(17) This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, (18) having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; (19) who, being past feeling, having given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.  (20) But you have not so learned Christ, (21) if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:  (22) that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts, (23) and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, (24) and that you  put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul. In our verses today Paul moves to address the transformation in behavior the gospel ought to yield in the lives of Christians. They should no longer walk as the unbelieving Gentiles walk – those who think and live without any regard for God and eternity.  They live in this fleeting world and culture “in the futility of their mind”.

With sin came darkness of the mind and alienation from God.  Unbelievers walk in darkness and are spiritually dead in sin. Their ignorance which Paul calls vanity, is in man’s very nature after the sin of Adam and Eve.  In man’s rebellion to God, he is past feeling, unmoved, with no shame and no guilt – and forsaken by God.  A changed life begins by learning Christ and the significance of what He did on the cross as substitute for sinners  – by learning the history of God and man; not just facts but that the moment of faith in Christ is the moment of salvation.  The truth of salvation is only in Jesus Christ.  We are not saved by a philosophy of redemption but by the historic person, Jesus.   The gospel is rooted in history and the person of Jesus.  if He did not die and rise bodily from the dead we are still in our sin with no hope at all.

in faith we are born again and are able  – and want to – deny self and put off the nature we were born with – the old man.  We are to put on the new man; to be renewed and guided by the indwelling Spirit.  Our changed life begins by learning Christ  – we are in faith “positionally” in Christ and are saved but still we daily exist living in this present world and what that entails – the daily tug from our old life.  A changed life requires putting on the new man.  We did at the moment of faith but must continue doing so every day – it’s called sanctification

God is the creator and pattern  of this new man.  And the righteousness and the holiness of this new man ought to be sincere – God  cannot  be deceived.

,