Session 3

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.

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.

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.

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way.

Surely you have heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.

You were taught with regard to your former way of life to put off your old self,

which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires,

to be made new in the attitude of your minds,

and to put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour,

for we are all members of one body.

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.

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.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come from your mouths,

but only let what is helpful for building others up according to their needs,

that it may benefit those who listen.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,

with whom you are sealed for the day of redemption.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger,

brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Be kind and compassionate to one another,

forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children,

and live a life of love, just as Christ loved and gave himself up for us,

as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Be among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality

or of any kind of impurity or of greed,

because these are improper for God's holy people.

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking,

which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

It would be great if you could have that passage in front of you, ready to go,

as we continue to look through the book of Ephesians.

I don't know about you, but after a couple of hits in the short space of time,

you might be feeling a little bit fuzzy in the brain,

so I'm going to ask God to sharpen us,

so that we can hear him speak this morning.

So let's pray.

Father God, we want to thank and praise you for your word.

We thank you that you're a God who has revealed himself

and who wants us to know him.

We thank you that you are a God who shows us things in our lives that need to change,

that you're a God who gives us the answers.

Lord, you don't leave us to guess.

And we ask this morning that you would take away tiredness or distraction or anything else

and enable us to hear you speak,

the result being that we might be more like your son

and that our lives might give you more glory.

Amen.

I remember when I was growing up, I used to be a bit of a church event junkie.

So I used to go to a lot of different church events.

I used to do two youth groups when I was in high school.

On Friday night, I'd go to my local Anglican church,

and on Saturday night, I'd go to my local Pentecostal church

because I couldn't get enough of youth group.

And I remember something that struck me as I hung around youth groups and events

was these incredible testimonies that evangelists had.

It seemed like a prerequisite to being a guest preacher

was a serious drug habit somewhere in life.

And I remember I used to sit there and think,

this is not long after I'd become a Christian.

I knew that I wanted to spend my life telling people about Jesus,

and I was thinking, where am I going to squeeze this drug habit in?

I'm busy.

I've got time.

And I'd be looking at my life and thinking, my life's so boring.

It's reasonably good.

And I had some stuff that I thought was pretty serious.

But when I heard these testimonies, my life just sounded like I was already a Christian.

I'd just forgotten to go to church.

But the problem was that I'd completely misunderstood what my life was like in God's eyes.

I'd completely misunderstood what God saw when He looked at my life.

And for the Ephesians, Paul comes to this point in chapter 4,

and there's been a shift in this second half of the book.

He started to really drive on the practical application of what he's been talking about.

He's been talking about the significant work that God has been doing.

In chapter 1, we learn about the gospel of Jesus,

by which we were chosen and predestined and adopted and forgiven.

And in chapter 2, he reminds them that in Christ they were brought from death to life.

There's a significant work that has gone on.

And then he begins chapter 4 by saying,

As a prisoner for the Lord then, I urge you to live a life worthy of that calling.

This second half is all about what that life in the gospel is supposed to look like.

But here, in this second part of chapter 4,

it's like Paul needs the Ephesians to look again at what their life is like without Jesus.

It's like the Ephesians maybe, like I used to, have looked at their life and thought,

we were kind of not amazing before, but we weren't bad either.

A few subtle changes and we'll be pretty sorted for this new life that God has called us to.

But in case they've missed the phrase dead in chapter 2,

Paul goes hard again here.

Have a look at verses 17 to 19.

I mean, this isn't subtle.

This is an absolute denunciation, an absolute slamming of the way of life without Jesus.

He says,

I tell you this and insist on it in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do.

And for the Jews, Gentiles is the same as what we would think of as pagans.

For the people who don't know Jesus, he says,

I insist you must no longer live like they do in the futility of their thinking.

See, their way of life is based on a hopeless thinking.

They can't actually use their mind to understand their existence and their earth

and what the right path for their life is.

There is a futility and a hopelessness even in their ability to choose right and wrong.

It says they're dark in their understanding.

They're separated from life.

You've got to hear it again.

Without Jesus, you were dead.

Dead in your transgressions and sins.

