Ephesians 4:17-32
"Off With The Old, On With The New "

Gospelcom Bible Gateway

"¹⁷ 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, ¹⁸having 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; ¹⁹who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.²⁰But you have not so learned Christ, ²¹if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: ²²that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. ²⁵ Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. ²⁶"Be angry, and do not sin":do not let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷nor give place to the devil. ²⁸Let 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. ²⁹Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. ³⁰And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ³²And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."

INTRODUCTION:

A. "It's not high you jump but rather how straight you walk after you hit"

B. How straight do you walk?

C. What do you do with what you have and are in Christ?

D. Getting saved is easy but walking with Him for a lifetime is what is concerning Paul in these verses .

E. Comparing the old you with the new you.

I. The Old You

A. The old you was aimless (17)

1. (vanity, emptiness)

B. The old you was sightless (18)

1. Phillips Translation - "living blindfolded in a world of illusion"

2. Read 1 Corinthians 2

C. The old you was shamless (19)

1. Past Feeling - Bishop Moule - "having gone beyond the point of pain"

2. Your conscience has been seared due to silencing your conscience and you no longer have shame.

3. Having a reprobate mind

4. This is a descriptin of immorality moreover it is coveting the lowest form of immorality. Total shamelessness

5. Licentiousness is on God's top 10 list. Thou shalt not....

6. Greek word "eros" came from this type of behavior. Eros is a pagan greek term meaning to grasp something to satisfy yourself.

7. Jewish Law called for stoning for this type of behavior.

II. The New You (20)

A. The new you is putting off the old man (former conduct) (20-23)

1. The old natural you before you met Jesus and became supernaturally born again

2. All of the patterns of thought and conduct that promotes a sinful lifestyle

3. Leave the old crowd along with the "way" of the old crowd.

B. The new you puts on the new man (24)

1. A new lifestyle

2. New thoughts

3. New conduct

4. New mind

C. The new you puts away everything (25-32) How we are to live Positionally and Practically

1. Put away lying put on truth (Proverbs 6)

2. Put away aggravation put on indignation (1 Corinthians 13)

3. Put away stealing put on sharing

4. Put away corrupt speech put on kind speech

III. Why do we do all of this? We grieve the Holy Spirit

APPLICATION:

A. Cultivate a sensitive spirit

B. Review your life and get rid of those things that are of the old nature and put on the new man.