Put On The New Man

Introduction

Disappointing news for you. That news is my mom’s better than your mom. I don’t have a lesson on Mother’s Day, but I did want to say a few comments about mothers. Selfishly, since this is my time, I’ll talk about my mother. Her friends called her Marie. My dad, because it annoyed her, called her Ree. My children called her grandma. But I was privileged to call her mom. You may think otherwise, but I had the best mom. The fact that I’m standing here is a testament to how wonderful my mother was. And I don’t just mean that she gave birth to me, but the fact that she didn’t kill me. Are my two equally rambunctious brothers? The testimony to her patience, her kindness, her sweetness, and her love.

Two requests of you on this Mother’s Day. Number one is if your mother’s still living, pick up the phone and call her. Number two, if she’s not, find a little quiet time today and reflect. Think about mom. The second thing, more important, is in your prayers today. As we’ve already done this morning, bow your head and thank God. Because it was God’s plan. It was God’s plan that there would be that loving mother who would give us life, give us love, and give us purpose. And so tell your mom you love her. And to the moms in our audience, we’re thankful for the good example that you give to all of us and the love that you extend, not just to your family, but to everyone.

But this morning we want to talk about being new and better people. If you have your New Testament, you might go with me. Get ahead start by going in the book of Ephesians, chapter 4. That’ll be our text this morning. And you, when you get to Ephesians chapter 4, if you want to put your bookmark or a finger there, we’ll be coming back to that text as we go through our lesson this morning. But before we get to that text and what it has to say about putting on the new man and being a new person in Christ Jesus. I want you to think about a biblical character. In Acts chapter 8, we have the story of the conversion of the Ethiopian unit. We don’t know much about this man.

What we do know is that he had traveled from his position and his home in Ethiopia to Jerusalem. We’re assuming for the feast day or days, it’s possible that he had gone up for the Passover feast, and as the custom of many who lived long distance, stayed for the Pentecost feast that was just 50 days after it. And he’s on his way home. And on his way home, he’s reading the scriptures, and the evangelist comes to him, and from that text in the prophet Isaiah teaches him about Jesus Christ. And you know the story. They stop there in Acts chapter 8. The preacher takes him down into the water and baptizes him that very moment. And the last we know about this man, it says he went on his way rejoicing.

We don’t know how many trips he had made from Ethiopia to Jerusalem. Was this, as was the custom, was this an annual trip that he had made every year? If he had made several trips, this trip was different, though, wasn’t it? This trip was different for at least three reasons. At this time in Jerusalem, unlike every other time, someone died. And not just someone, but the very Messiah, the Son of God who had come in the flesh to take upon our sins, died this time. And just 50 days after that, something that had never happened in Jerusalem before took place, and that is the gospel of that Jesus Christ was preached for the first time. This trip was different. But this trip was personally different for this man because he went back home, a different man.

Because not in Jerusalem where the death and that preaching had taken place, but somewhere on the road back home. He was baptized for the remission of his sins. Started this journey an old man. And ended the journey a new man. Because the apostle Paul said, In Christ all things have become new. I want you to imagine what it was like for that Ethiopian as he went back home, a new man. That he was changed. Surely his co-workers, his family, his neighbors, his friends, saw some change in him. Because he was now a new man. I want us to emphasize this morning that when we become a Christian, when we submit in obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and take on, as the New Testament says, put on Christ in baptism, that something real, something transformational takes place.

We become a new person. Are you there in Ephesians chapter 4? Begin reading in verse 17 of our text. Ephesians 4, verse 17 reads this way, 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, 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, who being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you, but you have not so learned Christ. If indeed you have heard and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus, that you put off concerning your former conduct, the old man, which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lust, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness.

1. Our Heart Must Be Different

I believe our text here is going to talk about putting on the new man in three different arenas, and let us make that our lesson this morning. First of all, in order to put on the new man, our heart must be different. Now we’re talking about the process of conversion, and if conversion is real in our lives, we will be made different. One benchmark that you can look at in your life is to see, am I truly different? Has something changed about me now that I have put on Christ? Am I truly that new man? And do I have a new and different life? In our text that we just read at least three times, he references what we mean by the heart. The first one there is in verse 17, when he says, of those Gentiles that they walk in the futility of their mind.

