Renewed in Christ
Bible memorization moving forward every Sunday:
Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
Your word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path.
(Thank you for the Word)
Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
Your word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path.
(Thank you for the Word)
Bible Devotional
Church Scripture Verse for today:
Ephesians 4:17-24 (ESV)
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
There is a lot to unpack here, but let me just begin with this question.
How do you not grieve the Holy Spirit? [There are things in life that we do, as a believer, we end up grieving the Holy Spirit. Remember the Holy Spirit is God, “One God in three persons - God the Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.” They all have the same essence, but are different in three persons. So, we will find out later that when we, as believers, sin, the Holy Spirit will be grieved by our actions.]
Introduction to our theme for today:
In Christ, our new outfit will exhibit new habits.
Now we know that creating a new habit doesn’t happen overnight, but it takes time. And social scientists tell us that it takes, on average, 66 days to form a new habit. So something like flossing your teeth is a repeatable process and creates a new habit if you have never flossed before. But quitting sugar for me has been one of the most difficult habits to form. I’ve
been trying to form this new habit for the past ten years, and I am still working on it. It’s a continuous sacrifice and sanctifying work, because I know the benefits of cutting back on eating processed sugar.
This is where the Holy Spirit comes in and helps me overcome my sinful nature, my emotionally unhealthy thoughts, and my desire for a new, healthy spiritual habit. So we are going to find out that when we pursue the holiness of God, we will experience the new you or the new life that Christ has for us.
Let’s do a quick review of last Sunday on Ephesians 4:1-16. The primary theme of Ephesians 4:1-16 was on the Unity of the Body of Christ. Remember that Ephesians chapters 1-3 were all about knowing our relationship with Christ, but starting in chapter 4, it was about applying what we know about Christ. And to begin the journey, we have to know our calling.
Ephesians 4:1 Amplified Bible
So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you [urge you, beg you] to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [What is that calling?] [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation],
So what is your calling in life? “to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior, which means to live a life that expresses gratitude to God for our salvation.” That is our personal calling, right?
Paul, the author of Ephesians, appeals, urging, pleading, and begging us to lead a life worthy of our calling. And we learned that the word “walk” means living our lives daily in the lifestyle of who we are in Christ. So our walk and our calling are a response to what God has done in our lives.
So, if God has reconciled us to Him, redeemed us, and rescued us, then how do we respond? Is my daily conduct and my lifestyle reflecting the value of what He has done in my life? Is my daily conduct living a life worthy of His calling? That was the question asked last Sunday.
So, how do you walk worthy of the calling with which you were called:
Ephesians 4:2 (ESV)
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
Humility / lowliness / forsaking self-righteousness / John 3:30 (NIV) He must become greater; I must become less. (Humility involves recognizing one’s own limitations and the greatness of God)
Gentleness / Meekness / Self-Controlled / This is not weakness but strength under control. Colossians 3:12 (NLT) Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Patience / Long-suffering / long-tempered / Ability to endure difficult circumstances and shortcomings of others without becoming angry or upset.
Bearing with one another in love involves enduring and supporting each other, even when it is challenging or when you are being tested in your patience.
The whole purpose of this was for the sake of the unity of the church. And Paul tells us to “make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace with each individual working together to make the whole successful” (Ephesians 4:3 Amplified Bible). The whole purpose of verses 1-16 was to have the believers come together as one unit, unified in one Spirit to build the body of Christ.
So, when we walk worthy in humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love, then God gives us individual spiritual gifts and equips the saints to build His body, which enhances unity, matures us, and adds stability. The body of the church becomes stabilized and creates a good foundation. But it takes each one of us to work together to make the whole successful. So a worthy walk to your individual calling will get you to walk in Christ's direction. That was Ephesians 4:1-16.
Now, we can begin the second half of the book of Ephesians 4. Are you ready? Let’s begin.
Ephesians 4:17 (ESV)
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.
What does that mean to no longer walk as before? Does that mean for me to no longer walk as a Korean, American, or as Africans? Paul is simply saying, "Don’t walk like the pagans would live their lives." The Gentiles (non-Jews), in their former walk, in their former nature, were worshiping and believing in false gods and idol worship. So, their walk had no purpose, because their gods were aimless and had no direction.
When Christians walk, that is worthy of a calling; then we have a purpose to our walk. We know the direction of our walk, but before Christ, you and I were walking aimlessly and had no purpose. We had no meaning in life and were hopelessly confused, spiritually speaking, right?
So, when Paul says, they were “in the futility of their minds, he is saying, “Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused, and have no spiritual purpose.” Like in the book of Ecclesiastes, where “life apart from God is described as meaningless.”
