Eternity Daily Bible Study No. 246

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Living In Christ – 7

PUTTING ON THE NEW MAN

Ephesians 4:20-24
(20)  But you have not so learned Christ,
(21)  if indeed you have heard Him and were taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus.
(22)  For you ought to put off the old man (according to your way of living before) who is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
(23)  and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
(24)  And you should put on the new man, who according to God was created in righteousness and true holiness.

Firstly, the convert to Christ is a person who learns from Christ, who is taught by Him, who hears Him, and knows His Master’s voice, and learns the truth that is in Jesus, from Jesus.

Secondly, the convert to Christ is a new man, with a new self created in righteousness and holiness and must put off the sinful ways of the person he was prior to conversion.

We are all disciples of Christ. According to Paul we learned Christ, heard Him, were taught by Him and have discovered the truth that is in Him. (V. 20,21 above).

Christ is our Teacher, our master and our discipler. “Matthew 23:10
(10)	Nor be called teachers, for One is your Teacher, even Christ.”

God teaches us, through the Bible, through the renewed conscience, and through Christ who dwells in us. The new self, is teachable and hungry for truth and wisdom. And this new self is instructed by God. 

1 John 2:27
(27)  But the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true and no lie, and as He has taught you, abide in Him.

Our inner instructor, this anointing, that teaches us Christ, does not teach us “greed, lust and uncleanness” (Eph 4:19,20) rather it teaches us to be righteous and holy.

Learning Christ is much more than learning a gospel outline. Rather it is learning to “obey all that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20) including how to live out the Sermon On The Mount, how to love difficult people, how to pray and how to live a holy life in God.

Thus putting on the new man means adopting a holy and righteous lifestyle that is consistent with the new self, the new creation, made in holiness and truth.

This new self is variously said to be  “born of God” and “born from above”.  It is a new order of being that is Christ in us. The deep inner core of a born-again Christian is a new being of great holiness and purity, that is created by God.

The concept of a truly holy new creation explains the following puzzling verses from 1 John:
1 John 3:9
(9)  Everyone who has been born of God does not commit sin, because His seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
(see also 1 John 4:7;  5:1,4,18)

This new self, comes from an eternal and incorruptible origin, the seed of the Word of God.
1 Peter 1:23
(23)  having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the living Word of God, and abiding forever.

Thus for a born-again Christian the new man, the inner man is already holy and righteous and all the Christian has to do is to put him on. The old self, the old nature and the flesh are far from holy and war against this new nature. (Galatians 5;16-18). 

We have to put off this old nature, which is no longer “truly us” in an eternal sense and put on who we really are in Christ.

The key to this is “to be renewed in the spirit of your mind”. The spiritual alignment of the mind is critical. Where we set our mind makes all the difference.

Romans 8:5-6
(5)  For they who are according to the flesh mind the things of flesh, but they who are according to the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
(6)  For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace

How does Satan get our mind on his side of the fence? By deceiving us through our lusts and our inappropriate desires. If Satan can get us thinking greedy, lustful, scheming thoughts then he has us.

How do we get over to God’s side of the fence and life and peace? By prayerfully, carefully, deliberately setting our minds on the things of God. 

Now this does not mean that you abandon reality and go off to a monastery. That may help some people but it is a drastic solution. Rather you think about ordinary life in holy ways. You think honest, good, pure and diligent thoughts.

Paul gives his instructions for inner peace and life in Philippians 4:6-9

Philippians 4:6-9
(6)  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
(7)  And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
(8)  Finally, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things.
(9)  Do those things which you have also learned and received and heard and seen in me. And the God of peace shall be with you.

Put on a new mind, and a new man, and learn Christ in holiness and righteousness that you may dwell in life and peace.

Blessings,

John Edmiston johned@aibi.ph

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