Ephesians 4:17-19 V. 17. Emphatically: I say, testify in the Lord – in Christ’s authority: “you must not live like Gentiles pagans any longer.” Do not to fall back into the way of thinking and behavior of your former life.

Sin rules the lives of those outside of Christ • Their minds are futile, their understanding darkened • Their lives are alienated from the life of God • Their senses are dulled and calloused • They are in ignorance because their hearts are hardened Sin has corrupted the whole of their lives.

Futility of their minds – their pursuits are pointless, futile, worthless. -Wealth, Materialism, Religions are empty and hopeless. These things promise fulfillment but they cannot deliver. They are futile, folly. Only Jesus Christ has the remedy for sin. Only he can fulfill / human flourishing.

V. 18. “darkened in their understanding” Their mind-set has been drastically affected (v. 17b).They are blind to the truth. They are alienated from God because of their ignorance of him.

Romans 1 – mankind’s problem is not that he does not know enough about God, it is that he ignores what he knows about God. Man is culpable for this.

V. 19. They have become calloused, “lost sensitivity”. Sin has a dulling effect. You cannot excuse your own sin. It hardens your heart. Given themselves to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. (No shame for themselves, no respect for others, not restrained by morality)

Ephesians 4:20-24 Vv. 20-21. ‘You did not learn Christ that way’ - the difference is stark. – ‘to learn a person’ is without parallel V. 21. They heard about him and were taught in him. They didn’t just receive Jesus, they accepted the disciples’ teaching about him and his salvation.

Vv. 22-24 The Content of This Christian Instruction (21) • Put off – your old, corrupt self (22) • Be renewed – in the spirit of your minds (23) • Put on – the new self created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (24)

Putting off and putting on is a word picture for the transformation of believers. • But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and do not make provision for the desires of the flesh. (Romans 13:14) • knowing this, that our old man was crucified together with him, in order that the body of sin may be done away with, that we may no longer be enslaved to sin. (Romans 6:6)

V. 23. Paul does not stop with ‘quit living the old life.’ God’s work in us is to renew our minds to live new lives to reflect God’s image.

Renewed / Reformed / Transformed Renewal occurs in the sphere of ‘the spirit of your mind’ – in the inner being. • and have put on the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created him, (Colossians 3:10) • ‘Be transformed by the renewal of your mind’ (Rom. 12:2b)

Renewal is by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. • he saved us, not by deeds of righteousness that we have done, but because of his mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit, (Titus 3:5)

Renewal is a cooperative effort • Therefore my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For the one at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure, is God. (Philippians 2:12-13)

V. 24. God is both the author of this new work. He is the pattern or model also. God is making us righteous and holy because he is righteous and holy.

Believers are to become what they are in Christ.

The condition of Gentiles outside of Christ • blind to the truth • alienated from God • abandoned to all kinds of degrading sins

The condition of those in Christ • ongoing transformation of the mind • leads to just and holy living • reflects the character of God