Ephesians 4:17-24. Yesterday’s reading ended with Paul encouraging each and every believer to do the part that God had designed them to do to help build up the “body of Christ”, their local group of believers. They were to “speak the truth in love” to each other so that they would all become mature and the church they were a part of would be mature too. WE also saw that this truth was being brought to them by four groups of people that God had given to them to help them learn that truth. All for were teachers of a sort but each group had their special focus. There were apostles, probably what we call missionaries today who go out and teach people getting them started as a group. There were prophets who’s teaching often focused on tuning up these groups and people helping them see problem areas in their relationships with God and what to do to make them better. The there were evangelists who’s teaching helps people find, and understand Jesus personally and get started as a part of God’s forever families. Finally there were pastor-teachers who would spend quite a bit of time with a particular group teaching them over the long haul.

Today Paul gets a little tough, maybe a little prophet coming out in him, he starts out with a pretty direct address it’s sort of “Hey listen up I have something to say, something that God and I think you need to do”. Sounds pretty serious to me. And what is it that they need to do? Don’t live your lives like the gentile live. He goes on to say that the (nonbelieving) gentiles were empty headed and as far as understanding life the “lights were off”. Because of this they, the nonbelieving gentiles, did not have a part in the new eternal relationship that God was offering. They didn’t have a part in God’s forever family because they were ignorant. The Greek word translated “ignorant” is “agnoia” we get the English word agnostic from it. In life there are many people who say they are athiests” they say there is no God (well they would probably use a little “g” since they don’t believe in any type of god). In truth the non-existence of God is impossible to prove because we don’t have full access to the universe and that access would have to be everywhere at the same time (otherwise God could play ultimate hide and seek with us and we wouldn’t be able to prove he existed), so if a person really wants to claim to be an atheist is has to be a decision based on faith not fact, they are religious. The best a person could honestly be, going in that direction, is agnostic, a person who says they don’t really know if God exists or not. They would claim to have never seen God but acknowledge that he could be out there somewhere they haven’t looked. In reality though God is there and there is evidence if we want to look at it honestly (See Romans 1:18-20 and also Romans 2:14-15). In Ephesians 4:18 we see that these people are ignorant because they want to be. It’s a heart thing, their hearts are hard toward God and so they pretend he doesn’t exist.

Unfortunately that sort of hard attitude toward God, denying the truth of his existence spreads in our lives. We become callous and unfeeling with respect to what is right an wrong, and start living lives that show we don’t care what God thinks. The word “sensuality” seems to indicate a sexual kinds of disobedience or disrespect toward God. In Romans 1:26-31 talks about the same sort of process and lists several types of sin there too. In verse 26 he clearly describes homosexuality as a result of the same type of denial of God. In Ephesians 4:18 this “sensuality” is called “uncleanness”. This is not talking about soap and water this is talking about “dirty” with respect to how God sees it. In the Law of Moses if a person sinned often they were called “unclean” and they staid that way until they went to the Temple and made certain offerings. The offering didn’t actually “clean them” and they weren’t actually “dirty”. It was symbolic language that they had done something offensive to God (unclean) and by making the required sacrifice they were showing that they agreed with God that they had done something wrong, they were then considered “clean”. The idea of greed here is more of the idea selfishness, it the idea of more but not necessarily stuff, it more of what ever I want. It’s like the girl in “Willie Wonka” she wanted more of this and that but it was really about of fulfilling her desires. Or it could be like petting a cat or dog no matter how much you pet they always seem to want more.

In verse 20 Paul tells them that that wasn’t what they learned when they heard about Jesus. In verse 21 when he says “if you have heard of him and been taught about him” he isn’t saying that they haven’t, it’s not like he is doubting that they are not believers but he is just putting a little question out there to make them think. There is away a possibility that there are a few who didn’t get the whole message. Many of these people had not been taught by Paul and there we plenty of false teachers out there. It’s good to check what we believe against the truth about God and Jesus. At the end of verse 21 Paul reminds them that it’s the truth about Jesus that is important. Mormons and Jehovah’s Witness claim to be Christians but their belief systems don’t match up with the Bible, those two groups especially deny who Jesus is (God almighty) and what he has done (paid the price to access Heaven for us). As we know the consequences of staying on the outside of God’s forever family are severe. We don’t want to miss out. But remember that Paul is talking about unity and using their many different gift together so that they each individually grow but also grow as a part of the team. Jesus was the ultimate team player. In Philippians 2:3-8 Paul tells the member of the church in Philippi not to be selfish and conceited but to be like Jesus who, even though he was God in Heaven, was willing to let go of control and become a servant of us by dying on the cross. He never stopped being God he just gave up control (See Luke 22:42). In this case that is the truth about Jesus that Paul wants them to focus on.

In verses 22-24 we see how this applies to them. Instead of living in the dark and following their selfish desires that make us useless and unacceptable (corrupt) Paul wanted them to take off that old self. They needed to let their minds be renewed. Although the spirit mentioned here is probably talking about heir inner being, we do know that the Holy Spirit has a big part in renewing our minds (Titus 3:5) and part of how the Holy Spirit does that is teaching us about Jesus (John 14:26). In verse 24 Paul continues the picture of taking clothes off and putting on different clothes when he tells them to “put on the new self”. This new self looks like God and is “created” in righteousness (the right way to live if you love God) and holiness (this word has the idea of being respectful of what God wants). Both of these parts of our new “clothes” are based on truth the one seems to stress outward actions and the other our attitude toward God.

Although nothing specific was mentioned by Paul as he began this letter it is clear that the gentile believers were have a bad time of it. In the beginning he talked a lot about power and how they were equal members in this new thing God was doing. He has talked a lot about how God was carefully putting all of the believers together and building a body, a temple and an house where he would be present. He talked a lot about each of those pieces contributing and of being united, a team with each part doing it’s part. He also has mentioned teaching and love. And always more of God’s power always guided by God knowledge of us and his ultimate plan. Here in today it seems like some of the gentile believers were starting to slip away, go back to their old habits. But God had a plan for them, they were part of his new family and part of his church that was going to show Jesus to the world. To them Paul says don’t be tricked put off that old useless self. Let the truth regenerate you minds and shine like Jesus both inside and out. It’s cool that God want to recreate us. It’s easy to slip away and forget how we have learned Jesus, to forget the truth about how he gave up so much to save us, to forget his example of love for God and love of others ahead of himself. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to continue to work in us, e need to listen when he helps us remember Jesus. We need to let him renew our minds and in that way be change inside and out into a people and a team that shows Jesus to the world.

God thank you for making me a part of your team. Thank you for living as Jesus as an example to us. Thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit renewing is every day. Help me put on that recreated me each day so the world can know Jesus. Help me, humbly do my part, be a part of your team the church. Bring many people to yourself.