WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:00.800 Amen. 00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:04.160 If you have your Bibles, go ahead and turn them to Ephesians chapter 4. 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:06.160 We're going to start in verse 17 today. 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:09.279 We're continuing our Made for More sermon series. 00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:16.320 And I'm over here because I've heard from a number of you that it's hard to see the text when I'm standing all the way up here. 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:21.120 Now it's going to be harder to see me, but I think the words are going to be more important, so that's okay. 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:23.760 Maybe you've wondered, who am I? 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:25.359 Does my life really matter? 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:30.640 But I love that Ephesians offers a hope-filled, powerful answer to that, that you were made for more. 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:32.479 More freedom, more purpose, more joy. 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:39.759 And we get to unpack how the gospel reshapes our identity, our relationships, our lives in every way, our work, our worship. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:41.280 You were made for more. 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:49.119 And Ephesians is exhorting you to live that life, that life that you were made for, that you were made for more. 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:58.799 And last week we got to focus on the unity and the building up of the body that's been in these key text that we keep coming back to. 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:00.479 This key text that we said. 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:03.359 This is our focus for a church this year. 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:12.879 Ephesians 4, 11 through 16, which says He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, the teachers to do what? 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:15.280 To equip the saints for the work of ministry. 00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:25.040 To grow up so that the saints would grow up in every way into Christ, the head, when each part is working properly, so that it builds itself up in love. 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:30.400 We get to be built up in love as we pursue this unity, this oneness as a church. 00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:40.400 This oneness that Jesus prayed for the church in John chapter 17 when he prayed for you and me specifically, those who would believe because of the words of his disciples. 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:43.840 This oneness that we get to be built up in love. 00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:47.359 And unity is beautiful and awesome, and we love to talk about it. 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:52.719 But there's this other side of unity that we're going to look at today, which is this call towards holiness. 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:55.120 This call towards purity. 00:01:55.280 --> 00:02:02.319 Because if we're going to experience unity, it needs to be also pursued with holiness and purity. 00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:08.639 If we're going to be the bride of Christ, the body of Christ, we need to pursue this unity that comes with holiness. 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:22.960 That we would experience this growing up, that we would experience this maturity together, that as we're built up in love, united with Christ, that we would experience this growth and maturity, and this growth in Christ-likeness. 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:29.919 I love that Ephesians 1 talks about how we've been blessed, that we're saints, that we're in Christ, blessed with every spiritual blessing. 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:38.560 If you want to know how much God loves you, if you want to know your identity in Christ, you can look to Ephesians 1 and just write down all of those identity statements that belong to you. 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:42.319 These are just some of them in Ephesians chapter 1. 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:55.280 And as we look at the unity together in chapter 4, the main point that Paul's going to point out is that we're to live in the not in the way that we used to, but in this new way in Christ. 00:02:55.360 --> 00:03:06.719 That we've been given a new identity, and as those who've been brought from death to life, who have this new identity in Christ, that we have this new stewardship of how do we live that way? 00:03:06.879 --> 00:03:12.400 How do we stop living like the rest of the world and start living in the way that God intended us to live? 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:23.599 If you had a main idea, believers are called to live out their new identity in Christ with a lifestyle that is different from the world and different from our own pre-Christian past. 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:27.199 We shouldn't look the way we used to look. 00:03:27.759 --> 00:03:28.080 Right? 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:35.919 If I was if I was going home and I started driving back to my home in Pflugerville that I lived at four years ago, that would be weird. 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:37.280 I don't live there anymore. 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:45.360 But sometimes when we're not thinking, we'll start driving to old houses or we'll start reverting back to our old ways before we knew the Lord. 00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:49.199 We have this tendency to go back, but you don't live there anymore. 00:03:49.439 --> 00:03:51.039 That's not where you belong. 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:53.120 That's not the life that you're called to live. 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:56.159 And it's about much more than a physical address. 00:03:57.120 --> 00:03:59.520 It's about the way that you live your life. 00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:03.120 The uniform that you put on, the clothes that you put on. 