the goals and the resolutions can grow out of that.

They will become clear.

They'll become apparent.

For example, my friend said,

who talked to me about this goals versus values idea,

he said, a value that I have is when I'm older,

I want to be able to get on the floor

and play and wrestle with my grandkids.

That's something that I want to be able to do.

And he said, I know that that then is going to drive

some of the choices that I make in my younger years.

And he's got kids everywhere from elementary to teen years.

He said, I know that there are decisions then and goals that I have to set

that will help me fulfill that value

because that value is valuable to me.

It is important.

So I'm going to do what it takes to then get to that point in my life.

So that helps drive the decisions he makes every day.

That's just one.

There are many others.

There's values that I'm thinking through right now for myself, for my family.

What is important?

What is valuable?

Oftentimes, our goals do not grow out of values.

Oftentimes, they grow out of expectations.

Oftentimes, they grow out of something that we think we should be doing

and we haven't really stopped to think why.

And so we often don't meet those goals.

But when they grow out of things that are truly important to us,

then oftentimes there's a better rate of success

in actually achieving those goals.

So, number one, new year, new nature.

All right?

That's our topic today.

New year, new nature.

Number one, recognize the harm in godless living.

Recognize the harm in godless living.

This is the practical part of Ephesians.

This is the, we understand who we are in Christ.

We understand our identity in Christ.

So, now we're on to how do we live for him.

Number one, recognize the harm in godless living.

Look back at verse 17 in Ephesians 4.

With the Lord's authority, I say this.

Live no longer as the Gentiles do.

They're hopelessly confused.

Their minds are full of darkness.

They wander far from the life that God gives.

They've closed their minds and hardened their hearts against God.

They've got no sense of shame.

They live for lustful pleasure

and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

A face come to your mind when you're thinking through that.

Oftentimes, there are people in their lives,

in our lives that we know that fit that bill.

It seems like they've got no sense of shame.

They're going to chase whatever makes them feel good,

whatever they think, whatever they want,

they're going to chase that.

The problem is, sometimes we find ourselves living in that same way.

Maybe not to the extreme version of those that would pop into our mind

when we think of someone who's just living for themselves completely.

But sometimes, we will fall prey to the self-life.

We will fall prey to the,

I'm number one, I'm going to get what matters to me.

And that is godless living.

That is godlessness.

We are a people who claim to love God.

We are a people who claim to put God number one in our life,

but oftentimes, in reality, he's far further down the list.

So, we must recognize the harm in godless living.

Would you look with me over at Romans chapter one?

It elaborates on this idea of godlessness for a little bit.

But, excuse me, Romans chapter one,

we'll read beginning in verse 18,

and then down through verse four of chapter two.

Romans chapter one.

This letter is from Paul

to the church in Rome.

And we'll pick it up in verse 18.

God shows his anger from heaven

against all sinful, wicked people

who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

They know the truth about God.

Did you catch that?

I dare say just about every person in this room

knows the church, knows the truth about God.

But verse 19 says,

they know the truth about God

because he has made it obvious to them.

For ever since the world was created,

people have seen the earth and sky.

Through everything God made,

they can clearly see his invisible qualities,

his eternal power, his divine nature.

So, they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Yes, they knew God.

Verse 21.

But they would not worship him as God

or even give him thanks.

They begin to think up foolish ideas

of what God was like.

As a result, their minds claimed,

their minds became dark and confused,

claiming to be wise,

and they instead became utter fools.

Instead of worshiping the glorious,

ever-living God,

they worshiped idols

made to look like mere people

and birds and animals and reptiles.

So, God abandoned them to do

whatever shameful things

their hearts desired.

Now, jump down, if you would,

to verse 1 of chapter 2.

You may think

that you can condemn such people,

but you are just as bad.

Remember, he's writing this to a church in Rome.

These are people who know God.

These are people who have claimed

to be followers of God.

He said,

you think you can condemn

such people like this,

and how many of us in this room

have condemned others

who would fall into this list?

But he said,

you are just as bad,

and you have no excuse.

When you say they are wicked

and should be punished,

you are condemning yourself.