Pastor Joseph, “What does the 'futility of their minds' look like?” Verses 18-19 describe what the futility of their minds or the hopelessly confused look like.
Ephesians 4:18-19 Amplified Bible
for their [moral] understanding is darkened and their reasoning is clouded; [they are] alienated and self-banished from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the [willful] ignorance and spiritual blindness that is [deep-seated] within them, because of the hardness and insensitivity of their heart. And they, [the ungodly in their spiritual apathy], having become callous and unfeeling, have given themselves over [as prey] to unbridled sensuality, eagerly craving the practice of every kind of impurity [that their desires may demand].
Essentially, what Paul is saying is that when you are in the futility of your mind, hopelessly confused, it will lead to a hardening of the heart, leading your heart to be callous with no feelings, and you will fall into every kind of impurity. In other words, the “I don’t care” attitude becomes the king.
When your mind is outside of God, it leads to a mind so used to an attitude of “I don’t care” that your feelings become numb and callous. I’ve seen this happen in a lot of relationships, where the relationship becomes so numb and callous that they don’t care anymore and don’t want any change. Or that they believe the other person can not change. And this is where it can be very dangerous for the believer.
2 Corinthians 4:4 Amplified Bible
among them the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
So verses 17-19 were the former Gentile way. Paul is saying, “This is how you used to walk.” You had no purpose in life, walking aimlessly, and you were spiritually separated from God with an “I don’t care” attitude.
Ephesians 4:20-21 (ESV)
But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,
What I have learned over the years is that just because you go to church does not make you a believer. So, what Paul is saying here is that if you truly have a changed life, it is because you have heard the gospel and come to know God’s truth, and that is the only way lifestyle can change. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14.6).
So, now that you know the truth, put away your old clothes and put on some new ones because your old clothes used to smell, but now you smell fresh like new.
Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT)
throw off your old sinful nature (old clothes) and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature (New Clothes), created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
Remember the word “holy” means to be set apart or that you are consecrated before God. You are set apart, sanctified, and consecrated for God’s unique purpose. When you surrender your life to God, then that is the new you. But you can’t be the new you and put on new clothes while you still have some of your old clothes on. Now, this is spiritually speaking, right? I’ve seen people take their old coats, shirts, and pants off, but they still kept their old underwear and socks on. I mean for years on end.
But how do you put on the new clothes?
Listen to verse 22: it says to “throw off our old sinful nature and our former way of life.” Isn’t that interesting? This is an actual action step. Because a lot of people automatically think that after you accept Christ, you don’t have to do anything. Yes, your salvation is by grace through faith, but that doesn’t mean you just sit down and do nothing. James 1:22 tells us, “Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”
The word “throw off” in Greek is apotithēmi pronounced ap-ot-eeth'-ay-mee, meaning to put off or aside or away, a decisive break from past behaviors and attitudes that are inconsistent with a life in Christ.
The keyword is “a decisive break,” and it doesn’t mean making a commitment half-heartedly; it means making a decisive decision and commitment.
Let me put the whole context together. One day, a sewer system breaks down, and you have to go in and fix it, and you're down there trying to clean out all the clutter, trash, and poops. But you are down there in the same clothes for three days straight, because people need to get their toilets to work. So you can imagine the smell on his clothes. Work is completed, and you go back home, but you keep your old, dirty clothes on, because you don’t care - you are tired. Your heart and mind grew so used to the smell that you started to identify it with who you are, and you just fell asleep in your bed with your old, smelly clothes.
So, what catalyst will help you make a decisive break from your old, smelly clothes that have been in the sewer for 3 days? The word “throw off” or “put off” in taking off the old, filthy clothes describes “repentance” from sin (old clothes) and submission to God (new clothes). So, to throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life is simply “repentance.” Repentance simply means a change of mind and a change of direction. You were headed towards darkness, but now, through “submission to God,” you are walking towards the light.
Colossians 3:9-10 (NLT)
Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
Did you know that when we read the Bible in the New Testament and the word “Put on,” like “put on the armor of God,” or “put on your new nature,” the word “put on” means for you to “put on your new you daily.” The idea is that once you become a believer, you have to “put on your new clothes daily,” because the old you constantly wants to come back. Your flesh wants the old underwear and the old socks. So, God tells us that we have to intentionally make every effort to “put on our new clothes.”
So you have to intentionally “throw away” the old clothes, and “intentionally put on our new nature.” As you strip away one layer of your old clothes, you have to intentionally put on a new one immediately. And that’s what “repentance” does. It helps you take off the old and put on the new.
So, what happens when you repent and submit to God?
Ephesians 4:23 Amplified Bible
and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude],
My friends, the continual renewal of your mind can only happen through the Word of God. So basically, to be “renewed in the spirit of your mind” is to think how God thinks and act and behave as Jesus would have acted and behaved.