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:05.439 You put off the old and you put on the new. 00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:07.199 And so we're going to look at God's word. 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:12.560 We're going to read the text first, and I'm going to invite you, if you're able, to stand for the reading of God's word. 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:20.160 These are God's word, not mine. 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:22.800 God words God's words not mine. 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:31.600 Now this I say and I testify in the Lord that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:45.279 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart, they have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:47.600 But that is not the way you learn Christ. 00:04:47.839 --> 00:05:06.879 Assuming you have heard about him, and were taught in him, as the truth in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through the deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:13.519 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:15.360 Be angry and do not sin. 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:19.920 Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity for the devil. 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:28.240 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:41.759 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as good for the building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear, and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:47.360 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:52.879 Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you. 00:05:53.040 --> 00:05:54.800 This is the word of the Lord. 00:05:55.120 --> 00:05:56.079 Thanks be to God. 00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:57.439 You can have a seat. 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:14.079 Verses 17 through 22, uh, we'll put the point up first on this because we're going to move through a lot of text with a lot of exhortation in it, a lot of uh this is what we should do, because we're getting to more of the practical side of the letter. 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:20.160 And as we look at this, we see this put off the old self and its deceitful corruption. 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:26.319 Paul is calling the Christians in Ephesus to put off the old self and its deceitful corruption. 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:29.680 Like, don't live the way you used to live. 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:41.439 Don't live like the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds, in the darkened understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of hearts. 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:44.480 They're callous and have given themselves up to sensuality. 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:47.360 They're greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:49.040 But that's not you. 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:57.279 So put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life, and is corrupt through deceitful desires. 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:02.720 Put away any kind of impurity, but rather walk in holiness. 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:05.920 Paul is saying they should no longer live how they used to live. 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:08.319 They should no longer live as Gentiles. 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:10.800 He's referring to those outside of Christ. 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:13.439 Here and in several other verses, he uses walk. 00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:19.040 He's saying the way that you live should be you should live according to the calling that you've been called. 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:23.519 You've been called to be a Christian, you've been called to be one in Christ, now live like it. 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:26.160 This is already the reality that you are in Christ. 00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:27.199 Now live like it. 00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:28.160 Live like a Christian. 00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:31.839 I'm going to give you a lot of examples of what that looks like and what that doesn't look like. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:40.800 He he really spells it out on the practical side of if we want to have unity, you can't be like just shanking everybody as you're around them, right? 00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:46.079 You can't be harming people as you're doing community with them. 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:50.800 And the problem is that none of us are fully there. 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:52.639 None of us are without sin. 00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:57.839 And so as we live life together, there's a lot of wrongdoing that will happen. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:02.319 The more that you spend time with each other, the more that we're going to offend each other. 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:07.920 And so that's just the reality of living in a fallen and broken world where we're all prone to this selfishness. 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:11.839 We're prone to this living in our own way instead of in God's way. 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:13.439 And he's saying, hey, stop it. 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:15.920 You've got to stop living like you used to live. 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:17.759 And you've got to live this new way. 00:08:17.839 --> 00:08:22.000 Or we have no chance at unity and peace and harmony and community. 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:24.399 You've got to walk in holiness. 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:26.240 You've got to live in holiness. 00:08:27.360 --> 00:08:32.080 He's tuning into this importance of living in holiness at this point. 