Ephesians 4:22 (NKJV) that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.
In his letter to the church in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul reminds us that we are called to live as new creations by embracing the new creation realities Christ has made possible. He urges us to put off our old selves and, through faith, step into the glory of Christ.
The “old man” is summed up in individualism, where people live for themselves. The selfish self, or, in religious terms, sin, lives independently of God. Concerned with self-worth, self-esteem, security, and appearance, people lust for worldly goods and wealth because they want others to admire, respect, and even worship them. However, if any of these collapses in their lives, their emotions will be everywhere, and those closest to them will suffer from verbal and possibly physical abuse.
If we pursue success and significance for self-glorification at all costs, we will have no moral absolutes because we think moral values and principles will hinder our success. We also risk forgoing relationships, including with those closest to us, when life is all about ourselves and our self-interests.
Why does the Apostle Paul call them “deceitful lusts”? They are deceiving because we think we will be satisfied and secure after obtaining them. Sadly, even after becoming the highest achiever, there will still be an emptiness in our hearts. Perhaps our emotions are all over the place because we struggle with rejection, so we crave affirmation, validation, and endorsement from people. We also fear that someone will overtake us sooner or later.
When everything fails to satisfy the emptiness in their hearts, some people attempt to numb their emotions, insecurity, rejection, and pain through substance abuse. However, the lust will never stop because we will always crave more. We want to be better than others and be the centre of attention, just like Lucifer did before his fall. We think those lustful things help us, but they are destroying and corrupting us. The love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Unless Jesus is the Lord of our lives, we are all lost and will fall into eternal damnation.
Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
It is God’s will for us to prosper in our souls by having good interpersonal relationships. If we want to live the “new man” and the new lifestyle in Christ, we must crucify the “old man” through faith in the new creation realities. This new identity is how God has chosen to view us. He did this by blessing us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, which we can apply and walk in now.
Sermon Series: Faith in the New Creation Realities
凭信心脱去旧人
以弗所书4:22 就要脱去你们从前行为上的旧人，这旧人是因私欲的迷惑渐渐变坏的。
在给以弗所教会的书信中，使徒保罗提醒我们，要凭着信心拥抱基督为我们成就的新造之实，活出新造的生命。他劝勉我们脱去旧人，透过信心进入基督的荣耀之中。
“旧人”可以用个人主义来概括，即人只为自己而活。自私的自我，或者用宗教术语来说，就是“罪”，它使人脱离神，独立于神之外而活。人常常关注自我价值、自尊、安稳和外在形象，渴望世上的财富与物质，期望赢得他人的羡慕、尊重，甚至崇拜。然而，一旦这些事物在他们生命中崩塌，他们的情绪就会变得极度波动，最亲近的人往往会因此遭受言语，甚至是身体上的伤害。
如果我们一味追求成功与成就，只为满足自己的荣耀，那么我们将失去道德的绝对标准，因为我们认为道德价值和原则会成为成功的绊脚石。当人生只围绕着自我和自身利益时，我们甚至会牺牲与亲近之人的关系，最终陷入孤独和迷失。
保罗为何称其为“诡诈的私欲”？这些私欲之所以充满欺骗性，是因为我们误以为一旦得到它们，就能获得满足与安全感。然而，令人遗憾的是，即使取得了世俗意义上的最高成就，内心依旧会感到空虚。也许，我们之所以情绪起伏不定，是因为我们在拒绝中挣扎，因此渴望从他人那里获得认可、肯定和赞许。同时，我们也害怕有朝一日被别人超越。
当一切都无法填补内心的空虚时，有些人会尝试用滥用药物来麻痹情感、不安全感、被拒绝的痛苦。然而，这些私欲永无止境，我们总是渴望更多，想要胜过他人，成为众人瞩目的焦点，正如路西法在堕落前的野心一样。我们以为这些欲望能够帮助我们，但实际上，它们正在逐步毁坏和败坏我们的生命。正如《提摩太前书》6章10节所说：“贪财是万恶之根。”除非耶稣成为我们生命的主宰，否则我们都将在迷失中沉沦，最终落入永远的沉沦之中。
以弗所书1:3 愿颂赞归给我们主耶稣基督的父神。祂在基督里曾把天上各样属灵的福气赐给我们。
神的旨意是要我们在灵魂兴盛的同时，也与他人有良好的关系。若要活出在基督里的“新人”和全新的生活方式，我们必须凭着信心，借着新造的现实，将“旧人”钉在十字架上。这一新的身份正是神所拣选并赋予我们的视角。祂已经在基督里赐给我们天上各样属灵的福气，使我们能够在今生加以应用，并活在其中。
讲章系列：信心与新造的现实
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