Always and in All Ways a Christian (Ephesians 4:17–32)

What does it mean to be a Christian in every part of life—not just in belief, but in conduct, character, and conviction?

In this Christ-centered Bible teaching from Ephesians 4, Nathan Johnson takes a big-picture look at the call to live as Christians always and in all ways, showing how the gospel should radically reshape our words, actions, thoughts, and motives.

Throughout the message, we examine Paul’s vision of spiritual maturity and are reminded that Jesus Christ must be the center of the believer’s life.

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Key Passage: Ephesians 4:17–32

Therefore this I say, and testify in the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their mind, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart. And they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way— if indeed you heard Him and were taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, to lay aside, in reference to your former conduct, the old man, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. He who steals must steal no longer, but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for building up what is needed, so that it will give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Instead, be kind to one another, tender-hearted, graciously forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has graciously forgiven you.
– Ephesians 4:17–32

The Great Contrast

• Paul shows the difference between who we once were and who we are now (the old and new man)
  • new man (4:13)
  • old man (4:14)
  • new man (4:15–16)
  • old man (4:17–19)
  • new man (4:20–21)
  • old man (4:22)
  • new man (4:23–24)
• Ephesians 4:17 – Therefore this I say, and testify in the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind…
  • Renaissance New Testament Commentary – … no longer walk as the Gentiles walk in the tragic stupidity of their philosophy …
  • umbrella statement 
  • do not walk after the pattern of the world
  • do not live in the perverse devoid-of-truth mentality of the world
• Ephesians 4:20, 22–24 – But you did not learn Christ in this way … [therefore] lay aside, in reference to your former conduct, the old man, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Put Off / Put On Specifics

• 4:25 – Lying / Truth… for we are members of one another
• 4:26–27 – Anger motivated by self / Anger motivated by love… don’t give place to the devil
• 4:28 – Stealing / Work … that you might have something to give those in need
• 4:29 – Unwholesome language / Edification … may impart grace to the hearers
• 4:30 – Do not grieve the HS / Honor and obey … you are sealed for the day of redemption
• 4:31–32 – Bitterness, Anger, Wrath, Shouting, Slander, Malice / Kindness, tender-heartedness, forgiveness 
• Galatians 5:16–25– But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you do not do the things that you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in step with the Spirit.

A Life of Constancy

The undercurrent of the entire passage is to always and in all ways be a Christian

God’s Nature: Always the Same

• Hebrews 13:8– Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
• Psalm 102:27a – But You [Yahweh] are the same …
• Malachi 3:6a – For I, Yahweh, do not change …
• James 1:17 – Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
• » we are ever being transformed and sanctified yet to be “always” a Christian and marked by the life of Christ
• We set Yahweh always before us: and because He is at our right hand, we shall not be moved (Psalm 16:8). We ought always to pray (Luke 18:1), and without ceasing make mention of others always in our prayers (Romans 1:9). We thank our God always (1 Corinthians 1:4), always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58), for He always causes us to triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14). We are always bearing about in our bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body (2 Corinthians 4:10). We are always confident (2 Corinthians 5:6), and due to His abounding grace, we always have all sufficiency in all things in order to abound to every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). We are giving thanks always for all things (Ephesians 5:20), and always making our requests with joy (Philippians 1:4). And we are always magnifying Christ in our bodies, whether it be by life, or by death (Philippians 1:20). We are always obeying (Philippians 2:12). We are rejoicing in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4), praying always (Colossians 1:3), and our speech is always with grace, seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6). We are always laboring fervently for others in prayer (Colossians 4:12) and giving thanks to God always for others (1 Thessalonians 1:2). We always follow that which is good (1 Thessalonians 5:15) and we rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16). We are bound to thank God always for our brothers and sisters in Christ and we pray always (2 Thessalonians 1:3,11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13), making mention of others always in our prayers (Philemon 1:4).

As a Tree Planted by Streams of Water

• Psalm 1 – How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, bor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of Yahweh, and in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not rise in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For Yahweh knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
• Jeremiah 17:7–8 – Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh and whose trust is Yahweh. And he will be like a tree planted by the water, that sends forth its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor refrain from yielding fruit.
• Also see Revelation 22:2

Vine/Branch

• John 15:1, 4–5 – “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-grower. … Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

» Is your life always and in all ways a Christian?

• Colossians 1:18 – … so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
• Colossians 1:18 (ESV)– … that in everything He might be preeminent.

FOOTNOTES

Photo Credit: Mattea Photography

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Question: What needs to change in your life if you are going to always and in all ways be a Christian?

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In Our Next Study Together …

I invite you to join me on this journey from the book of Ephesians to discover God’s eternal purpose, His plan for your life, and learn how to practically live out an abundant and fruitful Christian life. 

• The focus of our next study: Ephesians 5:1
  • We are going to begin our study in chapter five of Ephesians and examine the concept of imitating the impossible.
  • I encourage you to read through Ephesians a couple of times this week and focus specifically on Ephesians 5.