Killing sin with both barrels: How the Spirit and the gospel mortify sin, Part II Ephesians 4:17-5:2
We
have been in a series in Genesis learning of the great themes of Genesis and
how these themes which are established in the very beginning of the bible are
key themes throughout the entirety of scripture. We have seen that the center of all creation
is God himself. That he made all things
to express his infinite goodness and greatness, what we call his glory. We learned that he set mankind over his creation
as his image bearers, to rule over and enjoy his creation in intimate relation
with him. We also learned about the
terrible turn of events in the garden paradise where mankind forfeited the
blessings of God’s plan for the lie of a life lived independently from
God. We have learned that this decision,
to rebel against God and be our own God corrupted God’s original creation and
caused us to inherit a sinful disposition that results in sinful actions. So, we have taken a little detour to better
understand this state of sin we find ourselves in. And, in seeking to understand sin we have
found it so helpful and important to consider the cure for sin God has
provided. So, we are addressing sin and
it’s cure. In particular, we are seeing
how the gospel of Christ and the Spirit of God are like two barrels of a
shotgun that when aimed at sin are able to kill this monster. Last time we looked at the Spirit of God’s
work in killing sin. How the Spirit
grants us freedom from sin by granting us the new birth and making us new
creations that now have a Spirit inspired desire to turn from sin and believe
the gospel thus receiving the solution for the penalty of sin, with this new
nature there is power to reject pride and independence and believe God and walk
in his righteous ways, thus dealing with the power of sin. And we learned that those with the Spirit
will live lives of rejecting sin and following Christ, thus dealing with the
presence of sin.
This morning we are going to focus on how the gospel of Christ
functions in our lives under to power of the Holy Spirit to help us eliminate
the presence of sin. So
let’s pray and then take a look at our text for this morning.
Ephesians 4:17-5:2 (ESV), “17 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. 18
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. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves
up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But
that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and
were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22
to put off your old self,
which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful
desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24
and to put on the new self,
created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore,
having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his
neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26
Be angry and do not sin; do
not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let
the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his
own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let
no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for
building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And
do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and
clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be
kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ
forgave you. 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved
children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant
offering and sacrifice to God. “
Paul has just spent 3+ chapters talking about the wonder of the gospel and its implications. He has spoken of the incredible mind blowing truth that God the Son died on the cross to pay for our sins. Not only that, but that he determined before time began to rescue you and me specifically from our sin and make us his own. Not only that, but that he would do this in such a way that all of creation, every inanimate atom and quark and planet and every spiritual being would all come under the rightful reign of this awesome Savior and would trumpet the glory of God and his marvelous gospel of grace. Not only that, but that God would do this through creating a new humanity in His Son who as an organic Spirit-born organized entity called the church would accomplish his awesome plans of filling the entire universe with the glory of Jesus Christ.
And now, he will spend 3 chapters getting into specifics of exactly how this will work. He is answering the old Monday morning question. Paul, that’s great that God has rescued me from my sin in Christ, it is great that he wants to glorify the Son, it is great that he has made the church as the means to accomplish his plans, but what does that mean to me on Monday morning? What does it look like practically? And I know many of you are asking the same questions. We know we sin. We know that there is a cure but what exactly does it look like? How do I get from the theoretical to the practical? Well, listen, believe and respond.
1.
The Gospel is
about Change
God cares very much about Monday morning. Nothing in God’s word is ever meant to be abstracted from what goes on Monday morning. For God, that is the chief arena where he wants all these cosmic sized truths to work themselves out in pint sized doses. So Paul begins this section by insisting that the Ephesians no longer live their Monday mornings like the Gentiles do. Why? Because they, the Ephesian church that is, have been changed as a result of the gospel. Look at verses 17 and 20. Paul is saying this old lifestyle is totally opposed to Christ. In other words, the gospel is not some theory, some abstraction, some detached event that occurred 20 or 2000 years ago. Although the gospel is objective and a reality that stands no matter how we think or feel about it, although this is true, the gospel message, the gospel truth changes lives. The truth of the gospel must result and does result in changed lives. The gospel is an objective truth that produces subjective change. The gospel is an immovable truth and an irrestible object in the hands of the Holy Spirit. It bowls over our lives and changes them forever. Not in theoretical ways, not in some pie in the sky ways, but in concrete specific and tangible ways. That is what this section is about. The gospel in the hands of the Holy Spirit results in changes, and if we are not experiencing change like we see in Ephesians 4 and 5, than we don’t know either the truth of the gospel or the ministry of the Spirit. The gospel brings change folks. Are you experiencing this change? I am confident that if you are a believer you are.