Separated from God.

Cut off from the source of life.

And ignorant.

Hard-hearted.

Lost all sensitivity.

It's like sin has become second nature.

Sin is the normal.

It's like this happens for us as an ongoing challenge.

I remember finding myself as a younger man

perfectly okay with the increasing nudity and profanity

that I would find on television.

I remember as a 10, 11, a 12-year-old,

I'd get really embarrassed if there was nudity on television

and I'd run out of the room or my parents would cover my eyes

or something like that.

But progressively, I got desensitized

to the point where it was normal.

That's what's on TV.

So I'd just watch it.

And Paul is saying that's what life is like before Jesus.

There's no sense of this is wrong.

It's natural.

Your life is completely on a path of disobedience to God.

Your life is consumed by it.

It's like you're gathering up impurity.

It says there in verse 19,

Without God as the standard for our lives,

the only standard here is sensuality.

It's the things that I feel right now.

It's me.

I'm the center of the universe.

Paul says that is the existence of every non-believer.

Now, at first, we feel this kind of awkwardness.

Isn't that a bit harsh?

I know some nice non-Christians.

I know some non-Christians that seem to do good things.

But the point here is that sin,

that the life without God is life without God.

That's what sin is.

Sin is life lived outside of God's rule.

And it's there.

Without Jesus, they're cut off from life.

They're separated from God.

So people who don't know Jesus,

this is the reality of their life.

They are driven by their sensual desires.

They're cut off from life.

And they are just building up impurity.

And they are on a path of futility.

But Paul says in verse 17,

This is not okay anymore if you're following Jesus.

This is what it used to be.

This was your life.

This is your evangelist story, if you like.

This is the path that you can't continue on anymore.

You can't just live the same life with church attendance.

The gospel, Jesus, as has been explained all through chapters 1 to 3,

brings a new life.

It brings a transformation.

It brings something different.

Look at verse 20.

You, however, this is the contrast,

did not come to know Christ that way.

Surely you heard of him and were taught in him

in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.

You were taught with regard to your former way of life

to put off your old self,

which has been corrupted by its deceitful desires.

Paul says you now know Jesus.

You now know what is true.

There's no hopelessness in your thinking anymore.

You can't claim ignorance as an excuse for the sin in your life.

You have been shown the truth.

The mystery has been revealed in chapter 3.

And so for us, we're not ignorantly wallowing in the mud

because we don't know any better.

To continue in our old lifestyle

is to willingly reject the gospel.

It's to willingly deny the headship and lordship of Jesus

that was won on the cross.

To continue in your life the same way as it was before Jesus

is to reject the blood of Jesus which was shed for you

so you might be forgiven.

A life worthy of the gospel must be different.

A life worthy of what Jesus has done

can't even be just a changed life.

It's got to be a new life.

Death is where we were before.

Cut off from God.

Cut off from life is our starting point.

And so the life in Christ is so radically transformed

that it is new.

It is unrecognizable.

It is different.

And so Paul calls the Ephesians in this passage

and God is calling us today

to put off the old life.

To leave the habits.

To leave the sinful patterns.

And to put off the old life.

Because it is being corrupted.

But there's something really interesting there.

What is it that's corrupting that old life?

Have a look there in verse 22.

Put off your old life, your old self,

which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.

It's your deceitful desires that have corrupted your old life.

Before you say,

I was ignorant.

I didn't know what I was doing.

Human sinfulness is so ingrained

that it is us that corrupts our life.

It is us that cuts ourselves off from God.

And to continue in that path,

it is your desires that will try and drag you there.

Your desires will wage war with this new life

that the Spirit is working in you.

Your own sinful human nature

will do everything

to keep you rooted in that old life

that you once existed in.

That is unless you fight

to put off the old self.

We significantly underestimate

just how sinful we are.

We think that sin is an issue, sure,

but it's a small issue.

In fact, we're so good

at distorting the truth of sin

that we can convince ourselves

that when we're sinning,

not only are we not doing the wrong thing,

but we can even make it noble sometimes.

