Walking in a New Lifestyle (2)

(God's Magnificent Work through Christ)

Eph 4:20-24

We were talking about the “old lifestyle” Paul insists the church to give up.

Paul describes this lifestyle in three major areas:

1. Thinking in the old way:

“…you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God.” vs. 17-18

2. Conscience is not sensitive to God:

“…because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹Having lost all sensitivity…” vs. .18

3. Appetite is out of control:

“they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.” vs.19

In the sermon “Experiencing the Depth of God’s love”, I mentioned that Paul prayed, “Christ may dwell in their heart.”(3:17). I mentioned that God should be in control in three areas: reason, conscience, and will. (Refer to sermon 3/15/2009).

In the previous verses, I see similar areas covered: mind, conscience, and appetite (will).

There is futility (ounaynoutioun in Armenian) in “worldly” thinking. Do not misunderstand what Paul says. He is not against science and knowledge. Science, reason and knowledge are important part of our lives. But God gives a purpose to our existence, our knowledge and our reason.

Paul, man of reason and logic, traveled to Athens to the center of Greek Philosophy. This is what he wrote: “All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.” (Acts 17:21)

This darkened their world, also darkened their conscience. Their heart became callous. One led to the other, and their appetite in everything was out of control.

No matter how much they gave their minds to logic and reasoning (which are very important in our thinking) but because it was aimless, they ended up in ethical futility, nothingness. (Nothing is new under the sun, as the book of Ecclesiastics says.)

-While I was working on my sermon, I noticed on news that San Jose city council was arguing whether they should put censorship on the public library computers, so people would not have access to pornography. The motion failed; freedom, no censorship, voices were louder than moral thinking. It was ironic to see CBS news camera showing how an adult was watching pornography on the library computer, where next to him there was 8-year-old child working on the computer for an assignment. We, intellectual people, debated whether this was OK. For God’s sake, can anyone tell me what has happened to us?

Answer: “futility in thinking.” Answer: “God is out of equation”

Newsweek magazine headline: “The decline and fall of Christian America.” One can read and find some sad realities that we as church should be aware of. Paul is cautious and warning the church to be aware of the “Gentile” world.

New Walk in Christ: Something has the be changed (20-24)

This passage describes the renewal of our mind, our walk in a new lifestyle, taking off the old garment and putting the new clothes of Christ.

Paul loved to use clothing imagery. In fact, the Bible has some very beautiful passages about God clothing us. The first one is in Genesis where God clothed Adam and Eve.

-In chapter 6, Paul talks about a new kind of clothing that prepares the Christian for the battle; he calls it the Armor of God (refer to sermon For Christ & for the Nation 2-15-2009).

- Isaiah prophesied about the clothing given by Christ, the Messiah:

“I delight greatly in the LORD;
       my soul rejoices in my God.
       For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
       and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,” (61:10)

The Ephesians had to learn to be clothed by Christ; we have to learn to be clothed by God. This means the old ways need to be replaced with a new lifestyle.

-One problem: we like to wear “new clothes” but also tend to keep our “old clothes” on.

I mentioned this before, about a young girl who attended children’s camp in Kessab, who did not know that she should change her underwear everyday; poor girl, he wore everyday new one piece over the old one. After 6 days, the counselor realized that 6 pieces of underwear were put one over the other.

We want to live as Christians without saying NO to the old life.

We cannot serve two masters. To give up the old patterns of life is a tough thing to do. We are surrounded by the teachings of the world every day, through media, TV, radio. Therefore, there should be deliberate choices to be made everyday to take off the old and out the new. We cannot do it alone. By the help of our Lord we learn how to put on the new lifestyle everyday.

-Old and new natures. One can think, “Does a Christians have two different personalities?”

My answer is NO. We are not two different people. When we accepted Christ as personal savior, the old person died with Christ. The old nature was “crucified with Christ.” However, the transition of behaviors from the old to the new is a process. It does not happen overnight or automatically. The old nature sometimes reminds us we should act in a certain “old” way. We should not and sometimes we do not. It is a learning process; there is no graduation in this school. Only in heaven we will obtain the perfect nature.

(Paul moves on to practical points about the new lifestyles in verses 25- 32 We cannot cover them this Sunday, next Sunday God willing.)

Let me summarize and give applications

a. Learn to walk HUMBLY in the new lifestyle.

By gaining a new nature in Christ, we should not enter into a dangerous attitude feeling superior to others (outsiders). We must not feel superior; on the contrary, our new lifestyle teaches us to be light and salt to the neighbor, to the world.

I love how the prophet Micah wrote to his people, when so many injustices surrounded their society:

“And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy (loyal love)
       and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

b. No Diet in the new lifestyle.

We cannot expect results when we are dieting in Christian growth. The process of taking of the old and wearing the new cannot have shortcuts. When it comes Christian growth, do not compromise your time and priorities. You will reap what you sow. This is the time where God is working in us through Christ and through His Spirit. The Prophet Micah put it this way:

“Many nations will come and say,
       "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
       to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
       so that we may walk in his paths."” (Micah 4:2)

c. It is a myth when we say, nothing can be changed in our lives.

I keep hearing that one cannot change old habits.

You have read the novel Le Miserable by Victor Hugo.

Inspector Javier was a man of justice, who looked for Jean Valjean to put him in jail. We find that Jean Valjean’s life was touched by the priest’s approach. He was touched by graceThe inspector did not believe that anyone could ever be changed; a criminal is going to stay a criminal forever. Yet, Jean Valjean’s life was changed; he became the mayor of the city. What a pity in the story that the inspector killed himself. The man of law, the man who wanted things to be right, was not touched by the grace of God.

How about us? Do we believe that the old nature can be replaced by the new?

Yes, in Christ everything is possible.

Amen