Why is it so important that God speaks a lot about the “Battle of the mind”? Because, as Christians, we have to align our thoughts with the will of God. Our mind has to surrender to God, because when we do not do that, it becomes god in our head. And that leads to pride and many other sins. So, when our mind is thinking thoughts that are not of God, we have to surrender it to God or submit our thoughts to God; then we will know the will of God, the purpose of God, and the wisdom of God.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NLT)
We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
In other words, “Lord, if there are any thoughts that are not of you, and are disobedient to you, take these thoughts to make them obedient to you, Jesus.” Listen, my friends, God has given us spiritual weapons that are available to every believer, and they have the power to align our thoughts with Christ's teachings. But you have to submit to God and surrender your thoughts.
Ephesians 4:25-26 (ESV)
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
Now, remember that this is talking to the Christians inside the church, right? But this is also about any kind of relationship. Furthermore, the phrase “do not let the sun go down on your anger,” or “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,” is commonly used in marriage counseling.
I want to touch on in verse 26, it says, “Be angry.” But Pastor Joseph, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 tells us this.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV)
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
But now you're telling us that we should “Be angry?” So, what kind of anger is Paul talking about?
John 2:13-16 (ESV)
The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” [or den of robbers]
Pastor Joseph, this seems like Jesus is pretty angry here. Yes, this is called “righteous anger when appropriate.” Remember, Jesus was grounded in Scripture and not sentiment, right? It wasn’t about feelings but doing what is right in God’s eyes. Remember, this is the same Jesus who played with children and gently talked with a Samaritan woman, who was hated by others. So, Jesus, with righteous anger, was a complete Jesus because he fought against sin, oppression, and injustice. When there was an abuse in God’s house, Jesus responded with righteous anger.
These people were turning the Holy temple, a sacred place, into a commercial place, and Jesus was angry and told the money changers and merchants that you turned the temple into a “den of robbers.” So, there will be times to be nice and times not so nice, especially when it comes to things inside the church. More so, when people manipulate the Word of God and turn it into their own meaning. God is especially angry with those people.
So, pastor Joseph, how does this relate to marriage or relationships about “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry?" A marriage is a union with two sinners, right? Because it is a union of two sinners, a marriage should be a union of two forgivers for believers.” Now, having two forgivers is good because you're both in the same union with the same Spirit, the same Jesus, and the same God the Father. So, make sure to pray for one another at the end.
I remember one time when I must have done something to make Jackie angry, and we had set up a time to pray together. Jackie started praying first, telling God everything about me, and I was sitting right in front of her, holding her hands. She was telling God all the things I said were hurting her feelings, and I had no idea I was doing that. And then it was my turn to pray. I said something like, “God, please forgive me for what I was saying to my wife. I didn’t realize that what I said was hurtful. Lord, I pray that she will forgive me for my words.” And I think that night, we had our second child.
That’s the power of “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” When you do this, you will not give any power to the devil.
Ephesians 4:27 Ampified Bible
And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness].
In other words, do not give Satan any room, or any opportunity, for our flesh to be weak, but let God be greater and our flesh decrease. When you allow the devil to plant a seed, and then you cultivate it or water it (holding a grudge, nurturing anger, harboring resentment, cultivating bitterness), even when it happens in your mind, the devil sees that as an opportunity to let it grow. And that unrighteous anger will turn into bitterness and the hardening of the heart.
Ephesians 4:28-29 (NLT)
If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
So, if you don’t take off your old clothes, and you stay angry with bitterness, and you steal, use foul and abusive language, and are not good or helpful or are not an encouragement, then verse 30 will happen.
Ephesians 4:30 (NLT)
And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
In other words, do not “grieve the Holy Spirit.” God is grieved when His children refuse to change from their old ways. The third person of the Trinity can experience grief. As a believer and follower of Christ, when you and I sin, we actually grieve one of the persons of God. So, what does that mean? It means that the Holy Spirit is a person who cares deeply about us, does not want you and me to continue to sin, because we are “sealed for the day of redemption.” Remember, it is the Holy Spirit who is the guarantor of eternal redemption in Christ for those who believe in Him.
Ephesians 1:13 (NLT)
And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.
So grieving the Holy Spirit involves actions contrary to God’s holiness because we are His children. That’s why Paul tells us that we need to live a life worthy of the calling, emphasizing unity, purity, and love. Listen, God is not asking us to be perfect. He simply wants us to get our hearts right with Him.
