WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:12.300 The whole idea of self-improvement is fairly popular in the modern West, and it's attractive. 00:00:12.900 --> 00:00:16.940 There's a lot of things that are appealing because I think there's a level at which we 00:00:16.940 --> 00:00:22.339 all have things about ourselves that we would like to change, that we'd like to improve. 00:00:22.460 --> 00:00:27.199 Some of us really think that we need to get in better shape, certainly true for me. 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:30.219 Some of us wish we could be a little less anxious. 00:00:30.460 --> 00:00:33.420 Some of us think that we should probably be a little more organized. 00:00:33.820 --> 00:00:37.679 Some of us think we really need to be more patient with our children. 00:00:38.840 --> 00:00:42.820 And all of these are good ideas and good aspirations to have. 00:00:44.099 --> 00:00:51.039 But the underlying assumption behind the self-improvement culture that we live in is that we as people 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:53.159 are for the most part good. 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:58.079 That we are for the most part in a good place. 00:00:58.519 --> 00:01:00.339 That we're good people who live good lives. 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:05.299 And that what we really need are just a few little tweaks here or there to make an already 00:01:05.299 --> 00:01:06.319 good person better. 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:14.879 Because of that underlying assumption, most people tend to view religion, and that includes 00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:15.439 Christianity. 00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:22.640 Christianity, most people tend to view Christianity as merely one possible path to self-improvement 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:25.780 for those who are religiously inclined. 00:01:25.939 --> 00:01:30.340 So people will say, well, there are studies that show that prayer helps reduce stress and 00:01:30.340 --> 00:01:30.719 anxiety. 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:32.060 It doesn't really matter who you pray to. 00:01:32.140 --> 00:01:38.000 There are people who say attending religious services helps foster resilience. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:41.519 It doesn't really matter which religious services. 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:43.939 That's part of the self-improvement mentality. 00:01:44.179 --> 00:01:46.239 If it makes a difference, consider doing it. 00:01:46.699 --> 00:01:51.119 Now this morning we're going to be looking at a passage that we just heard read in Ephesians 00:01:51.119 --> 00:01:51.819 chapter 4. 00:01:51.899 --> 00:01:55.199 It begins at verse 17 and it goes through chapter 5 verse 2. 00:01:56.119 --> 00:01:58.399 And we're going to see this. 00:01:59.039 --> 00:02:05.039 That not only is Christianity not merely one possible path to self-improvement. 00:02:05.040 --> 00:02:10.680 But in fact, Christianity alone is able to offer something that you can't find anywhere else 00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:11.920 in our culture. 00:02:12.060 --> 00:02:17.020 And that is the promise of actual, real, flesh and blood transformation. 00:02:17.980 --> 00:02:23.540 So we're going to be looking at Paul's words to the church in Ephesus where he's talking 00:02:23.540 --> 00:02:24.759 about conversion. 00:02:25.480 --> 00:02:30.140 And we're going to look first at why we need it, and then we will look at what it means. 00:02:30.139 --> 00:02:34.339 What is conversion and what makes Christian conversion unique? 00:02:34.459 --> 00:02:36.459 So let's pray, and then we will dive in. 00:02:37.739 --> 00:02:43.799 Our Lord, we thank you for being our God who is with us no matter what, who goes before us 00:02:43.799 --> 00:02:47.879 in all things, who loves us, who gave his life for us. 00:02:48.459 --> 00:02:53.419 We pray now that you would simply fulfill your promise to be with us and to speak to us. 00:02:54.060 --> 00:02:59.279 And wherever we're coming from this morning, whether we're here fully focused in good spirits 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:02.919 or whether we are struggling, and it's a miracle that we even made it in the door. 00:03:03.620 --> 00:03:07.319 Lord, wherever we are this morning, we pray that you would speak to us as only your Holy 00:03:07.319 --> 00:03:08.580 Spirit knows what we need. 00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:10.599 We pray this in your Son's holy name. 00:03:11.039 --> 00:03:11.319 Amen. 00:03:12.620 --> 00:03:18.680 So first of all, as we consider this idea of conversion, why would we need to consider this? 00:03:19.099 --> 00:03:23.280 In this place in Ephesians, Paul is talking to Christian converts. 