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Ephesians 4:22-24

That, in reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. (NASB)


SERMON DESCRIPTION

There are many who say that people are born good, or at least indifferent to evil. They believe people come into the world innocent and able to freely do good. However, as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues in this sermon on Ephesians 4:22–24 titled “Corruption, Lusts, Deceits,” according to God’s word, this is incorrect. The Bible presents people as born guilty and wholly corrupted by sin and all its deceit. Humanity is born into a world that is under the rule of the evil one who is the great deceiver and father of lies. They are born into this miserable state and unable to do anything to save themselves. This life of the unbeliever is one given up to sin, but the life of the redeemed is another story. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, those who have been saved out of this world by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit and adopted into God’s family are declared righteous before His eyes. The indwelling power of the Holy Spirit gives all believers the ability to resist the deceit of sin and the devil. Yet it is because of Christ’s work on the cross in humanity’s place that they are declared righteous. This is the great division between people—there are those that know God and trust in his Son, and there are those that are outside the family of God and under the dominion of sin.


SERMON BREAKDOWN


The old man is corrupt and decaying, advancing rapidly in the direction of corruption.
The old man is becoming more and more polluted and disintegrating.
The old man is tending towards destruction.
The old man inherits a corrupted nature. We are born in sin and shaped in iniquity.
The old man gets worse and worse without God. The world and individuals decay without God.
The influences imploring and urging the old man to destruction are lusts.
Lust means a strong or mastering desire. Lust has come to mean an evil desire.
The lusts that are within us are corrupting and destroying us.
The lusts of deceit manipulate the old man and drive him to destruction.
Deceit is the real controlling power manipulating the lusts which manipulate the old man.
The devil, the ultimate power, is deceitful. His whole nature is deceit.
The devil's agents are deceitful. They promise liberty but are servants of corruption.
Judas is the epitome of deceitfulness. Sin always involves betrayal.
Sin is deceitful. It hardens people through its deceitfulness.
Sin takes occasion by the commandment to deceive. It makes the law, which is good, stimulate sin.

Ephesians 4:22-24

That, in reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. (NASB)

SERMON DESCRIPTION

By the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, sinful men and women are made into new creatures. They are justified before God and made truly righteous. In this sermon on holiness and sanctification from Ephesians 4:22–24, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that the old self has been crucified with Christ and now lives according to the Spirit of God that dwells in them. However, there is a sense in which the old self is still with Christians. This old self, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out, refers to the sinful principle in the body called the flesh. This is why, though they are saved, regenerated, and justified, Christians continually struggle with sin. This struggle is something that will go on throughout the entirety of the Christian life as they battle sin and the flesh. But all believers can rest assured knowing that Christ Jesus will return and bring to completion what He has begun in His people. This should encourage all Christians struggling with sin to put off the old self and flee to Christ Jesus knowing that He cares for and loves them. Christians ought to flee all legalistic moralism, run to Christ, and pursue true holiness as they seek to glorify Him in all they do.


SERMON BREAKDOWN


The apostle Paul reminds the Ephesians of what they learned in Christ - to put off the old self and put on the new self.
Putting off the old self and putting on the new self must always be done together. They are two parts of the same action.
Putting off the old self and putting on the new self are once and for all actions. But renewing your mind is a continuous process.
The "old self" refers to our unregenerate nature - what we are by birth and as descendants of Adam. It is corrupted and sinful.
We must put off the old self because it is corrupt and deceitful. The old self belongs to our former way of life before knowing Christ.
Putting off the old self means renouncing and forsaking it. It is like taking off old clothes.
Even though the old self was crucified with Christ, we still need to put it off in our experience by renouncing old habits and ways of living.
We must put off the old self because of what we have become in Christ - new creations. We must live out this new identity.
The old self is the same in all of us - it is what we inherit from Adam due to the Fall. The new self is what we become in Christ through faith.
We must reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. We must not let sin reign in our bodies.
We must yield our members to righteousness and holiness, just as we once yielded them to sin.
We must realize the truth of who we are in Christ - no longer in Adam, but new creations in Christ.
Our old self has been crucified with Christ. We do not need to crucify it ourselves. We only need to put it off in our experience.
Realizing our old self is dead in Christ and we are new creations is strengthening for faith and living the Christian life.