It is just that when we grieve the Holy Spirit, it hinders our spiritual growth. Our growth becomes weak and fragile and can break. There is nothing that is strong and enduring that will hold us together. And one of the biggest consequences of “grieve the Holy Spirit” is that our fellowship with God is dramatically reduced. Our prayer life becomes less powerful. Our desire to know Him more becomes absent. And eventually, it will all lead to “I don’t care,” and you start putting on your old clothes again.
Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT)
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander (gossip), as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
In Christ, our new outfit will exhibit new habits.
So, what would a new spiritual habit look like?
One day, I got into a big argument with one of my older brothers. He was married with kids, and I was married with kids. Long story short, he blamed me for his business failure. He called a police officer on me and accused me of stealing something of his. And then he also called a lawyer on me and tried to sue me. I am his blood brother, but he was destroying my life. The anger and bitterness were so strong that I had a very hard time praying and especially reading the Word of God. I cultivated my anger, watered it, and nourished my bitterness, so that even during prayer, I asked God to give my brother a lesson by having a lighting come down on his car.
In traditional Korean culture, the younger one, even if it is not their fault, is to apologize to the older brother. I was the youngest of six, and when I was younger, I obeyed my mother and always apologized, but this time I was very stubborn and unwilling because I felt I was old enough to stand my ground. I did not want to, nor did I apologize. I had a hardened heart.
One day, I was in the Word of God, and it said this.
Mark 11:24-25 (NLT)
I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.
I had a business at the time, so I was excited to ask God to bless it. I prayed fervently for God to give me lots of money, so I could build God’s church. I had a non-profit organization called Church Builders International, which, through tithing, I used to build churches in third-world countries. So, I prayed for a much larger profit margin to build churches around the world. But then, I never finished reading the next verse; I just stopped at verse 24. Then one day, I decided to read the next verse.
Mark 11:25 (NL T)
But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”
God was telling me, “I have forgiven you for all of your sins; will you not forgive your brother?” So, I started praying a blessing for about 10 seconds. Then, later, it started being 30 seconds. Then each day it started to be more like a few minutes, and eventually became more and more with a genuine heart for my brother. What did I pray for? A prayer of blessing.
“Heavenly Father, I lift up my brother to you. Lord, I pray that my brother will encounter Jesus personally. Lord, I pray that he will know you and receive you. I pray that more than being reconciled back with me, he would be reconciled with Christ. I love my brother, and my heart aches that he doesn’t know you. So, Father, I pray for your hand of blessing upon him. May you bless him abundantly with your grace and love. May you pour out your peace when he is faced with challenges in his life, and may he look to you to find that peace. [Then I would pray for his wife and his children.]”
The prayers would last a long time because, when I started praying for a blessing upon him, God began to soften my hardened heart and help me genuinely care for him. Then one day in the middle of the summer, God moved my prayer to action, and I intentionally sought after him personally. “Brother, I am here to seek your forgiveness.” I went down on my knees, knowing what was to come. You see, in my family, I had personally witnessed what forgiveness looked like. My oldest brother beat the daylights out of my other brother, and I even saw his tooth flying out of his mouth. So, I knew that when you sought your older brother’s forgiveness, the same would come to me. I went down on my knees, ready to receive the blow.
However, he left the area and came back with a bamboo sword like the weapons you would use for “kendo” or “kumdo.” These were weapons against opponents with full armor. It was in the middle of summer, and I only had a T-shirt, shorts, and sandals. No winter coats or long pants to take the blow. So, I prayed for two things.
“God, please make sure that he doesn’t hit me in the head. But most importantly, I pray that his heart will be at peace with you.”
That was it. I did not want him to hit me on the head with that weapon, but more importantly, that he would know you to have that peace in his life. Praise God that he didn’t hit me on the head. After exhausting himself from beating me up, he said, “I forgive you.” I got up, bowed and thanked my brother, and left. What is interesting is that I never experienced any pain. I believe the Holy Spirit protected me.
Years later, he would look for me because there was a message that I needed to deliver to him. He came to my office, and I said, “For years, you put God in the back seat, and you drove the car. But, now God wants you to be in the back seat so that you can have peace, and that God Himself will be in the front seat.” He broke down and started to cry. I knew that the Lord was opening his heart and was preparing him for salvation. “Brother, do you want to accept Jesus Christ today?” He responded, “Yes.” This time, he went on his knees, and I placed my hand upon his head, and that night, my older brother accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
Question: Is there a new spiritual habit that you can develop?
For me, my new spiritual habit was to pray for blessings when I have a conflict with another brother or sister in Christ. This new habit was formed out of a very difficult situation in my life. God taught me to “bless” someone when someone tries to hurt you or even harm you. It is not easy, but this is my new spiritual habit.
What is yours?
Ephesians 4:17-24 (ESV)
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
There is a lot to unpack here, but let me just begin with this question.