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:37.519 So he's talking about the beauty and that picture of like, hey, how awesome is it that we're one body together. 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:44.080 But how terrible is it that we keep harming each other, that we keep messing with each other, that we keep offending each other. 00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:48.639 He's saying, put away the old man. 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:53.600 Now that you're in Christ, you're no longer to conduct yourself like the rest of humanity. 00:08:53.759 --> 00:08:58.000 Like he's saying, if you're Christian, I'm going to call you to a higher standard. 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:04.159 And this is a loving thing for us to do with those who are in Christ, to say, hey, let's live in a better way. 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:08.080 Let's live with a higher standard for each other because we're in Christ. 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:12.639 Because as he's talking about the unbelievers, he says they're futile in their thinking. 00:09:12.799 --> 00:09:15.679 Their thinking has no aim or purpose. 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:21.440 They don't have a clear purpose with their life or in their minds. 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:23.360 So they're excluded from the life of God. 00:09:23.440 --> 00:09:25.279 They're alienated from that life of God. 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:26.639 Their hearts are hard. 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:30.639 They become callous, leading to every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more. 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:34.639 There's like this insatiable desire for more and more darkness. 00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:45.120 It's like YOLO, you only live once, so I'm going to stack up as much pleasure as I can, and I'm going to order my life, and how can I have my life be as self-gratifying as possible? 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:48.480 That's like our default settings that we revert back to. 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:58.720 Of how do I, it's this way of living called hedonism of like, let me stack my pleasures, my joy, make my life as self-serving as possible. 00:09:59.919 --> 00:10:04.080 They've committed sins for so long that their consciences no longer feel. 00:10:04.399 --> 00:10:08.080 The things that might have once shocked them don't shock them anymore. 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:13.679 And then in verse 18, he's tracing this attitude of these unsaved Gentiles to its source. 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:17.679 They don't have a worthy purpose because they don't have a clear understanding. 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:24.720 And this is this makes sense for those who aren't in Christ, for them to live self-serving, self-absorbed lives, right? 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:27.519 But if you're in Christ, I'm going to call you to a higher standard. 00:10:27.679 --> 00:10:35.120 So he's saying, hey, let's live this way instead, let's live for more than the way we used to live. 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:42.879 Because the Gentiles are insensitive to God and his ways. 00:10:44.159 --> 00:10:53.440 They just have this uh sensuality, this uh wanton violence, this greediness of saying, How do I have more and more of a self-serving life? 00:10:54.399 --> 00:10:56.559 But he's saying, Hey, that's not how you learn Christ. 00:10:56.720 --> 00:11:00.559 Verse 20, he's saying, This isn't how you learn Christ if you are in him. 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:03.600 He's referring to a Christian's new relationship with Christ. 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:06.480 He's saying, you have heard about him, you've been taught by him. 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:11.440 To learn Christ is to be to learn about Christ, but also to enter a relationship with him. 00:11:11.600 --> 00:11:15.679 And as you enter that relationship with him, you start to enjoy him. 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:19.840 And it's like, okay, so are there these new set of rules for me? 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:27.279 Well, now my heart is turned towards how can I live in a way that glorifies God the most, not how can I maximize my own pleasure. 00:11:27.519 --> 00:11:38.000 My life, my life is not about how can I be as happy as possible, but rather how can I live for Jesus and give God as much glory as possible. 00:11:38.240 --> 00:11:39.440 You see how that's different? 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:44.799 And what's crazy is you think that this is gonna give you happiness, that this is gonna give you satisfaction. 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:46.799 This is actually what you're made for. 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:56.240 And as you live a life of saying, how can I live for maximum joy and pleasure in Christ, at that point is when you're actually gonna be satisfied. 00:11:56.399 --> 00:12:01.600 Because the one who made you and who calls you to himself says, Hey, I actually designed you for this. 00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:05.120 And it's much greater than the way you were living. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:16.399 It's much greater, even though you are gonna be called to a higher standard, as you start to live in his ways instead of your old ways, you start to experience joy and peace. 00:12:17.519 --> 00:12:17.919 Right? 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:27.600 It's like I have a friend who uh had a had a long-term struggle for alcohol, and uh he had uh something wrong with his car where he got pulled over. 00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:33.279 But he experienced this great peace and satisfaction that when he was getting pulled over, he had zero nothing to worry about. 00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:43.919 They weren't gonna bust him for alcohol, they weren't gonna bust him for drugs, they weren't gonna bust him for anything that was in his car, and he was just happy that they stopped him because it was the first time that he had experienced freedom. 