Ephesians 4:17-24

Walk in Purity – part 1

Open your Bible to…

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Pray

Intro

√ Walk in purity

You’ll recall that the key word in these last three chapters is the word “walk” as we found in chapter 4:1 where Paul writes…

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.”

We find that admonition repeated here in our text this morning, chapter 4:17…

…and in chapter 5:2, 8 & 15.

The word “walk” means the manner in which we conduct our life…

Our attitude toward life (how we think)

Our actions in life (how we behave)

Secondly you’ll find that Paul also repeats the word…

“Therefore”

…in 4:1, 17, 25, and 5:1, 7, 14, 17, and 24!

His point is that in light of what God has done for you, now here is what you ought to do for God!

That is we are to be doers of the word, and not hearers only (our opening verse)!

√ Our walk

In the first 16 verses of chapter 4 we learned that we are called to walk in unity with one another in the Body of Christ.

The purpose of which is that we might work together effectively to build up the Body of Christ so that we might do the work of ministry.

In this next section we learn that we are also called to walk in purity.

That is, now that we in Christ we are no longer to live our lives under the influence and power of the flesh…

…rather we’re called to live under the influence and power of the Holy Spirit!

So, that we might be an effective witness to the lost.

Ap. The world needs to see a difference in our lives

The reality is that you and I are the only “Jesus” that the lost see today.

Our lives are a living testimony of the reality of Christ and His power to save and change a person.

To the extent that we walk like Jesus did is the extent to which the lost will “see” Jesus.

Unfortunately the average person who claims to be a Christian today often doesn’t live anything like Jesus!

Most who claim to be Christian behave and talk like the lost.

The tragedy then is that the lost don’t see any reason to trust in Christ.

So, this section of Ephesians reminds us how important it is to obey God so that the world can see a difference between the saved and the lost.

How we used to walk (vs. 17-19)

Eph. 4:17 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,

Eph. 4:18 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;

Eph. 4:19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

√ How we used to walk

For the most part the Christian life is not a list of “do’s and don’ts.

Rather, we’re simply called to joyfully follow the directions of the Holy Spirit within us.

Unfortunately some believers turn a deaf ear to the Holy Spirit and have to be told explicitly “don’t do that”!

Well, here in vs. 17 is one of those occasions where we find Paul telling the believers in Ephesus don’t…

“walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk!”

That is, the Christian is not to imitate the lifestyle of the lost!

Specifically we’re not to think like the unsaved person thinks.

That’s because once a person receives Christ their values, goals, and worldview change!

The Christian sees the world and interprets it with God’s thoughts.

Contrast that to the lost person described in these verses whose thinking is still corrupted by sin and a warped worldview…

“the futility of their mind” ~ vs. 17

“having their understanding darkened” ~ vs. 18

“the ignorance that is in them” ~ vs. 18

His point is that Christians think differently than non-Christians because the unsaved person’s mind is still limited by, and controlled by, their sin nature.

√ The unredeemed mind

The first thing Paul tells us is that the lost person’s mind is “futile”, also translated “vain”.

That’s because since the lost person doesn’t know God they are not able to understand themselves, nor the world around them.

His point is that without the knowledge of God a person is simply not able to live a life with any real purpose.

Everything he/she does, even if it is “good” is no lasting value.

So at the end of their life they look back and cry out like the Solomon did in Ecclesiastes…

“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” ~ Ecc. 1:2

Solomon’s experience as recorded in Ecclesiastes is a perfect example to prove Paul’s point…

The whole point of Ecclesiastes is that a man, in this case Solomon, who possessed sovereign power, immeasurable wealth, wisdom and resources tried and find meaning in life…

…without God.

What he found is that he simply couldn’t satiate his fleshly desires and thereby never found lasting value in life without God.

He couldn’t get enough food to be satisfied, not enough sex, wisdom, building projects, music, art, etc.

He found that without God every thought and pursuit in life was futile.

Thus he writes…

Eccl. 12:13 Here is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is the duty of every person.

Eccl. 12:14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

So, Paul’s instruction to the believers in Ephesus and to us this morning is that we are not to think like the lost…

…rather, our thoughts, goals, values and interpretation of life should be centered on God and what He desires for us because that’s where we’ll find purpose, joy and satisfaction.

Ex. My life before Christ

I had no use for church and couldn’t see the value in it or the Bible.

Forced to attend a service with my friends when I was about 13 I remember thinking that the whole experience seemed meaningless because my mind was darkened.

But, once I placed my faith in Jesus my eyes were opened, my understanding enlightened, and my whole worldview changed!

Ap. How’s your walk?

Is your life a reflection of Jesus, or does it more closely resemble the life of an unbeliever as described in vs. 19…

“given…over to lewdness (immorality), to work all uncleanness (impure thoughts & conversation) with greediness (life focused on material possessions).”

If need be today’s the day to repent and ask the Holy Spirit to change your life so that you no longer walk as if you were still lost…

…but as a child of God so that the world can see Jesus in you!

How we’re called to walk (vs. 20-24)

Eph. 4:20 But you have not so learned Christ,

Eph. 4:21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:

Eph. 4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

Eph. 4:23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

Eph. 4:24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

√ How we’re called to walk

In contrast to the way in which we once walked before we knew Jesus, Paul now describes how a Christian should live their life…

…that is as a “new man” who lives a life of righteousness and holiness.

