NOTE: As we continue our studies in the New Testament book of Ephesians, read and meditate throughout the week on the text for the upcoming Sunday's sermon. There is no better preparation for hearing the teaching of God's Word than prayerfully reading the Scriptures and asking God that "the eyes of your heart may be enlightened" (Ephesians 1:18).

This week we are focusing on Ephesians 4:17-24, the text Pastor Jeff Walser will teach from on Sunday, December 26.

¹⁷So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. ¹⁸They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

 ²⁰You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. ²¹Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. ²²You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Futility of thinking? Darkened understanding? This definitely isn't the kind of text you'd expect four days before Christmas! But, as we continue in our study of Ephesians, these verses remind us of why Jesus had to come: only He could renew the life-link to God that was lost in the Garden of Eden.

These verses also point us toward the end of 2010. Almost as soon as the gifts are opened, and while the tree and outdoor lights are still glowing, our world will begin to turn its attention to the possibilities of a new year.

With the hope of a clean slate and an opportunity to try, once again, to defeat bad habits and be more productive, people will at least plan to be better, eat healthier, and work harder.

It is in that ambitious season that we find ourselves at something of a turning point in Ephesians. Paul has concluded his primary doctrinal teaching (chapters 1-3), issued a call for unity in the church (4:1-16), and now begins some specific instruction in how we live out this truth on a day-to-day, hour-by-hour basis. Here, Paul gets to the heart of how very much different life alive in Christ looks from life dead in sin.

Throughout this week, we'll look at some of the specifics of these verses, but today, simply let the truth of God's word affirm the reality of your new life in Christ--a reality that transforms Christmas and a reality that, if we allow it, will change us entirely--from the inside out.

Father,

Thank You that You made everything new for me--giving me a new purpose for living. Thank You that You made possible a whole new way of life. Help me to live today in light of that "new me" and to embrace all you have for me to do and to be. Help me to let go and allow Your Spirit to work more freely and transform me more completely.

This week we are focusing on Ephesians 4:17-24, the text Pastor Jeff Walser will teach from on Sunday, December 26. Today we are reading from the New Living Translation

 ¹⁷With the Lord's authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. ¹⁸Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. ¹⁹They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

 ²⁰But that isn't what you learned about Christ. ²¹Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, ²²throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. ²³Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. ²⁴Put on your new nature, created to be like God--truly righteous and holy.

If the very direct and plain words of verses 17-19 don't overwhelm you, try replacing the term "Gentiles" with another group. For example, "Live no longer as people of this world do..." or "Live no longer as most Americans do..." Try it and see if anything new jumps out of this text for you.

Paul used the term Gentiles here to mean Gentile unbelievers--what these members of the early church were before they received new life in Christ.

Reflect on Paul's picture of what we were without Christ--confused, in darkness, wandering, ignorant, closed-minded, shameless, living for lust-driven pleasure, impure. Not a pretty picture--and yet, Paul felt the need to employ the highest possible authority to remind his readers to turn away from the garbage heap that had been their lives.

"Don't imitate dead people--not in your thinking or in your actions," he says.

We might wonder why he had to speak so strongly about something so obvious--except for the fact that we too often need that same instruction.

Father,

Use Paul's sad and ugly picture to remind me of who I was without Christ and how you have rescued me. Right now I give my attitudes and thoughts over to You, to be renewed by Your Spirit and guided by the truth of Your Word. Thank you that I have been raised from the dead--and in place of a decaying corpse and a dulled mind, I have been made ALL NEW in You.

This week we are focusing on Ephesians 4:17-24, the text Pastor Jeff Walser will teach from on Sunday, December 26. Today we are reading from the New Living Translation

 ¹⁷With the Lord's authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. ¹⁸Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. ¹⁹They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

 ²⁰But that isn't what you learned about Christ. ²¹Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, ²²throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. ²³Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. ²⁴Put on your new nature, created to be like God--truly righteous and holy.

The beauty of our extended study in Ephesians is that we are able to see Paul's teaching in its context, aware of what has gone before and able to look back to the teaching that forms the basis--the why and the how--of each verse that follows.