00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:52.720 It was the first time that he experienced peace in the face of a cop stopping him to correct him for something that needed to be fixed about his car. 00:12:53.039 --> 00:13:02.159 But he experienced peace that surpassed his understanding in knowing that he was living right, in knowing that whatever minor infraction was wrong, he could take care of that. 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:15.279 He didn't have to worry about his whole life being derailed because he was living in his old way, because he's adopted a new way of living, a new way of thinking, a way where he's without blame, without guilt. 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:20.159 So Christians should put their former unsaved manner of life aside. 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:24.639 The old self, the old man, the person the Christian was before their regeneration. 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:42.399 That person was experienced this progressive corruption, like increasing corruption, because their desires that appeal to their physical senses, these lusts that are deceitful, that say, hey, this is where the joy is, this is where the pleasure is, and they lie because they never satisfy in the way that they promise they will. 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:49.360 If you want to be the most full of joy, live a life that honors God the most, and you will be satisfied in Him. 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:53.679 We were alienated from God because of our inherited sin. 00:13:53.759 --> 00:13:59.360 We go through life rebelling against Him, trying to find satisfaction outside of Him. 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:02.960 But we have this opportunity to receive reconciliation from God. 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:12.720 But the hardness of heart that the nonbeliever experiences and can't overcome because of their ignorance, that's also there. 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:16.240 It takes a lot for the nonbeliever and their callous heart. 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:20.159 God has to strip that heart down and rescue them and draw them near. 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:29.679 And so it's it's important for us to remember our state in Ephesians 2, right, 1 through 10, where it was talking about we were dead in our trespasses and sins, but we were called to this newness of life. 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:37.279 We were saved by grace through faith, not according to anything that we could do, but he saves us, he rescues us, so that we can enjoy this relationship with him. 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:47.200 And even when we do fail, he's saying this is where the joy is going to be, when you're renewed in the spirits of your minds, and you put on the new self, created in the likeness of God. 00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:56.960 So in verse 22 it says, put off the old self, and in 24 he says, put on the new self, created after the likeness of God, in true righteousness and holiness. 00:14:57.200 --> 00:15:02.480 As we're part of the body of Christ, we're pursuing righteousness, we're pursuing holiness. 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:06.240 We're already given his righteousness fully and freely, right? 00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:23.519 Through what he did for us on the cross, but then we're slowly, progressively experiencing that, like this progressive sanctification that on this side of heaven we are waging war against our flesh, we're putting our fleshly desires to death, and we're saying, How can I live in a way that would honor God more and more each day? 00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:28.399 And so a lot of this first section is like, stop it. 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:29.840 Stop putting on your old self. 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:32.080 Start instead putting on the new self. 00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:34.000 You don't live there anymore. 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:36.000 You don't belong to that old way of living. 00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:41.279 You have a new way of thinking, a new way of living, a new way of operating. 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:42.879 Everything about you is different. 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:46.559 What you think, say, and do should all be transformed by the grace of God. 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:51.120 So verses 17 through 22, put off the old self and its deceitful corruption. 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:55.919 Verses 23 and 24, put on the new self and be renewed in true righteousness. 00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:59.919 We're being renewed in this true righteousness. 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:02.879 As we have this relationship with Jesus, we change. 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:06.639 We take off our former self and we put on the new self. 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:09.919 When you were saved, you got a new wardrobe. 00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:13.039 You have to take off the old clothes to put on the new. 00:16:13.279 --> 00:16:16.960 When he makes the inside clean, he wants to make the outside match. 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:19.279 How do we make this happen? 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:26.879 Well, our thoughts of ignorance, our thoughts without understanding, our thoughts before, that was the common mistake. 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:30.159 But now the new the newness comes through what? 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:32.559 A renewal of our mind in Christ Jesus. 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:46.240 Similar to Romans 12, 1 and 2, where it says that we not to be conformed to the image of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, that by testing we may know what is good and acceptable and perfect. 