But how does it bring change you may ask? How does the Holy Spirit work change in our lives via the gospel? There are 4 ways the Spirit brings change through the gospel. And I believe these 4 ways are clear in this passage and clear via the rest of scripture. 1) Change comes when we meet Christ through the gospel. 2) Change comes when are minds are renewed by the gospel. 3) Change comes when are motivations are refreshed in the gospel. 4) Change comes when are mode of living comforms to the gospel. Meeting Christ, Minds Renewed, Motivation Changes and Modes Conformed by the Gospel. Let’s talk about each of these.
2.
We Change When we
Meet Christ Through the gospel
Paul says in this section that the Gentile way of thinking and
desiring and living is a marked contrast to how the Ephesians learned Christ,
assuming that they have heard about him and were taught in him. Learned, heard, taught are all what tense? That’s right, they are all past tense. Paul is assuming that they all have already
experienced something. They all have
learned and heard and been taught the truth.
But not just some theory but a truth that brings an encounter with a
person. Notice Paul says they learned
what? They learned Christ! They learned a person. This learning and hearing and teaching didn’t
result in mere knowledge but a life-changing encounter with a person. And not any old person but the person of
persons. Time magazine has its “Person
of the Year” every year, people like Winston Churchhill, John F. Kennedy,
Ronald Reagan, Martin Luther King. But
Jesus is no person of the year. He is
the person of the millennium, no the person of the ages, no the person of all
eternity. And these folks had an
encounter with the person Christ through the gospel by the Holy Spirit. And as a result they had already experienced
a change that turned their lives upside down.
Take time to study Ephesians and you can see some of the changes they
had already experienced. First and
foremost, their sins had been paid (Eph. 1:7), second they were adopted by God
himself (Eph. 1:5), next, they had been counted blameless before God (Eph.
1:4), next, they inherited every spiritual blessing imaginable (Eph. 1:3) and
as believers they experienced the monumental change of the promised Holy Spirit
indwelling and transforming them (Eph. 1:13-14). When they heard the gospel and turned from
their sin and put their faith in Jesus as the only Savior from their sin and
the only Lord of Life they were dramatically and permanently changed. They changed as they met Jesus through the
gospel. And whether you fully feel it or
not, if you are a believer you have already changed. You are already forgiven entirely, you are
already adopted fully, you are already counted blameless. This truth is so powerful we mustn’t miss
it. Your change has already
happened. If that weren’t true than I
would be wasting my breath trying to talk to you about any further change. You only care about what I’m saying because
there is something going on inside of you from God saying – “Yes! Yes, this is true and yes this is worthwhile
and yes follow it with all your heart!”
And furthermore, your ability to rest in what has already happened is
essential for you to progress further in living it out. If you are not resting in your current
forgiveness and adoption and acceptance in Christ than you will not be able to
grow accordingly. All your efforts will be legalism and dross before God. William Romaine, a Puritan pastor during the
Great Awakening has said, "No sin can be
crucified either in heart or life unless it first be pardoned in conscience....
If it be not mortified in its guilt, it cannot be subdued in its power."[1] So we change
when we meet Christ through the gospel.
3.
