Ephesians 4:17-24

I. You Have Been Taught Better (v. 20-21)

“That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ” Ephesians 4:20

A. Learning Christ vs. Learning About Christ

•Paul says we “learned Christ” - not just facts, but a person

•Christianity is encountering Jesus, not adopting a moral system

• Truth isn’t a system to master; truth is a person to know. And knowing Jesus changes everything.

•The gospel itself contains the power for transformation

B. The Truth That Is in Jesus

•“As the truth is in Jesus” - a crucial phrase

•Truth isn’t abstract principle; it’s embodied in a person

•The reality of who Jesus is and what He’s done changes everything

Transition to point 2

“to be made new in the attitude of your minds; “ Ephesians 4:23

A. Put Off the Old Self REMOVAL(v. 22)

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

•The “old self” corrupted by deceitful desires

•Not gradual improvement but decisive break

•ITS REMOVING YOUR GRAVE CLOTHES

Key Question: What does this mean practically?

•Not self-improvement through willpower alone

•Recognizing the old identity is dead (Romans 6)

•We’re not trying to become Christians; we already are

B. Be Renewed in the Spirit of Your Mind  RENEWAL(v. 23)

to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 

•The often-overlooked middle step

•Renewal is passive voice - something done to us

•The mind must be transformed by gospel truth

The Pattern or renewing the mind

•Our behaviors flow from beliefs

•Wrong behaviors come from functional beliefs that oppose the gospel

•Lasting change requires exposing and replacing false beliefs with gospel truth

• You become like whatever you think about most.

• If you want to change your habits, change what you feed your mind.

• You can’t control what pops into your head, but you can control what stays there.

• Your thoughts become your actions. Your actions become your character.

Example Application:

•If struggling with anxiety: What am I believing about God’s control or care?

•If struggling with anger: What am I treating as ultimate that only God should be?

•Gospel renewal means letting God’s truth reshape our deepest assumptions

C. Put On the New Self Replacement(v. 24)

and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

•Created to be like God - our true destiny

•“Righteousness and holiness” - not earned but received

•Like putting on new, clean garments of identity

Gospel Connection: Before we can “put off” or “put on” anything, we must first understand what Christ has done for us. Moralism says “try harder.” The gospel says “you’ve been changed.”
“God’s plan for you isn’t improvement—it’s transformation.
You can’t change your life until you change your thinking.Change is not a moment in time…. It’s a direction you purposely live your life in
II. The Three-Fold Pattern of Gospel Change (v. 22-24)“Real change requires three things: Removal, Renewal, and Replacement.”