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Lesson Six
Ephesians 4:22-24
Ephesians 4:22-24
22 That ye put off concerning the former
conversation the old man, which is corrupt
according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after
God is created in righteousness and true
holiness.
Colossians 3:8-11
Colossians 3:8-11
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath,
malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of
your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put
off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is
renewed in knowledge after the image of him
that created him:
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew,
circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian,
Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all,
and in all.
Colossians 3:12-15
Colossians 3:12-15
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and
beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one
another, if any man have a quarrel against any:
even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14 And above all these things put on charity,
which is the bond of perfectness.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
to the which also ye are called in one body; and
be ye thankful.
Focus Verse
II Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all
things are become new.
Focus Thought
When we are born again, our lives will
change. We must come out from the
world, lay aside the old sinful ways of
living, and adopt a whole new lifestyle.
Introduction
Introduction
Individuals often restart a project in order to
properly complete it. Sometimes they may wish
that they could turn back the clock and start afresh
with a clean slate or change negative behaviors.
Thankfully, fresh starts are possible with the Lord
Jesus Christ.
God’s amazing love allows us to experience a fresh
beginning in our lives. To be “in Christ” is to
experience the new birth through His name and His
Spirit, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us and gives
us a new beginning. Through His power, we are
able to leave behind the old life, lay aside sinful
actions, and learn to live for the Lord. The Bible
declares that God loved us and gave His life for us,
providing us the opportunity to live for Him in a
victorious, overcoming lifestyle.
Introduction
The devil desires to destroy individuals, but Jesus
came to provide the means for mankind to achieve
abundant life. “The thief cometh not, but for to
steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that
they might have life, and that they might have it
more abundantly” (John 10:10). These two
outcomes stand in stark contrast to each other and
make living for God the only wise choice.
Introduction
When we choose to live for Jesus Christ, a number
of changes take place in our lives. Spiritual growth
produces change, but it is only possible to
experience ongoing spiritual growth through
obedience to biblical commands, putting off sinful
behaviors, and seeking to become more like Jesus
Christ.
Introduction
Beginning
Your
I. Beginning Your New Life
New
Life
(A)
A. Looking
Looking requires an intentional act of giving
attention to something. Sometimes a casual glance
is sufficient. However, when salvation is the
incentive for looking, it is important for one to give
the matter his intense attention and interest. The
Lord invited, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all
the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is
none else” (Isaiah 45:22).
Once we have experienced
the new birth
I. Beginning
Your salvation,
New Life
implements a realm of new living. New life is what
(A)in abundance through His death,
Jesus can impart
burial, and resurrection—repentance, baptism in
Jesus’ name, and receiving the Holy Spirit.
I. Beginning Your New Life
(A)
“Therefore we are buried with
him by baptism into death: that
like as Christ was raised up from
the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should
walk in newness of life”
(Romans 6:4).
The power of the Your
Resurrection
frees usLife
to seek the
I. Beginning
New
spiritual matters of God’s kingdom. The elements
of the world (A)
are weak, and they are no substitute for
God’s blessings. No longer do they hold us captive.
Instead, our rapt attention on things above directs us
toward heavenly provisions.
Forsaking and forgetting
things Life
that are
I. Beginning
Yourthose
New
temporal, we focus our faith on things above, which
(A) in abundance. Moreover, we
the Lord promised
look for the return of the Lord, which the Bible
describes as a “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13).
Assuredly, Jesus will appear to those who are
looking for His return (Hebrews 9:28).
While we remain Your
watchful and
ready for
the Lord’s
I. Beginning
New
Life
return, we also should look for opportunities to
(A)for Christ Jesus. Jesus instructed
share our witness
His disciples to look on the fields that were ready
for harvest, but His real interest was in the spiritual
harvest that was ready and awaiting the harvesters.
And the spiritual harvest still is ready to be reaped
today. Certainly, we achieve true perspective by
looking up, and we live with purpose by
participating in the harvest of souls.
