Living as the New You (Part 1 of 2)

Context: Equipping Saints for Ministry

We've examined how every Christian is called to minister to one another. The apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers equip the saints for the work of ministry. Too often, people view church as a service to enjoy, but there's work to be done—and it's everyone's task.

Sin hinders the body of Christ from protecting one another in doctrine, theology, and holiness, creating a safe environment for all. If sin is the greatest hindrance to ministry, we must learn not to walk as the world walks—not to live, behave, or think as unbelievers do.

We didn't learn Christ by acting like non-Christians; we learned Him through the gospel. There must be a fundamental difference in how we live compared to the world, which lives in the futility of their minds—pointless thoughts leading to pointless living.

This isn't about a secular-sacred divide. The key is doing everything—sports, school, work, relationships—as a Christian, not like an unbeliever. Some activities must cease because they can only be done as an unbeliever. Most activities aren't sinful in themselves; the difference is how we engage in them.

Putting Off the Old Self, Putting On the New

The big idea is putting off the old self—the unbeliever version of you, before Christ—and putting on the new self, purchased by Christ's blood. Live to benefit your spiritual walk and the lives of those around you. Nothing we do as Christians benefits only us; it overflows to others.

There's no such thing as rogue Christianity—just you and Jesus. Christ purchased us to bless others. Paul caps this in Ephesians 4:25-32, giving tools to put off the old us and put on the new, exciting us to see ourselves as more holy individuals.

We already have this new self; we just need to live as it.

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. 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. 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. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
—Ephesians 4:25-32 (ESV)

An Extreme View on Christian Living

This passage details how we should speak, feel, and behave—in a radical, extreme degree. It covers speech, emotions, and actions so thoroughly that even joking negatively about others is challenged. Joking has its place, but God won't commend us for mocking more.

The emphasis is joking, speaking, feeling, and behaving as Christians, not like unbelievers walking in darkness. Don't learn from their experiences or thoughts. God equips us with the Holy Spirit's power to think, speak, and act rightly.

The old you is self-centered, with you at the center of your reality. The new you is saved by grace, focused on God's glory, your sanctification, and others' well-being. The camera of your life shifts from filming only you to focusing on God and His people.

Speaking Truth: Put Away Falsehood

"Putting away falsehood" echoes "put off the old self." Falsehood is more than lying—it's living as an unbeliever when God has declared you righteous as Christ. That's a lie about who you are.

Speak truth to your neighbor—live as a Christian among Christians and the world. Don't hide your identity for acceptance or popularity. Living below your blood-bought identity—as predestined children of God, heirs with Christ—is futile.

Truth includes not speaking verbal lies, but mainly: stop living as a non-Christian. If you were a drunkard, stop drinking; you're now a child of God. Stop fornication, contempt, or any old sin—it's a lie against your new righteous standing.

You are created after God's likeness in true righteousness and holiness. Living as the new you is living as the true you—godly, imitating God, especially in righteousness and holiness.

Righteous Anger: Do Not Sin

Sincere, righteous anger exists, like Jesus cleansing the temple or rebuking Pharisees. But anger must not lead to sin, or you give Satan a foothold—a place to live and influence you.

The greatest advice: Don't sin. Be angry at sin—always hate it—but control it. Men often respond to wrongs with thoughts of harm; women with bitterness. Don't let anger linger; reconcile quickly, especially in marriage. Don't let the sun go down on your anger.

Honest Work: From Taking to Giving

The old self focuses on gaining. The new self works honestly to have something to share. It's more blessed to give than to receive. Let the thief no longer steal, but labor to bless others.

Honest Work and Sharing

Live rightly, live truthfully, have control over your emotions, and don't give the devil a foothold in your life. Work hard, doing honest work. This isn't just about climbing the corporate ladder to become a CEO making millions to fund the ministry. That's fine if it happens, but the emphasis is on work of righteousness. When you give, you're sharing out of concern for others' spiritual needs, supplying their physical needs because you care most about their spiritual well-being.

Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit

Don't steal, work hard, share, and don't grieve the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for "grieve" means to make someone sad, like the death of a loved one. It also means not to vex or irritate the Holy Spirit through sinful activity or living in the old you.

Recognize: "Don't grieve the Holy Spirit, with whom you are sealed for the day of redemption." Don't live counterintuitively, grieving the Holy Spirit who guarantees your salvation in Ephesians 1. This should pierce the hearts of genuine Christians who value God. The worst concept is saddening or irritating the Holy Spirit by our sin.

God is holy, and the Holy Spirit's name emphasizes holiness, so sin offends Him especially. Our generation worries more about offending people than the Holy Spirit, but nothing escapes His sight. Every sin grieves Him. You're already redeemed and sealed, but this points to full redemption when you're completely freed from sin. Don't grieve Him with sin.

Putting Off Bitterness, Wrath, and Abusive Speech

Paul combines attitude and speech, addressing bitterness—emotions like the world's that lead to it. Hebrews warns that a root of bitterness in one person defiles many. A bitter person in the church brings corruption to the rest. Don't be bitter at the world, the president, individuals who've offended you, your workplace, or even a cocky basketball player. Don't let it lead to wrath.

Wrath is acting on built-up anger. God has righteous wrath from His justice and holiness—He's not a bully. But when we sinfully act on anger, it becomes sinful wrath.

Throw away bitterness and wrath. Clamor is angry shouting—no reason to yell angrily at anyone. Then, corrupting speech: avoid crude jesting, perverted jokes, worldly humor. Mainly, don't let anger lead to abusive speech that tears people down. Words become instruments of death. Better to be stoned than face abusive speech.

James emphasizes controlling the tongue. Don't blaspheme those made in God's image—it's like insulting a painting in God's art gallery. Nobody would do that.

The old you is ugly: chewing people out, always bitter, a cosmic killjoy. No fun, only tearing down to elevate self. View the old you as God does—ugly.

Putting On Compassion and Forgiveness

The new you is compassionate, with a constant attitude of forgiveness. Its trump card is God's total forgiveness of you, trumping every circumstance.

Matthew 6:15: "If you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

This doesn't mean losing salvation if you don't forgive. Jesus shows the new you: always serving, considering God's forgiveness first. Out of brokenness for what God forgave, you're compelled to forgive every time, no matter what.

It seems impossible without starting with God's total forgiveness—past, present, future. Such a person is attractive, trustworthy with your weaknesses. Their immediate reaction is forgiveness. Be that person; you'll never lack friends in the church. It frees you for joy, unable to hold grudges, only forgiving from God's abundance.

I counseled a woman for a year whose husband was constantly unfaithful. Friends urged divorce, but she focused on being a godly wife to glorify God, representing the gospel. Out of her forgiven conscience, she forgave grave sins. They're still together.

Living the New Life

Living the new life means learning what God says about us in Christ. Redeem emotions with the gospel. Don't give in to stealing; be hard workers concerned for others. Control speech, care what the Holy Spirit thinks, and live in total compassion and forgiveness. That's a beautiful new you.