We Change As Our
Minds Are Renewed in the Gospel
Next, we change when are minds are renewed in the gospel. Look at what Paul says in verses 21-24. “21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” This putting off of the old gentile sinful ways and the putting on of the new self created in the Spirit is directly linked to having our minds renewed. It is not wonder for earlier in this section Paul says the reason the gentiles desire and do what they do is that their minds are ignorant, futile and darkened. So, conversely, if we want to walk in obedience we must think differently. We must have our minds renewed. I don’t think this means just any old information filling our minds. It isn’t saying we need to renew our minds by no longer thinking about sin but thinking about mathematics or classical music or TV trivia. What is the new content that is to fill our minds? That’s right – Christ and the gospel. Earlier in Ephesians 4 Paul addresses this directly. What is one of the key roles of pastors besides leading and protecting the sheep? Feeding them! When God wants to create a new humanity and see it grow he sets leaders over them and gives them people who will what? Teach and preach! Yes! Teach and preach what? Ephesians 4:15 explains the content of their teaching and even the content of our fellowship. What is it? The truth,that’s right. But specifically it is The Truth in Jesus – that is the gospel and all its implications. Listen folks, we renew our minds by filling them with gospel truth and displacing all the other contrary lies that are already there. This is essential to change. So how does it work? Well, exactly how it is working right now. You are listening to gospel truth preached. You are hearing the word read. You are receiving information about Christ and his ways. That is the first part. But there is more. We must renew our minds beyond 1 hour a week. We must continue to abide in the truth. So, as a church we make sermon notes and audio available online so we can relisten to the sermon and stew in the truths more. I would recommend you spend time this afternoon discussing these truths and how you might apply them. We also meet each week in small groups to fellowship around the Sunday sermon and other teaching. Let us do so not to merely fill our minds with information but to meditate on these truths and let them trickle down into all of our lives as we consider how, under the power of the Holy Spirit, we might apply these gospel truths.
4.
We Change As Our
Motivations Are Refreshed in the Gospel
So let’s continue to consider some gospel truths that we may
change. You see, as we consider the
gospel we will meet Christ, the gospel will renew our minds and we will receive
fresh Spirit inspired motivation. This
section of scripture is full of this.
First, there is the motivation of duty, an important aspect of love. Folks, there is nothing wrong with the
motivation of duty. Now we can abuse
this motivation if it becomes our only motivation or if it is shallow duty but
duty is appropriate motivation. This
section of scripture addresses our duty.
Paul calls the Ephesians to the duty of walking consistently with the
reality of their salvation. He says in
verse 17 – “ So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord,” (NIV). Paul is insisting the Ephesians must not live
as the Gentiles because they have learned the truth, they are not ignorant –
they know better. They know they have
been called to Christ and accordingly must walk according to their union with
Christ which means they must continue to put off the old man and put on the new
man. In our union with Christ, initiated
when we met him through the gospel, we died with him on the cross to sinful
ways, our old self was put to death and we were raised with him as well to new
life in the Spirit. Therefore folks, we
have a duty to our Lord – to walk accordingly and say no to sin and yes to Him
and his ways. If we don’t get this we
will always be waiting around to feel like following Christ and we will be
missing a key biblical motivation and a key aspect of biblical love – duty –
obligation to the truth as new creations in Christ. The gospel brings us fresh motivation – duty
is one of them. Folks, I hope we get
this. There are too many folks who have
ignored this valid motivation and have shipwrecked their lives. I think we see it most often in
marriage. Have you ever known someone
who has said, “I just don’t love him anymore.”
So often this is seen as a valid reason for divorce. I’m sure you know
friends like this. I do. Certainly we know celebrities who have said this, even
Christian celebrities. Certainly feelings
of love and desire are important motivations for marriage but duty is even more
fundamental. We make marriage vows, we
make a marriage covenant, we decide to love someone and give ourselves to them
and we follow through with our promises.
We understand duty intuitively.