Ephesians 4:20-21

But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus (ESV)

SERMON DESCRIPTION

Those who try to separate the call of the gospel from the call to be holy make a great error. In this sermon on Ephesians 4:20–21 titled “Hearing and Learning Christ,” Dr Lloyd-Jones argues that the Bible presents the life of faith as a pursuit of holiness and righteousness that comes out of the new person through the Holy Spirit. Christians ought not separate belief in the gospel from living out the call of God in their lives to be imitators of Christ and to obey all that He commands. Preachers who misunderstand the connection between holiness and belief in the gospel often confuse listeners that they seek to evangelize by presenting the Christian life as compartmentalized. However, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out, even the pursuit of holiness in the life of the Christian is ultimately a result of what God has done in and through His Son Jesus Christ. Christians can easily fall into legalism when they disconnect the sovereign act of salvation from everyday Christian life. Christians must avoid dualisms knowing that Christ made them a new people by His death and resurrection. Therefore they respond in love and obedience, not as a way to gain favor with God, but because Christ has already done so for them.


SERMON BREAKDOWN



The apostle Paul is addressing Christians in Ephesus who were once pagans. He wants them to understand that they cannot continue living as pagans now that they have learned Christ.
Christianity is not just an emotional experience. It involves learning and understanding. The Ephesians have learned Christ through hearing and being taught the truth about him.
The Ephesians cannot continue living as pagans because everything about Christ leads to holiness. There cannot be a division between believing in Christ and living a holy life.
The truth in Jesus is the truth about God, Jesus, and the gospel. It reveals God as the holy Father, Jesus as the holy Son, and the gospel as leading to holiness.
Hearing Christ means understanding and believing the message about him, not just listening to it. It means the message has gripped you and become the most important thing.
Being taught in Christ means you are united to him and are learning from the inside, not as an outsider. The teaching imparts life, not just knowledge.
To hear Christ and be taught in him means understanding that God sent Jesus to live, die, and rise again to deliver us from sin and make us holy. We are now part of Christ and destined for heaven.
If you have truly learned Christ in this way, you cannot continue living as a pagan. Everything about him makes that impossible.

Ephesians 4:20-21

But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus (ESV)

SERMON DESCRIPTION

Salvation only happens by repenting of sin and believing in Jesus Christ. In this sermon on Ephesians 4:20–21 titled “Knowledge of the Truth,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones warns against those who reduce salvation to a mere intellectual assent. The gospel is not dependent on the wisdom of people and their ability to comprehend it. All are born in sin and blindness, unable to see the truth or know God. But true Christianity and faith are a result of what the Holy Spirit does in bringing dead people to life and making them new creations in the Savior Christ Jesus. Understanding true doctrine and godliness are a result of salvation, not the means of it. All who are truly saved have a growing knowledge of God, as His word is absorbed by hearts freed from the blinding nature of sin. Those who know much about the Bible and about doctrine but who have never been broken by their sin are deceived and lost. They presume intellectual understanding is an acceptable substitute for confession of sin and faith in Christ. The church must always be wary of confusing these two kinds of knowledge. Many are self-deceived and lost because they have no real relationship with God, but instead are puffed up with knowledge.


SERMON BREAKDOWN


Christianity is primarily a matter of knowledge and understanding, not just feelings or experiences.
To become a Christian means to undergo a profound change in understanding. Our eyes have been opened to the truth.
The first thing that happens when someone becomes a Christian is that their eyes are opened to their own hopeless condition and need for a savior.
Our eyes are then opened to see the truth of the gospel - that Jesus is the Messiah and deliverer.
This opening of eyes and gaining of understanding is the work of the Holy Spirit. No one comes to faith through natural ability alone.
The "unction" or "anointing" of the Holy Spirit gives insight and understanding, even to the simple and uneducated.
To "learn Christ" means to come to a knowledge of the truth about Him - who He is and what He has done.
This knowledge of Christ is not just a knowledge of doctrine or theology in an abstract sense. It is a personal knowledge of Christ Himself.
The knowledge of Christ is not just that our sins are forgiven, but that Christ delivers us from sin itself.
The knowledge of Christ is the "truth as it is in Jesus" - meaning the truth is found only in the historic person of Jesus, not in ideas alone.
In Jesus "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." All truth is found in Him.
We must never separate knowledge of doctrine from the person of Christ. Knowledge of Christ leads to a new life conformed to Him.