For you who judge others

do these very same things.

We know that God in his justice

will punish anyone

who does such things.

Since you judge others

for doing these things,

why do you think

you could avoid God's judgment

when you do the same things?

Don't you see how wonderfully kind,

tolerant, and patient

God is with you?

Does this mean nothing to you?

Can't you see that his kindness

is intended to turn you

from your sin?

God's kindness is intended

to turn us from our sin.

God is not beating us over the head

with the Bible.

He's not screaming at us

in all of his justified anger,

how can you do the things you do?

How many times are you going to fail?

God does not do that.

He shows us love,

he shows us kindness,

but all of that is intended

to turn us from our sin,

not to continue living in it.

So it's a new year,

and we need to recognize

our new nature.

D.A. Carson,

a great theologian,

wrote this.

He said,

people do not drift

toward holiness.

Apart from grace-driven effort,

people do not gravitate

toward godliness,

prayer,

obedience to Scripture,

faith,

and delight in the Lord.

You get that?

That doesn't come naturally to us.

We drift toward compromise,

and we call it tolerance.

We drift toward disobedience,

and we call it freedom.

We drift toward superstition,

and we call it faith.

We cherish the indiscipline

of lost self-control,

and call it relaxation.

We slouch toward prayerlessness,

and delude ourselves

into thinking we have

escaped legalism.

We slide toward godlessness,

and convince ourselves

that we have been liberated.

This is the truth

about who we are.

If we really stare in a mirror,

and admit the truth

about ourselves,

we know that we fall

into several of these categories,

whether it's laziness,

whether it's loss of self-control,

whatever it is,

we know the truth

about ourselves.

Now look over

in Galatians 5.

Galatians chapter 5.

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

Having you turn around

a little bit

in the Word of God

this morning,

and that's okay.

Galatians chapter 5.

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

Romans,

1 Corinthians,

2 Corinthians,

Galatians.

Galatians.

Galatians 5:16

Chapter 5,

verse 16.

We're doing building box

here in the Scripture,

and some of these passages

build on one another.

Verse 16,

we'll read down

through verse 25.

So I say,

let the Holy Spirit

guide your lives.

Then,

you won't be doing

what your sinful nature craves.

The sinful nature

wants to do evil,

which is just the opposite

of what the Spirit wants.

The Spirit gives us desires

that are the opposite

of what the sinful nature desires.

These two forces

are constantly fighting

each other.

You got that?

Spirit versus self.

Spirit versus sinful nature.

Spirit versus

what we call flesh.

flesh.

They're continually

fighting each other.

So,

you are not free

to carry out

your good intentions.

But,

when you are directed

by the Spirit,

you are not under obligation

to the law of Moses.

Wow,

that's liberating.

You know those

Ten Commandments?

You know all the

Old Testament law

that you read about

through all those books

in the Old Testament?

We are not obligated

to obey that

if we are led

by the Holy Spirit of God.

He replaced all that.

The law failed.

The law could not succeed

in turning us to God.

The law just revealed

how bad we are.

So,

if you want to do it that way,

if you want to follow the law

and try to get to God

by obeying the law perfectly

and never sinning,

good luck.

Because you won't.

Because you've already failed.

Because you were born

with a sin nature

that could not

fulfill God's law.

So,

the law was never

going to get you to God.

The law just revealed

how bad we are

and how desperately

in need of God we are.

But the Holy Spirit of God

replaces that.

The Holy Spirit of God

can help you.

So,

we're reading down

through verse 25,

verse 19.

When you follow the desires

of your sinful nature,

the results are very clear.

sexual immorality,

impurity,

lustful pleasures.

Think about this world

that we live in.

It hits every one

of these things.

Verse 20,

idolatry,

sorcery,

hostility,

quarreling.

Think about Hollywood.

Think about Washington, D.C.

Think about your workplace.

Think about your own flesh

and the battles you have

with your own self.

Hostility,

quarreling,

jealousy,

outbursts of anger,

selfish ambition,

dissension,

division,

envy,

drunkenness,

wild parties,

other sins like these.