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:32.319 These are Christian converts in Ephesus, church that exists in this largely pagan culture. 00:03:32.819 --> 00:03:37.000 And when he refers to Gentiles, he's talking about non-Christians. 00:03:37.139 --> 00:03:39.639 These are a way he's talking about unbelievers. 00:03:39.920 --> 00:03:40.620 He says this, 00:03:40.620 --> 00:03:47.379 Now I say and testify in the Lord that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, meaning unbelievers, 00:03:47.960 --> 00:03:50.439 in the futility of their minds. 00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:53.200 They're darkened in their understanding. 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:58.020 They're alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to their 00:03:58.020 --> 00:03:58.939 hardness of heart. 00:04:01.040 --> 00:04:09.159 Now this may sound harsh to our ears, but it's one of the most accurate diagnoses of the human 00:04:09.159 --> 00:04:10.719 condition you will find anywhere. 00:04:10.859 --> 00:04:13.159 To put it plainly, the apostle is saying this. 00:04:13.219 --> 00:04:17.800 He's saying that on our own, human beings are completely out of touch with reality. 00:04:19.159 --> 00:04:20.079 That's what he's saying. 00:04:20.339 --> 00:04:22.480 Now we're a room full of smart people. 00:04:22.980 --> 00:04:26.159 We're not accustomed to people saying that we're totally out of touch with reality. 00:04:27.060 --> 00:04:31.420 But he's saying we're totally out of touch with reality on our own as human beings because 00:04:31.420 --> 00:04:34.899 we are cut off from the source of truth in life. 00:04:34.899 --> 00:04:41.399 If we're alienated from the source of truth in life, we can't possibly accurately apprehend 00:04:41.399 --> 00:04:41.939 reality. 00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:46.679 The thing is, though, we don't even know this about ourselves. 00:04:48.159 --> 00:04:54.459 In other words, we can live our entire lives assuming that we perceive reality correctly, 00:04:54.579 --> 00:04:56.759 having no idea that there is any issue. 00:04:57.659 --> 00:05:00.120 Think of the character Neo in The Matrix. 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:06.139 He lives his life believing that he accurately perceives the world as it is, that he lives 00:05:06.139 --> 00:05:12.860 in the real world, only to discover that he is actually living in a simulated reality designed 00:05:12.860 --> 00:05:14.740 to keep him docile. 00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:22.160 So that he does not realize the truth about his life, which is that he is, in fact, a slave 00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:24.220 to evil forces. 00:05:24.220 --> 00:05:26.720 In the case of The Matrix, to machines. 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:33.480 And there are many, many, many people in our society who live their entire lives thinking 00:05:33.480 --> 00:05:38.960 that they know what life is all about, thinking that they know why we're here. 00:05:39.540 --> 00:05:40.840 Life is about being happy. 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:42.480 Life is about being successful. 00:05:43.980 --> 00:05:45.960 Here's the roadmap to follow. 00:05:46.300 --> 00:05:47.000 Go to school. 00:05:47.280 --> 00:05:48.100 Find a career. 00:05:48.600 --> 00:05:49.240 Buy a house. 00:05:49.440 --> 00:05:50.160 Start a family. 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:52.080 Build up a good retirement account. 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:55.279 And hopefully make a bit of a difference along the way. 00:05:57.560 --> 00:06:03.560 That concept of life is a simulated reality designed to keep us docile. 00:06:05.939 --> 00:06:12.479 In chapter 6, Paul says there are, in fact, spiritual forces of evil intent on keeping us 00:06:12.479 --> 00:06:13.199 that way. 00:06:14.259 --> 00:06:19.740 When we hear about spiritual evil forces, we tend to think of scary movies we've seen about 00:06:19.740 --> 00:06:25.100 demonic possession and the like, and certainly, actually, we believe that that kind of thing 00:06:25.100 --> 00:06:25.819 does happen. 