B. Changing
I. Beginning Your New Life
The demoniac
from Gadara provides a great
(B)
example of the fantastic change that Jesus’ power
brings to an individual. Following his deliverance,
the Bible described the man as changed—a sharp
contrast to what he had been. He was now clothed,
sitting at the feet of Jesus, and in his right mind.
Indeed, the Lord brought a life change to him and
to his circumstances.
I. Beginning Your New Life
The Bible declares
(B) that the blood of Jesus is able
to cleanse from all sin and unrighteousness. (See I
John 1:7-9.) Absolutely nothing is beyond the
power of the Lord to cleanse and forgive.
I. Beginning Your New Life
The imposing
list of sins that Paul included in his
(B)
letter to the Corinthians reminded them of what
they had been before coming to know Christ
Jesus.
I Corinthians
“Know
ye not that 6:9-10
the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
Be not deceived: neither fornicators,
nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves
with mankind, nor thieves, nor
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
nor extortioners, shall inherit the
kingdom of God”
(I Corinthians 6:9-10).
I. Beginning
YourinNew
Life
The sins Paul mentioned
I Corinthians
6:9-10
would have excluded them from inheriting the
(B)
kingdom of God. However, Paul proclaimed that
the name of Jesus and the Spirit of God had
washed, sanctified, and justified these former
sinners. Certainly, the straightforward plan of
salvation presented in Acts 2:38 can produce great
change within a person—new life in the Lord as a
born-again believer rather than an aimless spiritual
existence.
I. Beginning
Your
Repentance brings
about a New
change inLife
a person’s
direction, priority, values, and thinking. A change
(B)
of 180 degrees, whether in geographical direction
or in temperature, helps to illustrate this point.
Opposite ends of a runway for aircraft are marked
with a 180 degree difference.
I. Beginning
New
Life
If one end of theYour
runway has
a heading
of 70
degrees, the opposing end will have a heading of
(B)
250 degrees. At sea level, water boils at 212
degrees Fahrenheit and freezes at 32 degrees
Fahrenheit. Subtract the freezing point from the
boiling point, and the difference is 180 degrees.
I. Beginning
Your
Life
These two examples
serve New
to demonstrate
opposites, much like that which results in a
(B)
person’s life following repentance. The new birth
causes one to forsake the old lifestyle and focus on
his new life.
Putting Off the Old
II. Putting
OldOld
(A)
A. DyingOff
Outthe
to the
World
The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
are basic components that comprise the gospel
message. We identify with Him in each phase as
we crucify our old life in repentance, are buried
through water baptism in His name, and resurrect
to walk in new life through the power of His Spirit.
II. Putting
Off
the
Old
(A)
Repentance comes from the Greek word metanoeo,
which Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines as
“to think differently, reconsider.” However, Vine’s
Word Studies expands the meaning with this
phrase: “to change one’s mind or purpose.” Thus,
repentance always involves a change for the better.
II. Putting
Off
the
Old
(A)
In his letter to the Colossians, the apostle Paul
advised us to mortify our members. This means to
put away the actions of sin, or to put them to death.
“The ensuing list of moral wrongs shows that the
verse does not mean for us to destroy physical
members of the body but to destroy evil attitudes
and actions of the body” (David Bernard, The
Message of Colossians and Philemon, 114).
II. Putting
Off
the
Old
(A)
Comparing living in the flesh to living in the Spirit,
Paul contrasted life and death in his letter to the
Romans: “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die:
but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of
the body, ye shall live” (Romans 8:13).
II. Putting
Off
the
Old
(A)
In his commentary on the Book of Romans, David
Bernard offered insights on the word mortify: “The
underlying Greek word is in the present tense,
indicating we must continually put to death or
extirpate the practices of the sinful nature. We can
only do this by the power of the Spirit. In doing so
and only in doing so, we will live spiritually” (The
Message of Romans, 181).
II. Putting
Off
the
Old
(A)
Spiritual life will result only when we end sinful
acts through the power of the Spirit. Paul used the
word mortify in these passages to emphasize the
need to stop sinful activity with the finality of
death. To do otherwise is to invite accusations of
hypocrisy.
