Put on the New Man Ephesians 4:17-32 (NKJV)

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1 Put on the New Man Ephesians 4:17-32 (NKJV) Intro, we are talking about walking worthy, chapter 4 has to do with walking in unity. And here Paul will finish up with the exhortation to walk in the new man, one who is righteous and holy. Vs This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. Because of the high calling on our lives, we should now walk different than the world walks. Notice how the world walks 1. In the futility of their mind. Because they say there is no God 2. There understanding darkened. 3. Alienated from the life of God. 4. Because of the ignorance in them. 5. Blindness of their heart. 6. Past feeling lost feeling or no longer sensitive to pain. Calloused heart 7. Walk in lewdness sin that flaunts itself. No shame or fear. 8. To work all uncleanness with greediness. A life lived for pleasure This is the way that the world walks. It s a path that is radically different than the walk of the believer. So don t get all freaked out when you stand out, when you re asked your opinion on something and it s totally contrary than the way the world thinks. We get our thinking from the word of God, from something that is absolute and will endure forever. But the world get s theirs from the culture, from what feel s right or what s blowing in the wind. Copyright 2014 Chris Fraley 1

2 If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. John 15:18-19 (NKJV) So don t get rocked. Don t be blown away when your thoughts are not in sync with their thoughts. Don t expect the unsaved world to act like their saved. In turn the saved should not act like the unsaved. We have been rescued from the world, loving it, living for it and even put hope in it. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15-17 (NKJV) We don t hold onto tightly any longer because we know it s passing away. We are part of a greater kingdom, an eternal kingdom, and the kingdom of God. And because of this, notice what Paul says about how we should walk. Vs But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Notice Paul put s some responsibility on us here. He is helping us understand how to walk in this new life and no longer the old. Verse 22 put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man Verse 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind Verse 24 and that you put on the new man Notice the order, we are to put off, the old man, the old flesh, the former conduct. And then put on the new man. a lot like what Romans tells us. Copyright 2014 Chris Fraley 2

3 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV) In each instance Paul puts the emphasis on being renewed in our minds. That s how we put on the new man. How do we renew our minds? By getting into the word of God. One of the first things we talk about in counseling, we have people fill out a information sheet and on that sheet we ask them what their devotional life looks like. Sadly, too often, it s not happening and if I can t get them to make that a priority I know we won t get too far. That s the medication they need. What they don t need is a weekly pep talk from me where they get dependent upon me. What they need is a daily walk with Jesus Christ and that happens when they get into the word of God. The outcome, their minds will be renewed. They will think biblically, they will think heavenly and they will defeat the enemy and the lies that he is speaking to them. Put on the new man by opening up the New Testament and then you will walk in righteousness and holiness. Notice Paul will go on and give us some insight into what the new man will look like. So Paul reminds us Vs. 25 Therefore, putting away lying, Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. The new man is no longer living to cover his tracks, to take advantage of another, to get ahead by deceit. Did you know that there are some things that the Lord hates? These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood. A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV) Copyright 2014 Chris Fraley 3

4 Lying is something that God hates, it misrepresents Him and at the end of the day it hurts everyone involved. Paul knows that he is part of a family, the family of God. A part of the body of Christ and what he does affects the family. It affects the other members of the body. Think about it this way. Have you ever put pizza in your mouth too early? It was smoking hot and when you did take a bite of it you burnt your tongue and the roof of your mouth? Then a signal was sent to your brain that said, Blow on that baby, wait a few minutes. What if your mouth said to your brain that it was cool and not hot? You would keep putting in the pepperoni and there would be burns all over your mouth. The mouth was not being honest with the head and because it was not honest a part of the body was affected in a disastrous way. So we are all connected with one another and when we are not honest with one another we not only cheat one another we ultimately hurt one another. That s why Paul encourages us early on in the chapter. but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--christ--from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:15-16 (NKJV) The new man is one who love s truth and speaks the truth in love. Vs Be angry, and do not sin : do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. The new man knows how to be angry and not sin. He doesn t let sin take a hold of him so that it produces anger and bitterness. We all have had something said about us that was untrue, that hurts deep. I have found the quicker I take it to the cross the less room it takes up in my life and the sooner those seeds of anger are chocked out. Copyright 2014 Chris Fraley 4

