Message
Ephesians 4:22-24
The Miracle of Metamorphosis
Through the month of December we have been looking at a series of messages under the working title of “Advent Miracles”.
In this series we have been considering the impact of the birth of Jesus on our identity as the people of God. Indeed we have consistently seen that the arrival of God-in-the-flesh consistently has a transformative effect on who we are as believers in Jesus.
Today we will consider the last message in the series with a look at
Ephesians 4:22-24
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
What is being described here is the miracle of metamorphosis.
It is the ultimate transformative action in our lives.
Let’s start by reading the passage in its context – then we will consider a number of truths that come out of this Scripture.
The context is Ephesians 4:17-5:2
When reading that context you can see how Ephesians 4:22-24 is pivotal.
Paul opens in 4:17 talking about the Gentile life.
Gentiles are have no Bible spiritual heritage.
The Jews at least have the Old Testament part of the Bible.
The Gentiles just have their religion.
A belief in many “gods” … even the living “god” Caesar.
A system where “gods” need to be appeased, or they will not help you.
A spiritual world where the “gods” are just as immoral and corrupt as humans.
It results in a free-for-all.
Gentiles are futile in their thinking. They are darkened and ignorant because of their hard hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
Earlier in Ephesians 2:1-3 Paul describes the former life this way. (read)
dead in your transgressions and sin
The Gentile life is like a corpse at the bottom of a 10km deep sea trench. It has been there for ten years and sharks have eaten the heart. Dead in sin … fixed … at an end.
following the ruler of the kingdom of the air
That is another way of saying, “following Satan”. Satan is making footsteps in sin … like footsteps on the beach. Gentiles are just concentrating on putting their foot into footprint ahead – with no concern to look where they are going.
gratifying the cravings of your sinful nature
The response of Gentiles to sin is like that of a 12 year old boy at their first visit to a smorgasbord restaurant. You get there and eat … and eat … and eat. You’re at the point of loosening your belt … but you eat. You know you are going to have a real sore stomach … but you eat. Why? Because you have paid for the right to eat as much food as you can. And we want to get value for money. That is the Gentile … craving sin.
Paul is painting the picture. That is what Gentiles are like.
All the Ephesians Christians as they listen to this description nod their head in agreement.
Yes … those terrible Gentile!
Then Paul makes it personal.
This was your former way of life
You were one of them! You were a Gentile!
You have come from that pool of society.
Not just the Ephesians. You today … you here at NEC … that is the pool you came from as well. Which we do forget sometimes don’t we.
A significant number of us here today grew up in Christian homes.
My parents, grand parents, great grand parents were all Christians. On both sides of my family
… my Dad’s side
… and my Mum’s side.
Some of my ancestors in the early 1900’s were street preachers.
You all know me.
Surely I’m not that bad?
… …
We like to try and fool ourselves don’t we. Thinking we are not like THEM.
But Paul wants us to make sure we really understand our identity.
The Ephesians might be thinking … “but Paul my old life was a long time ago.”
We can certain say … “Paul we are a long way from the first century. Australia is a Christian country.”
Well that gets an LOL from God.
Paul joins the laugh. And he uses some very specific language to make his point.
We need some Greek … and some Grammar!
The NIV translates the word I have in mind as “is being corrupted.” (Eph 4:22)
In the Greek it looks like this f?e???µe???.
The grammar, or the form, of this work is Present Passive Participle
What Paul is describing is an action … in this case the action of corruption … which continually is having an impact.
It is not the old self which was corrupted.
It is the old self which is still being corrupted – that is the “present” part of the grammar.
The “passive” part of the grammar is indicating the force of corruption is outside the influence and scope of individual.
The Jesus identity … the Word-became-flesh identity … that I have wants to serve and please God.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1).
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
The Spirit within me … God’s identity in me … wants to produce the fruit. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. (Romans 8:16)
We commit ourselves to this life. We want to live for the glory of God.
But that “old self” … which is corrupting … keeps surfacing.
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. (Romans 7:15).
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8).
Where does it all come from?
It is this worldly corrupting force.
For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. (1 John 2:16).
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12).
It is not a THEM issue. It is an US issue.
And because it is an US issue … Jesus makes it HIS issue.
Jesus steps in and counteracts the corrupting with … newness.
Let’s again get some Greek … and some Grammar!
The NIV translates the word I have in mind as “to be made new.” (Eph 4:23)
In the Greek it looks like this ??a?e??s?a?.
The grammar, or the form, of this work is Present Passive Infinitive.
So, against this ongoing corrupting force there is now an ongoing action of newness … that is the “present” part of the grammar.
An action that is taking place in the mind.
Not just in your “brain part” … but the mind as the inner most source of who you are and how you respond.
And you are not on your own. You have help.
That is the “passive” part of the grammar.
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you … On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. (John 14:18, 20).
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you. (2 Corinthians 13:5)
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. (Galatians 2:20).
This is my identity.
The God-with-us
Jesus in the flesh
Born in a manger … crucified, dead, risen, ascended.
In me!
In us!
To make me new.
To bring transformation.
To give me all that I need to stand against the ongoing corrupting influence of the old self.
That is the miracle of metamorphosis.
Where the ongoing corruption of the old self is overcome by the ongoing newness of the new mind.
Which means we need to be shaped by this world.
It is easy to start making a list about the things that can shape us.
TV can shape us.
It shapes our language. It shapes our attitude to others. It shapes our willingness to stand for social issues. It shapes our acceptance of violent acts. We are not just passive participants. Lots of thinking is going on.
The internet … definitely it can shape us.
Facebook has completely redefined what friendship means. And many of us have brought into the definition.
Cultural shifts can shape us.
Materialism. Status. What makes me a person of value. Style trends. Self-centeredness. They are all massive thinking-shapers.
They can shape us.
But when we have the Jesus identity they can’t ultimately shape us.
One way to think about it is to see that our lives are either going to be like a thermometer and a thermostat. Both of these items are relate to temperature. Yet, there is a big difference between them.
A thermometer merely tells you what the temperature is – so it is controlled by the environment it is in.
A thermostat controls the temperature which, in turn, controls the environment.
The offer here is that we don’t have to be thermometer Christians. We don’t have to allow the thinking of the world to determine what our lives are going to be like.
Instead we can be thermostat Christians.
We … we who have our identity because of God-in-the-flesh-in-us … we set the spiritual temperature of our lives.
And the setting on the thermostat, as described by Paul, is to created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
How do we get our spiritual thermostat to this setting?
Paul tells how in Colossians 3:1-4 (read)
Our in-Jesus identity is that we have a new mind.
And now we tune that setting of that mind on the above … on Christ.
Jesus in us.
Jesus over us.
Training our mind.
How do I get that training? It is actually very simple.
To have the mind of Christ I need to read the book which Christ has written.
To have the mind of Christ I need to be taking time to sit with Christ and listen to what He is saying.
To have the mind of Christ I need to let the word encourage, correct, refocus, transform, revive, discipline, challenge and change … me … us.
To see the new pattern … the pattern of Jesus … for our lives.
To have our minds trained by the mind of Christ.
Then, as our old Gentile infested mind, is trained we experience the freedom which comes with enjoying the relationship we have with God.
Enjoying the reality that He is walking with us daily and graciously directing us.
Enjoying the hope which comes even when we have messed up in our walk.
Enjoying the truth that God is more determined to hold onto us then we are to hold onto Him.
Enjoying the freedom we have in Christ.
Freedom from the old corruption. Freedom to see righteousness and holiness.
That is the miracle of metamorphosis
Prayer