I was listening to a sermon recently

and the preacher told a story about a man

that he met at a conference

and this man approached him

and started speaking proudly

of his wife and his girlfriend.

And the preacher pushed back going,

hang on a sec,

what do you mean your wife and your girlfriend?

And so the man,

without missing a beat,

started explaining,

well, my wife is quite cold

and disconnected

and our marriage wasn't really working,

but now I have this woman

who cares for my emotional needs

and my physical needs

and so it's saved my marriage.

That's a true story.

He had so twisted the truth

that he convinced himself

not only is adultery not wrong,

it's a good idea.

It's the way to fix the problems

in his marriage.

He's convinced himself that it's wise

and it sounds ridiculous

because that's not our sin.

But think of the ways

that we daily convince ourselves

that dishonesty is a good idea.

We can always find a noble outcome

for dishonesty

so that it's the right thing to do.

Think of the way you convince yourself

that speeding is a good idea

so that you get to church on time

because church is an important place to be.

So complete and so disgusting

is our sinful nature

that we can convince ourselves,

we can justify ourselves

to the point where sin is not a vice

but a virtue.

So complete is the rebellion in our old life

that if we continue to walk in it,

we reject the grace offered

in the gospel.

Paul is calling the Ephesians here

having reminded them

in those first three chapters

of the incredible grace and love

that God has shown them in Jesus.

He calls them here

to an active life change.

There is no possibility

of being passive in this activity.

In Christ they've been given knowledge,

they've been given the freedom

from the ignorance and the darkness

and the hard-heartedness

and the hopelessness

and now they can choose

to put off that old life

that is dead.

Now we are actually released

to choose what God has shown us

is right

but understand that this putting off

will be a daily struggle

until Jesus comes back.

It will be a daily struggle.

The life worthy of the gospel of Jesus

demands that there is an ongoing

every minute of every day

putting off of old habits that deny God

and putting on holiness, righteousness

and God-likeness.

That's what it says there in the passage.

Verse 22 finishes,

put off your old self

which has been corrupted

by its deceitful desires

to be made new

in the attitude of your minds

and to put on the new self

created to be like God

in true righteousness

and holiness.

What Paul is demanding here

is that the Ephesians

be recreated.

That's what he's asking them to do.

He's saying an old life

goes

and a new life begins

and the only way

a new life begins

is creation

and the only one who creates

is God.

He is saying

you need to swap death

for life,

darkness for light,

unwise for wise

and as a young kid

I just couldn't understand

that my old life was dead.

I couldn't see it as dead.

I could see those evangelist lives

as dead

with the drugs

and the guns

and the whatever else.

All I saw was good people

and bad people.

Bad people who met Jesus

needed to change

and good people like me

who met Jesus

needed to start going to church.

I couldn't grasp that

to God my life was disgusting.

That it was dead

and rotting

and decaying

and even more so

I didn't grasp

the blinding light

of the life

that God was calling me to.

I didn't understand

that following Jesus

meant a recreation.

It meant a whole new existence.

It meant that there is nothing

similar about my old life

and my new life.

God is calling us

from one extreme

of willful rebellion

to wholehearted

absolute

unquestioned

devotion.

Jesus is demanding

change.

Verse 23 again

says,

Be made new

in the attitude

of your minds

and put on

the new self

created to be like God

in true righteousness

and holiness

exchanging impurity

for righteousness

futility

for renewal

sensuality

for holiness

the ultimate

and complete

transformation.

Now,

I don't know about you

but I often get

uncomfortable

when people,

particularly non-Christians,

make comments

about how Christians

are supposed to be

the good people.

It usually comes

in the context

of a Christian

who's stuffed up

and they're letting us

know that we've

stuffed up

but my response

has always been,

no,

we're not supposed

to be good,

we're just forgiven.

I usually walk away

feeling kind of smug

and look,

that's kind of true

but in this passage

in Ephesians

Paul is saying

that a life

worthy of the gospel

does involve change,

that there is

a goodness,

that there is

a morality

that should mark

the people of God.

There should be

a visible difference

between those

who are darkened

in their understanding

and hardened

in their hearts

and those who have

been brought

to know Jesus.