Let me tell you again,

as I have before,

anyone living that sort of life

will not inherit

the kingdom of God.

But,

the Spirit,

the Holy Spirit

produces

this kind of fruit

in our lives.

Here's the list.

Love,

joy,

peace,

patience,

kindness,

goodness,

faithfulness,

gentleness,

self-control.

There's no law

against these things.

Those who belong

to Christ Jesus

have nailed

the passions

and desires

of their sinful nature

to His cross

and crucified them there.

You understand

what that means?

God says,

in order to live

the Christ life,

instead of the self life,

part of repentance,

part of repenting

and turning

and changing your mind

from your sin

to turning to faith

in Jesus

is nailing

the old self

to the cross

that Jesus died on.

Jesus paid

for all that sin,

but you can hold on

to it if you want to.

You can hold on

to it desperately

if you want to.

Or you can choose

to take that sin

and nail it

to His cross

and say,

I put it to death.

Now folks,

that is a daily decision

because unfortunately

we're still wrapped

in this fleshly

sin nature.

We have to deal

with it

until God transforms us

with our heavenly bodies

and we get to live

in heaven forever

with Him.

But,

until that day,

it is a daily choice

to nail my sin nature

to the cross

of Christ.

Say,

God,

I put it to death.

In another passage,

Paul calls it

mortify the flesh.

Put it to death.

Kill that flesh.

Nail it to His cross.

So,

that's

what it means

to put on

the new nature

in the new year.

recognize the harm

in godless living.

Recognize all those

terrible things

that our flesh,

our sin nature

gets us caught up in.

Number two,

renew

your new nature

daily.

Renew

your new nature

daily.

Galatians

led us

right into that

concept.

Daily

putting to death

my flesh

and renewing

my new nature.

Back in Ephesians

4 in verse 20,

that is not

what you learned

in Christ.

What's he talking about?

Those who

live for lustful pleasure,

they have no sense

of shame,

they eagerly practice

every kind of impurity.

He said,

that's not what you

learned about Christ.

Since you haven't,

since you have

heard about Jesus

and have learned

the truth

that comes from Him,

throw off

your old sinful nature

and your former

way of life,

which is corrupted

by lust and deception.

Instead,

let the Holy Spirit

renew

your thoughts

and attitudes.

I love that

he chose

those two words,

thoughts and attitudes.

Because usually

that's where

we go wrong.

We go wrong

with our thinking

and we go wrong

with our spirit,

our attitude.

That's usually

what causes

the problems.

That usually

is what leads us

into other sins

is our thoughts

and attitudes.

That's what drives us.

That's what controls us.

Our moods.

These wild mood swings.

God's not in that.

He said,

the Spirit

can renew

your thoughts

and attitudes

every day,

but you've got

to relinquish

control to Him.

You've got to

every day

let God

do that.

So,

back in Ephesians 4,

he says,

renew

your thoughts

and attitudes.

Then verse 24,

put on

your new nature

created

to be

like God,

truly righteous

and holy.

So,

let's call this

renew the new.

Renew the new nature.

Okay?

We have the new nature.

If you have

repented of your sin,

put your faith

in Jesus

and accepted

His payment

for your sin

on the cross,

then you have

become His child.

You have that new nature

inside you.

The Holy Spirit

is there

to help develop it

and bring it out

and grow it

into the image

of Christ

more every day.

And so,

we're going to try

to renew

the new nature

inside of us.

How do we renew

the new?

One,

remember God.

Your God

is alive

and knowable.

It is so easy

to slip

into this idea

that God

is far away,

God has all kinds

of things on His plate,

and He doesn't really

care about what

I'm doing every day.

But God does.

He cares more

than anything

about what you're doing.

A former pastor

that I had said,

God has you

as the background

on His iPhone,

okay?

He loves you

very much.

You're the center

of His world,

and somehow He does that

for all of us.

I don't know how He does that.

But He cares.

He cares deeply.

He loves you.

He loves me.

And He's alive

and knowable.

You can know Him.

He wants you to know Him.

He already knows you.

He created you.

He knows you intimately.

