Off with the Old, On with the New, Part 1

When you receive Jesus Christ a tremendous change takes place in your basic nature.

You are a totally different individual. In fact, the change that occurred when you say is more dramatic than the changes that will occur when you die like a painting. This study isn't going to show you what a Christian look like at a particular point in history. Instead, you'll see the attitudes and actions that should characterize every follower of Christ today.

You know we live in a time when it's never been easier to improve. The outer man you have a complete makeover there so many product but thinking about don't do it.

Okay there so many products that help slow the aging process and treat illnesses and boost our daily health. But of course John those kinds of external changes, are nothing compared to what God does to remodel the inner man when he saves a person down. Isn't that why the apostle Paul says bodily exercise. There was a little right but godliness was what you have to pursue yeah so where to start a series that's going to help you work on the inside and title of it is the portrait of a new life. Yeah, I think one of the things that is missing in this Christian culture today is the idea that salvation is transformational that there are lots of people who think all I believe in Jesus. That said, and I can believe in Jesus and live my life and do whatever I want to do and that's a wrong idea. That's I think seriously wrong idea people who think that way may not actually be Christians because if you are Christian you have been transformed old things are passed away in all things new, have come so you are a new creation in Christ Jesus and the and that's what we want you to understand.

So this is the portrait of a new life.

This this series needs to be heard by the current crop of superficial evangelicals who who think that accepting Jesus in some token superficial way is sort of an assurance that you not to go to hell and maybe Jesus will help you bump up your satisfaction level. A few notches now. This is totally transformational, so we'll be looking into the year wonderful book of Ephesians chapters 4 and five and is this ever powerful because it reveals Scriptures full-color portrait of what a true Christian looks like and how Christians are utterly distinct from non-Christians.

There is a marked visible demonstrable transformation in the sad truth is, some folks claim it's possible become a Christian and never have your life change. This study will certainly challenge that ridiculous view going to work our way through the study again in Ephesians 4 and five will will probe deeply into the things that are most important for you to know as a believer so you can live to the glory of Christ, the study is going to hit you right where you live. So stay with us.

Yes, it is going to hit you right where you live.

Think of this study is a biblical documentary of what you're like before you became a Christian and after Christ transforms you. Now here's John to begin his study called the portrait of a new life taken bodily with me.

Let's look at the fourth chapter of Ephesians together versus 17 through 24.

The apostle Paul says this I say therefore and testify in the Lord that he henceforth walked not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart, who being passed feeling have given themselves over him to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness, but ye have not so learned Christ, if so be that you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that you put off concerning the former manner of life. The old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness I will stop there. When you receive Jesus Christ. When you are born again.

When you enter into God's kingdom a tremendous change takes place in your basic nature. You are a totally different individual. In fact, the change that occurred when you were saved is more dramatic than the change that will occur when you die because your new nature has already been created. The new you has already been made.

You are already fitted for heaven.

You are already a citizen of God's kingdom.

All death does is free up that new nature to enter into the presence of God. The greatest changes already happened when you were say and everything is new in second Corinthians 517, Paul said if any man be in Christ he is a new creation now noted he is a new creation. He doesn't receive something new. He is new old things are passed away.

All things have become new.

There is a new creation in Galatians 220, Paul says I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live. It's a new only it's not. I life which I now live is the life of Christ living in me. I want you to keep focused on that thought.

It's a new you. It's a new I it's a new creation as you study the epistles of Paul, you find that he talks about a new will, a new mind a new heart, a new power a new knowledge, a new wisdom a new perception a new understanding a new life, a new inheritance a new relationship anew righteousness a new love, a new desire a new citizenship, etc. in fact something it all up. The Bible says it is newness of life. Newness of life. I a lot of people teach that when you become a Christian. God gives you something new. You still have your old nature. Your old sin nature still there, and so forth. But God gives you something new. According to the word of God you are new isn't just a matter of adding addition.

It is a matter of trans formation. You understand the difference is a renewed use. It is I am crucified with Christ, the all idols out of existence. Nevertheless I live risen again, but it is not I that lives but it is Christ living in me. Yet not I, says Paul, but Christ liveth in me you are a new you say. Well if I'm such a new me Akamai sin because you are new you in a smelly old coat and that coat is the flesh that your humans that's why in Romans 717 and Romans 720, Paul says it is sin that is in me and again. 20. It is sin that is in me. In other words, when I sin it isn't my new nature sitting is maybe new to you. So hang on. It is no more I that do it. He said it's not that resurrected.

