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A New Wardrobe Ephesians 4:17-24

A New Wardrobe Ephesians 4:17-24. It’s time for Spring cleaning! Purging away the old, making room for the new. Our culture is fashion obsessed. “Clothing can polish the image, but not the soul.” (Kent Hughes) As Christians we are in constant need of “spring cleaning”

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A New Wardrobe Ephesians 4:17-24

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  1. A New WardrobeEphesians 4:17-24 • It’s time for Spring cleaning! • Purging away the old, making room for the new. • Our culture is fashion obsessed. • “Clothing can polish the image, but not the soul.” • (Kent Hughes) • As Christians we are in constant need of “spring cleaning” • Purging The Old Wardrobe • Investing in The New Wardrobe

  2. 1. Purging The Old Wardrobe • Ch.4:1 Paul urges Christians to be “walking worthy” of our new identity in Christ. • Ephesians 4: 17 [NIV] - “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord… • …that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do.” • Paul is warning against the behaviour of the Gentile culture. • Paul gives a very descriptive testimony of human depravity and the true nature of our sinful condition.

  3. Ephesians 4: 17b-19 [NIV] - …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. • Of primary concern to Paul is what is going on in the mind  how their thinking has been distorted and disoriented.

  4. Ephesians 4:17 [NIV] - “the futility in their thinking.” • Romans 1:21 [NIV] - For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” • At the heart of our human sin nature is a mind that is disconnected from God

  5. Life apart from God is a downward spiral: • (John Stott) • a. Hardness: • v.18 “hardness of heart” •  the inability or unwillingness to respond to God’s truth • Romans 1:18 – “suppress the truth by their wickedness” • Hard heart pushes aside truth

  6. b. Darkness: • v.18 “darkened in their understanding” • Without God, we have no spiritual understanding to actually discern what is truth. • v.18 – “ignorance in them” •  there may still be brilliant intellectual capacity to think but the problem is there is no spiritual discernment or understanding concerning truth. • c. Deadness: • v.18 – “separated from the life of God.” • Spiritual deadness  c.f. Ephesians 2 – without Christ we are “dead in our trespass and sin”

  7. d. Recklessness: • Ephesians 4:19 [NIV] - 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. • We can see a picture of our 21st century N.A. culture here as well! • “Having lost all sensitivity…” like calluses • This what also happens to a person who lives without God or has pushed God to the backburner of their lives. • Leads to recklessness  following every kind of pleasure the world offers; a lust for more and more.

  8. This is the condition of the “old wardrobe”, a life lived separated from God • It is a condition of the mind. • “The specific sins are not the cause of the problem, but the result; the problem lies in the mind and in choices made against God.” • Klyne Snodgrass • Ephesians 4:20 [NIV] - You, however, did not come to know Christ that way! • We are called to “clean out the closet” - to purge our lives of the “old ways” of our sinful nature

  9. 2. Investing In The New Wardrobe • Ephesians 4:20 [NIV] - You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. • a. Jesus is the subject of our instruction • v.20 – the believers came “to know Christ” • literally – “to learn Christ” • b. Jesus is our teacher. • v.21 - Surely you heard of him • Actual translation  “Surely you heard Him” [NASB]

  10. c. Jesus is the environment in which we receive instruction • v.21 - Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. • Literally – “just as the truth is in Jesus” • Jesus, Himself embodies the truth: • John 14:6 - “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.”

  11. The result of this teaching: • Ephesians 4:22-24 [NIV] - 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. • Paul’s primary concern: • Transformation!

  12. The Christian life is about constantly purging ourselves of the old way of life • Every day we all struggle with our old sinful nature • We need to admit it; then ask God to help us purge our life from these sinful behaviours • In response to this purging – we need to be constantly “putting on the new nature” • How do we do this? • v.21 -“being made new in the attitude of your minds”

  13. Romans 12:3 [NIV] - 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. • Renewing our minds – replacing the old information with the new principles and values of God’s kingdom.

  14. Christianity is more than just getting a ticket to heaven. • Our conversion is supposed to be a renouncement of our old self-centered identity in favour of a Christ-centered identity • Are you ready to do some spring cleaning in your heart and mind? • Daily purge the old nature and live a transformed life.

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