How do you not grieve the Holy Spirit? [There are things in life that we do, as a believer, we end up grieving the Holy Spirit. Remember the Holy Spirit is God, “One God in three persons - God the Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.” They all have the same essence, but are different in three persons. So, we will find out later that when we, as believers, sin, the Holy Spirit will be grieved by our actions.]
Introduction to our theme for today:
In Christ, our new outfit will exhibit new habits.
Now we know that creating a new habit doesn’t happen overnight, but it takes time. And social scientists tell us that it takes, on average, 66 days to form a new habit. So something like flossing your teeth is a repeatable process and creates a new habit if you have never flossed before. But quitting sugar for me has been one of the most difficult habits to form. I’ve
been trying to form this new habit for the past ten years, and I am still working on it. It’s a continuous sacrifice and sanctifying work, because I know the benefits of cutting back on eating processed sugar.
This is where the Holy Spirit comes in and helps me overcome my sinful nature, my emotionally unhealthy thoughts, and my desire for a new, healthy spiritual habit. So we are going to find out that when we pursue the holiness of God, we will experience the new you or the new life that Christ has for us.
Let’s do a quick review of last Sunday on Ephesians 4:1-16. The primary theme of Ephesians 4:1-16 was on the Unity of the Body of Christ. Remember that Ephesians chapters 1-3 were all about knowing our relationship with Christ, but starting in chapter 4, it was about applying what we know about Christ. And to begin the journey, we have to know our calling.
Ephesians 4:1 Amplified Bible
So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you [urge you, beg you] to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [What is that calling?] [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation],
So what is your calling in life? “to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior, which means to live a life that expresses gratitude to God for our salvation.” That is our personal calling, right?
Paul, the author of Ephesians, appeals, urging, pleading, and begging us to lead a life worthy of our calling. And we learned that the word “walk” means living our lives daily in the lifestyle of who we are in Christ. So our walk and our calling are a response to what God has done in our lives.
So, if God has reconciled us to Him, redeemed us, and rescued us, then how do we respond? Is my daily conduct and my lifestyle reflecting the value of what He has done in my life? Is my daily conduct living a life worthy of His calling? That was the question asked last Sunday.
So, how do you walk worthy of the calling with which you were called:
Ephesians 4:2 (ESV)
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
Humility / lowliness / forsaking self-righteousness / John 3:30 (NIV) He must become greater; I must become less. (Humility involves recognizing one’s own limitations and the greatness of God)
Gentleness / Meekness / Self-Controlled / This is not weakness but strength under control. Colossians 3:12 (NLT) Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Patience / Long-suffering / long-tempered / Ability to endure difficult circumstances and shortcomings of others without becoming angry or upset.
Bearing with one another in love involves enduring and supporting each other, even when it is challenging or when you are being tested in your patience.
- One of the ways in which we “bear one another in love” is by covering one another in prayer, especially when you talk about another person. Let’s say you were at a restaurant and you spoke negatively about another person. Before you leave, make sure to pray for the other person, the church, or another ministry. This way, then you will not give the devil any foothold. If you do not close it in prayer, this will open the door for the devil to work.
The whole purpose of this was for the sake of the unity of the church. And Paul tells us to “make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace with each individual working together to make the whole successful” (Ephesians 4:3 Amplified Bible). The whole purpose of verses 1-16 was to have the believers come together as one unit, unified in one Spirit to build the body of Christ.
So, when we walk worthy in humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love, then God gives us individual spiritual gifts and equips the saints to build His body, which enhances unity, matures us, and adds stability. The body of the church becomes stabilized and creates a good foundation. But it takes each one of us to work together to make the whole successful. So a worthy walk to your individual calling will get you to walk in Christ's direction. That was Ephesians 4:1-16.
Now, we can begin the second half of the book of Ephesians 4. Are you ready? Let’s begin.
Ephesians 4:17 (ESV)
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.
What does that mean to no longer walk as before? Does that mean for me to no longer walk as a Korean, American, or as Africans? Paul is simply saying, "Don’t walk like the pagans would live their lives." The Gentiles (non-Jews), in their former walk, in their former nature, were worshiping and believing in false gods and idol worship. So, their walk had no purpose, because their gods were aimless and had no direction.
When Christians walk, that is worthy of a calling; then we have a purpose to our walk. We know the direction of our walk, but before Christ, you and I were walking aimlessly and had no purpose. We had no meaning in life and were hopelessly confused, spiritually speaking, right?
So, when Paul says, they were “in the futility of their minds, he is saying, “Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused, and have no spiritual purpose.” Like in the book of Ecclesiastes, where “life apart from God is described as meaningless.”