If it wasn’t for duty we wouldn’t be here. The Savior was motivated by duty in the
Another motivation is seen at the end of this section. Verse 4:32-5:2 says, “32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Here Paul is providing fresh motivation via the gospel by reminding them of God’s love. This is a key motivation in scripture. 1 John 4:19 says “We love because he first loved us.” And 1 John 3:16 says, “ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” The knowledge of God’s love comes to us via the gospel. He loved us so much that even as rebels against him he sacrificed for us the most precious thing he had, his very Son. That is how much he loves us. The story is told of two brothers who were inseparable, Mike the 12 year old and his adoring 9 year old brother Pete. Near their house, back in the woods was a large sandpit. Mike and Pete loved to play off in the woods but their Mom had warned them not to play in the sand pits, for there were sink holes in some of the mounds and it was dangerous. Well, one day Mike and Pete were playing off in the woods and they saw a wild turkey over near the sandpit and chased it into the sand pit area. When they got there they were amazed at how large it was and how cool the sand hills were. Forgetting their Mom’s command they began to jump down the sides of the sand mounds. They were getting tired of it and almost ready to go home when they jumped together on their last hill. As they landed the ground gave way and they sunk. Well, around dinner time their Mom & Dad went looking for them. Finally, as it was getting dark, their Mom & Dad and half the neighborhood found Pete buried up to his neck in the sand. They were so glad to see him and went running to him. As they reached him they asked Pete, “Where is Mike?” Pete, through tears, said “Oh Mom and Dad, Mike saved me.” The parents said, “Where is he Pete?” “He’s right here, under me holding me up. I’m standing on his shoulders.” Mike had boosted Pete up on his shoulders as the sand came caving in. He gave his life to save Pete’s. Your brother Jesus gave his life to save yours. There is no greater love. “ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” The gospel brings fresh motivation to change.
5.
We Change As Our
M.O. Conforms to the Gospel
And finally, the gospel calls us to conform our mode of living to its glorious truth. Paul spends the bulk of this middle section talking about the nitty gritty of behavior in light of the gospel. Because we have died with Christ to sin and now live in the Spirit, because we have met him and we are his, as we continue to be renewed in our minds and refreshed in our motivations we are to live according to the gospel in our behavior. So, no more stealing, but instead, working and giving. No more lying but honesty. No more complaining or bickering or gossiping but helpful speech only. No more bitterness or anger or factions or slander but kindness, forgiveness and love. And the rest of the NT is chock full of similar commands that are consistent with a gospel centered life. We can always ask ourselves, “Is my behavior in keeping with the gospel?” Take any situation and this applies. For example, say you are struggling with just plain unhappiness or lack of contentment. Is that consistent with the gospel? No. Why? Well, on a number of fronts. First, if God himself gave his life for me and I am now reconciled to him what more should I be looking for? Isn’t discontentment a denial of the value of God’s love and my salvation? Next, isn’t my life not my own but belongs to Jesus and therefore to his people. Isn’t my life about living for others – Jesus first, others second and then me? Doesn’t the gospel call me to deny myself and follow Jesus. Isn’t my sense of contentment less important than following Jesus and serving him and others? Finally, for now, isn’t my discontentment a denial of God’s gospel promise to use everything for good for those who belong to Christ through the gospel? Aren’t I saying in discontentment, “God, you don’t know what you are doing!” or “God, you are a wimp and not in control of my circumstances.” [Worry?] Do you see how the gospel serves as the mirror to identify and correct our modes of living that are inconsistent with the gospel? As we see these things we are called to repent and by the power of the Spirit that is already in us, walk in obedience. We don’t wait to walk until we understand fully or feel fully – we walk according to what is already true and as we respond we seek to renew our minds in the gospel and refresh our motivations by the gospel.
The gospel is to continually serve as the chief weapon of our holiness. John Owen has said, “What, then, is holiness? Holiness is nothing but the implanting, writing and living out the gospel in our souls (Eph. 4:24).” [2]
May we walk according to the gospel by the power of the Spirit. The gospel is the means of change for the believer. Through the gospel, in the power of the Spirit, we meet Christ, we renew our minds, we refresh our motivations and we transform our mode of living. Let’s pray.
[1]
William Romaine – Via Jerry Bridges, “The quotation from William Romaine comes
from his The Life, Walk and Triumph of Faith (
© 2003, Modern Reformation Magazine, (May / June 2003 Issue, Vol. 12.3).
[2] John Owens, “The Nature of Sanctification and Gospel Holiness”