IN CHRIST, I AM…MADE NEW—Ephesians 4:17-5:2
(Series on Ephesians: In Christ, I Am…)
When our son Andy went off to college, he decided to become Andrew—again. If we called his roommate to ask where Andy was, his roommate did not recognize the name. Andrew’s name change was symbolic of a new start for him, as going off to college is an opportunity to reinvent oneself—to establish a new identity, new habits, and new ways of interacting with people.
If you could reinvent yourself at this stage in your life, what changes would you make?
Would you be less uptight, less stressed? Or would you be more conscientious, more organized, goal-oriented?
Would you calm the turmoil within you: frustration, anger, fear, or shame? Or do you need to light a fire in your soul—a new passion for life, to inspire and motivate?
In you could reinvent yourself…Would you be enjoying life more, with a more positive attitude, better relationships, and a healthier lifestyle?
Or maybe, if you could reinvent yourself, you would be a better person. You would overcome the sins you keep falling into, and you would shore up your moral weak points. You would have better judgment, and make wiser choices.
Is it really possible to reinvent ourselves? We might struggle to make big changes, but God can. In fact, what he intends for us is an extreme makeover! He gives us a NEW SELF.
Read Ephesians 4:17-24.
When we accept Christ, God re-creates us: We are “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Of course, Paul is not saying that we are gods, but that his intention is to make us as righteous and holy as God. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Without holiness no one will see the Lord.” We cannot be in the light of God’s glory without being perfectly holy, and we will be perfected in heaven.
God has already created a new self for us. It is not a different person; it is our best self. It is all that God made us to be. Our character, our personality, our capabilities, and our passions are all perfected in what Paul calls our “new self.”
Is our new self hidden away in storage in heaven, waiting for us to arrive? No! We can begin our makeover now, recognizing that there is always more to come.
Paul uses the imagery of new clothing. (Reread Ephesians 4:22-24.) It is like a new outfit hanging in our closet. We could put it on, although it is not the kind the thing we have worn before. It might even be sort of scary to wear it in public, because we are not sure how people will react. Yet we know that it is much better than what we usually wear. So put it on already!
Of course, the new self God which has for us goes much deeper than what is on the outside; it goes to the core of who we are. If Paul were writing today, he might be talking about a software upgrade, even an upgrade of our entire operating system.
Our new self comes with:
• New passions. Apart from God, we are “corrupted by deceitful desires,” resulting in…not too much fun, but never enough! Read how Paul describes it in verse 19. Sensuality suggests sexual desires, but it includes all kinds of desires: for more expensive stuff, more excitement, or recognition and approval. No matter how much of those we have, we always seem to want more. We have a “continual lust for more,” because we are seeking things that do not satisfy our deepest desires. In our new self, on the other hand, we have “sensitivity” to the good things God has for us. We revel in the love of our family, we appreciate the beauty of the world, we enjoy every little blessing, and we are secure in the approval of God.
• A new attitude toward life. Our attitude becomes like Jesus: love for people, a servant heart, strength in the face of evil, and a pure desire to please the Father. Think about what a difference that can make as we face the challenges and opportunities of life.
• A new source of righteousness and holiness. The old self tries to justify itself: Am I good enough? How can I make myself good enough? The result is often dishonesty, and trying to hide or deny sin, even from God. The new self accepts the righteousness of Christ as God’s gracious gift, freeing us to be honest about who we are and what we do. Then, as God’s Spirit touches the depths of who we are, we are made over from the inside out.
When we accept Christ, God creates for us a new self, a better version of ourselves. Our new self has new passions, new attitudes toward life, and a new source of righteousness and holiness. That new self is available to us, but we have to make it our own.
Paul has emphasized that salvation is a gift of God. Ephesians 2:8-9. We are saved by grace, through faith. Where does faith come in? Faith is more than believing something is true; faith is trusting God enough to put on the new self he has created for us! Faith always involves action.
Now, Paul describes some of the ACTIONS involved in putting on the new self that God has created for us:
Read Ephesians 4:25-32.
Faith in action is “putting off” old attitudes and actions, and “putting on: new ones:
• Truth instead of falsehood. Read verse 25. Put off lying and any kind of deceitfulness, but don’t stop there. Put on truth—truth that shows love. As Ephesians 4:15 says, “speaking the truth in love…”
• Anger without sin. Read verses 26-27. Paul doesn’t say that anger is sinful! Anger is an emotion,
and most emotions “just are”—they are beyond conscious control. But what do we do with anger?
***Thomas Jefferson said, in Rules of Living: “When angry, count to ten before you speak; if very angry, a hundred.” Mark Twain said: “When angry, count four. When very angry, swear.” (Max Anders, The Good Life, p. 127).**
Paul recognizes that allowing anger and its cronies to fester “gives the devil a foothold.” These things can take over our lives, so we should own up to them and deal with them quickly—even before the sun goes down! As some say about marriage, don’t go to bed angry.
It is not always possible or desirable to shut down anger; righteous anger can motivate us to action. The best way to deal with anger and its cronies “without sin” is to direct our anger in a positive way: Speak up, negotiate a solution, or take action to fix a wrong.
• Productivity instead of entitlement. Read verse 28. Most of us don’t shoplift or rob banks; we have other ways to get what we want. Our new self, however, is not focused only on how to get what we want, without going to jail. We should work at being useful, even if we are retired or don’t need the money. We should share with those in need.
• Building people up, not just letting off steam. Read verses 29-32. Some examples are given:
Unwholesome talk might be obscenity, negativism, gossip, sowing dissension. Our new self will think about what to say that is “helpful for building others up…according to their needs…to benefit those who listen.”
“Bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander…malice” should be eliminated—but how can we get rid of them? Maybe people deserve our rage! The only way to get past those things may be to forgive. Forgiveness is hard, but Christians have an advantage: “Forgive as God forgave you.” And then, take positive action to change your attitude” “Be kind and compassionate.”
Is it really possible to do this? If we think we can do it by gritting our teeth and trying to do better, we will fail. We put on our new self by faith—faith in the power of God. The power of God, that raised Jesus, from the dead, raises us to life. The Spirit of God, who lived in Jesus, lives in us, by faith. As Paul says in Romans 8:11, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”
Reread Ephesians 4:23-24.