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:51.120 We can be renewed in our minds through this new way, this new living. 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:52.480 Because that reality, right? 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:55.360 2 Corinthians 5.17, that we're a new creation. 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:57.759 The old has passed away, the new has come. 00:16:58.240 --> 00:16:59.360 We just need to walk in that. 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:01.600 Like, hey, this is already the reality, Christian. 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:02.720 Now live it out. 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:04.640 Enjoy that life that you have. 00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:06.400 Live out what already happened. 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:07.440 Put on the new self. 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:08.799 You've already been made new. 00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:10.240 Now live like it. 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:14.240 It's this description of what has already happened to the believer. 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:19.200 Rather than being futile, darkened, and ignorant, we've taken on a new attitude. 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:22.640 And this renewing process is an ongoing process. 00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:29.279 Um, this sanctification that happens over and over in time, that we're gonna wrestle against our flesh till the day that we die. 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:34.559 On this side of heaven, we're always gonna be wrestling against our flesh, meaning we're gonna do things that we don't want to do. 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:39.440 But we don't just give up and say, Well, I messed up a little bit, so I might as well just jump off the deep end. 00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:43.599 No, there's no joy there, there's no life there. 00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:54.400 If you want to experience the joy of a Christian, repent quickly, turn to him quickly, confess, and not just to God, but to man. 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:56.079 Experience that healing. 00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:00.160 Share with one another, bear one another's burdens, even in confession. 00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:06.000 I love that be renewed is a passive verb that emphasizes what God is the one who renews our mind. 00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:08.160 God is the one who renews us in Christ. 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:12.720 God is the one who helps us to experience that reality of being made new. 00:18:13.359 --> 00:18:21.200 And Paul shows our identity, our responsibility in this verse, verse 24, we're to put on the new self as we do with the shirt. 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:23.839 We put on the new self. 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:29.839 The new self is the person the Christian is after he experiences regeneration. 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:35.200 We put on that new man as we pursue the things of Christ rather than the desires of the flesh. 00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:41.519 God created the new self, the Christian, in regeneration after the image of our spiritual parent, God Himself. 00:18:41.680 --> 00:18:50.799 Righteousness and holiness marks our new life rather than sensuality, impurity, and greed and this pride of life of how do I make my life more and more about me. 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:52.400 Your life is not about you. 00:18:52.559 --> 00:18:56.799 Your life is about bringing honor and glory and fame to the one who made it all. 00:18:57.200 --> 00:19:03.200 And you're gonna be most satisfied when you recant from your old selfish ways that say, How do I make it all about me? 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:04.960 And say, How do I make it all about him? 00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:07.599 How do I live for him instead? 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:09.440 That's where your joy is gonna be found. 00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:11.680 That's where your joy is gonna be full. 00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:17.680 Put on the new self and be renewed in true righteousness. 00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:20.799 Now, verses 25 through 32, I'm gonna give you a preview. 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:22.559 There's a slide for this, thank you, Lee. 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:25.200 How to speak, live, and think as a new creation. 00:19:25.359 --> 00:19:34.000 So, like, there are gonna be, I think, five different imperatives that come from this, and we're gonna look at how to speak, how to live, and how to think as a new creation. 00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:36.799 Like, basically, Christianity 101, let's go. 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:40.960 Here are the things that we need to stop doing, and here are the things that we need to start doing. 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:45.519 And he gives some very clear imperatives of hey, Christians don't act like this. 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:46.880 Christians act like this. 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:49.680 Christians don't act like this, Christians act like this. 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:52.559 And then he gives a reason for each of those things as well. 00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:55.279 So he says, Stop doing this, start doing this. 00:19:55.359 --> 00:20:01.839 And it's very much like uh a lot of directives and a lot of imperatives that we're looking at together here. 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:03.759 So first verse 25. 00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:15.039 Therefore, having put away falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:24.000 So the first imperative that he gives, having put away falsehood, let each of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:27.200 So replace lying with truth telling. 