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Ephesians 4. Walk worthy of your calling. Ephesians 4:1-16. The Unity of the Spirit. Growth in Love (4:13-16). Grace and Gifts (4:7-12). Bond of Peace. Attitudes (4:2-3) Lowliness Gentleness Longsuffering Forbearance Love Endeavor. Worthy Walk
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Ephesians 4 Walk worthy of your calling
Ephesians 4:1-16 The Unity of the Spirit Growth in Love (4:13-16) Grace and Gifts (4:7-12) Bond of Peace • Attitudes (4:2-3) • Lowliness • Gentleness • Longsuffering • Forbearance • Love • Endeavor Worthy Walk “Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (4:1) • Basis (4:4-6) One… • Body •Spirit • Hope •Lord • Faith •Baptism • God and Father
Walk Worthy of Your Calling Put off old man--Put on new man Ephesians 4:17-24 • Purity of the church, Col. 3:1-4; Eph. 5:25-27 • Emphasis given the new man: • Character (heart), Eph. 4:17-24 • Conduct (life), Eph. 4:25-32
Put Off…Put On Ephesians 4:22-24 OLD MAN • Former conduct • Grows corrupt (moral depravity) • Deceitful lusts NEW MAN • Spirit of your mind • Created (Eph 2:10) • Righteousness (just, upright) • Holiness
The Character of Christians Ephesians 4:17-24 • The new man: Righteousness and holiness of truth, 4:20-24; Col. 3:8-10 (Eph. 2:15) • New character: The pattern of Christ • New (4:24): “Renovated, better, of higher excellence” (Moulton) • New birth – New creature, Jno. 3:3, 5; 2 Cor. 5:17
The Character of Christians Ephesians 4:17-24 • The new heart in Christ, 4:17-19 • Once walked as the Gentiles walk, but no longer… • Futility of mind: Vanity, emptiness, devoid of truth, depravity, Rom. 1:28-32 • Understanding darkened: Faculty of thinking (emotion and intellect), Rom. 1:21
The Character of Christians Ephesians 4:17-24 • Once walked as the Gentiles walk, but no longer… • Alienated from the life of God: Without God, 2:12 (Rom. 1:21, 23, 25, 28) • Ignorance: Lack of moral knowledge, Rom. 1:24 • Blindness of heart: Hardened, Rom. 1:28 • Past feeling: Apathetic, cease to feel pain, no shame, 1 Tim. 4:2
The Character of Christians Ephesians 4:17-24 • Once walked as the Gentiles walk, but no longer… • Gave themselves over: to deliver into custody, to hand over, Rom. 1:24, 26, 28 • Lewdness (lasciviousness): Unbridled lust, Rom. 13:13-14; 1 Pet. 4:3 • All uncleanness: Moral impurity, Rom. 1:24 • Greediness: Covetousness, Rom. 1:29
The Character of Christians Ephesians 4:17-24 • How you learned Christ, 4:20-21 • Heard Him through His gospel, Heb. 1:2; Rom. 10:17 (Acts 8:12, 35) • Taught by Him, Matt. 11:28-29 (Lk. 10: 16; Jno. 13:20) • By hearing and learning the truth, Jno. 8:31-32 (14:6)
The Character of Christians Ephesians 4:17-24 • Renewal of the mind, 4:23 (Eph. 2:3) • Without a change of heart there will not be a change of life, 4:24 (Rom. 12:1-2)
The Conduct of Christians Ephesians 4:25-32 • Put away, Eph. 4:22, 25, 31 • The result of repentance, Acts 17:30 (Lk. 3:8, 10-14)
The Conduct of Christians Ephesians 4:25-32 NEW MAN • Speak truth • No place to the devil • Working / Giving • Impart grace • Believe His word • Kind compassion that forgives like God forgave us OLD MAN • Lying • Anger and wrath • Stealing • Corrupt words • Grieve Holy Spirit • Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, malice
The New Man’s ConductEphesians 4:25-32 • Honesty, 4:25 (Col. 3:9); Zech. 8:16-17 • God hates a lying tongue, Prov. 6:17 • Abolished in the body of Christ • Self-control, 4:26-27 (Psa. 4:4) • Anger (orge): Settled, abiding provocation • Wrath (thumos): Agitated outburst, fierce exhibition of anger
The New Man’s ConductEphesians 4:25-32 • Labor, 4:28 • Honest labor avoids lacking the necessities of life as well as the corresponding temptation to steal (1 Ths. 4:11-12) • Equips us to help others (Acts 20:33-35)
The New Man’s ConductEphesians 4:25-32 • Purity, 4:29; Jas. 3:8-11 • Take care of what and how we speak • Concerned for the purity of others • Purity attempts to edify others • Godly motives, 4:30-31 • Sin pains, sorrows and distresses the Holy Spirit who secures us, 4:30 (1:13) • Purge ungodly motives, 4:31
The New Man’s ConductEphesians 4:25-32 • Kindness, 4:32 • In contrast to sinful agitation, loud quarreling and hurtful language, 4:31 • Since God is kind to the unthankful and evil, we can (must) “be kind to one another”, Luke 6:35-36 • Compassion and forgiveness personify kindness, Col. 3:13
Put on the New ManEphesians 4:24 • Practical changes: • Put away falsehood, wrath, stealing, corrupt speech and ungodly motives • Put on honesty, self-control, labor, purity, godly motives and kindness • God has created us to be “new creatures” in Christ, 2:10; 4:24; 2 Cor. 5:17