II. Putting
Off
the
Old
(A)
Chuck Swindoll quoted a skeptic named Thomas
Ybarra who wrote: “A Christian is a man who feels
repentance on a Sunday for what he did on
Saturday and is going to do on Monday” (Getting
Through the Tough Stuff, 155). Certainly, that kind
of attitude and action on the part of a Christian
does not reflect biblical repentance.
B. Putting Off Sin
II. Putting
Off the
Old
(B)
Paul made an extensive
list of
sins that
eliminate
people from the kingdom of God. (See I
Corinthians 6:9-10.) However, the words “and such
were some of you” pointed out that a believer
should no longer live a sinful lifestyle (I
Corinthians 6:11). Both Ephesians 4 and
Colossians 3 contain lists of sins that the writer
advised the new Christian to put off. While by no
means exhaustive, the lists emphatically suggest
that we should put off, or eliminate, sin from our
lives.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul mentioned
sensuality, impurity, lust, deceitful desires, lying,
anger, stealing, corrupt words, bitterness, wrath,
slander, and malice. (See Ephesians 4:22-32.)
These sinful actions have negative effects not only
on the perpetrator but also on those around him.
Paul wrote the Colossians regarding some of the
same elements of sin with different names. The
New International Version translates that list as
sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires,
greed, anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language,
and lies. (See Colossians 3:5-10, NIV.)
II. Putting Off the Old (B)
It is important to remember the outcome of a sinful
lifestyle. Paul declared, “For the wages of sin is
death” (Romans 6:23). Death is the ultimate
outcome, not just a bad day or a short-term
setback. That is why the Scripture is so emphatic
about repentance and leaving sin behind while
focusing on a new life. Furthermore, Paul observed
that deceitful lusts had corrupted our former
conversation, or conduct. However, we are able to
escape this corruption of the world and its lusts
through the precious promise of being a partaker of
the divine nature (II Peter 1:4).
II. Putting Off the Old (B)
Putting on the New
III. Putting
on the
A. Renewing
theNew
Mind(A)
The promise of being a new creation in Christ is a
powerful prospect that begins with the thought
process. Paul proclaimed, “And be renewed in the
spirit of your mind” (Ephesians 4:23). Certainly,
renewing the mind is a transforming experience by
which one refuses to be conformed to the world and
reaches for the will of God.
serve the
God inNew
the mind(A)
or spirit
III.“Attempting
Puttingto on
alone is not enough; our service to God must
produce an actual transformation of our physical
behavior” (The Message of Romans, 263). Our
service to the Lord as a living sacrifice reaps
heavenly benefits and produces powerful results.
new way of on
thinking
make a new
way of
III.“APutting
thewillNew
(A)
life. A daily diet of the Word through reading,
preaching, and teaching will effect this renewal
process, which in turn will bring about a new form
of living, higher than that of self-indulgent lusts of
the old nature” (Brian Kinsey, The Bride’s Pearl,
217).
facilitate a new
of thinking,
apostle gave
III.ToPutting
onwaythe
Newthe(A)
direction for determined thinking in Philippians 4:8:
Philippians
4:8,
NKJV
“Finally, brethren, whatever things
are true, whatever things are noble,
whatever things are just, whatever
things are pure, whatever things are
lovely, whatever things are of a good
report, if there is any virtue and if
there is anything praiseworthy—
meditate on these things”
(Philippians 4:8, NKJV).
thoughts
possible
through(A)
the renewal
III.Positive
Putting
onare the
New
that is brought about by the Holy Spirit in the life of
a believer. This renewal is ongoing so that
transformation continues in the life of the believer.
Resurrection
powerful
topic about
III.The
Putting
onis athe
New
(A)which
the anointed writers of the New Testament
repeatedly wrote. Paul even indicated that we are
included in the Resurrection both spiritually and
physically. He then reassured the Corinthians that
although we age and approach death outwardly,
inwardly we are renewed on a daily basis (II
Corinthians 4:14-16).
B. Adding Godly
Characteristics
III. Putting
on the New (B)
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul advised them
three different times to “put on” godly
characteristics (Colossians 3:10-14). He was not
encouraging theatrical performance or a fake
appearance by saying “put on”; rather, he was
giving them a strong admonition for change. The
same chapters from Ephesians and Colossians that
contain lists of sins to “put off” also contain lists of
godly qualities to add, or “put on.”