I it's not that new nature that sin is not the I that since he says it is sin that dwells in me.

In other words, it's that smelly clothes of humanness that that new nature has to endure until it goes to be with the Lord. So what you need to deal with as a Christian is that smelly old coat need to get off is why Peter uses the verb strip off which means to take off dirty clothes and throw first Peter to get rid of that stuff. We are not a remodel job.

I want you to know that we are not just something to which that was added. I don't believe that a Christian has two natures, I think a Christian is one new nature I die is Eggo dies. I live so that a Christian is a single new man a total new creature, a new living hi but sin is a problem because he got a smelly old coat of humanness on them and what the Bible approaches is the fact that we need to begin to throw that old smelly stuff. The new man is a new kind of human behavior and we are to put on the new man that is a new humanness to accommodate and fit and go with the new nature, but most of us have to fight to get rid of that old stuff in Colossians chapter 3. The apostle Paul says that if we have been risen with Christ. In other words, the old, I died in a new I rose if we are transformed brand-new nature risen with Christ, then certainly better kill the members on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, in order to affection, evil desire, covetousness, etc. in other words, got to get rid of the stinky old coat around the Union rescue Mission.

Years ago I preached down there. They showed me the deal icing room where they go in there and deal ice and some got a hold bunch of those things on and it's quite a job and a burner close window been a good deal icing kind of put it back in his old bomb close.

Nobody believe he'd had a bad guy get a new garment for a new man in the same thing is true in the spiritual as we have a new nature as we been re-created in Jesus Christ. As we have been made new. As we have been transformed so that we now right now, this moment are ready for eternal heaven are nature is ready, then we need to check the old patterns.

The old things the old practices the old life that hangs on us.

Christ is formed in us. Paul even said that he said all I have birth pains until Christ is formed in you. Galatians 419 is the very life of Christ in us and we are it says in Ephesians 2, created in Christ Jesus. The struggle is with that sin, that coat of sin. That is our humanness. Now Paul is going to attack that very issue right here.

He's going to tell us from chapter 4 verse 17 to the end of this book, how to get rid of that old coat how to check that old stuff.

How to accommodate a new suit for the new man that's his whole point we have learned what the new man is in the first three chapters right now to learn how the new man lives in the last three. He talked about the new nature and all that was involved in chapters 1 to 3 and now the new close the new man putting on the new man putting off the old external the old outside the old man kind like Romans 613 if it's true that we have risen with Christ, if it's true that were brand-new and transformed and we should never yield our instruments as instruments of unrighteousness, but we should yield our members as instruments of God.

The reason the Bible is so full of the word therefore is because it is incumbent upon us to behave in accord with who we are. That's why the Bible is loaded with. Therefore, and wherefores that Afforded a good illustration.

Verse one as of therefore verse 17 has a therefore verse 25 has a wherefore chapter 5 has a therefore in the whole of the Christian life is a pile of therefore's and wherefores. Why because it is demanding from us a response of obedience to the to the identity God has given us in Christ now will a look at how the new nature functions in behavior and the new man that's our thought as we examine this text I want to go back to verse one so we can really pick up the context.

Chapter 4 verse one. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy now to stop there from Allied. That's the whole thrust of four, five and six. The worthy walk, I beseech you that you walk worthy worthy of what the vocation to which are called the new nature the identity that was delineated in chapter 1, two and three walk worthy.

Now how's that going to work. How do we walk worthy jump the verse 17.

Here's the first way I say therefore testify in the Lord that you henceforth walk, not as other Gentiles walk. Here's the first thing he really has to say directly about walking worthy. It is a different walk.

We are to live different than the world… Now there is some debate about whether the phrase other Gentiles walk is in or out insert manuscripts and for our sake will include it because it's implied. If it isn't in Eileen to the fact that it's probably in the text anyway.

But the point is, the idea here is that we are to walk worthy verse one and then he gives that wonderful interlude in verses 2 to 16 about unity and spiritual maturity and growth as a sort of a composite of the church.

In other words, he talked in generalities about how the church is the function and I get specific now here you as a believer face the fact of what he wants you to how my walk worthy first walking not as other Gentiles walk now therefore than I think fix up all of verse 1 to 16. It's a debate about what therefore applies to I think applies to the whole thing because of the vocation to which your call because it is humility that God is after and meekness, and lowliness of mind because of the truth that we are one in every way because the Lord Jesus Christ is gifted us uniquely as members of his body because he is given to the church. The principle of maturity and growth and edification in speaking the truth in love because of all of these things.