It’s impossible, I believe, to really distinguish between the idea of the mind and the heart. That’s the New Testament heart that we’re talking about. That center, in fact, the New Testament talks about this heart and what takes place in that heart. We won’t take the time to read these verses, but in Hebrews chapter 4 and in verse 12, we see that the heart is the seat of the intellect. It says of the word of God that it is able to discern the thoughts and the intents of the heart. It is the heart with which we think. It’s the seed of intellect. It’s the seed of will. In 1 Corinthians chapter 9, and in verse 7, when he was talking about their laying by in store, as we’ve just done on the first day of the week, he says, as you have purposed in your heart.

You see, it’s with the heart that we make decisions, that we decide and purpose to do things. The heart is the seat of emotion. Jesus said that we’re to love God with among other things, with all our heart. It is the heart from which love springs. And then the heart is also the seed of the conscience. If our heart condemn us, 1 John 3 and verse 20 says. And so that’s what we mean, or that’s what the scriptures mean when they talk about the heart. The futility of the mind, the Gentiles walk. If we continue reading in Ephesians 4, where we’ve looked at, look in verse 18. He says, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorances in them, because of the blindness of their heart, the futility of their mind, the blindness of their heart spoke of their condition.

But he says, you have not so learned Christ. In other words, our heart is to be different. We’re new. And so the challenge this morning is, is my heart really different? Or am I just the same person I have always been? If that’s the case, then it’s possible that true conversion has never really taken place. If my thoughts, if my decisions, if my emotions, if my conscience has not been changed, then can it truly be said that no matter what overt outward actions I have done, can it truly be said that I have put on the new man, that I have a new heart. The heart must be changed. Look in Proverbs chapter 4. I can’t let Greg read all the passages from the book of Proverbs.

He saved one for me. Proverbs chapter 4 and in verse 23. We see the importance of the heart, where he says, Proverbs 4, verse 23, keep the heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. The heart must be changed because the heart is the heart of the matter. That’s where everything comes from. Jesus chastised those people in his day, particularly the Pharisees, when he told them that they were guilty of washing the outside of the cup when the inside of the cup was filthy. What he was talking about was the heart. And I fear that too many times we get the process reversed that we want to change behavior before and without truly changing the heart. Now don’t misunderstand me and don’t misunderstand the words of our Lord.

Behavior is important. But behavior is only important and acceptable by God if it springs forth from a good heart. And so that’s where I must start. Reflect. Pause and ask yourself, do I have that new heart? Secondly, read and study the scriptures with that in mind. We could make a long list, couldn’t we, of why we read the Word of God. But high on that list would be so that we can develop within ourselves a heart that truly loves God and his ways. And you’re going to watch something almost miraculous take place. And that is your behavior is going to get better. Because it started with the heart. This Ethiopian surely went home with a new heart. That’s why he was rejoicing. But it’s not just our heart, Paul says in the book of Ephesians, that must change.

2. Our Morals Will Be Different

If the heart changes, then our morals will be different. Because the heart has changed, our morals and our ethics will be different. Continue reading in Ephesians chapter 4. He’s already talked about putting off the old man and putting on the new man. That’s the two-sided coin of our new morality. But now look at verse 25. He gets practical in this. Therefore, Hebrews 4, verse 25, therefore, putting away lying.

Be angry, but do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer. But rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that it may have something to give who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth for what is good for necessary edification, that may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. But let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God also in Christ forgave you. Do you see what he’s saying?

He’s saying, change your mind, change your heart. Don’t have the mind, the heart of the Gentiles in which you used to walk, put on that new heart, renew your mind, and then the behavior will follow. Make no mistake about it. If we’re a child of God, our morals, our behavior must be new and better and different. Sometimes our preaching sometimes the preaching we like the best is when the preacher preaches the people who aren’t here. When we talk about those other people. But please understand that’s the most poor type of preaching there can be. Preaching must storm the will of the audience that’s listening. And understand that when the apostle Paul was writing these words saying, don’t steal, don’t let corrupt speech go out of your mouth.

Bitterness, anger, wrath, all of those things, he was not preaching to the world. He was talking to baptized believers like you and I. And we kid ourselves. If we think that because at one time in our past we gave ourselves over to baptism, we wear a nice suit or a nice dress, and we come to church on Sunday, that these evils of the world have no effect on us. Hold your finger there and go to the book of Romans, chapter 3. Paul’s preaching a sermon in the book of Romans, and he’s preaching to people that are there.

