Ephesians 4:17-5:2
“Off With the Old, On With the New!”
It’s getting to be that time of year again when kids go back to school, and as we prepare for it, time to freshen up the wardrobe. There’s nothing quite like the feel of a fresh new outfit or a new pair of shoes. And we are blessed to live in a time and place in which what we will wear isn’t a major worry for most of us but rather a matter of taste and style.
St. Paul uses the idea of clothing in our Epistle today as a metaphor for the Christian life, in which he compares our old nature and new nature to a change of outfit. He tells us to “Put off the old self” and to “Put on the new self”. He spends some time describing the difference between the two. So let’s take a closer look at this contrast this morning, and finally also at just how it works for us that we may indeed “Put on the new self” in Christ.
Now, to be honest, there’s quite a bit of law talk in this section of Ephesians. It’s the portion of his letter that some call “paraenesis”, or encouragement for living. If you think of the Epistle like a sermon, you have your law, your Gospel, and then often times a sort of “so what?” or “How does this look in practice? What difference does the Gospel make in my life? How shall we, then, live?” That’s what Paul’s getting at in most of this passage. And it’s important for us to hear it.
Lutherans have been falsely accused, ever since Luther, of not teaching good works. Of neglecting, or even despising the idea that Scripture gives us guidance for how to live. We certainly emphasize grace – that undeserved love God has for us in Christ. And we place salvation by grace through faith in Christ at the forefront of everything we teach and believe. It’s the chief teaching of Scripture, after all. Without it, everything just devolves into works righteousness. And shame on us if we don’t preach Christ crucified for sinners, and if that good news doesn’t predominate in all things.
And yet, we Lutherans also recognize the tensions between law and gospel, faith and works, and between the two natures that contend within us. The Small Catechism, speaking of baptism, shows how by daily repentance and faith the old Adam is drowned and dies, and the new man emerges to live before God. Buried and raised with Christ in baptism, we are, daily.
This is really what Paul is talking about here with this business of putting off the old self and putting on the new. It is the daily struggle of the Christian to turn away from the old nature, the old ways, the sinful things – and in repentance and faith – to live the new life in Christ. We do it – not in order to be saved or redeemed or justified. We do it because we HAVE been redeemed and saved and justified in Christ!
Paul reminds them – and us – that these wicked ways – that’s not how you learned Christ! That’s not how you were taught! That’s not the kind of disciple he made you to be!
And yet we see it in our church, in our fellow Christians, and of course also in ourselves. Just look at some of the Gentile ways Paul warns us about:
Darkened in understanding. Alienated from the life of God. Ignorant and hard-hearted. Callous. Now, Paul is speaking spiritually here, not academically, about the lack of understanding. But when we sin we act as fools who don’t know any better! We act as though we don’t have faith. We operate like someone with a deadened conscience that is even eager to find new ways to sin “greedy to practice every kind of impurity” But that’s not who you really are, Paul would remind us.
Look at some of the other descriptions of the old self: corrupt through deceitful desires. Yes, even our desires betray our old nature – they are corrupt. And yet the Christian is a complicated mess of both sinful and godly desires.
Speaking falsehood. It’s not just the thoughts and deeds but also the words that get us into trouble. And while most of us would like to think we are honest people – that is also a lie we tell ourselves. We are good at shaving the truth, sculpting and molding it, in what we say and how we say it – to our own benefit, and not for the good of others and the glory of God.
Later he speaks of “corrupting talk” and contrasts it with talk that builds up, giving grace. We could speak of gossip and slander and all the other ways we speak sinfully about our neighbor, and the many opportunities to speak kindly and well that we miss – sins of omission – times we could have built someone up.
He says, “Be angry and do not sin”. But that’s not a license to be angry, it’s a warning! A stark reminder that anger is the devil’s playground, an opportunity for Satan to slither in and do his dirty work in your life. If there is such a thing as righteous anger amongst us humans, it is a spiritual tightrope from which we easily lose our balance and fall into sin. So don’t let the sun go down on your anger – that is – don’t let it fester. Either let it go or work it out with whoever made you angry – so that peace is restored and the Devil is out of business.
Don’t be a thief, but do honest work – and don’t forget to share with those in need.
And put away all bitterness, wrath, slander and malice.
And maybe this is the summary of it all: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. When Christians forget who we are, when we act like the sinful world, when we give in to our sinful nature – we grieve the Spirit. Think of that!
The alternative, of course, is where we are aiming. To walk in love. To be kind to one another, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. To be imitators of God, beloved children who want to be like our Father, and our perfect big brother, Jesus Christ.
To imitate him, though, supposes we know him. And we do. We have seen all that Christ has done for us. Here’s the gospel, friends. Here’s the antidote to all our sinning.
Christ walked in love. His incarnation itself was an act of divine love – that God on high would come down from his throne to be born a lowly man, take on sinful flesh, enter into our hall of death and breathe our poisoned air. To walk in love the dusty roads of Galilee, Samaria, Judea, and to love people at every turn, healing, casting out demons, and proclaiming good news to the poor.
His walk of love had an ugly end, though, as he shouldered all sin along with that cross, and though he stumbled physically never did his feet turn from the path to Calvary. Never did his determination to take our place waver of fail. He talked the talk and walked the walk of love for us, even unto death, even death on a cross.
And imitators of Christ, he calls you to follow him. Not to die for the sins of the world, but to consider yourself dead to sin. Not to die on the cross of Calvary but to take up your own cross, whatever it may be. And to carry it with faith and trust that His cross makes it all worth it.
He gave himself as a fragrant sacrifice to God – a pleasing aroma – and made complete satisfaction for our sins. His blood covers all the sins Paul mentions in this laundry list of the old self – and all sins that ever were and will be. We forgive one another – we can forgive one another – as God in Christ forgave you.
So put off your old self, Christian. Every day. Like a filthy outer garment stained and torn, something you’d hate to be caught dead in. Repent of all sins – whatever from Paul’s long list has caught your conscience today. Out with the old. And in with the new.
And put on the new self in Christ. Every day. The robe of righteousness. The wedding attire of one who is pure and holy. The festal clothing that only comes with forgiveness in the blood of Christ.
And walk in his love, your whole life through, until you reach your goal and he calls you home.
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