00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:28.880 This one's pretty clear. 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:31.759 It's hard for us to work with liars. 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:36.559 It's hard for us to experience the unity that we're meant to have if we're lying to each other. 00:20:39.680 --> 00:20:40.720 Like, why do we lie? 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:44.319 We like pad our resume for approval or control. 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:50.400 Sometimes, if we are remote workers, maybe like the amount that we're working can be fudged a little bit. 00:20:52.079 --> 00:21:00.640 There's room for margin or dishonesty with how we're working, like slacking on the job in general can be like lying or stealing from the employer. 00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:04.160 This first exhortation is to stop deceiving. 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:09.039 Deceiving deception is a mask that false teachers and the old man wear. 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:14.240 Instead, we should speak the truth, namely, what is in harmony with reality. 00:21:14.559 --> 00:21:19.599 The reason is the Christian belongs to and must function honestly in a group, the church. 00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:22.720 Truthful speech is essential to the unity in the body. 00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:25.599 It's important for us for other reasons as well. 00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:32.559 Lying might be an accepted weapon in the world, but it has no place in the life of a Christian. 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:36.079 A lie is a stab to the very vitals of the body of Christ. 00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:39.279 Replace lying with truth telling. 00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:49.839 I love that this these passages are showing this way of renewed thinking, this new way of life that results from renewed thinking and produces authentic community. 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:54.079 Since the church is the body of Christ, we are members of one another, we're connected. 00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:56.079 So we we can't lie to each other. 00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:59.279 Satan is the father of lies, so don't look like Satan. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:01.680 Look like God the Father. 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:02.960 Tell the truth. 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:07.519 Even if it costs you, be serious about telling the truth. 00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:09.519 Like, where does this come into play? 00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:14.319 Like sometimes with uh self-checkout in the grocery store, like something might ring up the wrong amount. 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:16.160 Like, will you go at call an attendant? 00:22:16.400 --> 00:22:19.279 Be inconvenienced for the sake of your integrity. 00:22:19.440 --> 00:22:24.079 Your integrity is worth more than saving a couple of bucks in the self-checkout line. 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:30.880 Don't look like Satan, the father of lies, but rather look like God the Father. 00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:37.200 That was the way of the old man with the old condition, but the new man has a better way, a truth-telling way. 00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:39.279 We see more exhortations. 00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:40.319 There's four more. 00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:46.400 Verses twenty-six and twenty-seven replace unrighteous anger with righteous anger. 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:48.640 Be angry and do not sin. 00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:52.960 Do not let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil. 00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:59.279 So as we look at this verse, it almost looks like there's an exhortation of saying, hey, it's okay to be angry. 00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:01.759 It is, it's okay to be angry. 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:06.640 But what he's saying here is to replace that unrighteous anger with righteous anger. 00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:08.160 What's righteous anger look like? 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:09.759 How's it different? 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:12.799 As we say, be angry and do not sin. 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:20.559 People are gonna make each other mad in the community of faith, especially as we're sharing life, as we're sharing uh our lives with each other. 00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:23.599 We're going to do things that will offend each other. 00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:26.079 But Paul says, control your anger. 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:27.279 Deal with it daily. 00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:31.039 Don't give it the devil an opportunity to inflame it into something bigger. 00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:33.920 Keep short accounts, forgive and confess quickly. 00:23:34.079 --> 00:23:37.519 Like when you know that you've wronged each other, forgive quickly. 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:41.519 When you know that you've wronged somebody else, confess that to them quickly. 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:44.160 Don't give the devil an opportunity to divide. 00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:49.279 Anger is sinful when it attacks people and seeks revenge rather than addressing the problem. 00:23:49.440 --> 00:23:53.200 So there's a difference between righteous anger and unrighteous anger. 00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:58.799 Oftentimes, like when I'm angry, 95% of the time I would say it's unrighteous anger. 