00:06:26.460 --> 00:06:31.879 But the truth is, is that Satan has found a much more effective way to control people, 00:06:32.740 --> 00:06:36.800 and that is simply to convince us that there's nothing more to this life. 00:06:37.800 --> 00:06:46.019 It's simply to convince us that there is no transcendent reality, that there is no greater 00:06:46.019 --> 00:06:48.519 purpose or meaning to any of this. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:55.759 He can control us precisely by convincing us that the most important things in life are our 00:06:55.759 --> 00:07:00.139 comfort, our status, and the size of our 401k. 00:07:02.419 --> 00:07:09.879 But just like Neo in The Matrix, many people live their lives following that script, but they 00:07:09.879 --> 00:07:13.439 have a nagging suspicion that there has to be more to life than this. 00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:19.100 And they ask themselves in the late watch of the night, is this really all there is? 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:25.420 As they sit behind their computer at their desk, they ask themselves, is this really all 00:07:25.420 --> 00:07:26.279 there is? 00:07:27.379 --> 00:07:32.139 And the gospel then speaks into that and says, you're right. 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:36.100 You're right. 00:07:37.139 --> 00:07:40.019 The gospel is a massive reality check. 00:07:40.019 --> 00:07:48.500 It wakes us up to the truth that we have been living in an illusion, in a simulated reality 00:07:48.500 --> 00:07:52.079 designed to keep us docile, and that in fact we are slaves. 00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:54.159 We're slaves to sin. 00:07:55.240 --> 00:07:58.859 We're slaves to the evil forces that hold sway in this world. 00:07:59.139 --> 00:08:04.659 And the gospel helps us to realize the truth of our condition, that we don't just need a 00:08:04.660 --> 00:08:08.600 better version of ourselves, that we need a new self. 00:08:09.700 --> 00:08:16.120 We need an entirely new, ground-up identity as free men and women. 00:08:16.340 --> 00:08:18.420 And that comes through conversion. 00:08:20.740 --> 00:08:22.580 Now let's talk about conversion. 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:27.640 If that's why we need it, that's the problem it's trying to solve, then what is conversion? 00:08:27.820 --> 00:08:32.540 See, a lot of people think of conversion as simply adopting a new set of beliefs, a new set of 00:08:32.539 --> 00:08:39.419 practices, you convert to this lifestyle, you convert to this worldview, and you're adopting 00:08:39.419 --> 00:08:41.539 certain beliefs and assumptions and practices. 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:46.539 Certainly that's part of it, but the real meaning of the word conversion is more about 00:08:46.539 --> 00:08:51.299 transformation, transforming from one thing to another thing. 00:08:51.299 --> 00:08:57.639 And when we look at how the Apostle Paul talks about Christian conversion, we see that it's a little 00:08:57.639 --> 00:09:04.039 more complicated than that, that it is two things at the same time, that on the one hand, 00:09:04.120 --> 00:09:06.559 Christian conversion is a completed action. 00:09:06.979 --> 00:09:08.620 It can happen all at once. 00:09:09.639 --> 00:09:15.079 But right along with that, conversion also has an aspect that is a continual process. 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:18.699 So it is both a completed action and a continual process. 00:09:18.700 --> 00:09:23.980 And it is absolutely essential that we understand how both of those need to be held together. 00:09:25.540 --> 00:09:29.440 So first let's talk about conversion as a completed action. 00:09:30.820 --> 00:09:36.560 Christian conversion is something that happens as soon as we turn to Jesus and as soon as we 00:09:36.560 --> 00:09:38.240 put our faith in Him. 00:09:38.320 --> 00:09:45.480 In verses 20 through 23, Paul says that these Christians to whom he is speaking are Christians 00:09:45.480 --> 00:09:48.000 because they have, as he says, learned Christ. 00:09:48.899 --> 00:09:52.399 In other words, they've heard the gospel and they've believed it. 00:09:52.460 --> 00:09:53.620 They've learned Christ. 