There are not many books in the Bible that are more powerful than Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Sure, every piece of Scripture is important and relevant in some way, shape, or form, but Ephesians is one of Paul’s best works.
The letter speaks to what God did for us, then goes on to describe how we are made alive in Christ. It tells of God’s mysterious plan to allow Jews and Gentiles to share in the same inheritance; which in Paul’s day was unfathomable. Then it speaks to one of my favorite pieces of Scripture; living as children of light.
In Ephesians 4:18-19 (NLT), Paul urges those living in Ephesus to avoid living as the Gentiles do. The verses reads, “Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.”
But in Ephesians 4:21-24 (NLT), Pauls instructs the people of Ephesus how to live differently. He says, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”
Are you still stuck living as you did before you gave your life over to Christ? Just because you believe in Jesus doesn’t automatically mean that you’ve solved all of life’s problems. Sure, you’re eternally secure in the family of God, but in order to actually live the Christian life, Paul says we must “throw off our old nature” and “put on our new nature”.
It’s called maturity. Just like a newborn baby needs time to learn how to crawl, walk, and eventually run, new Christians need time to learn how to live life as God intended. It starts with obedience to God’s Word.
Dig into the Scriptures daily. Cast off your old nature and put on your new nature; one of obedience and humility. Ephesians 5:1 (NLT) says, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.” In writing that, Paul knows it’s impossible to imitate God fully, because He is holy. But it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try our best to do so.
Truth & Discernment 