A New You Series

The New You

Ephesians 4:17-24

August 20, 2006

Ephesians 4:17 (HCSB)

Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts.

Removing the Confusion

 Walking differently

• Because of your increasing maturity in Christ

 Ephesians 4:14

Ephesians 4:14 (HCSB)

Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

Removing the Confusion

 Walking differently

• Because of your increasing maturity in Christ

 Ephesians 4:14

• Because of the transformation of your thoughts

 Romans 12:2

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.

Removing the Confusion

 Walking differently

• Because of your increasing maturity in Christ

 Ephesians 4:14

• Because of the transformation of your thoughts

 Romans 12:2

 Thoughts are now centered on God’s will

Ephesians 4:18-19(HCSB)

They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness in their hearts. They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.

The Difference is Unmistakable

 The ungodly think differently

• No understanding of God

• Ignorant to the truth

• Hard hearted

 Their actions are ruled by their thoughts

• Promiscuity

• Immorality

• Never reaching a point of satisfaction or fulfillment

Ephesians 4:20-21 (HCSB)

But that is not how you learned about the Messiah, assuming you heard Him and were taught by Him, because the truth is in Jesus.

Jesus is the Truth

 The truth is not learned by following desires

 The truth is revealed in Jesus

• We hear His voice

• We receive His personal instruction

 John 14:6

John 14:6 (HCSB)

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Ephesians 4:22 (HCSB)

You took off your former way of life, the old man that is corrupted by deceitful desires.

The Old You

 Take it off

• The former way of life must be removed

 It is a conscious decision

 Many stumble, because they refuse to leave the old life behind

• Hebrews 12:1

Hebrews 12:1 (HCSB)

Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us.

The Old You

 Take it off

• The former way of life must be removed

 It is a conscious decision

 Many stumble, because they refuse to leave the old life behind

• Hebrews 12:1

 The old man

• Corrupt

• Full of evil desires

 Under the control of the flesh

Ephesians 4:23-24 (HCSB)

You are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; you put on the new man, the one created according to God’s [likeness] in righteousness and purity of the truth.

Under Renovation

 Your thoughts are changing

• Under the direction of the Holy Spirit

• Thinking more and more with the mind of Christ

 Putting on the new man

• God’s desire for you

• A life of righteousness and purity

 Patterned after God Himself

Key Points

 The life of the ungodly is marked by confusion and destructive decision making

 Jesus has shown you a better way

 You have removed the old life

 You are putting on a new life patterned after God Himself

**Powerpoint available on request