00:09:55.399 --> 00:10:00.340 They've learned that human beings are cut off from God because of sin and rebellion. 00:10:01.740 --> 00:10:06.539 They've learned that Jesus Christ died and rose again to save us and set us free. 00:10:06.539 --> 00:10:13.139 And then when these Christians, when they repented, when they turned from their sin, when they embraced 00:10:13.139 --> 00:10:20.459 grace and forgiveness that comes through Jesus, when they were baptized, through all of that, 00:10:20.519 --> 00:10:23.839 they experienced their own death and resurrection. 00:10:24.039 --> 00:10:25.899 They went through their own death and resurrection. 00:10:27.459 --> 00:10:30.419 The language Paul uses is they put off the old self. 00:10:30.539 --> 00:10:31.620 That self died. 00:10:31.620 --> 00:10:33.919 And they put on a new self. 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:38.820 This new self was created after the likeness of Jesus. 00:10:39.179 --> 00:10:41.279 They put on the identity of Jesus. 00:10:43.860 --> 00:10:47.779 And when they put on that new self, they took on His righteousness. 00:10:48.019 --> 00:10:49.419 They became children of God. 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:53.940 So he's saying on the one hand, when you repent and when you put your faith in Jesus, 00:10:54.019 --> 00:10:57.600 at that very moment, you are spiritually transformed. 00:10:57.600 --> 00:11:00.899 And the New Testament uses different phrases to describe this. 00:11:00.899 --> 00:11:05.319 We have been crucified with Christ and are therefore a new creation. 00:11:06.259 --> 00:11:09.139 We have been saved by grace through faith. 00:11:09.980 --> 00:11:15.659 We have been transferred from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of God's beloved Son. 00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:21.860 These are once for all completed action descriptions. 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:23.799 You were transferred. 00:11:23.980 --> 00:11:24.699 You're no longer here. 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:25.139 You're here. 00:11:25.220 --> 00:11:26.220 Your identity is new. 00:11:26.659 --> 00:11:27.679 The old self has died. 00:11:27.779 --> 00:11:28.620 The new has risen. 00:11:28.620 --> 00:11:31.620 All of it happens once and for all. 00:11:33.399 --> 00:11:37.580 But there is another aspect of conversion that is ongoing. 00:11:38.700 --> 00:11:40.139 It's a continual process. 00:11:40.279 --> 00:11:46.259 If you notice, right between where Paul says, putting off the old self and putting on the new self, 00:11:46.340 --> 00:11:51.360 we see this phrase, be renewed to be renewed in the spirit of your minds. 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:58.659 And the verb tense here implies a continual process that happens over the course of our lives. 00:11:59.820 --> 00:12:07.080 So at the same time as we have put off and put on, we are being renewed continually in the spirit of our minds. 00:12:08.200 --> 00:12:13.279 The Puritan John Owens gets at this in his book, The Mortification of Sin. 00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:21.279 That even though we are saved from the penalty of sin, we still live under the power of sin, the influence of sin. 00:12:22.179 --> 00:12:30.559 In either, he says, either we are fighting against it and putting it to death, or it is gradually taking over. 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:35.360 It's either losing ground in our lives or it's gaining ground in our lives. 00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:42.300 And that has everything to do with our level of commitment to putting sin to death wherever we find it, to mortifying sin. 00:12:42.680 --> 00:12:44.080 You know, I grew up in North Carolina. 00:12:44.620 --> 00:12:51.039 And in North Carolina, as well as many places in the southeastern United States, kudzu is a major problem. 00:12:52.100 --> 00:12:54.580 Kudzu, if you've never seen it, it's an ugly vine. 00:12:55.100 --> 00:12:59.860 It can climb anything, and it grows very, very, very quickly. 00:12:59.860 --> 00:13:06.820 And if kudzu starts growing in the corner of your property, you have to root it out and get rid of it immediately. 00:13:07.100 --> 00:13:10.919 If you neglect it, if you pretend like it's not there, it will take over. 00:13:11.100 --> 00:13:13.220 It can completely take over your yard. 00:13:13.480 --> 00:13:14.600 It can cover trees. 00:13:14.919 --> 00:13:16.259 It can cover power lines. 00:13:16.460 --> 00:13:17.940 It can cover entire houses. 00:13:18.820 --> 00:13:22.700 I used to drive by properties kind of near my house where I grew up, 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:27.759 and you could tell at one time it was a beautiful property completely taken over by kudzu. 00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:33.919 All you can see are these fuzzy, ugly leaves and vines just covering everything like a blanket. 00:13:34.899 --> 00:13:39.080 And kudzu is such a problem because it kills everything it consumes. 00:13:39.480 --> 00:13:44.100 It suffocates trees by cutting them off from light and from life. 00:13:45.460 --> 00:13:47.299 And they suffocate and they die. 00:13:48.600 --> 00:13:52.740 And I think this is a powerful picture of the way sin works in our lives. 00:13:52.740 --> 00:13:57.500 It takes root in the corner of our yard, right, in the corner of our heart. 00:13:58.019 --> 00:13:59.899 And we notice it, and it's not a big deal. 00:13:59.960 --> 00:14:01.340 That was just a one-time thing. 00:14:01.860 --> 00:14:03.240 You know, I just… 00:14:03.240 --> 00:14:04.759 And we kind of downplay it. 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:06.500 We got more important things to think about. 00:14:08.019 --> 00:14:13.039 But over time, it starts to take over, and it can do so a lot more quickly than we think. 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:18.939 And it begins to take over, and it begins to cut us off from the source of life and light. 00:14:18.980 --> 00:14:22.740 It begins to create distance between us and God. 00:14:23.079 --> 00:14:25.799 We start to feel an increasing apathy in our hearts. 00:14:25.899 --> 00:14:26.539 We don't want to pray. 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:27.279 We don't want to worship. 00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:28.139 We don't want to go to church. 00:14:28.379 --> 00:14:31.139 Now, we may make other kinds of excuses about why that's happening, 00:14:31.299 --> 00:14:36.799 but the reality is sin, like kudzu, is covering our hearts over more and more and more. 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:39.379 And the more we suffocate, the less we care. 00:14:41.979 --> 00:14:46.679 To use Paul's language, when we don't fight against sin in our lives, 00:14:46.819 --> 00:14:50.719 it results in, as he says, hardness of heart, apathy. 00:14:52.859 --> 00:14:56.359 Every time we give in to sin, our hearts get a little bit harder 00:14:56.359 --> 00:14:58.879 because we become desensitized. 00:14:59.639 --> 00:15:05.219 We get better and better and better at justifying and explaining away the sin in our lives. 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:10.719 If you love God, that's a good sign. 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:15.539 If you hate God, you can't hate God without passion. 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:18.659 And there's something in there that God can use. 00:15:18.719 --> 00:15:22.379 The most dangerous state of your heart is the state of apathy. 00:15:24.779 --> 00:15:30.639 And apathy is the result of ongoing sin that is in no way resisted in our lives. 00:15:30.939 --> 00:15:33.240 Now, St. Benedict also recognized this. 00:15:33.240 --> 00:15:39.639 The second vow taken by Benedictine monks is the vow of the conversion of life. 00:15:41.019 --> 00:15:42.759 The conversion of life. 00:15:44.139 --> 00:15:50.220 According to Paul Wilkes, conversion of life is a continuing and unsparing assessment 00:15:50.220 --> 00:15:52.519 and reassessment of oneself. 00:15:53.940 --> 00:15:56.120 Continuously and rigorously asking, 00:15:56.580 --> 00:15:59.360 where has sin taken root in my life? 00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:02.419 And then setting about killing that sin. 00:16:03.860 --> 00:16:08.680 This is what Paul is talking about from verse 25 through the very end of our passage. 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:13.740 And it's really worth looking at the specific examples that Paul gives us 00:16:13.740 --> 00:16:18.440 because they give us a very practical way to think about daily conversion 00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:20.399 and what it actually requires. 00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:25.340 To think about rooting out sin wherever we see it in our lives. 