Keeping Context in Mind
The phraseology of partnering doesn’t come up until the next passage, but applying our current passage in light of the one to come helps me to keep my gaze on scripture broad. In the next passage, the old man is referred to as the sons of disobedience since they are those under God’s wrath. We will look at this in the future, but right now we know that the old man’s life clearly should not have any participation in the life of the new man.
Two Identities
In order to apply what I’ve learned in this passage, I’m going to recap or summarize what I’ve already seen. I will be writing a summary for the section in a few minutes, but I want to keep what I learned straight and clear.
There are two identities. One is the old man, the one associated with life rejecting God and the other is the new man, who is a new creation in Christ.
Opposites abound here in Ephesians 4:17-5:2, but in summarizing I see four particular subjects that Paul sets in opposition. He talks about the mind, a relation to God, the heart, and what I’m going to call life practices. Check out my stickies:
If you toggle back and forth, can you see how Paul compares the two? This is where my applications develop.
What About the Mind?
Since I have learned Christ and have heard about him and have been taught, I have a choice about my mind. Really, not a choice, but our culture prefers language of options. I hate bowing to the culture. Let me fix that.
I have a biblical mandate (imperative) to have my mind in a state of becoming. My old mind was subject to futility, darkened, and ignorant. Now that I have heard about Christ and am a new creation, my mind is to become more educated and become renewed in the arena of biblical truth.
As a matter for renewal and growth, I have already embarked on a new field of study since it has piqued my interest. Earlier in the year, I had a mental hunger to understand more of the realm of philosophy and because of that appetite becoming satisfied, I now have a desire to learn more in the area of apologetics. They are closely related.
Application #1
I will learn and grow by placing myself under the teaching of great theologians who also loved and pursued apologetics. Since I believe reformed theology, I will learn more about it and be able to articulate reasons for the hope that is within me. Ironclad reasons. Not based on emotions or subjective thinking but based on objective, logical, irrefutable evidence. I will not be afraid of declaring my faith and explaining why I believe.
What About the Relation to God?
Since I have put on the new man which has been created after the likeness of God, I have a new relationship with my creator. No longer am I at war with him with verbiage applied to me like alienated, stranger to promise, no hope (Ephesians 2:12). As the new man, Paul already discussed earlier in his letter that believers are created for good works (Ephesians 2:10). Here in our passage, as a member by extension of his audience and in the likeness of God of righteousness and holiness, I am commanded to imitate God and so walk in love as Christ has.
I have a biblical mandate (imperative) to imitate God as one of the kids he loves. What does God through Christ do that I should be mimicking? It’s easy to say something like, “God was artistic so I will mimic God by creating art too.” I already do that. I want to dig deeper into who I am meant to be. Who am I becoming? In what area can I become more like my creator? I need a list of what Paul has already illustrated our God to be here in Ephesians. What does Paul want to punctuate about God? I am skimming through Ephesians to remember what is said. Just a sec.
Distinctives About God
I made a list of distinctives I saw as I cruised through. If it was the Father or Jesus, I didn’t dismiss one or the other because in our passage, Paul didn’t in Ephesians 5:1-2. There is a little mash-up.
Some of these are difficult to consider as “I will do ____” since I’m not the one with the title “God” or “Christ.” In fact, not all things are united since in the next section, Paul declares that there is no room in the kingdom for the sexually immoral, for example. Not very uniting, huh? And he wants children of the light (believers) to expose the works of darkness.
Sadly, I have a friend who has received cold shoulders from people she’s known for decades over the exposure of works of darkness. Paul certainly does not endorse the cold shoulder in this case, but it has been an unintended consequence for my friend.
Again, it’s too easy to say “I will be merciful and loving to those outside of Christ” because as much as our current political situation will allow, I posture myself to be loving to those outside the body. Once again, I don’t want to decide my application is what I already do. How convenient is that? No, I have opportunity after being in the Word to be becoming more who God designed me to be. Who is that? What will I look like? Not who am I already.
Sudden Realization
Ugh. Oh. I am loving to those outside the body. Measurably more than I am to those within the body…because of my baggage. I definitely have reservations about the long hair, long skirt, no make up women that I see scattered over the congregation (which is blatant hypocrisy because I don’t wear make up either and my hair is long). They send chills of judgment down my spine (also blatant hypocrisy because I’m judging their judgment that they may or may not have for me).
Wait. Are you judging my judgment of someone else’s judgment? Well. We’re all here for the Word to read us, aren’t we? Lay it all out. I will absorb the judgment.
Application #2
Maybe more implication than application because I am not able to do what God has done like Ephesians 3:20. Regardless of what we call it, here is my plan to be becoming.
I will imitate God, walking in love, as Christ loved me, by doing abundantly more than someone might ask or think. Honestly, I don’t know what that looks like, but that is kind of the point here. Who am I becoming? As I walk along, I will ask myself (per the counsel of Atomic Habits), “What would a person who does abundantly more than someone might ask or think DO?”
What About the Heart?
In my listening to Ligionier Ministries over the last 6 months, I heard R.C. Sproul testify that John Gerstner was one of the most influential men in his life: a mentor. If Sproul is the man he was, who in the world must be the man that influenced him?
