SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/15/2019 9:22 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-2 “Intro
to Eph. 4:17-24”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Eph. 4:17-24
Message of the verses: “17 So this I say,
and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles
also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their
understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is
in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become
callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every
kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way,
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is
in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self,
which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that
you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness
of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
We
will continue with the last three paragraphs from MacArthur’s commentary as he
introduces this section of Ephesians to us.
“Biblical
terminology, then, does not say that a Christian has two different
natures. He has but one nature, the new nature in Christ. The old self dies and the new self lives;
they do not coexist. It is not a
remaining old nature but the remaining garment of sinful flesh that causes
Christians to sin. The Christian is a
single new person, a totally new creation, not a spiritual schizophrenic. It is the filthy coat of remaining humanness
in which the new creation dwells that continues to hinder and contaminate his
living. The believer as a total person
is transformed but not yet wholly perfect.
He has residing sin but no longer reigning sin (cf. Rom. 6:14 “For sin
shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”). He is no longer the old man corrupted but is
now the new man created in righteousness and holiness, awaiting full salvation
(cf. Rom. 13:11 “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour
for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we
believed”).
“In
Ephesians 4 Paul makes two appeals based on the fact that believers are new
creations. The first begins the
chapter: ‘I, therefore,…entreat you to
walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called’ (v.
1). The second (v. 17) introduces the
present text, in which Paul contrasts the walk of the wicked unbeliever with
the walk of the spiritual Christian. He
follows that contrast with more ‘therefore’ (v. 35; 5:1, 7, 15), showing the
Christian’s proper response to being a new creation. All of this points to the fact that a changed
nature demands changed behavior. It is
as if the apostle is saying, ‘Since God has created a marvelous new entity in
the world called the church, and because of this unique creation, with its unique
character of humility, its unique empowerment with spiritual gifts, its unique
unity as the Body of Christ, and its need to be built up in love, here is how
every believer should live as a member of that church.’
“In
verses 17-24, Paul moves from the general to the specific, first giving four
characteristics of the walk of the old man and then four characteristics of the
walk of the new.”
That
is what we will be looking at as we try to understand these eight verses.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: It is my prayer to understand these verses to
the fullest as I begin this journey through these eight verses, as this is my
prayer.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to learn humility and then continue
to be humble as the Lord has done all for me.
Scripture verse that goes along with our
last quotation: “Beloved, let us love
one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and
knows God” (1 John 4:7).
4/15/2019 9:43 AM
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