00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:07.200 Usually it's anger that's exposing something in me, like a desire for comfort, and so I get angry at my kids when they inconvenience me, right? 00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:14.240 Or this desire for control, so I get uh angry if something that I'm doing and I think is going really well gets questioned. 00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:20.400 We have this unrighteous anger that tends to bubble up and boil over a lot more often than righteous anger. 00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:28.880 Righteous anger would be like if you see somebody treating a human being inhumanely, in a way that nobody should be treated. 00:24:29.119 --> 00:24:39.039 Righteous anger is like what we see with Jesus when he goes into the temple and he sees them making a profit on people coming to worship God, so he flips over the table and he drives them out with whips. 00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:40.880 This is righteous anger. 00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:48.880 Most of the time, most of our scenarios that we're in, we're most of the time, at least for me, unrighteous anger is the culprit. 00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:56.400 And so I need to bring that to God and say, God, am I angry in a way that is just about me, or am I angry in a way that this thing also makes you angry? 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:03.119 There is such a thing as righteous indignation, a good anger when we see evil in the world. 00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:04.720 This is rare, though. 00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:11.279 And it's still easy for us to lose control of our anger, to let it control us instead of controlling it. 00:25:11.599 --> 00:25:15.680 Anger becomes sinful when it's inappropriate the way that we deal with it. 00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:19.759 We needed to confess our sinful anger and confess it as sin. 00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:24.559 If apologies to other people are necessary, we should offer them quickly. 00:25:24.799 --> 00:25:26.799 We shouldn't let the sun go down on our anger. 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:30.319 Now, is there a literal sun that is setting on your anger? 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:34.319 No, it's a figurative speech saying, hey, don't be angry for too long. 00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:40.720 If you're angry, especially in marriage, this is a great place to say, hey, um, keep short accounts. 00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:43.440 You shouldn't, what's the saying? 00:25:43.599 --> 00:25:45.279 Never go to bed angry, right? 00:25:45.440 --> 00:25:49.119 It's that idea of don't let something linger too long. 00:25:49.359 --> 00:25:54.559 It's not a literal, uh, if you go to bed angry, then condemnation is coming on your head. 00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:56.960 No, it's just saying keep short accounts. 00:25:57.119 --> 00:26:02.880 Take care of anger quickly, because it can be consuming and it can cause you to sin. 00:26:04.160 --> 00:26:06.960 Place unrighteous anger with righteous anger. 00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:10.480 And we're going to come back to this because there is more about uh forgiveness here. 00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:12.559 But I think what's really important is verse 27. 00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:14.240 Give no opportunity to the devil. 00:26:14.400 --> 00:26:16.799 Often when we're angry, we're prone to sin. 00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:27.519 We need to keep short accounts, we need to forgive quickly, we need to uh confess when we're angry so that we can move on from that and not allow the devil to divide us because of anger. 00:26:27.920 --> 00:26:29.039 Verse 28. 00:26:29.519 --> 00:26:38.400 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 00:26:39.839 --> 00:26:42.960 Replace stealing with working and giving. 00:26:43.759 --> 00:26:45.599 This one's pretty self-explanatory. 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:48.240 Uh any kleptomaniacs, you don't have to raise your hand. 00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:49.039 Stop it. 00:26:49.279 --> 00:26:50.160 No stealing. 00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:52.960 There's no place for stealing in the body of Christ. 00:26:53.039 --> 00:27:02.559 And this also includes that uh remote work idea, that uh idea of like when you work, give your best as you're working, work for the Lord, not for man. 00:27:02.799 --> 00:27:08.240 But the follower of Christ must not steal, but do honest work that he can share with anyone who's in need. 00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:11.359 Not only is Satan the father of lies, but he's also a thief. 00:27:11.599 --> 00:27:14.400 Don't look like Satan, look like God the Father. 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:18.960 Christians are not to rip each other off, but to be productive and serve one another. 00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:24.640 That includes putting in a full day's work and serving in a ministry that blesses others for the advancement of God's kingdom. 00:27:24.799 --> 00:27:32.640 So, business owners, the way that we wheel and deal, we should honor God in the way that we work, as if we're answering to God because you will. 00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:35.759 You will answer to God for the way that you run your business. 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:39.359 You will answer to God for the way that you live your life in every aspect. 00:27:39.599 --> 00:27:41.119 So don't steal. 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:45.839 Christians are not to rip one another off, but to be productive, to serve one another. 00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:51.119 Putting in a full day's work, serving a ministry that blesses others for the advancement of God's kingdom. 00:27:51.279 --> 00:27:56.480 This exhortation is to refrain from stealing, but to work so that we have something to share with the needy. 00:27:56.640 --> 00:28:02.480 Like we should work and have margin in our lives so that when the time comes up, we can give to the needy. 