Spotting a lecture series given by Dr. Gerstner on my Ligionier Ministries app, I decided to introduce myself to him by way of learning from him. I highly recommend. And if you know what Dr. Sproul sounds like, you will laugh out loud in delight when you hear Dr. Gerstner. Because Sproul had to have practiced his oratory skills for hours in order to uncannily sound exactly like his mentor.
Anyway, Jeremy and I were heading up to the high country the other day to go logging and I wanted Jeremy to hear the similarity between the doctors, so we started listening to the lecture series “Handout Apologetics.”
One of the things I heard Dr. Gerstner say in one of the “Reasons Against Reason” lectures, was that at the point of the Fall, it wasn’t the mind that was broken as much as the heart. At that point, he didn’t expound, but from Genesis 3:22, I think I see where he might be going. Adam and Eve knew good and evil. Their ability to reason cognitively was not hampered.
The heart on the other hand, as Paul lays out for us in our passage, became hard. You’ve heard Ezekiel 36:26-27 where God through the prophet tells the people what will happen in the future. Part of the prophecy Ezekiel shares is this change of heart. Actually exchange of heart. Paul exposes what the heart looks like this side of redemption when he contrasts the old self with the new self.
Metaphor of the Heart
The metaphor of the heart describes the condition of the whole man. In the former manner of life, the old man’s heart was hard, calloused, stony. Now that falsehood has been put away from the life of the man, he is new. His heart is new which gives potential for kind, tender and forgiving (Ephesians 4:32), fleshy (Ezekiel 36:26). This is the result of the falsehood being put away.
There is no way that we can say that unregenerate folk are incapable of kindness, tenderheartedness, or forgiveness. Thank You God. We know that all people have capacity for some measure of sweetness of spirit. The question is why are they? You know how Paul said that the falsehood has been put away? I think it has to do with some of our virtue signaling we have rampant today. The old man as well as the new have propensity to behave in a way that is socially accepted or at least that is going to make the person perceived in the way they desire.
Sometimes that is for manipulative reasons. Now that falsehood is put away from you…
Application #3
As a new man with a heart of flesh, I will ask myself what the person with a heart of flesh would do. More so, in line with Paul’s writing, what does God through Christ do? In the daily effort of putting on the new self, I will question my motives in my thoughts, speech, and actions. I will exercise my heart to be honestly (having put away falsehood) geared toward others, especially those in the church (Ephesians 4:32). My particular challenge will be, considering the contents of my backpack which I shared last time, forgiveness.
I feel embarrassed sharing the difficulties I have. My consolation is that Paul speaks to these very difficulties repeatedly. Why does he do that? Because the problems are universal. Everyone wrestles with these issues. Perhaps my wrestling matches with myself will help someone else hit the mat and wrestle with themselves.
What About Life Practices?
Paul doesn’t use such a phrase, but I wanted to consider what I see as a grouping of behavior. I want to look at them side-by-side so I will create another list.
| Old Man | New Man |
| Practices impurity | Speaks truth as to oneself |
| Deceitful desires | Does honest work in order to share |
| Outrageous behavior (sensuality-Mounce) | Good speech in order to build up |
| Bitterness, wrath, anger, malice | Gives grace to others |
| Clamor, slander | Walks in love sacrificially |
I’ve heard it said this is the “me” generation. In reality, based on Paul’s teaching, every generation has been the “me” generation. Every generation since the Fall has been self-focused. The difference between the old man and the new man with regard to life practices is that focus. One satisfies the self no matter what and the other takes action with the benefit of others in mind.
This is not to say, for example, that the mom of short people who are running around yipping and biting the ankles of anyone standing, doing what short people do, still shouldn’t take a break and go for a bike ride. Or sit on the porch by herself and read a book. Even go away for a weekend to recharge. That is not what Paul is saying here. Because if that mom doesn’t attend to her own mental, physical, and spiritual health, she is potentially NOT taking action with the benefit of others in mind ultimately.
Application #4
I will ask the question “what would a person do who is outwardly focused do?” When I speak to a brother or sister, I will ask myself “How would you like to have this truth conveyed to you?” As I multiply resources and build my business, I will labor in order to have plenty to share with those in need (like that pile of tomatoes I have pictured at the top of this page: I get to share with a friend in need). Before I open my mouth, I will ask if the words about to pour forth will build and give grace because otherwise they should stay in my face. Moving about my life, am I spending myself in love toward others? In my attempt to love others, does it cost me anything?
Wrap Up
Yeesh. Four categories of application is a lot.
I’m sure we’ve discussed it before, but Paul’s use of opposites is stark in this passage. Our Bible Study Bite for today is recognizing the value of this literary device. Seeing the one way (how the old man was) and comparing it with the other way (how the new man is) defines for us students of the Word what each of them means.
For example, Paul tells us that the Gentiles are futile in mind, darkened in understanding, and ignorant. Then he goes on to tell us that Christ-followers are to be renewed in mind. When we compare these two possibilities of the mind, doesn’t it give us a more refined understanding of each?
As we read scripture, let’s keep our eyes peeled for opposites because they are one of the ways that scripture interprets scripture.
Thank you for studying with me today! As always, if you found anything useful in our time today, please subscribe below and share with other students of the Word. Oh, and feel free to comment, share feedback, let me know how your walk is going as you study the Word. When we walk together, both walks are benefited.
