Sermon Central
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Removing The Old From Your New Life - Part 2
Contributed by Kevin L. Jones on Jul 12, 2013 (message contributor)
Summary: God's process of removing the old things from you new life in Christ.
Removing The Old From Your New Life - Part II
A story is told of an old woman dressed in rags, lived in a rental house filled with mounds of garbage.She spent most of her time rummaging through trash cans. This woman was known in her neighborhood as “Garbage Mary” The authorities took her and her to a psychiatric hospital. Those who had the undesirable task of cleaning out her filthy apartment found stock certificates and bankbooks indicating she was worth at least a million dollars.
We may find it hard to comprehend why someone with so much would not use it. It may be even harder to grasp why she chose to rummage through garbage cans. But this world is full of “wealthy” people who exist on “garbage.” When Christians are controlled by the desires of the flesh, they are choosing to live off the garbage of the world.
This morning we began to look at “Removing The Old From Your New Life”. In Galatians Chapter 5 we have two lists, A list that describes the “Old Man” and one that describes the “New Man” Consider:
1. The Old Life… sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.
2. The New Life - But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Let’s continue with the thought “Removing The Old From Your New Life” I would like to begin with a quick review of what we saw in Part I of this message: We began with:
I. The Condition Of Unbelievers
We examined two areas in the life of the lost man:
A. The Condition Of The Unbeliever’s Mind
Paul tells us that their “understanding is darkened” and that they are “alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them”
B. The Condition Of The Unbeliever’s Heart
1) Their Heart Is Callous - because of the blindness of their heart (are) past feeling…
2) Their Heart Is Corrupt - (they) have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
As we begin Part II there is a transition. Paul goes from describing “The Condition Of The Unbeliever” to “The Counsel For The Believer”
I. The Counsel For Believers
There are 4 things I would like to see in this “Counsel For Believers”. These things are beneficial in “Removing The Old From Your New Life”
1) Receive The Message
2) Remember Christ’s Teaching
3) Reject Sinful Desires
4) Renew Your Mind
Let’s begin with:
A. Receive The Message - v17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk
Paul prefaces his remarks with the fact that he is speaking with the Lord’s authority. Consider his opening statement in the beginning of this epistle - Ephesians 1:1 ¶Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Paul was chosen for the specific purpose of ministering to the Gentiles. Paul is simply carrying out the ministry given to him by Christ Jesus. He is not the originator of the message, merely the orator! What is his message in this text? PUT OFF THE OLD MAN AND PUT ON THE NEW! He is saying …YOU ARE SAVED! ACT LIKE IT!!!!
The same is true today, The message did not originate with me, I am simply the orator sent to tell you that IF YOU ARE SAVED, ACT LIKE IT!! So, if you are ready to put off the old man and out on the new, begin with “Receiving The Message” Next your should:
B. Remember Christ’s Teaching - v20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
Unlike the unbeliever who possesses a callous, corrupt heart and a sinful mind, the believer has had a change of heart that results in a changed mind! God puts a new desire in us that makes us want to live differently than before!
One who is saved should:
look different
act different
walk different
talk different
think different
The phrase in verse 20 “learned Christ” refers to being saved. Christ alone is our example. We are not to allow the fleshly desires to control us any longer
We are to walk in holiness and in the newness of life - Peter 1:16 it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. - When a “professing believer” still lives like the world, they are either deceiving themselves, or they are a liar:
