Ephesians 4:17-24 - 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. 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. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

In Ephesians 4:17-24, Paul exhorts the Ephesian believers to no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds and the darkness of their understanding. He says that the Gentiles are alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance and hardness in their hearts. They have become callous and given themselves over to sensuality and impurity. But Paul reminds the Ephesians that this is not the way they learned Christ. Assuming they have truly heard and been taught by Jesus, they are to put off their old, corrupted self and former way of life. They are to be renewed in the spirit of their minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Paul is calling the Ephesians, and all believers, to a radical transformation - a complete putting off of the old sinful self and putting on of the new righteous self in Christ. This is not just about modifying external behaviors, but a deep inward heart and mind change. The old self is characterized by futile thinking, darkened understanding, ignorance, and hard-heartedness towards God. It is callous, greedy, impure and driven by deceitful desires. In contrast, the new self is created to be like God - truly righteous and holy. It involves a renewal of our minds and thought patterns. This putting off and putting on is something we must actively do, empowered by the truth of what we have learned in Jesus. It's a daily choice to die to sin and live to righteousness. But praise God, in Christ we are a new creation! The old has gone and the new has come. May we walk in the reality of this new life we've been given.

As believers in Jesus, we have been given an incredible gift - the gift of new life in Christ. The moment we put our faith in Him, we were born again and became a new creation. Our old self, enslaved to sin, was crucified with Christ. And we were raised to walk in newness of life, clothed in His righteousness. But as this passage in Ephesians shows us, there is still a putting off and putting on that needs to take place in our Christian walk. We have a new identity in Christ, but we must learn to live in alignment with that identity. We must actively choose to take off the grave clothes of our old life and put on the glorious garments of holiness. This is a process of renewing our minds with the truth of who we are in Christ. It's rejecting the futile, darkened ways of thinking that characterized our life before Jesus. It's being transformed by His Word and His Spirit within us. It's guarding our hearts from callousness and instead cultivating tender responsiveness to God. As we do this, as we work out the salvation that God has worked in us, our lives start to look more and more like Jesus. The righteousness and holiness that are ours positionally in Christ start to become our lived reality. We experience more and more of the abundant life Jesus came to give us. But let's be honest - this putting off and putting on is not easy. Our old sinful patterns and habits can feel ingrained. The pull of temptation and the deceitfulness of sin still wage war against our souls. It takes diligence, perseverance and full reliance on the Holy Spirit's power. That's why Paul's reminder is so important - this is not the way we learned Christ. In Jesus, we have been taught a different way, a better way. His truth sets us free from the futility and impurity of our former life. His grace empowers us to walk in the good works He has prepared for us. So let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, living as the new creations we are in Christ. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come! May we embrace the new life we have in Him, putting off the old and putting on the new, for His glory.

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the incredible gift of new life in Christ. Thank You that the moment we believed, we became a new creation. The old passed away and the new came. We are no longer slaves to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Forgive us for the times we continue to live as if the old self is still alive. Forgive us for not fully embracing the righteousness and holiness that are ours in Christ. Help us to put off the old self with its corrupt desires, and to put on the new self, created to be like You. Renew our minds with Your truth. Transform our thinking so that it is in alignment with our new identity in Christ. Guard our hearts from callousness and fill us with Your Spirit of tenderness and responsiveness to You. Give us the diligence and perseverance to work out our salvation, knowing that it is You who works in us to will and to act according to Your good purpose. Strengthen us to throw off every hindrance and sin. Empower us to walk in the good works You have prepared for us. Thank You that Your grace is sufficient for every step of this journey. Thank You that as we fix our eyes on Jesus, He will perfect the good work He began in us. Use our lives to bring glory to Your great name. In Jesus' mighty name we pray, Amen.