Pastor Joseph, “What does the 'futility of their minds' look like?” Verses 18-19 describe what the futility of their minds or the hopelessly confused look like.
Ephesians 4:18-19 Amplified Bible
for their [moral] understanding is darkened and their reasoning is clouded; [they are] alienated and self-banished from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the [willful] ignorance and spiritual blindness that is [deep-seated] within them, because of the hardness and insensitivity of their heart. And they, [the ungodly in their spiritual apathy], having become callous and unfeeling, have given themselves over [as prey] to unbridled sensuality, eagerly craving the practice of every kind of impurity [that their desires may demand].
Essentially, what Paul is saying is that when you are in the futility of your mind, hopelessly confused, it will lead to a hardening of the heart, leading your heart to be callous with no feelings, and you will fall into every kind of impurity. In other words, the “I don’t care” attitude becomes the king.
When your mind is outside of God, it leads to a mind so used to an attitude of “I don’t care” that your feelings become numb and callous. I’ve seen this happen in a lot of relationships, where the relationship becomes so numb and callous that they don’t care anymore and don’t want any change. Or that they believe the other person can not change. And this is where it can be very dangerous for the believer.
2 Corinthians 4:4 Amplified Bible
among them the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
So verses 17-19 were the former Gentile way. Paul is saying, “This is how you used to walk.” You had no purpose in life, walking aimlessly, and you were spiritually separated from God with an “I don’t care” attitude.
Ephesians 4:20-21 (ESV)
But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,
What I have learned over the years is that just because you go to church does not make you a believer. So, what Paul is saying here is that if you truly have a changed life, it is because you have heard the gospel and come to know God’s truth, and that is the only way lifestyle can change. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14.6).
So, now that you know the truth, put away your old clothes and put on some new ones because your old clothes used to smell, but now you smell fresh like new.
Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT)
throw off your old sinful nature (old clothes) and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature (New Clothes), created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
Remember the word “holy” means to be set apart or that you are consecrated before God. You are set apart, sanctified, and consecrated for God’s unique purpose. When you surrender your life to God, then that is the new you. But you can’t be the new you and put on new clothes while you still have some of your old clothes on. Now, this is spiritually speaking, right? I’ve seen people take their old coats, shirts, and pants off, but they still kept their old underwear and socks on. I mean for years on end.
But how do you put on the new clothes?
Listen to verse 22: it says to “throw off our old sinful nature and our former way of life.” Isn’t that interesting? This is an actual action step. Because a lot of people automatically think that after you accept Christ, you don’t have to do anything. Yes, your salvation is by grace through faith, but that doesn’t mean you just sit down and do nothing. James 1:22 tells us, “Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”
The word “throw off” in Greek is apotithēmi pronounced ap-ot-eeth'-ay-mee, meaning to put off or aside or away, a decisive break from past behaviors and attitudes that are inconsistent with a life in Christ.
The keyword is “a decisive break,” and it doesn’t mean making a commitment half-heartedly; it means making a decisive decision and commitment.
Let me put the whole context together. One day, a sewer system breaks down, and you have to go in and fix it, and you're down there trying to clean out all the clutter, trash, and poops. But you are down there in the same clothes for three days straight, because people need to get their toilets to work. So you can imagine the smell on his clothes. Work is completed, and you go back home, but you keep your old, dirty clothes on, because you don’t care - you are tired. Your heart and mind grew so used to the smell that you started to identify it with who you are, and you just fell asleep in your bed with your old, smelly clothes.
So, what catalyst will help you make a decisive break from your old, smelly clothes that have been in the sewer for 3 days? The word “throw off” or “put off” in taking off the old, filthy clothes describes “repentance” from sin (old clothes) and submission to God (new clothes). So, to throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life is simply “repentance.” Repentance simply means a change of mind and a change of direction. You were headed towards darkness, but now, through “submission to God,” you are walking towards the light.
Colossians 3:9-10 (NLT)
Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
Did you know that when we read the Bible in the New Testament and the word “Put on,” like “put on the armor of God,” or “put on your new nature,” the word “put on” means for you to “put on your new you daily.” The idea is that once you become a believer, you have to “put on your new clothes daily,” because the old you constantly wants to come back. Your flesh wants the old underwear and the old socks. So, God tells us that we have to intentionally make every effort to “put on our new clothes.”
So you have to intentionally “throw away” the old clothes, and “intentionally put on our new nature.” As you strip away one layer of your old clothes, you have to intentionally put on a new one immediately. And that’s what “repentance” does. It helps you take off the old and put on the new.
So, what happens when you repent and submit to God?