00:16:25.740 --> 00:16:28.980 Because it would be very easy for this to remain a kind of esoteric, 00:16:29.740 --> 00:16:31.879 sort of 30,000 foot concept. 00:16:32.959 --> 00:16:36.340 Paul really wants to push this into the lives of his people. 00:16:36.620 --> 00:16:38.139 Here's what it actually means. 00:16:38.220 --> 00:16:39.419 So here's the example he gives. 00:16:39.799 --> 00:16:40.319 Number one, 00:16:41.779 --> 00:16:43.279 you've put off the old self, 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:44.279 you've put on the new self, 00:16:44.360 --> 00:16:46.639 you're seeking to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:52.480 therefore put off falsehood and speak truth. 00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:56.659 Put off all falsehood in your life and speak truth. 00:16:57.779 --> 00:17:00.500 You know, going back to the matrix example for just a second, 00:17:01.240 --> 00:17:01.939 if you've seen the movie, 00:17:02.039 --> 00:17:04.680 you know that there are people who once they're set free from the matrix, 00:17:04.839 --> 00:17:06.240 they actually want to go back. 00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:09.400 Because living in reality is hard. 00:17:10.299 --> 00:17:13.660 And they much prefer the simulated reality of the matrix. 00:17:13.859 --> 00:17:14.660 Life is much better. 00:17:14.660 --> 00:17:20.519 There are people who very much think 00:17:20.519 --> 00:17:23.200 that the most comforting way to deal with their problems, 00:17:23.360 --> 00:17:25.259 the most comforting way to deal with the stress, 00:17:25.720 --> 00:17:28.700 is to simply slip back into the illusion 00:17:28.700 --> 00:17:30.779 that everything's okay. 00:17:31.820 --> 00:17:35.100 But the Christian life is about clinging to the truth, 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:39.140 no matter how hard or uncomfortable it may be. 00:17:40.519 --> 00:17:42.160 Esther DeWall says it well. 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:46.420 Now, being committed to God is not about being nice. 00:17:47.220 --> 00:17:48.980 It is about being real. 00:17:50.200 --> 00:17:51.660 I want to say that one more time. 00:17:51.820 --> 00:17:54.360 Being committed to God is not about being nice. 00:17:54.580 --> 00:17:56.340 It is about being real. 00:17:56.920 --> 00:17:59.600 And that is extremely important to remember 00:17:59.600 --> 00:18:02.880 because it is so much easier to be nice than it is to be real. 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:07.960 There are many Christians who learn how to be nice. 00:18:08.980 --> 00:18:12.880 We learn how to talk and we learn how to act in ways that seem Christian. 00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:17.080 And there are people who can do this our entire lives. 00:18:17.160 --> 00:18:19.900 We learn how to be around church people, 00:18:20.380 --> 00:18:24.300 how to say things that make us seem spiritually mature, 00:18:25.240 --> 00:18:28.980 how to act in ways that convey spiritual wisdom. 00:18:30.280 --> 00:18:36.900 And yet, all the while, sin has taken root and is running rampant in our lives. 00:18:36.900 --> 00:18:42.440 But it is so much easier to be nice than to recognize that hard reality. 00:18:43.720 --> 00:18:47.560 But conversion of life calls us to rigorous self-honesty, 00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:50.060 which involves humility, it involves openness. 00:18:52.080 --> 00:18:56.380 Openness to God teaching us about the parts of ourselves that need to be changed. 00:18:56.680 --> 00:18:59.780 Openness to God speaking through other people into our lives, 00:18:59.880 --> 00:19:02.759 helping us see parts of our lives that need to be changed. 00:19:02.759 --> 00:19:05.500 So this is the first thing. 00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:09.720 Put off falsehood and cling to the truth, number two. 00:19:09.980 --> 00:19:11.359 Second example Paul gives us. 00:19:13.299 --> 00:19:19.299 Put off sinful anger and put on kindness and forgiveness. 00:19:20.660 --> 00:19:23.879 Put off sinful anger and put on kindness and forgiveness. 00:19:24.039 --> 00:19:25.000 Why sinful anger? 00:19:25.079 --> 00:19:27.299 Because anger itself is not necessarily sin. 00:19:28.379 --> 00:19:30.240 There is such a thing as righteous anger. 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:33.640 There is a time and a place where it is appropriate for God's people to get angry. 