2009-07-12
Putting On and Putting Off
Steve Lane

A. Review/Introduction/Obedience

Ephesians 3: 12
Preaching and teaching of the Word - power to change our hearts.
The world has yet to see what God will do in and through and with a man wholly committed to Him.
~Henry Varley

He was fully surrendered to God
He was a man of prayer
He was a student of the Word of God
He was a humble man
He was completely free from the love of money
He had a consuming passion for the lost
He has a definite endowment of power from on High

Is something more pressing - more important than God and His purposes?
What did God ask of Adam and Eve in the garden? Full obedience.

Ephesians 4:22-6:9 Overview - put off, put on.
Anger - leaving the door to your soul open.
True generosity flows out of a core purpose change.
Unwholesome talk - detrimental, corrupt, rotten - what good is it?
Slander - evil speaking or to vilify
Malice - every form: ill will.

B. Deep Obedience

Those desiring to put on Christ and be obedient must ask this question:
"Am I willing to develop convictions from the scriptures, and to live..." (Bridges)

Luke 14: 33
Put to death the misdeeds of the flesh. We must have full commitment.
These are not techniques, and they will not work if you have never been broken.
You don't just do bad things. You are bad. But...

We are designed to live for something else and someone else.

Ephesians 5: 1 - 2
1 Corinthians 13 - live a life of love.
James 1:22 - 25 - Recognizing self-focus can be difficult.

Ephesians 5: 3
Sexual immorality - fornication (from the Greek porneia)
Do not underestimate the power of the old man.
At the hart of this is: selfish indulgence at the expense of others
Proverbs 27: 20 - Covetousness or greed here is the desire to have more, but it is never satisfied. ("Just one more.")
Usually, we are blind to these patterns of sin in our life.
But, selfless Christ-like living is like a train -- connected to and pulling many others.

Ephesians 5: 4
Avoid obscenity, foolish talk, coarse joking.

Ephesians 5: 5 - 7
Immoral, impure, or greedy person -- the opposite of a generous person.
Being generous is being an imitator of God.

Ephesians 5: 8 - 11
Not that you were in darkness, but you were darkness! And... you are light! Now, live like it. The fruit or result of being in the light: goodness, righteousness and truth.
Galatians 2: 20 "Find out what pleases the Lord." You will discover the joy of obedience.