As we come to verses 21 and 22, it's particularly useful to remind ourselves of the radical change Jesus made in our lives when we came to Him in faith.

Take the time to look back at Ephesians 2:1-3, where we are reminded of what we were rescued from! We weren't just hindered or weakened by sin, but we were dead in our sin before we came to Christ. He freed us from slavish obedience to the evil one--the commander of the evil powers in this world.

We were rescued, and we were changed. So, Paul says in today's text, "since you have already put off the old nature and put on the new, don't stop there--go ahead and put away the practices that went along with that old life.

Put off that rotten old garment with the stink of death on it, and enjoy your new nature--recreated in God's own image. And enjoy the smell of those fresh clean clothes!  

Father,

Thank You for sending Your Son into my world--to be that Baby who would be You in human flesh, born to live among people like me and then to die as my Perfect Sacrifice. I praise You for Your grace and mercy, and for Your plan to rescue me and give me new life in You. Keep this gift of grace, mercy, and love in my thoughts today and in every part of my Christmas.

This week we are focusing on Ephesians 4:17-24, the text Pastor Jeff Walser will teach from on Sunday, December 26.

¹⁷So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. ¹⁸They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

 ²⁰You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. ²¹Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. ²²You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Have you noticed as we're read these end-of-year verses how much they focus on the mind? Look back over today's text and note all the words that refer to mental processes. Note how Paul contrasts the futile thinking, darkened understanding, ignorance, and lust with a new attitude of our minds that has been made possible in Christ.

God has given us a whole new way of thinking. Interestingly, there are few settings where that "new thinking" is more clearly illustrated than in our celebration of Christmas--the holiday that is now being nearly universally celebrated across the United States. It is celebrated by some as the time when God became man, when Jesus came to Earth, and when He was born as a baby in Bethlehem. It is celebrated by many others, who may be upstanding people and aware of the Bethlehem story, but who mark this day and the surrounding season as a time of working hard to create perfect family moments, extravagant (and even unaffordable) gift giving, eating, drinking, and having a good time.

This year, can we take a conscious step of giving God a central place in our Christmas? Let's live no longer as the unbelieving Gentiles, but, as the NLT states in verse 23, "let the Spirit renew our thoughts and attitudes."

Let's enjoy our family moments, gifts, and treats, but keep central in our minds the Father in heaven Who sent His beloved Son to Earth as the very best Gift we could receive.

Jesus came to rescue us from slavery and death, and to open the door to a radical new way of thinking and living--and a new way of celebrating Christmas.

Father,

Help me today to fill my mind with Your truth, Your attitudes, and Your love for the people around me. Thank You for Your Spirit Who makes it possible for me to do what I can't do on my own. Transform my Christmas through a growing awareness of the real reason for joy today--the reality of Your loving gift of salvation in Christ to all who will believe.

Amen

This week we are focusing on Ephesians 4:17-24, the text Pastor Jeff Walser will teach from on Sunday, December 26. Today we are reading from the New Living Translation

 ¹⁷With the Lord's authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. ¹⁸Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. ¹⁹They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

 ²⁰But that isn't what you learned about Christ. ²¹Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, ²²throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. ²³Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. ²⁴Put on your new nature, created to be like God--truly righteous and holy.

Tomorrow is the day we set aside to remember the Baby of Bethlehem. You may even be planning to attend one of the Christmas Eve services where He will be worshiped, honored and praised. So how appropriate it is that today we focus on the words of verse 24--a verse that describes who we are and how we have been transformed in Christ. Because Jesus Christ came into our world and set in motion a plan of redemption everything changed for us, including who we are at our very core!

What do we learn here about our new selves? That these new natures were created to be like God--truly righteous and holy: Not righteousness and holiness we strive for, but gifts we are given as part of who we are and what we have in Christ.

They are gifts motivated by amazing grace. In the words of Ephesians 2:8-10, "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago" (NLT).

Father,

You have created me all new--no shoddy workmanship or patched together self-improvement plan. Help me to grow into my new clothes--to think and speak and act in ways that reflect what You have done in my life and how you continue to grow me through Your Spirit and the truth of Your Word. Help me today to know you better and to serve You more. Thank You!

Amen