Ephesians 4:23 Amplified Bible
and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude],
My friends, the continual renewal of your mind can only happen through the Word of God. So basically, to be “renewed in the spirit of your mind” is to think how God thinks and act and behave as Jesus would have acted and behaved.
Why is it so important that God speaks a lot about the “Battle of the mind”? Because, as Christians, we have to align our thoughts with the will of God. Our mind has to surrender to God, because when we do not do that, it becomes god in our head. And that leads to pride and many other sins. So, when our mind is thinking thoughts that are not of God, we have to surrender it to God or submit our thoughts to God; then we will know the will of God, the purpose of God, and the wisdom of God.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NLT)
We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
In other words, “Lord, if there are any thoughts that are not of you, and are disobedient to you, take these thoughts to make them obedient to you, Jesus.” Listen, my friends, God has given us spiritual weapons that are available to every believer, and they have the power to align our thoughts with Christ's teachings. But you have to submit to God and surrender your thoughts.
Ephesians 4:25-26 (ESV)
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
Now, remember that this is talking to the Christians inside the church, right? But this is also about any kind of relationship. Furthermore, the phrase “do not let the sun go down on your anger,” or “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,” is commonly used in marriage counseling.
I want to touch on in verse 26, it says, “Be angry.” But Pastor Joseph, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 tells us this.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV)
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
But now you're telling us that we should “Be angry?” So, what kind of anger is Paul talking about?
John 2:13-16 (ESV)
The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” [or den of robbers]
Pastor Joseph, this seems like Jesus is pretty angry here. Yes, this is called “righteous anger when appropriate.” Remember, Jesus was grounded in Scripture and not sentiment, right? It wasn’t about feelings but doing what is right in God’s eyes. Remember, this is the same Jesus who played with children and gently talked with a Samaritan woman, who was hated by others. So, Jesus, with righteous anger, was a complete Jesus because he fought against sin, oppression, and injustice. When there was an abuse in God’s house, Jesus responded with righteous anger.
These people were turning the Holy temple, a sacred place, into a commercial place, and Jesus was angry and told the money changers and merchants that you turned the temple into a “den of robbers.” So, there will be times to be nice and times not so nice, especially when it comes to things inside the church. More so, when people manipulate the Word of God and turn it into their own meaning. God is especially angry with those people.
So, pastor Joseph, how does this relate to marriage or relationships about “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry?" A marriage is a union with two sinners, right? Because it is a union of two sinners, a marriage should be a union of two forgivers for believers.” Now, having two forgivers is good because you're both in the same union with the same Spirit, the same Jesus, and the same God the Father. So, make sure to pray for one another at the end.
I remember one time when I must have done something to make Jackie angry, and we had set up a time to pray together. Jackie started praying first, telling God everything about me, and I was sitting right in front of her, holding her hands. She was telling God all the things I said were hurting her feelings, and I had no idea I was doing that. And then it was my turn to pray. I said something like, “God, please forgive me for what I was saying to my wife. I didn’t realize that what I said was hurtful. Lord, I pray that she will forgive me for my words.” And I think that night, we had our second child.
That’s the power of “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” When you do this, you will not give any power to the devil.
Ephesians 4:27 Ampified Bible
And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness].
In other words, do not give Satan any room, or any opportunity, for our flesh to be weak, but let God be greater and our flesh decrease. When you allow the devil to plant a seed, and then you cultivate it or water it (holding a grudge, nurturing anger, harboring resentment, cultivating bitterness), even when it happens in your mind, the devil sees that as an opportunity to let it grow. And that unrighteous anger will turn into bitterness and the hardening of the heart.
Ephesians 4:28-29 (NLT)
If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
So, if you don’t take off your old clothes, and you stay angry with bitterness, and you steal, use foul and abusive language, and are not good or helpful or are not an encouragement, then verse 30 will happen.
Ephesians 4:30 (NLT)
And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
In other words, do not “grieve the Holy Spirit.” God is grieved when His children refuse to change from their old ways. The third person of the Trinity can experience grief. As a believer and follower of Christ, when you and I sin, we actually grieve one of the persons of God. So, what does that mean? It means that the Holy Spirit is a person who cares deeply about us, does not want you and me to continue to sin, because we are “sealed for the day of redemption.” Remember, it is the Holy Spirit who is the guarantor of eternal redemption in Christ for those who believe in Him.
Ephesians 1:13 (NLT)
And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.
So grieving the Holy Spirit involves actions contrary to God’s holiness because we are His children. That’s why Paul tells us that we need to live a life worthy of the calling, emphasizing unity, purity, and love. Listen, God is not asking us to be perfect. He simply wants us to get our hearts right with Him.