Those who have

been forgiven

and cleansed

and set free.

And the scary part

in this passage

for me is that

it feels like

some of the responsibility

sits with us.

In verse 22,

we were taught

to put off

the old self.

You put off

the old self.

In verse 24,

you put on

the new self.

It's we

who are to

consciously

and actively

wrestle with sin

in our lives.

We are to

actively

and consciously

and desperately

seek God-likeness,

seek righteousness,

seek holiness.

There's this

incredible list

of examples

in the verses

that follow.

We're to stop

stealing

and instead

be generous.

We're to stop

lying and instead

speak truthfully.

We're to avoid

sinning and anger

and instead

be forgiving

and compassionate

and gracious.

We are to use

our words

to build others

up and not tear

down.

We're to forgive

like Jesus did.

We're to avoid

sexual immorality.

There's a list

of what we

must do.

There's a sense

of responsibility

there and we're

called to take

responsibility

for our lives

and for the

transformation

that is demanded

by the gospel.

So the question

is,

how seriously

do you take

sin in your

life?

How regularly

do you pray

for things

that you know

don't honour

God in your

life?

How hard

are you trying

to grow

in areas

of godliness?

Because the

call is clear.

Live a life

worthy of

the gospel.

The call

is forceful

in verse 17.

I insist

on it

in the Lord.

But I guess

the question

remains,

what does it

look like

practically

for you

to put off

and put on

this week?

What will it

look like

for you

to live this

out?

Look again

at verse 20

and 21.

You,

however,

did not come

to know

Christ that

way.

Surely

you heard

of him

and were

taught in

him in

accordance

with the

truth that

is in

Jesus.

You did

not come

to know

Christ

that way.

There's

this hint

of looking

back to

what Paul's

been talking

about for

the first

three chapters

of this

book.

We're

looking back

to what's

gone before

to chapter

one.

How did

the Ephesians

come to

know Jesus?

How do

we come

to know

Jesus as

Christians?

By hearing

and learning

the truth

that is in

Jesus.

The truth

of chapter

one that

tells us

that we

were chosen

before the

creation of

the world,

that we

were predestined

and adopted

and forgiven

and all

that when

we're included

by Christ

by faith.

That's what

it looked

like.

That's how

we came

to know

Christ,

is by

faith.

In chapter

two it's

explicit,

it's by

grace.

Our

knowing

Christ has

nothing to

do with

you,

it's by

his grace

and through

faith and

this is from

God.

Paul makes

it really

clear,

just to be

sure you

can't boast

about this

because God

does it

in Christ

and you

participate

in it

by grace

and through

faith.

It's God's

work in

you by

the Holy

Spirit that

opened your

eyes to be

able to

choose what

is right.

It's God's

work that

freed you

from the

ignorance and

the futility

and the

hopelessness.

And in

verse 23,

in amongst

us putting

off and

us putting

on,

we are

to be

made new.

That doesn't

say go make

yourself new,

it means be

made new,

it's something

that God

is doing,

it's his

work and

the only

one who

has the

power to

create is

God through

Jesus.

This

transformation

that is

demanded and

that is

insisted on

is only

possible in

the power

of the

gospel.

It's only

possible in

the power

of the

Holy Spirit

and it's

something that

God alone

can do.

Now you

might be

feeling like

I'm arguing

in two

directions here

but let me

show you.

God in

his infinite

wisdom and

power has

so worked

that he

can say

in the

space of

a couple

of verses

put off

you do

it.

Be made

new,

I'm doing

it and

put on

you do

it.

His

spirit works

in such

a way

that it

empowers

you and

it demands

of you

that you

take

responsibility.

God

says your

life must

be transformed,

must be

different,

must be

recreated and

he gives

you the

power to

do it and

in his

power he

gives you

the

responsibility

to say

I will

wrestle with

sin,

I will

put it

off,

I will

seek

godliness,

I will

put it

on.

The

Christian

life is

this journey

from being

redeemed in

Christ to

the final

redemption when

Christ comes

back and

because of the

cross we are

irreversibly rescued

and forgiven.

