Ephesians 4:17-24
Put On the New Self
17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
18They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.
19Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.
20But this is not the way you came to know Christ.
21Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him—in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus—
22to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23to be renewed in the spirit of your minds;
24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Berean Standard Bible
Paul insists that believers must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. He is not making an ethnic judgment about every non-Christian person. He is describing a way of life cut off from the life of God, with darkened understanding and a heart hardened against Him.
That old way produces ignorance, but it also produces a loss of sensitivity. People give themselves over to sensuality and pursue impurity with greed for more. Sin is not only a list of wrong acts; it can train a person to stop noticing the damage being done.
Paul says that this is not what believers learned when they came to Christ. They were taught to put away the former way of life, to be renewed in the spirit of their minds, and to put on the new self. The new self is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
The language of putting off and putting on suggests more than a moment of regret. A changed life requires an honest removal of the old pattern and a deliberate reception of a new identity that reflects God's character. The mind, desires, habits, and relationships all come into view.
Questions
1 What characterizes the way of life Paul tells believers to leave behind?
AnswerIt is separated from God's life, darkened in understanding, hardened in heart, and given over to impurity and greed.
2 What had the Ephesians learned when they came to Christ?
AnswerThey learned a different way of life centered on Christ, not the futile patterns they were leaving behind.
3 What does Paul say believers should do with their former way of life?
AnswerThey should put it away, allowing the spirit of their minds to be renewed rather than returning to old patterns.
4 What is the new self created to resemble?
AnswerThe new self is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, leaving behind the corruption and deceit of the former life.
What This Means for Us
Repentance is not merely feeling bad about yesterday. It means recognizing the pattern that has been ruling us, bringing it into the light, and learning a different way to live before God and other people.
Renewal also reaches the mind. We should ask what stories, habits, and assumptions have made sin seem normal, then let Christ teach us to see people and choices truthfully again.
Prayer
God, show us the patterns that make us less sensitive to sin and its harm. Renew our minds, help us put away the old self, and grow true righteousness and holiness in us. Amen.