Just as we saw in the first section the emphasis is on the mind, what a person thinks about.

Thus we find Paul writing…

“But you have not so learned Christ” ~ vs. 20

“you have heard Him and have been taught by Him”

Vs. 21

“be renewed in the spirit of your mind” ~ vs. 23

Paul’s point is that the believer is empowered to live a holy life, to walk like Jesus did, because the Lord has renewed their mind with His thoughts.

Ex. Fresh operating system

You can think of our mind like a hard drive on a computer. It starts off with a clean operating system and runs merrily along until it is corrupted by a virus.

Then no matter how much you’d like to use your computer you find that it simply can’t do what it was designed to do because it’s main “brain” has been corrupted.

Often times the only solution at that point is to completely erase the hard drive and install a fresh uncorrupted operating system.

The same is true with our mind! God created the original people, Adam and Eve, with a perfect operating system.

Their thoughts, desires, goals and worldview were godly and pure.

But, when they sinned they introduced a “virus” if you will into their minds and from that point on every human being has been born with a corrupted operating system.

Our thoughts, desires, goals and worldview are ungodly and impure.

The only solution is a fresh installation of un uncorrupted operating system…

Eph. 4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

Eph. 4:23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

Eph. 4:24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

That fresh installation takes place the moment you are saved, the problem is that we don’t do a good job of keeping our “firewall” in place so sin sneaks in and corrupts our mind.

√ GIGO

We live in a sin-dominated world so we start at a disadvantage when it comes to keeping our mind uncorrupted.

But, if you allow sinful thoughts and suggestions into your mind through what you read, watch on TV, and listen to…

…you’re simply not going to be able to keep your mind pure and uncorrupted.

Back to our computer illustration, it’s the old adage GIGO, or…

…Garbage In, Garbage Out.

Ex. The battle for our behavior is fought in the battlefield of the mind

The reality is that what people do, right or wrong, starts with what they think about.

James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

James 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

James 1:15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

The point is that sin doesn’t just happen…

…it’s the end result of what we allow into our mind!

Ap. Be careful of what you allow into your mind

What you read, watch on TV or at the movies, even the music you listen to has an effect on the way you think…

…for the good or evil!

Ex. Advertising

Corporations spend millions of dollars every year on advertising because it works!

What you see and hear has an influence on your decisions.

The same is true regarding your worldview. So, be careful about what you allow into your mind.

√ Put off & put on

Well, just as James tells that sin begins in the mind, so too godly behavior begins with what it is that we think upon, thus Paul writes should renew our mind by…

“put(ting) off…the old man” ~ vs. 22

“put(ting) on the new man” ~ vs. 24

The reality is that God has given us the power to live a life like Jesus, that is, to walk like Him…

…through the power of His Spirit to enable us, and the power of His Word to transform us.

That’s what Paul is communicating here in vs. 22-24!

That is, the key to living a Christ-like life is as simple as changing your mind…

You put off the old thoughts

You put on the new thoughts

Ex. Like changing a CD!

So, rather than filling your mind with thoughts of lust, pride, greed, etc., you fill your mind with His thoughts which are found in His Word!

Ex. Put off & put on

Let’s say you’re consumed with selfishness and you recognize that it’s destroying your relationships with people with God…

You know that selfishness is sinful because it’s listed in as one of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:20…

“selfish ambitions”

So you “put off” selfishness and put on Matthew 16:24…

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

By committing it to memory (filling your mind with His thoughts) and praying that the Holy Spirit with enable you to deny yourself and put others before yourself.

His word will work to transform your thoughts from the old nature, to the new nature like Christ.

If you look through the Bible you’ll find that there is a spiritual “prescription” for every sinful thought and activity.

If we truly desire to be free of our sinfulness then we must put off those thoughts and desires that are contrary to Godliness…

…and fill our mind with God’s thoughts so that our thinking can be renewed by His Spirit to live a Godly life.

It really is that simple, the problem is that many Christians don’t really want to change, or they do but they want someone to wave a magic wand over them and take away their sinful thoughts.

Ap. Are you tired of your sin?

Do you want to live a life that that draws others to Jesus? Do you want to walk like Jesus did?

If you do it begins with a simple thought that cries out to the Lord and says…

…help me to walk like you Lord!

Then you “put off” the old man by deliberately choosing not to fill your mind with ungodly influences and thoughts.

Then “put on” the new man by deliberately choosing to fill your mind with His thoughts through the study of His word and prayer.

Start looking for specific verses that deal with your sin and commit them to memory and ask the Lord to make them a reality in your life.

Close

√ Walk in purity ~ part 1

We’ve been called to leave our old life behind and to live a new life in Christ.

The benefit is that when we walk like Jesus we’ll find satisfaction and purpose in life and the things He has doing.

It is also a benefit to the lost who will then see the reality of our faith lived out before them in such a way that they will desire a relationship with Jesus.

If you choose to continue to live your life like the lost then you’re destined to a life of vanity in which you’ll always be striving for contentment…

…and never finding it.