We have been

given the new

nature that is

talked about

here.

We now know

Christ,

we are no

longer that

verse 17

to 19

bit,

but you

and I

both know

that so

often we

wander back

into it.

We know

what is

right,

we know

what God

wants but

still we

wander back

into old

habits.

Still we

continue in

patterns of

sin that we

know to be

wrong.

We often

pretend that

we don't

know what's

right,

let alone

have the

willpower to

actually choose

it.

But Paul

says here,

I insist

in the

Lord,

don't settle

for sin.

Don't settle

for not

okay.

Don't become

desensitized but

daily put off

your old

life.

Daily put

on this new

man, this

new self that

has been

created.

Confess

sin.

Pray for

strength to

resist.

Practice

godliness.

Encourage

instead of

tear down.

Share

rather than

steal.

Forgive

rather than

revenge.

Are you

growing to

be more

like Jesus?

Because that

is the new

self that

God has

created in

you.

He is

transforming

you to

be like

Jesus.

What are

you doing

to actually

make that

part of

your agenda?

Do you

have someone

in your

life who

will regularly

challenge you

on areas

that you're

struggling in?

do you

have someone

holding you

accountable in

an area that

you're seeking

to grow in?

Are you

trying to

memorize

scripture that

might shape

your desires

and your

heart?

How

regularly do

you confess

sin in your

life?

Because it

is a daily

struggle to

put off and

to put on.

How we live

can't unsave

us but that

doesn't mean

that it's

not important.

It still

matters.

This is what

it looks like

to be a

Christian.

There is a

transformation

to be more

and more

like Jesus.

That's what

the gospel

looks like

when it

takes root

in our

life and

shapes us.

But the

last question

I have for

this passage

is why

is it

here?

I mean

I get it

that the

second half

of Ephesians

is practical

but this

book is

about the

church.

This book

is about the

community of

God's

people.

We just

learnt in

the section

immediately

before about

gifts for

building one

another up.

So why does

he take this

apparent left

turn and

start talking

about the

life of the

individuals?

Why does

he suddenly

slap people

around about

their sinfulness

and their

failure to

pursue

godliness?

Something that

I like to do

and that has

been significant

in my

Christian life

is having

older godly

men as

mentors.

And one

particular guy

who I won't

name because

that would

make him

particularly

uncomfortable,

I spent

time with

regularly over

the course

of about

18 months

and this

man for

me was

the godliest

man I've

ever met.

I have

often referred

to him

slightly in

jest as

Jesus because

he's the

closest thing

I've seen

in my

lifetime.

he loves

the scriptures

in a way

that I can

only hope

to get

to.

He has

boxes and

boxes and

boxes of

memory verse

cards and

he knows

them.

We would

meet together

and he'd be

carrying around

this little

wallet in

his back

pocket with

sort of 10

15 memory

verses that

he had

learnt,

some new

ones he

was learning

and some

that he

was revising

from as

long as

25 years

ago and

he'd go

can you

test me

on them?

He'd hand

them over

and he'd

get every

one of

them word

perfect.

He'd

even progressed

with his

church through

the various

translations of

the Bible.

He had

some of

his verses

in King

James,

some in

RSV,

some in

NIV and

he knew

which ones

were in

which because

they were

so imprinted

on his

mind and

his life

that he

couldn't

forget them.

And

spending time

with this

man was a

significant

encouragement

to me.

We wrestled

with some

specific issues,

we occasionally

talked about

specific things

but the most

significant

encouragement

was just

watching him

follow Jesus.

Watching him

love his

wife through

sickness.

Watching him

love his

kids even

as some

of them

strayed.

His

transformed

life

spurred me

on to be

transformed as

well.

His living

out of the

gospel,

his living a

life worthy

of the

gospel pushed

me to

maturity,

pushed me

to growth.

This sits

perfectly in

this chapter.

This is

exactly the

right place

because yes

the church

is a unit

but it's a

unit made

up of

people,

made up

of individuals

who are

living lives,

made up of

relationships and

a life worthy

of the gospel

is a life in

relationship to

God but it's

a life in

relationship to

those who

belong to

God as

well.

