Ephesians-Becoming

[17] Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. [18] 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. [19] They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. [20] But that is not the way you learned Christ!—[21] assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, [22] to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, [23] and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, [24] and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

 

[25] Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. [26] Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, [27] and give no opportunity to the devil. [28] 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. [29] Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. [30] And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. [31] Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. [32] Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:17-32 (ESV)

 

When I was in my mid 20’s, I wore jeans that were way too big for me.  I went to college in the 90’s and hung out with a pretty alternative group.  The jeans that were in vogue at the time were very baggy and very flare.  And shocker, as I look online they are coming back! It was hard to find the right style in the stores in my area as this was before the age of internet shopping.  Amazon was literally an online bookstore that no one really used.  To compensate, I started wearing jeans of a similar style that were way too big for me to get the look I wanted.  Post college, I was still stuck in the habit of buying large pants sizes.   One day when shopping with my brother’s girlfriend I was looking in that section and she said to me, “Why are you looking at that size, those won’t fit you at all!” For so long I had been getting pants so much larger than my true size, it took a long time to realize I no longer should shop that way.  I had to get used to a different fit dressing for the shape that I was.  As time when on, I slowly replaced my wardrobe and starting dressing for the body I had. 

 

This same phenomenon happens to the regenerate Christian.  We were so conditioned in the futility of our minds that as we begin to follow the teachings of Christ, we have to intentionally put off our old self.  Much like I had to shift my mindset when getting dressed every day, we have to put on the new self we are becoming in Him.  It doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen as the Holy Spirit works in us.  

 

v. 17-19 Futile Minds

Once we come to know Christ we are enabled with a new mind but those apart from Christ are still walking (metaphor for the choices we make each day) in futility.  What an apt word!  Understanding is dim, reasoning is clouded, the self is full of willful ignorance, with an insensitive heart.  Because they are toughened and callous to purity, the things they pursue are pleasure-lewd, unchaste, and sensual in nature, to gratify impulses of the flesh.  The entertainment available to us showcases this inner compulsion.  I was recently talking to my teenage son about the movie Oppenheimer as I haven’t seen it yet. He told me there was 2 scenes specific scenes that were unnecessarily graphic and asked, “Why do these kind of things even have to be in the movie.”  The answer is outined in these two verses, because the mind of those who have alienated themselves from God are bent toward taking these cinematic images as entertainment. 

 

v. 20-24 How we learned Christ 

When a darkened mind comes to learn of Christ, their minds are flooded with light; verse 21 calls that the “truth of Jesus.” The deceitful desires we once carried no longer have a place in our new self.  Yet our former manner of life is so ingrained, we have to intentionally “put off” or stop participating in our old habits.  The corrupt is renewed in the process of becoming like Christ.   This newness is modeled after the likeness of God, emulating His characteristics of righteousness and holiness. I would argue this is one reason that bible reading, study, and meditation is so important.  This transition can accelerate when the mind is saturated with truth.  To be renewed, you need a daily intake of scripture so God can literally cleanse the old man from you.  

 

v. 25-31 Put away

If you’re not careful, what follows this encouragement can seem to many like a list of do’s and don’ts.  Many believers like the epistles because the serve as the “how to” manual of Christianity.  But we remember that is not how you learned Christ!  Remember the futile mind…we are saved by grace precisely because we were not able to liberate our minds or have the will to follow the guidelines of righteousness.  Our nature was bent on sin.  Now that God is changing us, we see an example within the context of community, of how we are being changed.  

 

Those with the new self, empowered by the Spirit, are able to speak truth to others, and experience anger for the right reasons (for example when facing injustice) so Satan can’t grow bitterness or rage.  We no longer take from one another but work so we can give.  Our words encourage one another instead of tearing down.  The Holy Spirit is a divine being who experiences emotions when seeing our “new man” in action.  Paul exhorts us to not “grieve” Him by choosing the darkness God has freed us from.  There is so many ways how we speak to one another can wound-when we let our anger grow and express it untethered, when we threaten, shout, spread harmful news, intending to cause other’s pain through our words. Instead we are called to kind, compassionate, mercy as we interact because that’s how God treated us in Christ.  

 

My prayer is that when I encounter those with darkened hearts, I shine the light of Christ.  Instead of being disgusted or pulling away, I engage with compassion, remembering my former state.  My plight, if not for the intervention of Christ, was the same as their reality.  

 

Reflect: 

-When you talk to others who haven’t experienced the grace of Jesus, do you remember the futility of their mind, or do you get frustrated when they don’t easily grasp spiritual concepts? 

-How often are you aware of your sanctification?  Take some time to think about how Christ has already changed you.  This can be encouraging when you are struggling with habitual sin. 

-Do you appeal to the Holy Spirit for help or try in your own strength to put off the old man?