Paul instructed the Ephesians to extend kindness
and forgiveness to one another with a tender heart.
His instructions to the Colossians included putting
on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness,
patience, forbearance, forgiveness, and love. (See
Colossians 3:12-14.) Just as he did in I Corinthians
13, Paul recognized the great importance of love.
The love of God never fails. Moreover, Peter
declared that love should have prominence: “And
above all things have fervent love for one another,
for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins’” (I Peter
4:8, NKJV).
III. Putting on the New (B)
Living for the Lord involves an ongoing battle
between the tendencies of one’s flesh and his desire
to seek after the Spirit. Paul instructed the Romans,
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans
13:14). This is like wearing the presence of the
Lord consistently as a garment. Certainly, when we
take off the old garment of sin and self, we should
put on the garment of godliness and holiness. Both
actions are necessary to live for the Lord.
III. Putting on the New (B)
In his book Walking with Christ in the Details of
Life, author Patrick Morley mentioned a Gallup
survey reporting that one-third of American adults
claim to be born-again Christians. In view of this
revival of Christianity in America, he pointed out a
disappointing lack of change in society: “The
American gospel has evolved into a gospel of
addition without subtraction. It is the belief that we
can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin.
III. Putting on the New (B)
It is change in belief without a change in behavior.
It is a spiritual experience without any cultural
impact. It is revival without reformation, without
repentance.” Obviously, when a Christian adds the
teachings of Jesus to his life, there also should be a
corresponding subtracting of sinful actions from his
lifestyle.
III. Putting on the New (B)
Wearing the Armor
IV. Wearing
theinArmor
(A)
A. Engaging
Spiritual
Warfare
The first three words of Ephesians 6:12, “for we
wrestle,” should make us aware of the ever-present
spiritual conflict in life. Satan will attempt to entice
us away from moral choices and bind us from doing
what is right. But using the spiritual weapons of
prayer, Bible study, worship, fasting, and godly
fellowship will result in a victorious Christian life.
II Corinthians 10:4
“For the weapons of our warfare are
not carnal, but mighty through God to
the pulling down of strong holds”
(II Corinthians 10:4).
and intercession
for souls are
vital
IV.Witnessing
Wearing
the
Armor
(A)
means of wrestling with darkness in order to bring
people into light and liberty in the Lord. We dare not
allow the gospel to be hidden to the lost or to those
who are spiritually blinded (II Corinthians 4:3-4).
The glorious light of the gospel of Christ should
shine through the Christian’s life to reveal truth to a
dark world.
matter where orthe
what Armor
spiritual forces
of evil the
IV.No
Wearing
(A)
Christian encounters, these evil spirits fear and
tremble in the presence of the God we serve (James
2:19). All the lies and deceit of the devil will never
defeat or break down the blood of Jesus. Certainly,
Satan has no way to combat the blood of the Lamb
and its provision of victory!
seeks to lull the
the church
into a false
sense of
IV.Satan
Wearing
Armor
(A)
security, giving way to comfort and complacency.
However, that is not the life to which God has called
us. Adopting a Laodicean lifestyle with a selfsatisfying assessment of needing nothing will cause
us to lose our fervent love for Christ and to lose His
divine approval. Instead, the Lord advised that we
should obtain faith, righteousness, and anointing.
Moreover, prayer and patience will make possible
the victory in the Lord that we desire in the battle of
life.
church shouldthe
continue
to fight the(A)
good fight
IV.The
Wearing
Armor
of faith—a battle that will end in ultimate victory.
Unmistakably, the mission of the church is to carry
“the whole gospel, to the whole world, by the whole
church.” Let the twenty-first-century church affirm
with Paul: “I am debtor. . . . I am ready. . . . I am not
ashamed” (Romans 1:14-16). The gospel is the
power of God unto salvation to those who believe.
