Masterpiece | Part 9

Living the New Life in Christ

(Ephesians 4:17 – 32) Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their thought. 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 of their hearts. They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every king of impurity with a desire for more and more. But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth. Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity. Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

1. As Christians our lives in Christ should look and be different than

the lives of non-Christians.

(Ephesians 4:17) Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer live as the Gentiles live in the futility of their thoughts.

(2 Corinthians 5: 17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

2. A new life requires new thoughts, a new heart, new practices, and new desires.

(Ephesians 4:18 – 19) 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 of their hearts. They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every king of impurity with a desire for more and more.

(Romans 12:2 NIV) Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

(Ezekiel 36:26) I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

3. In and through Christ, we are to take off the old self, renew our

minds, and put on the new self.

(Ephesians 4:20 – 24) But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

(Romans 12:2 NIV) Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

4. Replace the practices of the old life with the practices of the new

life.

(Ephesians 4:25 – 32) Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity. Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.