I mean, he steps on the toes of the Gentiles. And he tells those Gentiles, you need to quit forsaking God and following after these graven images. And you can hear the Jews on the other side of the auditorium amening him left and right when he’s excoriating those Gentiles. But then Paul turns his attention to the Jews and says, Not so fast. And notice what he says in Romans chapter 3. In Romans chapter 3, he says, beginning in verse 1, what advantage then has the Jew? Or what is the prophet of circumcision? Much in every way, chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make their faithfulness to God of no effect? He says, What advantage did you have in being a Jew?

Well, number one, you got the law of God. But you still had to believe that law. You still had to make application of that law. Back up to what he says in chapter 2, now in verse 17. Romans chapter 2, verse 17, indeed you’re called a Jew and rest on the law and make your boast in God. And know his will and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law. And are confident that you yourselves are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and the truth in the law. But notice what he says in verse 21 of chapter 2. You therefore who teach another, do you not teach yourself?

You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say do not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you ride rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through the breaking of the law? You see what he’s say, Don’t you do those things? But please don’t pay attention while I’m doing those things. The time is past for children of God to be living a double life. To realize that our morals must be different. We don’t know what life that Ethiopian lived before. But we know that if he did it right, he was living a better, cleaner, moral life when he got home than when he left. And don’t you imagine people saw it?

First place I ever preached was in South Alabama. We lived in the preacher’s house, which was right next door to the church building. That makes it convenient, sometimes annoyingly convenient, because people can always find you.

Standing there drenched in sweat and dirt.

3. Our Priorities Will Be Different

But the point is, if somebody looks you up and down, do they say, you don’t look like any Christian I ever saw? Because many times the world has it right. And what a Christian ought to look like. Are we reflecting that in our lives, in our morals? That when they see us, do they see God, Christ, living in us? Lastly, Paul says, not only will our heart be different, but if our heart is different, our morals will be new and different. And if our heart is different, our priorities will be different. Because you see, Christ has changed everything in us. Skip down to chapter 5 in the book of Ephesians. In chapter 5, he talks in three categories about walk. We’re to walk in love, we’re to walk in wisdom, and we are to walk as wise people.

And look at Ephesians chapter 5, verse 15. We walk in light, we walk in love, and we walk in wisdom. Ephesians 5, verse 15, see then you walk circumspectly. Not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time. Because the days are evil. He says, walk circumspectly. That literally means just to walk around and inspect. The idea is some wisdom. Use some insight into this. But then he talks about our priorities when he says, Redeeming the time. Because the days are evil. Redeeming the time. What does that mean? One translation says, buying up the opportunity, or using up or buying up the chances that we have in life. We recognize that we all have a limited number of minutes in the day. Limited number of years to this life.

It seems that Paul is saying, use those as a new man in Christ. Because now our priorities have been reordered and rearranged. And I’m going to tell you one of the greatest markers that we have for where our priorities lie is where we spend our time. Because we all tell a lie. We tell a lie when we use as an excuse to get out of some activity or some behavior, we say, I don’t have time. Well, really, that’s not true, is it? What we really mean is, I don’t want to make time. I want to use my time for something else. And sometimes that’s perfectly fine. But what we’re telling there in the use of our time is where our priorities are. This is important to me.

He says, Redeem the time. Because the days are evil. Our priorities are new. The way we spend our time, the way we use our energy, our resources, our money, everything else has been changed.

Conclusion

Because like that Ethiopian. Our whole world has changed. When we stopped and put on Christ. God help us to truly be converted, to truly put on the new man, to have a change of heart that is reflected in our morals and in our time. What about you? Have you put on the new man in Christ Jesus? Why not become a Christian this morning? Why not believe in him? Repent of your sins, confess that faith publicly and be baptized this morning. Let’s stop the chariot right now and go out into the water. And you be baptized and come up a new person. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Let your morals and your behavior be different and your priorities. Everything will be changed. Would you become a child of God this morning?

Or can we help you in any spiritual way as you render obedience to the gospel this morning? Can we help you put on the new man right now as together we stand in?