He knows all your

personality quirks.

He knows the weird things

that you think about

that you would never

tell anybody else about.

God knows you intimately.

He knows you better

than you know yourself

because we can lie to ourselves.

We can deceive ourselves,

but we're never going to lie to

or deceive God.

So God knows you so well,

and He wants you

to know Him as well.

So your God

is alive

and knowable.

Ephesians chapter 4

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

that we just read

a moment ago

in verse 20,

that is not the way

you learned Christ.

Do you understand?

The idea is

we can learn Christ.

Like,

we can know Him.

Not just about Him.

Not just facts

that fill our head.

Not even just theology.

But we can actually know

God Himself.

I know a lot of things

about the Dallas Cowboys.

I know a lot of things

about the Texas Longhorns.

Hook them, brother.

I know a lot of things.

We got a big game tomorrow, okay?

We got a big game.

Y'all need to pray

that those Washington Huskies...

I'm kidding.

We're getting way off anyway.

Don't do that

because it'll probably backfire.

Okay.

I know a lot of things

about my favorite sports teams.

I can tell you

just about every guy

who plays on their whole team,

whether he plays or not.

I can tell you

their coaches.

I can tell you

just about everything.

I know a lot about them.

But guess what?

I've never met any of them.

I don't know them.

I don't actually know those guys.

I love Dak Prescott.

I know where he was born.

I know, you know,

I watched him in college.

I know all these things

about him.

But if Dak Prescott

walked in the room,

I would know him

and he would not know me at all.

He would have no clue.

I would just be

one of the millions of fans

of America's team, brother.

But I don't actually know those guys.

How many of us know about God?

We've been in church.

We've been around him.

We know all these facts about God.

This Bible trivia,

we can get just about

every question right.

But how intimately

and well and personally

do you actually know God?

That comes from

spending time with him.

The difference in God

and all those professional athletes

is God actually wants me around.

Those guys don't want me

showing up at their house.

Hey, can we hang out?

Can we talk football for a while?

No, they don't want that.

But God wants me around.

He wants to engage with me.

He wants me to spend time with him

and learn him.

So, secondly, renew the new.

Remember your God

has conquered death.

Your God is not small.

Your God is not inconsequential.

Your God is not weak.

Nothing too hard for God.

He has conquered death.

John 11, man,

there's no better passage

than to see John 11,

the story of Lazarus.

A man named Lazarus was sick.

They came and told Jesus about it.

He said when he heard about it,

he said,

Lazarus' sickness will not end in death.

It happened for the glory of God

so that the Son of God

will receive glory from this.

Then Jesus shouted,

Lazarus, come out!

And the dead man came out.

Amen.

His hands and feet

were bound in grave clothes.

His face was wrapped in a head cloth.

Jesus told them,

unwrap him.

Get those grave clothes off of him.

They don't belong on him.

He's not dead.

Unwrap him.

Get those grave clothes off.

And let him go.

Folks, I don't know

what's dead in your life,

but Jesus can say,

come out.

Jesus can restore life.

Jesus can tear off the grave clothes.

So often,

we wrap ourselves

in the clothes of death.

What does that mean?

We live the life

that leads toward death.

Instead of recognizing

that God has given us a new nature,

he's brought us new life.

And now Jesus says,

take the grave clothes off.

Whatever it is for you,

whatever you're struggling with,

whatever you're going back to,

and you're crawling back

into that tomb of death

and wrapping yourself

in those grave clothes

because you just can't seem

to shake it.

God says,

I'm strong enough

to conquer that death.

I already put it to death.

Get those grave clothes off.

I've got such a great life for you.

We're a new creation.

It started with conversion.

It started with

when we converted

from ourselves to Jesus.

When we converted

from death to life.

When we put our faith in Jesus

for the very first time.

For all of eternity.

You don't have to do it again.

You don't have to do it

every time you sin.

You don't have to renew it every year.

That conversion

is a one-time happening.

Just like Jesus died

once on the cross.

You put your faith in him once

and you become his child.

Your faith may falter.

You might fall.

But God's promise never changes.

So we are converted.

We stand righteous before him.