B. Standing Firm
IV. Martin
Wearing
the Armor
(B)on
Luther, a Reformation
leader, acted
strong convictions. Though his choice of action
proved costly, he declared, “Here I stand, I can do
no other.” His choice and his stand caused great
spiritual enlightenment to come upon the world.
Likewise, taking a stand for our calling,
commitment, and convictions is necessary in this
age in which many individuals resort to
compromising their convictions. However, Paul
assured us that God is able to impart the ability for
every believer to stand. (See Romans 14:4.)
IV. InWearing
the
(B) to be
King Hezekiah’s
day, Armor
the Temple needed
cleansed. Repentance and reformation had to
replace the idolatry that led to neglect, and the king
challenged the priests:
II Chronicles 29:11
“My sons, be not now negligent: for
the Lord hath chosen you to stand
before him, to serve him, and that ye
should minister unto him, and burn
incense” (II Chronicles 29:11).
IV. The
Wearing
therepaired
Armor
(B) the
priests obediently
and cleansed
Temple, setting its service and worship in order.
They took a stand as the king commanded, which
caused great rejoicing and resulted in revival.
Today, the indwelling Spirit makes our bodies the
temples of God. Because of that special
relationship, we take a stand against the sin that
defiles our temples and the hypocrisy that hinders
the work of God in our lives.
IV. ItWearing
the Armor
is vital that the church
let the world(B)
know what it
stands for as well as what it stands against. We not
only stand against sin, but we stand for the
powerful changes that result from the new birth.
After the high priest had the apostles arrested and
imprisoned, the angel opened the prison door for
them with a specific command: “Go, stand and
speak in the temple to the people all the words of
this life” (Acts 5:20).
IV. An
Wearing
the Armor
(B)
aggressive evangelistic
stand for the
Lord is
important for the church to achieve the growth that
God wants to give. Certainly, the church can
present the words of life to a dying world.
C. Praying Always
IV. Paul
Wearing
the Armor (C)
advised believers to put on the whole armor of
God so that they could stand victoriously. (See
Ephesians 6:13-17.) God provides the whole armor
as a complete resource of both defensive and
offensive weapons, and He gives us the strength to
stand. He makes available the power of His might
for our spiritual victory.
IV. The
Wearing
the Armor (C)
whole armor of God includes the helmet of
salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt
of truth, the sword of the Spirit, the shield of faith,
and sandals of readiness to impart the gospel.
Further, He gives us the weapon of prayer. Prayer
and supplication in the Spirit are effective weapons
of spiritual warfare. (See Ephesians 6:18.)
IV. Paul
Wearing
the Armor (C)
used a word picture of a Roman soldier to
illustrate the aspects of spiritual armor. Because the
soldiers were ubiquitous and powerful, the
common people immediately recognized their
presence as a military force. One could not mistake
the identity of the soldier in his bright red uniform.
Likewise, proponents of the gospel are readily
recognizable with no room for mistaken identity,
especially in the arena of prayer and spiritual
warfare.
IV. Paul
Wearing
the Armor (C)
prioritized prayer for his young protégé,
Timothy: “Therefore I exhort first of all that
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of
thanks be made for all men” (I Timothy 2:1,
NKJV). Paul mentioned prayer in some form in his
epistles to Timothy at least nine times. This focus
on prayer is important not only for leaders in
ministry, but also for all who devote their lives to
living for the Lord.
Reflections
Living for God results in a dual responsibility for
the believer to “put off the old man” and “put on the
new.” Behaviors of sin should cease, and actions of
godly living should replace them. The Word of God
lists sins that are damaging and destructive to
spiritual life. Pleasures of sin are enjoyed for only a
season, so the Bible says to crucify the flesh with its
accompanying evil affections and desires. Sinful
actions will eliminate one from the promise of the
heavenly realm and rewards.
Reflections
On the other hand, what one adds to his new life
from the Lord—chiefly God’s love—provides
abundant, positive results. A renewed mind is the
result of spiritual resurrection, which yields new
life for a believer and a readiness for the rapture of
the church. Everlasting life will be the ultimate
reward of those who have remained faithful to
death, and they will join those who are living for
the Lord when He returns.