INTRODUCTION:
Tonight we are continuing our series on the Christian Life. We finished last week with
the first of three observations from Ephesians 4:17-24 - “There is an Absolute
Distinction”, 4:17-19. We now move to the second observation – “There is a Clear
Instruction”, 4:20-24a.
2. THE CLEAR INSTRUCTION – 4:20-24A
Paul’s forthright command is partly based on the initial instruction the Ephesian
believers received concerning salvation.
• “You did not learn Christ in this way”. What way? In a way that demanded a break
with the former way of life. Acts 19:18-26, note verses 18-20 and verse 26.
• What was taught, Ephesians 4:21-22, “lay aside the old self” NIV
• How were they able to do this? By being renewed in the spirit of their minds.
• Their responsibility - “lay aside the old self”
• God’s responsibility – renewal of the mind
• KEY TO THE ENTIRE PASSAGE – EPHESIANS 4:23
• Ephesians 4:22 and 4:24 can never happen outside of Ephesians 4:23
• EPHESIANS 4:23 IS ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND STATEMENTS OF
CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
1. It is not something that happens once and for all like “putting off” and “putting on.”
2. It is in the present tense so it goes on and on.
3. It is in the passive tense which means it is something that happens to us, it is the
work of God, the Holy Spirit.
4. Paul instructs the Ephesians about this because although we cannot produce it
we can either be in step with it or we can hinder it, cf. Ephesians 4:30.
5. We must be careful that we are not in any way frustrating the process but that we
are promoting and encouraging it.
6. The verse says to be “renewed in the spirit of your mind.” The word spirit means
breath, wind illustrating the power segment.
7. Paul is speaking of the power of the mind, not simply the abilities of the mind, but
the power that controls and directs the abilities.
8. Paul is dealing with the effect of sin and the fall.
9. The most devastating thing that happened was that the spirit of the mind went
wrong.
10. When man listened to Satan, he put himself under his power and passed under
the dominion of Satan, cf. Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:13.
11. Our essential trouble is not that we do wrong things (which is bad enough) but
the real trouble is that we by nature are wrong, we have wrong outlooks, our
reasoning has become twisted and perverted and defected, cf. Genesis 6:5;
Ephesians 4:17-18a.
12. The principle at the back of the mind, the spirit of the mind has gone wrong.
13. The mind itself is still functional, i.e. scientist, philosophers, poets, accountants
etc. but its main function to know God to serve God is shattered, its governing power
has gone wrong, i.e., “members”, Romans 6:12-13.
14. The mind that was at creation governed by the spirit is now governed by the
flesh, man is still able to think, but when it comes to things that really matter i.e., his
relationship with God and to time and to eternity, his thinking is now drastically
reduced and has become defective, it fails him because the spirit of his mind had
gone astray, 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 8:5-8.
15. The tragedy of every man who is not a Christian is that in the very citadel, the
highest point of his being in the spirit of his mind, he has gone astray.
16. Renewal means that the mind had been enlightened cf. Ephesians 4:18.
17. The new spirit enters the mind and controls it.
18. A new disposition is put into us, a new principle of life begins to operate,
whereas formally it went in a wrong direction, it is now going into a right direction.
19. It sees things differently, cf. Psalm 19:1-4 (This is My Father’s World)
20. So we must be in step with what God is doing in the renewal of our minds, for this
is the key to the Christian life.
21. We must be taught how to think in step with God’s renewal of the spirit of our
minds.
22. We must not hinder the work of God in the renewal of our minds, cf.
Philippians 4:8 cf. Romans 14:18; 2 Corinthians 8:21; 1 Peter 2:12.
Tonight we are continuing our series on the Christian Life. We finished last week with
the first of three observations from Ephesians 4:17-24 - “There is an Absolute
Distinction”, 4:17-19. We now move to the second observation – “There is a Clear
Instruction”, 4:20-24a.
2. THE CLEAR INSTRUCTION – 4:20-24A
Paul’s forthright command is partly based on the initial instruction the Ephesian
believers received concerning salvation.
• “You did not learn Christ in this way”. What way? In a way that demanded a break
with the former way of life. Acts 19:18-26, note verses 18-20 and verse 26.
• What was taught, Ephesians 4:21-22, “lay aside the old self” NIV
• How were they able to do this? By being renewed in the spirit of their minds.
• Their responsibility - “lay aside the old self”
• God’s responsibility – renewal of the mind
• KEY TO THE ENTIRE PASSAGE – EPHESIANS 4:23
• Ephesians 4:22 and 4:24 can never happen outside of Ephesians 4:23
• EPHESIANS 4:23 IS ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND STATEMENTS OF
CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
1. It is not something that happens once and for all like “putting off” and “putting on.”
2. It is in the present tense so it goes on and on.
3. It is in the passive tense which means it is something that happens to us, it is the
work of God, the Holy Spirit.
4. Paul instructs the Ephesians about this because although we cannot produce it
we can either be in step with it or we can hinder it, cf. Ephesians 4:30.
5. We must be careful that we are not in any way frustrating the process but that we
are promoting and encouraging it.
6. The verse says to be “renewed in the spirit of your mind.” The word spirit means
breath, wind illustrating the power segment.
7. Paul is speaking of the power of the mind, not simply the abilities of the mind, but
the power that controls and directs the abilities.
8. Paul is dealing with the effect of sin and the fall.
9. The most devastating thing that happened was that the spirit of the mind went
wrong.
10. When man listened to Satan, he put himself under his power and passed under
the dominion of Satan, cf. Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:13.
11. Our essential trouble is not that we do wrong things (which is bad enough) but
the real trouble is that we by nature are wrong, we have wrong outlooks, our
reasoning has become twisted and perverted and defected, cf. Genesis 6:5;
Ephesians 4:17-18a.
12. The principle at the back of the mind, the spirit of the mind has gone wrong.
13. The mind itself is still functional, i.e. scientist, philosophers, poets, accountants
etc. but its main function to know God to serve God is shattered, its governing power
has gone wrong, i.e., “members”, Romans 6:12-13.
14. The mind that was at creation governed by the spirit is now governed by the
flesh, man is still able to think, but when it comes to things that really matter i.e., his
relationship with God and to time and to eternity, his thinking is now drastically
reduced and has become defective, it fails him because the spirit of his mind had
gone astray, 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 8:5-8.
15. The tragedy of every man who is not a Christian is that in the very citadel, the
highest point of his being in the spirit of his mind, he has gone astray.
16. Renewal means that the mind had been enlightened cf. Ephesians 4:18.
17. The new spirit enters the mind and controls it.
18. A new disposition is put into us, a new principle of life begins to operate,
whereas formally it went in a wrong direction, it is now going into a right direction.
19. It sees things differently, cf. Psalm 19:1-4 (This is My Father’s World)
20. So we must be in step with what God is doing in the renewal of our minds, for this
is the key to the Christian life.
21. We must be taught how to think in step with God’s renewal of the spirit of our
minds.
22. We must not hinder the work of God in the renewal of our minds, cf.
Philippians 4:8 cf. Romans 14:18; 2 Corinthians 8:21; 1 Peter 2:12.
| Sunday Evening, May 6, 2007 Sermon Outline "The Christian Life" Series A CLEAR INSTRUCTION Ephesians 4:17-24 |
New Life Fellowship Church
Ephesians 4:17-24
Ephesians 4:17-24
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