Can you believe that?

Knowing all the truth

about yourself.

Knowing all your faults

and failures.

And knowing that still

when God looks at you

he sees not your righteousness

but Jesus' righteousness

imputed

or placed upon

your account.

So God says

now I see

my son's righteousness

when I look at

your account.

So your account

is settled with God.

So that's the conversion process.

Now if you haven't

put your faith in him

then that's not true for you.

But please don't leave

this house today

without putting your faith

in Jesus.

You'll have an opportunity

in just a moment.

It started with conversion

and then it goes

to transformation.

This is a daily transformation.

So in the new year

what's important to you?

What do you value?

What's important to you?

That will guide

your daily transformation.

That will guide

your new nature

being true

being real

being alive

for you.

Yes we have this new nature

that God has given to us

but so often

we cast it off

for the old nature.

God can help

with that.

If it's important enough

to you

if you value it

then God

can help make

the new nature

renewed

every day

for you.

Romans 12

talks about this.

Don't copy

the behavior

and the customs

of this world

but let God

transform you

into a new person

by changing

the way

you think.

Get that?

man it just

hasn't worked

for me in the past

because you got

to change

the way you think

but you can't

do it

God can change

the way you think.

Then you will learn

to know God's will

for you

and that's good

and pleasing

and perfect.

What's the

takeaway today?

Daily renew

my values

to reflect

my new nature

in Christ.

I've got to

daily revisit

what's important

to me

what's driving

my decisions

what's driving

my goals

what's driving

my actions

daily renew

my values

so that they

will reflect

my new nature

my new identity

in Christ.

You see why

Paul started

to talk about

this in Ephesians 4?

Because he just

spent Ephesians 3

talking about

our new nature

in Christ.

He talked about

who we are

our identity

this is who you are

you got to get

that settled first

then

that

will drive

your decisions

that will drive

your values

that will drive

your actions

your thinking

who you are

so daily

renew my values

to reflect

my new nature

in Christ.

Let's pray together

would we?

Lord Jesus

I pray that you

would do that

for us God

that you would

not let a man

or woman

or a teen

or a child

anyone in this room

go an entire day

without feeling

that Holy Spirit

conviction

those reminders

hey you need me

I can help you

I can help you

change your thinking

can help you

renew

who you are

God I pray

that you do that

for us

and I pray

that you would

do a work

in every heart

in this room

that your spirit

would have

full liberty

and freedom

to move

through this church

God let 2024

be a year

of renewal

for this church

I speak that

in the name

of Jesus

over this congregation

that you would

have free reign

to move

in our hearts

in our families

there's no other

name given

among heaven

whereby we

may be saved

and there's

no other name

that has the

power to

transform

in the name

of Jesus

so God

let every teen

girl

every teen

guy

be filled

with your spirit

as they go

to school

be filled

with your spirit

as they go

through their

activities

sports

and whatever

else they're

involved in

God

let every man

every woman

as they go

to the

workplace

as they're

at home

let their

speech

be overtaken

by the

holy spirit

of God

let their

thoughts

be driven

by your

holy spirit

as parents

interact with

children

as children

interact with

parents

with their

siblings

with their

friends

I pray

that your

holy spirit

would guide

those

conversations

God

lead us

into your

perfect will

let your

new nature

dominate

obliterate

completely

wipe out

our old

nature

we'll give

you all the

glory for it

we'll give

you all the

honor

we'll praise

you endlessly

we trust

that your

will will be

done

church if you

don't know

Jesus as

your savior

would you

lift your

hand right

now

nobody else

is looking

around

if you

need to

put your

faith in

Jesus for

the first

time

would you

lift your

hand up

thank you

you put

your hand

down

church if

there's

something that

you need to

surrender to

God

you just need

prayer say

God I want

to surrender

my old nature

I want to

take on your

new nature

renew it every

day

something

specific God

put on your

heart that

you just need

prayer for

would you

slip your

hand up and

I'll pray

for you

thank you

thank you

God I pray

for every heart

in this room

pray that you

would have your

way in our

church and our

congregation

good

thank you

for