Therefore, you are to walk. It's as if he saying God has created a marvelous entity in the world known as the church and because of this unique creation with unique lifestyle of humility.

With the unique unity with the unique empowerment by gifts and gifted man with a unique destiny of being edified, and live because of the marvelous uniqueness of this miracle creation called the church.

This is how you are to walk you see the totality of what the church is designed to be now here you as an individual are to behave in this manner, so he moves from the general to specific. Say I'm a part of this church. I know the gifted mentor to do what there to do it perfect the saints in the face of the work, the ministry, I know you've given me spiritual gifts. I know I do know this unity and this oneness I know him to be humble and meek and how do I work out of my daily life.

How do I live in the world. Principle number one you don't walk like the rest of the world walks, as it is a different life is unique.

You are unique group. You are the church of Jesus Christ arose proud, your humble the world is fragmented your United. The world is impotent your gifted. The world is hateful.

You're full of love.

The world is another truth you do because of all these things and because of the design of your uniqueness. This is how you walk different difference in the world walks. You cannot accomplish the glorious goals of Christ by living the way the world is in a living like the world is to be imitating the dead doesn't make a lot of sense. Not much point. You see, Christianity, and I think it's important realizes is like 1/3 race. There were Jews and Gentiles. Another Christian we have a new seed a spiritual seed and incorruptible seed. We got a corresponding lifestyle.

We are new creations. We are already suited for an eternal existence. We are already righteous and holy in terms of that new nature and we might as well throw off that old smelly lifestyle and it is in the tragic that's that of the church conforming the world to the principles of Christ.

The world winds up shoving us into its own mold were Gentiles look at it for a moment. Verse 17 estimate we get the word ethnic from it. It is a word that means nations people's Jeevan pagans sometimes translated or Gentiles. It is simply an ethnic term and it is used in the New Testament when it is used in terms of races to speak of non-Jews and that is its nationalistic meaning, but further than that has a religious meaning if you want to know what the religious meaning is, you need only to look at first Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse five because it says there this first Thessalonians 45 not in the lust of evil desire, as the FMA who know not God. On the one hand, then SNA or Gentiles refers to an ethnic group of non-Jews racially.

On the other hand religiously. It speaks of people who know not whom God.who know not God. So the point is, you do not walk and walk by the way, speaks of daily manner of life. You do not live your daily manner of life like people who don't know God, that simple. You know God, the believers in the ancient world found it difficult to take in life all around them. The deeds of the pagans were constantly in front of them. It was very difficult to to live a different life just as it is today. We have a terrible problem in our own age. The church in America.

The church around the world today, but particularly in America because of its affluence and because of its media inundation of of evil constantly has a difficult time affecting the world and oats. Our problem is in getting the world to live like Christians, are problems getting Christians to stop living like the world that's that that's the real issue very difficult because of the tremendous impact of our society is tell you about F is a little bit you draw some parallels to our own day. Evidence was one of the most dissolute and evil of all the cities. In fact, some felt it was the evil city of all in Asia minor was really a religious center. There are multiple temples and idols and all that kind of thing. But it was particularly focused on the Temple of Diana Diana and another name for Diana is Artemis. By the way, if you're thinking of some dutiful looking thing of course you've told you before Artemis was a big black ugly thing that looked like something between a cow and a wolf horrible looking thing supposedly fell out of heaven, so they worship this big black thing, but the Temple of Diana, was the seventh wonder of the world. It was an art museum with few equals they had their collections of great works of art.