00:19:35.220 --> 00:19:38.720 But anger can very easily lead us into sin. 00:19:38.819 --> 00:19:42.500 And Paul gives us a description of what that might look like. 00:19:43.099 --> 00:19:48.339 Out of anger we can practice corrupting talk, 00:19:48.440 --> 00:19:50.920 which is we use harmful or abusive language. 00:19:52.380 --> 00:19:52.779 Right? 00:19:52.859 --> 00:19:57.140 We say things that are demeaning or offensive or hurtful to other people out of our anger. 00:19:57.140 --> 00:19:57.180 It can lead to anger. 00:19:57.980 --> 00:20:04.320 It can lead to bitterness, which is a resentful spirit that refuses to forgive or reconcile, 00:20:04.660 --> 00:20:06.700 that just holds on to anger. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:13.100 It can lead to contempt, a kind of devaluing and dehumanizing other people, 00:20:13.820 --> 00:20:15.540 maybe sometimes only in your mind. 00:20:16.720 --> 00:20:23.140 It can lead to slander, which is speaking ill of people behind their backs in order to destroy 00:20:23.140 --> 00:20:23.940 their reputation. 00:20:23.940 --> 00:20:25.960 It's a way of harming them indirectly. 00:20:27.480 --> 00:20:32.259 Paul says when we get angry, it's very easy for that anger to take the next step, 00:20:32.299 --> 00:20:35.539 which is to lead into various forms of sinful behavior. 00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:40.299 And going back to the larger point, the more we give into that, 00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:45.480 the more we indulge in that, the more sin takes root. 00:20:45.600 --> 00:20:47.100 And Paul uses a different image. 00:20:47.420 --> 00:20:50.100 He says, you're giving the devil a foothold. 00:20:50.099 --> 00:20:53.419 That's another way of talking about that kudzu in the corner. 00:20:54.039 --> 00:20:55.480 You're creating an opening. 00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:00.519 And we're going to talk about this more in a couple of weeks on Labor Day weekend. 00:21:00.759 --> 00:21:04.359 We're going to talk about the spiritual forces of evil, the powers and principalities, 00:21:04.699 --> 00:21:06.779 and how they work in our lives. 00:21:08.259 --> 00:21:10.359 But this kind of sin can create an opening. 00:21:11.619 --> 00:21:16.459 And then evil comes in and amplifies it, amplifies the harm it does. 00:21:16.460 --> 00:21:24.279 If you want to know whether or not you have given the devil a foothold through anger in 00:21:24.279 --> 00:21:29.880 your life, how do you respond when people raise concerns about it in your life? 00:21:30.420 --> 00:21:34.819 How do you respond when people close to you say, hey, I think there might be an anger issue 00:21:34.819 --> 00:21:35.180 here? 00:21:36.360 --> 00:21:42.000 People who struggle with sinful anger will often respond to confrontation with, not surprisingly, 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:43.519 more anger. 00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:45.000 Right? 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:46.339 They will flip the script. 00:21:46.660 --> 00:21:48.720 They will accuse you of things. 00:21:48.859 --> 00:21:50.319 They will play the victim. 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:56.660 They will do anything and everything to get the focus off of the real issue. 00:21:56.859 --> 00:21:57.039 Why? 00:21:57.140 --> 00:21:58.519 Because they're ignoring the kudzu. 00:21:58.640 --> 00:21:59.519 They don't want to see it. 00:22:01.319 --> 00:22:03.039 And they don't want you to see it either. 00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:07.240 So their family and friends tend to steer clear of them. 00:22:07.240 --> 00:22:12.859 They tend to look the other way just to keep the peace because it's way too hard to actually 00:22:12.859 --> 00:22:13.440 go there. 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:15.059 Right? 00:22:15.140 --> 00:22:17.079 So anger, Paul is very clear about this. 00:22:17.220 --> 00:22:19.279 Anger needs to be resolved very quickly. 00:22:19.859 --> 00:22:22.420 He says, don't let the sun go down on your anger. 00:22:22.519 --> 00:22:23.660 That's what he's talking about here. 00:22:23.720 --> 00:22:25.900 Now, you often hear this applied to marriage. 00:22:26.059 --> 00:22:30.620 People say, it should be a rule in your marriage that if you're having an argument, you don't go 00:22:30.620 --> 00:22:32.140 to bed before you resolve the argument. 00:22:33.460 --> 00:22:34.920 Okay, I'm a father of three. 