5 And even when we are angry, we must make sure that we do not feed it by taking it into another day. Because when we do we give the devil a place in our life. The devil's work is to accuse and divide the family of God, and to sow discord among them. When we harbor anger in our heart, we do the devil's work for him. David Guzik The devil will use it to abuse us and create bitterness in us. And haven t you notice, eventually we let it out in other places? The fire of anger, if not quenched by loving forgiveness, will spread and defile and destroy the work of God. Warren Wiersbe Jesus said it s the first step towards murder. You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:21-24 (NKJV) That s why we want to get it to the cross as quick as we can. We want to get it right as soon as we can, because it has the ability to take root and destroy things. Vs. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. The new man is no longer a thief. Just as Satan is a liar, a murderer, he is also a thief. Copyright 2014 Chris Fraley 5

6 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 (NKJV) He wants to steal God s blessing, God s power, and God s truth from us. And eventually deceive us into being a thief. It s what he did with Eve in the garden. He deceived her into thinking that God was holding out on her. God knows when you take of the fruit your eyes will be opened and you will be like God. You re going to be better, this is revival fruit. And she ate, what did she eat? The forbidden fruit. That made her a thief. She took what was forbidden and Adam followed. He too became a thief, eating the fruit that he was commanded not to eat. They were cast out as thieves. It s not until we, like the thief on the cross, seek the forgiveness of Christ, will we find power over the heart that wants to covet and take what is not ours. But then notice, he doesn t just give us power over being a thief, but he gives us practical ways to defeat that propensity in our flesh to go back to that way of living. Verse 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Notice how Paul elevates work. He does not just say, Stop stealing and get to work, which is true. That s how we move in the right direction to conquer a heart that covets. But then takes it even higher, he get s us thinking like Jesus. Work so that you will have something to give to others. That s the new man, not only does he work to provide, but he works to also provide for others. That s how you pull the devil s tail, that s how you defeat a heart that wants to take, start giving. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Mark 10:45 (NKJV) Copyright 2014 Chris Fraley 6

7 The new man is looking for opportunity to bless others because God has blessed him. Which brings us to verse 29. Notice Vs. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. Because the new man has a new heart, he then has a new tongue. This too is directly related. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 (NKJV) Change the heart and it will change the speech. Fill the heart with good things, with blessing, with truth and the tongue will speak truth and our mouths will speak blessings. One of my friends in high school Larry Wilborne had a lot anger in his heart and it came out of his mouth all the time. Everyday I saw him I was always defiled within a few seconds. The language was foul because his heart was foul. One of those guys that you thought would never come to Christ eventually did. The first thing that changed was his heart, all that anger was healed and because his heart was healed his tongue was healed. He became one of the nicest gentlest guys I knew, no longer defiling, but now edifying. James would remind us of the power of the tongue. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. James 3:5-6 (NKJV) With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. James 3:9-12 (NKJV) Copyright 2014 Chris Fraley 7

8 Notice the connection again with the heart, a spring liken to the heart should not produce salty or bitter water and fresh water. My mom used to wash our mouths out with soap when something unclean would make it s way out. In the same way the water of the word has the ability to wash our mouths out so that it speaks blessing and not curse s. And then notice what Paul warns us of in verse 30 Vs. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. That s what sin does it grieves the One who has been given us, to empower us to live righteously. To live fruitful lives, to empower us to say no to sin. Grieve: Greek : To be distressed, to be sad, or to be sorrowful. Notice he s not mad, he s sad. It saddens the Holy Spirit that He is not being used for the purpose He was given. His power is not being accessed like the Father purposed. When my kids settle for something less than what the Lord has for them, I don t get mad, I m bummed. I m grieved that they re not shooting higher, that they re not living for a greater purpose, and that they would settle. So when we settle the Lord s not angry, he does not bail out on us. He s grieved by us and he s grieved for us, that we had all we needed to reach for better but we settled. And then Paul closes this chapter up. Notice Vs Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Copyright 2014 Chris Fraley 8

9 Why do we forgive? Because He forgave us. There is one scripture that has always helped me in this. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. Matthew 7:2 (NKJV) How do you want to be judged? How do you want to be treated? Would we be ok if the Lord pulled out the same measuring stick on us that we use on others? The new man is a forgiven man and in turn he is quick to forgive others. That s walking worthy, that s walking in unity. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) Copyright 2014 Chris Fraley 9