It is just that when we grieve the Holy Spirit, it hinders our spiritual growth. Our growth becomes weak and fragile and can break. There is nothing that is strong and enduring that will hold us together. And one of the biggest consequences of “grieve the Holy Spirit” is that our fellowship with God is dramatically reduced. Our prayer life becomes less powerful. Our desire to know Him more becomes absent. And eventually, it will all lead to “I don’t care,” and you start putting on your old clothes again.
Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT)
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander (gossip), as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
In Christ, our new outfit will exhibit new habits.
So, what would a new spiritual habit look like?
One day, I got into a big argument with one of my older brothers. He was married with kids, and I was married with kids. Long story short, he blamed me for his business failure. He called a police officer on me and accused me of stealing something of his. And then he also called a lawyer on me and tried to sue me. I am his blood brother, but he was destroying my life. The anger and bitterness were so strong that I had a very hard time praying and especially reading the Word of God. I cultivated my anger, watered it, and nourished my bitterness, so that even during prayer, I asked God to give my brother a lesson by having a lighting come down on his car.
In traditional Korean culture, the younger one, even if it is not their fault, is to apologize to the older brother. I was the youngest of six, and when I was younger, I obeyed my mother and always apologized, but this time I was very stubborn and unwilling because I felt I was old enough to stand my ground. I did not want to, nor did I apologize. I had a hardened heart.
One day, I was in the Word of God, and it said this.
Mark 11:24-25 (NLT)
I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.
I had a business at the time, so I was excited to ask God to bless it. I prayed fervently for God to give me lots of money, so I could build God’s church. I had a non-profit organization called Church Builders International, which, through tithing, I used to build churches in third-world countries. So, I prayed for a much larger profit margin to build churches around the world. But then, I never finished reading the next verse; I just stopped at verse 24. Then one day, I decided to read the next verse.
Mark 11:25 (NL T)
But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”
God was telling me, “I have forgiven you for all of your sins; will you not forgive your brother?” So, I started praying a blessing for about 10 seconds. Then, later, it started being 30 seconds. Then each day it started to be more like a few minutes, and eventually became more and more with a genuine heart for my brother. What did I pray for? A prayer of blessing.
“Heavenly Father, I lift up my brother to you. Lord, I pray that my brother will encounter Jesus personally. Lord, I pray that he will know you and receive you. I pray that more than being reconciled back with me, he would be reconciled with Christ. I love my brother, and my heart aches that he doesn’t know you. So, Father, I pray for your hand of blessing upon him. May you bless him abundantly with your grace and love. May you pour out your peace when he is faced with challenges in his life, and may he look to you to find that peace. [Then I would pray for his wife and his children.]”
The prayers would last a long time because, when I started praying for a blessing upon him, God began to soften my hardened heart and help me genuinely care for him. Then one day in the middle of the summer, God moved my prayer to action, and I intentionally sought after him personally. “Brother, I am here to seek your forgiveness.” I went down on my knees, knowing what was to come. You see, in my family, I had personally witnessed what forgiveness looked like. My oldest brother beat the daylights out of my other brother, and I even saw his tooth flying out of his mouth. So, I knew that when you sought your older brother’s forgiveness, the same would come to me. I went down on my knees, ready to receive the blow.
However, he left the area and came back with a bamboo sword like the weapons you would use for “kendo” or “kumdo.” These were weapons against opponents with full armor. It was in the middle of summer, and I only had a T-shirt, shorts, and sandals. No winter coats or long pants to take the blow. So, I prayed for two things.
“God, please make sure that he doesn’t hit me in the head. But most importantly, I pray that his heart will be at peace with you.”
That was it. I did not want him to hit me on the head with that weapon, but more importantly, that he would know you to have that peace in his life. Praise God that he didn’t hit me on the head. After exhausting himself from beating me up, he said, “I forgive you.” I got up, bowed and thanked my brother, and left. What is interesting is that I never experienced any pain. I believe the Holy Spirit protected me.
Years later, he would look for me because there was a message that I needed to deliver to him. He came to my office, and I said, “For years, you put God in the back seat, and you drove the car. But, now God wants you to be in the back seat so that you can have peace, and that God Himself will be in the front seat.” He broke down and started to cry. I knew that the Lord was opening his heart and was preparing him for salvation. “Brother, do you want to accept Jesus Christ today?” He responded, “Yes.” This time, he went on his knees, and I placed my hand upon his head, and that night, my older brother accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
Question: Is there a new spiritual habit that you can develop?
For me, my new spiritual habit was to pray for blessings when I have a conflict with another brother or sister in Christ. This new habit was formed out of a very difficult situation in my life. God taught me to “bless” someone when someone tries to hurt you or even harm you. It is not easy, but this is my new spiritual habit.
What is yours?
Posted in Weekly Devotional