Ephesians 4:17-19

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts; who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.


SERMON DESCRIPTION
The greatest hindrance to belief in the gospel does not arise from human intellect, but from the heart that has been darkened by sin. In this sermon on Ephesians 4:17–19 titled “Darkness and Light,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones highlights the warning of Christ that all people in their natural state are alienated from God and unable to pursue what is good and right. This is because the effects of the fall extend to every aspect of humanity. It corrupts the mind, hardens the heart, and distorts the will. Despite this fallen state, humanity still places great worth and confidence in their ability to reason and know morality. This is evident in the many great philosophers of the ancient world who after all their learning and knowledge were still never able to come to true knowledge of God. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches, this shows that what people need is not simply more knowledge, but a new heart and mind that is freed from the mastery of sin and its domination. However, freedom from sin comes only through the gospel of grace and the sovereign working of the Holy Spirit. This is why it is so important to pray that God would work in the hearts and minds of others to reveal Himself to them and give them a true understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.


SERMON BREAKDOWN


The apostle Paul describes the vain and empty life of unbelievers in Ephesians 4:17-19.
Their lives are aimless and pointless, amounting to nothing in the end.
Paul explains why people live this way. He says their understandings are darkened and they are alienated from the life of God due to ignorance and hardness of heart (Ephesians 4:18).
The most disastrous effect of the Fall was the darkening of human understanding. The Bible frequently refers to unbelievers as "fools" who lack understanding.
Unbelievers live in darkness and cannot see the truth, even though they claim to be wise (1 Corinthians 1-2).
The gospel is compared to light overcoming darkness. When people are saved, their eyes are opened and they are turned from darkness to light (Acts 26:18).
Even the most intelligent unbelievers have darkened understanding. Their intellects are useless until enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
Christians should not be surprised or troubled that unbelievers reject the gospel. Their understanding is darkened so they cannot see the truth.
Christians' duty is to pray for revival - for the Holy Spirit to open blind eyes and overcome darkness. No human effort can overcome spiritual darkness. Only the Spirit can do this.

Ephesians 4:17-19

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts; who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.


SERMON BREAKDOWN

There have been many great moral teachers and philosophies throughout the ages, but in the end, they are all insufficient to make people truly moral and transform society. In this sermon on emptiness from Ephesians 4:17–19 titled “The Emptiness of the Christless Life,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that this is because morality (as it is commonly understood) and godliness are often in conflict with one another. Morality (as found in Scripture) is not simply a list of what one should and should not do, but it is a way of living in light of who God is and who He has revealed Himself to be. It is strictly revelation and not speculative. The modern world presents morality as the path of least resistance, relying wholly on the fallen reason of humanity. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns, this is why the world is unable to provide a meaningful answer to the deepest and most important questions in life. Morality and the nature of human life are only understood in light of God’s revelation as found in His word to humanity. That is where one can see who they are and what they must do to be saved.


SERMON DESCRIPTION


The apostle Paul addresses the Ephesians in a solemn manner to call attention to an important matter. He says “this I say therefore and testify in the Lord”.
By saying “testify in the Lord”, Paul means he is speaking with the authority of an apostle and the matter is divinely authenticated.
Paul is testifying that the Ephesians must no longer walk as the Gentiles do. The word “walk” refers to the whole of one’s life, inward and outward.
The Ephesians were once Gentiles themselves, so Paul is saying they must no longer live like the other Gentiles who have not become Christians.
Paul describes the way the other Gentiles live as “in the vanity of their mind”. This means their life is empty, futile, aimless, and pointless.
The “mind” here refers to the whole soul - intellect, affections, conscience, will. It refers to their entire outlook on life and way of living.
Paul goes on to describe the cause of this vain life in verse 18 and the consequences in verse 19. But here he makes a general statement about their condition.
This description applies not just to the pagan world then but also to the modern world today without Christ. Life without Christ will always be empty and vain.
The philosophers and intellects of the ancient world did not lead to any real understanding or satisfaction. Their views on religion, history, death, and morality were utterly futile.
The apostle John says the only victory over this vain world is through faith in Christ. Faith opens our eyes to the emptiness of the world.
We must be thankful God has shone into our hearts and given us understanding.