00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:04.079 We can give to those in need. 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:14.640 Oftentimes when we steal, it's because we don't believe that God will provide or that there's joy beyond God's provision. 00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:15.680 Don't steal. 00:28:17.119 --> 00:28:19.440 But work and give. 00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:30.880 Verse 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth, but only such is good for building up as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 00:28:32.079 --> 00:28:37.039 If we're going to build authentic community, we have to build each other up rather than tearing them down. 00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:41.440 And the way of the world, it's easier to talk about all the ways that somebody fails us, right? 00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:45.039 All the ways that uh this person has let you down. 00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:57.119 And it we actually like kind of have this sick way of building community through commiserating together and through uh like talking bad about other people, and there's no place for that in the body of Christ. 00:28:57.279 --> 00:29:02.720 Like if if you hear that, you need to say, Well, have you talked to that person about that thing that you're complaining about? 00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:06.240 Have you confronted them with this issue that you seem to have with them? 00:29:06.480 --> 00:29:09.920 Because if you haven't, then this is gossip, and we need to shut that down. 00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:16.000 There's no place for gossip, there's no place for slander, there's no place for this in the body of Christ. 00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:18.640 But what what should we do instead? 00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:23.839 Build each other up as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 00:29:24.079 --> 00:29:27.519 Now, does this mean that you never tell somebody negative feedback? 00:29:27.839 --> 00:29:28.160 No. 00:29:28.559 --> 00:29:33.440 You can give negative feedback, but you should do it discreetly to the person who offended you. 00:29:33.599 --> 00:29:35.359 You shouldn't talk to other people about it. 00:29:35.599 --> 00:29:37.119 Does that make sense? 00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:45.839 So if we're going to build each other up, we need to recognize that what comes out of our mouths is part of our new wardrobe. 00:29:45.920 --> 00:29:53.440 And it doesn't include uh foul language, doesn't include bitterness, anger, wrath, shouting, slander. 00:29:54.000 --> 00:30:00.240 We say what's needed, we say it at the right time, we say it to the person that needs to hear it. 00:30:00.720 --> 00:30:07.039 If it's not their business, we don't need to be talking about it, no matter how good it might feel or how indulgent it might be. 00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:13.440 We do have to deal with the real life issues, but our goal should always be to help and not to hurt. 00:30:13.680 --> 00:30:18.000 We we should provide loving correction to somebody who's out of step. 00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:21.440 But it should be done in the proper ways. 00:30:23.519 --> 00:30:26.400 Our words should minister grace to those who hear them. 00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:30.960 And like correction should be surgical, not just like slash and burn. 00:30:31.039 --> 00:30:32.160 See you later. 00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:37.279 A lot of times when people are talking to me, they'll they'll apologize for things that they say. 00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:38.960 They'll say, like, oh James, I'm so sorry. 00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:44.559 I'm like, hey, like you didn't offend me, but like you should maybe you should go apologize to God, right? 00:30:44.720 --> 00:30:51.759 Like it when corrupting talk is coming out of our mouths, you're grieving the Holy Spirit, which is the verse that we're gonna see in just a second. 00:30:52.640 --> 00:30:57.039 There's this exhortation to speak good things as well as do good things. 00:30:57.279 --> 00:31:04.319 Anything that injures others or causes division or dissension in the body is unwholesome, rotten, defiling. 00:31:04.640 --> 00:31:08.480 Christians should use words to build each other up rather than tear them down. 00:31:08.640 --> 00:31:14.960 Words can give grace, they can communicate encouragement and direction, and enable the hearer to do right. 00:31:15.039 --> 00:31:18.880 There should be edifying or building up of saying, How do we correct the body? 00:31:19.119 --> 00:31:22.640 How do we work together to right this ship? 00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:25.119 Verse 30. 00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:30.559 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:32.480 Don't grieve God's Holy Spirit. 00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:39.759 His joy, his presence, his power will not be yours when you disappoint him in the way that you speak. 00:31:40.079 --> 00:31:45.279 Don't grieve the Holy Spirit in the way that you speak, in uh living in unrepentant sin. 00:31:46.880 --> 00:31:50.400 And is kind of connecting it to the previous verse about how you speak. 00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:59.200 We can grieve the Holy Spirit with our speech, we can grieve him with unrepentant sin. 00:31:59.440 --> 00:32:12.319 And this is inappropriate for us because the Holy Spirit is our seal, he's our pledge of God's final redemption in us that will happen at our resurrection, and grieving the Holy Spirit amounts to rejecting a priceless gift from God. 00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:15.759 Anything that grieves the Holy Spirit is a sin. 00:32:18.880 --> 00:32:23.279 So we should instead live the new life to please the Holy Spirit that's dwelling in us. 00:32:24.480 --> 00:32:28.319 We live the life in a new way to please the Holy Spirit that's in us. 00:32:32.640 --> 00:32:38.480 Verses 31 and 32 are our final exhortation, and then we're gonna have an application with all of the text together. 00:32:38.799 --> 00:32:42.720