It was an asylum for criminals one quarter-mile around the circumference of the temple of Diana was King's X for any criminal so you can imagine the crowd. They collected their it was the greatest bank in the world, a sacred temple like this was a good place for a bank because no state security was very difficult to come by. The locks were very primitive, etc. etc. in the best place to put a bank was in the middle of the temple because people would be fearful to get in there and do anything because of the reprisal of the gods which they lived in fear. So they made temples and the banks so was a place where there was a lot of money. It was a business. Also, pilgrims by the thousands came to this place and the worship that went on there was orgiastic and so was very popular. All you have to do is invent a religion where sex is the key thing and you'll have a whole bunch of people signing up right on dotted line to get involved and that's exactly what they did. It was a big business and of course they sold these little idols. Remember about the revolt silversmiths the terrible riots broke out when they ruined the business therapy process came in and shut down all the business people could sell their little gods are probably used to take their gods in the used to place them in their homes. These little things and they also interestingly enough I read they hung around their necks, religious jewelry around their wrists around their ankles, and they put them on the front of their chariot of their dashboard on the chariot but that's the idea was a big business, the goddess of Ephesus Diana was worshiped as a sex goddess. The place was packed with eunuchs who were made eunuchs in order to accommodate that kind of activity and there were thousands of priestesses and temple prostitutes, singers, dancers, and a whole great big orgy occurred.

One writer says the worship was a kind of hysteria were the people with shouts and music work themselves in the frenzies of shameless sexual activity, including mutilation, self-mutilation, Heraclitus said the temple was quote the darkness of vileness, the morals were lower than animals, and the inhabitants of Ephesus were fit only to be drowned." Some kind of place.

The little church in Ephesus was an island in the cesspool is a vile sinful world. For those early Christians to live in. And so the apostle Paul says to them right off the bat. Verse 17.

You gotta be different. Gotta be different can walk like they walk can't do what they do. Living the new life is tough but living the new life is necessary to put off that old man that all lifestyle by the way they took good people and fed him to hungry animals. Apparently*blind starved wolf starved dog's it's all good people to remember. Paul himself even said that he had to fight beasts at Ephesus that was really a bad place here with the believers.

There and Paul says you gotta be different. Don't get sucked into this immorality. Don't get sucked into this old pagan lifestyle. Peter said the same thing in first Peter chapter 4 and verse three great word he says.

For the time past of our life may suffice us. In other words, lack the past life is enough of that stuff that's sufficient. We run the will of the pagans. The FMA we walked in lasciviousness and last excess of wine while parties carousing abominable idolatries and he says we did that, but the time past of our life should suffice for that stuff that's over, that's over on the basis of all of this and of what we are in Christ, of all that God's purpose and all that God is designed in all of God's desires of the believer in the body we are to be unique. We are to be different, not like the rest of the world.

John said this in first John 215 love not the world, neither the things that are in the world world passes away, and the lust stub. It's a fading thing. It's going to self-destruct with an apartment that society is hostile to godliness because it is dominated by carnal ambition is dominated by pride. It is dominated by selfishness.

It is dominated by greed and lust and desire for evil. Its opinions are wrong. Its aims are selfish. It's pleasures are sinful.

Its influence is destructive in its politics are corrupt its honors are empty and smiles are phony, and it's love is fickle. We have no part of that were different.

We don't live that way, not like society, lives, and by the way, if you think this is just Paul talking. Look at verse 17. This I say therefore you testify in the Lord, by the way, says I'm passing on this information from the Lord. I testify in the Lord, he is speaking.

This is the divine life style. This is God's standard, not mine. This is his basic for the believer was father, thank you for giving us even though this is a sordid picture a contrast because we need that to know what you want of us. Father maybe some of never given their life to Jesus Christ. They don't know Christ and so they don't know what it is to have a new nature. They don't know what it is to live a new life to walk a new walk to put on a new man. New lifestyle Lord I pray that today would be the day they would open your heart to you today would be the day that your Holy Spirit would convict their lives and draw them to yourself before their constant willful choice against you becomes a judicial choice confirmed forever. I think of the words of Jesus who preceded the passage from Isaiah by saying just have the light for little while better respond while the light is here, Lord, for Christians for me for everybody else knows you and loves you. Help us father cut ourselves off from the things of this life, things of this world put off the smelly old code of the old former life to adorn the new nature more. We do pray that we might so live to bring you praise Jesus. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us. John is looking at the marks of a true Christian and how your attitude and actions can glorify Christ use title is current studied the portrait of a new life now. One of the most defining marks of a Christian is a love for God's word so let me encourage you to pick up our flagship resource. The MacArthur study Bible. It's currently available for 25% off the normal price to get your copy, contact us today our number here 855 grace or you can go to our website Jide TY.org the MacArthur study Bible has 25,000 footnotes that give you the historical and cultural background of what you're reading. Helping you understand the precise meaning of each verse.

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I'm your host Phil Johnson. Thanks for making this broadcast part of your day and be here tomorrow for another half hour of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to you