Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 (NKJV) This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,… But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Just like people who move to another country, though they may have obtained their new citizenship, they will still need to adjust to living in that country. Likewise, Christians also need to adjust to, or have a paradigm shift, to live out their new identity in Christ.
Christianity is not a religion, an observation of a set of laws, or a philosophy that helps us to change from the outside in. Because the sin nature is in our hearts, we cannot be changed from the outside through a set of laws. Otherwise, Jesus wouldn’t have had to die. Nobody can be good or righteous using the law, good works, or philosophical thoughts.
Instead, Christianity is about having a restored relationship with God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and being changed from the inside out. His shed blood has given us a new identity before God, which is the “new man” referred to in the opening passage. After comparing the lifestyles of the “old man” and the “new man”, the Apostle Paul encouraged us to live out of the “new man” and its lifestyle.
The “old man” makes life all about “me”. The selfish self, or in religious terms, sin, lives independent of God, and concerns itself with self-worth, self-esteem, sense of security and outward appearance, because it longs for the affirmation of men. Blinded by and in constant pursuit of success and significance, the “old man” has no moral absolutes because integrity can often be a hindrance to worldly success. The Bible calls these deceitful lusts because while we think they will give us satisfaction and security, they are nothing but attempts to numb our emotions, insecurity, rejection, and pain—to satisfy the emptiness in our hearts, a subtle form of substance abuse. Unfortunately, the lusts will never cease because we will always want more. In fact, doesn’t wanting to do better than everyone else in order to be the centre of attention remind us of Lucifer before his fall? We thought all these things would be good for us, but they will only end up destroying us because the love of money is the root of all evil. Therefore, unless Jesus became the Lord of our lives, we will all be lost and fall into eternal damnation.
Sermon Series: Living out the New Identity
“旧人”怎么了
以弗所书 4:17, 20-24 所以我说，且在主里确实的说，你们行事不要再像外邦人存虚妄的心行事。你们学了基督却不是这样……如果你们听过他的道，领了他的教，学了他的真理，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。又要将你们的心志改换一新,并且穿上新人。这新人是照着神的形像造的，有真理的仁义和圣洁。
就像搬到另一个国家的人一样，尽管他们可能已经获得了新的公民身份，但他们仍然需要适应在那个国家的生活。同样，基督徒也需要适应或转变范式，以活出他们在基督里的新身份。
基督教不是一种宗教，不是一套法规的遵循，也不是一种可以帮助我们从外向内改变的哲学。因为罪的本性在我们心里，一套法规并不能使我们的外在发生改变，要不然耶稣也就不必在十字架上献上赎罪祭了。没有人可以通过法律、善行或哲学思想成为善良或正义的人。
相反，基督教讲的是通过耶稣基督的宝血与上帝修复关系，并自内而外地被改变。祂所流的血使我们在神面前有了一个新的身份，就是开篇所说的“新人”。在比较了“旧人”和“新人”的生活方式后，使徒保罗鼓励我们活出“新人”及其生活方式。
“旧人”让生活全都围绕着“我”。自私的自我，或者用宗教术语来说–罪，独立于上帝而活，关心自我价值、自尊、安全感和外表，因为他希求他人的肯定，被成功和意义以及对这些的追求蒙蔽了双眼，“旧人”没有绝对的道德标准，因为正直往往会成为世俗成功的障碍。圣经称这些是欺骗性的情欲，因为虽然我们认为它们会给我们带来满足和安全感，但它们只不过是试图麻痹我们的情绪、不安全感、拒绝和痛苦 – 以满足我们内心的空虚，这是一种隐形的药物滥用。不幸的是，欲望永远不会停止，因为我们总是想要得到更多。事实上，想比其他人做得更好而成为关注的焦点，难道这不让我们想起堕落之前的路西法吗？我们以为所有这些对我们都有好处，但最终只会毁了我们，因为贪财是万恶之源。因此，除非耶稣成为我们生命的主宰，否则我们都会迷失并陷入永恒的诅咒。
讲章系列：活出新身份
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