What we

need to

understand is

your life

and the

way you

live impacts

me directly

and indirectly.

My life

and the

way I

live impacts

you directly

and indirectly.

The

transformation

or lack

of transformation

has an

impact on

you as my

brothers and

sisters that

I'm in

relationship

with.

Look back

to verse

16 just

before our

passage.

Talking about

the building up

of the body

it says,

from him

the whole

body joined

and held

together by

every supporting

ligament grows

and builds

itself up in

love as

each part

does its

work.

Part of

the work

that each

part must

do is what

follows in

this passage.

To be

equipped to

do the

work you

must be

being

transformed.

You must

be growing to

be more like

Jesus because

that is what

the gospel

does.

It changes

us.

We need to

take seriously

the call to

put off and

wrestle with

sin in our

life and we

need to take

seriously the

call to grow

in godliness.

It's not

enough to

just put off

but as we

are recreated

our desires,

our goals,

our aspirations

are shaped to

line up with

Christ that we

might be created

to be like

God in

true righteousness

and holiness.

As you

change and

grow, that

spurs and

encourages the

people around

you to do

the same.

We're not

all wrestling

with the same

sins but

seeing you

wrestle with

sin in your

life, seeing

you make the

decision to

say that

God's being

obedient to

God and

his call on

your life is

more important

than your

sensual desires

makes me want

to do the

same.

God's grace

in your life

gives me joy.

God's work

in your life

gives me a

vision for

what he wants

to do in

my life and

the life that

you are living

even in

secret matters

for the rest

of us.

This passage

is kind of

heavy but

it's kind of

light at the

same time.

There are so

many examples

of stuff that

we are all

bad at.

Speech,

sexual impurity,

anger but

it's all

driven by

the gospel.

Verse 20

to 24

it just

unpacks the

gospel.

You did not

come to know

Christ that

way.

You heard of

him and were

taught in

him in

accordance with

the truth

that is in

Jesus.

You're being

made new in

the attitude

of your mind.

It's the

coming to

know Jesus

by grace

and through

faith that

frees us to

live a

transformed life.

Frees us

from futile

ignorance and

empowers us to

choose Jesus.

So what's it

going to look

like for you

to put on

and put off

this week?

It's going to

look exactly

the same as

it looked the

first time you

put off and

put on.

That's what you

did when you

became a

Christian.

You left your

old life behind

and you took

on a new

one.

And what did

it look like

then?

It looked like

you saying,

God, please

do this in

me.

God, I don't

deserve it.

I'm not good

enough.

I'm not worthy.

Please do this

in me.

It looks

like prayer.

Humble,

dependent,

and desperate

prayer.

Saying, God,

change me.

Pray for your

holiness.

Pray for my

holiness.

Pray for one

another so that

together we can

live a life

worthy of the

gospel.

so that

together we

can be the

church that

is pictured

in these

passages.

So that

together we

might grow

up and

mature into

the head

that is

Christ Jesus.

Humble,

dependent,

desperate

prayer.

That's what it

looks like to

put off and

put on.

Let's pray.

Pray.

Pray for

God.

Father, we

want to

acknowledge that

there is so

much in our

lives that is

not okay.

That there is so

much about the

way we are

living that we

have become

desensitized to.

We have become

comfortable with

things that are

disgusting to

you.

Father, we

remember the

forgiveness and

the freedom that

you have won for

us in Jesus.

Please remind us

of the work you

have done.

Lift our eyes to

see the good

that you would

have us do in

our lives.

Show us the

sins that you

would have us

deal with and

wrestle with.

Give us the

strength to

overcome them.

Lord, keep us

from settling with

where we are

now.

Give us eyes to

look to Jesus,

to understand that

you are transforming

us from one degree

of glory to

another.

That you are

constantly by the

power of your

spirit cleansing

us and shaping

us.

That we might

love what you

love and hate

what you hate.

God, use each

of our lives

individually to

be an

encouragement and

a joy to one

another.

God, please

transform us

that our lives

might reflect your

gospel, might

point to Jesus.

Amen.