A New Me should be different than the old me.  And because God loves us, we should welcome the fact that He trains (corrects/disciplines) us to learn to be different.

We’ve used Galatians 2:20 as our core scripture:

“So, here I am dead and alive at the same time. I’m dead to the old me I was trying to be and alive to the real me which is Christ in me. Co-crucified, now co-alive. What a glorious entanglement. I was in Him in His death; now I discover that He is infused in me, in my life. For the first time, I’m free to be me in my skin, immersed in His faith in our joint-sonship. He loves me and believes in me. He is God’s gift to me.” – GALATIANS 2:20 (MIRROR)

It says “I’m dead to the old me I was trying to be and alive to the new me, which is Christ in me.”  If it’s not Christ in you, it’s the wrong you…you’re living out of a dead person.  When we say or do anything, the first question we should ask is, “Can I see Jesus Christ doing or saying that?”

If it’s not Jesus coming out of us, then it’s the dead person.  The New Me is one with Christ.  1 Corinthians 6:17 tells us, “But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”  We’re not simply side by side; we’re united AS ONE with no possibility of another!  There’s no possibility of us being separated.  Then, we’re supposed to reproduce His glory and His image on the earth.”

You Have Not So Learned Christ

We’re going to look at Ephesians 4:17-20.  The Apostle Paul was telling the Ephesians, “You have learned nothing like that from Christ.”

“17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness (unrestrained lust), to work all uncleanness with greediness.  20 But you have not so learned Christ,” – EPHESIANS 4:17-20 (NKJV)

These verses describe the lifestyle of an unbeliever, who doesn’t know Christ.  Paul admonished that Christ and His doctrine do not in any way reflect this kind of conduct.  The question we have to ask ourselves is, do we?  I hope not.  But when we do, we need to move forward and improve as God trains and corrects us.  When we fall, we don’t go back to the beginning; we keep moving closer to who God’s called us to be.

The Phillips Bible translation of these verses comments that such evil conduct is the result of 1) the vanity of their minds (the absence of any purpose); 2) having their understanding darkened (of which purposelessness is a direct result); 3) separation from God’s life (which is spiritual death); 4) hardness of heart (they don’t even care about the things of God); 5) being past feeling (they’ve seared their conscience and don’t care what’s right or wrong); and 6) given over to lasciviousness (unrestrained lust, uncleanness, and greediness…being self-centered).

Everything in their life revolves around them – their happiness, their pleasure, their wants – and what should happen for them.  But we have not learned that from Christ.

Do we reflect Christ to the world around us or do we reflect Ephesians 4:17-20?  If somebody sees me, do I look different than all their other friends or do I look different in a good way?

The New Me Should Look Different Than the Old Me

We need to put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind (Ephesians 4:22-23).  If you don’t put off the old man and all the behaviors, speech, and thoughts, you’re letting that corruption grow on you and in you.  Don’t be fooled: It DOES affect you!

But when you’re more focused on the Holy Spirit, you’ll start hearing Him more and He can use you.  He also affects you!  So, put off the old man and put on the new:

“and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.  Do Not Grieve the Spirit.” – EPHESIANS 5:24

Note: Grieving the Spirit is not being “out of order” in a service.  It’s you not putting on the new man and living out who you really are in righteousness and holiness.  He tries to tell you something and you’re not listening.  He loves you and desires for you to want to be with Him!

“25 Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another.  26 ‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.” – EPHESIANS 4:25-27

Verse 25 refers to verse 16.  As far as anger, the sun and wrath, it ultimately has nothing to do with daylight and dark.  It has everything to do with holding your ground against the curse!

We’re made in the image and likeness of God.  Christ in us is the hope of glory.  Why was Christ manifested?  To destroy the works of the devil (the curse and its effect in people’s lives).  So, don’t let the sun go down on your wrath; your wrath towards the curse…the sun should never set on that.  In your life or someone else’s life.

We were made with the capacity for anger, but most of it is misdirected now because of the fall of man (Adam).  We’re supposed to be angry, and our wrath should be poured out against the curse always.  When we slack off on that, it gives place to the devil in our lives.

Our anger should always be directed at the curse, not people.

Hope City is a curse-free zone.  Every week when I see people wracked with addiction come to the Pop-Up Grill, my anger is stirred and my wrath starts to come up.  I hate what the enemy’s doing in their life.  (Yes, we’re supposed to hate evil, hate sin, hate the result of the curse in someone’s life.)  When I see the curse try to come here, I get wrathful; I want to take it out.

“Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” – EPHESIANS 4:28

Work so you’re able to help others.  There’s nothing wrong with having nice things, but if that’s your sole purpose, you might want to take a look at God’s Word.

Our behavior should reflect the change that has happened to us!  We shouldn’t fight to hold on to old behaviors, language, and thinking!

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, THAT IT MAY IMPART GRACE TO THE HEARERS.” – EPHESIANS 4:29

Your words are to impart grace, not reflect the old you or those who don’t know God!

Jesus said in Matthew 12:36-37, “But I say to you that for every IDLE word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The word “idle” here means “careless…inactive, useless, inoperative, nonworking.”  God will not accept the excuse, “Oh, I didn’t mean anything by that” when we stand before Him.  We will be held accountable for our words (Proverbs 18:21). If we think about that, we will change our conversations.

We are called to be light and salt.  Light looks different than darkness and salt preserves and enhances.

Do we enhance those around us and help preserve them?  Or do we join in with them and live like them, so we are “relevant” and aren’t persecuted?  Jesus ate with prostitutes, the poor, drunks, and the outcasts; it never says He became one of them.  He always looked to bring people up higher and never leave them where He found them!

I believe God is calling us higher; He is wanting to use us more.  In order to do that, we must mature and grow.

To watch the June 26 service on which this post is based, CLICK HERE.

It’s part of the “A New Me” series.