00:22:34.920 --> 00:22:37.300 I'll just tell you that's a really nice idea in principle. 00:22:37.460 --> 00:22:39.039 It's not always practically possible. 00:22:39.340 --> 00:22:39.460 Okay? 00:22:40.620 --> 00:22:41.720 And I'll tell you this. 00:22:41.779 --> 00:22:47.720 As somebody who's had a lot of arguments in my marriage over 17 years, I will say that 00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:50.480 there are some arguments that benefit from a good night's sleep. 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:52.519 Might actually shift your perspective. 00:22:54.100 --> 00:23:01.279 What Paul's really talking about here is that we should never simply allow anger to remain 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:01.840 unaddressed. 00:23:01.839 --> 00:23:05.319 We should never just say, well, I'm just that kind of person. 00:23:06.019 --> 00:23:07.279 That's just how I act. 00:23:08.099 --> 00:23:10.480 I just tend to, this is how I handle conflict. 00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:16.879 No, if you're using harsh and abusive language, if you're hurting the people around you, it 00:23:16.879 --> 00:23:19.379 needs to be addressed because anger is corrosive. 00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:22.099 It needs to be rooted out as quickly as possible. 00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:23.879 So that's number two. 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:25.179 Put off sinful anger. 00:23:25.339 --> 00:23:27.480 Put on kindness, gentleness, forgiveness. 00:23:27.480 --> 00:23:36.099 The third example he gives, put off selfish gratification and seek to love generously. 00:23:36.579 --> 00:23:38.319 Seek to love sacrificially. 00:23:38.980 --> 00:23:42.000 And he uses a fantastic image of transformation. 00:23:42.940 --> 00:23:49.059 Imagine a thief who is so radically transformed that they become a philanthropist. 00:23:49.180 --> 00:23:50.559 That's the image that he uses. 00:23:50.660 --> 00:23:51.200 I love it. 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:54.500 It's a 180 degree change in orientation. 00:23:56.200 --> 00:24:03.580 Instead of being someone who takes what doesn't belong to you from someone else, you become 00:24:03.580 --> 00:24:07.819 the kind of person who gives what does belong to you to someone else. 00:24:08.220 --> 00:24:08.460 Right? 00:24:08.539 --> 00:24:13.220 It's a complete change in orientation toward yourself, toward your stuff, toward other people. 00:24:13.220 --> 00:24:18.339 And by the way, this isn't just talking about money, although it has that in mind. 00:24:19.039 --> 00:24:22.059 It could really be applied to our entire approach to relationships. 00:24:23.380 --> 00:24:26.700 Do we tend to focus what we can get from people? 00:24:27.220 --> 00:24:30.740 Or do we tend to focus on what we can give, what we can offer? 00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:32.839 How can we serve and bless? 00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:39.279 You know, this is one of the issues with the hookup culture, is that it builds relationships 00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:44.339 entirely based around what I can get in this moment from this person with little to no 00:24:44.339 --> 00:24:46.539 regard for the long-term impact on that person. 00:24:47.379 --> 00:24:50.940 It's also a way of thinking about marriage in a nutshell. 00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:52.259 Right? 00:24:52.420 --> 00:24:56.799 Marriage, most of the decisions that we make in marriage from one day to another boil down 00:24:56.799 --> 00:24:57.279 to this. 00:24:57.720 --> 00:25:01.779 Am I going to prioritize my needs in this moment over yours? 00:25:02.859 --> 00:25:08.299 Or am I going to put my needs aside for the moment and focus on yours? 00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:15.259 Most decisions in marriage can kind of be distilled down to that fundamental posture, that fundamental 00:25:15.259 --> 00:25:16.000 orientation. 00:25:16.980 --> 00:25:22.919 Is my role here to serve you and see you built up, or is it to take what I think I'm owed 00:25:22.919 --> 00:25:23.460 from you? 00:25:25.940 --> 00:25:26.379 Right? 00:25:26.440 --> 00:25:31.319 So these are some of the examples that Paul gives that help us get a concrete picture. 00:25:31.779 --> 00:25:35.559 What does it mean to put off the old self, put on the new self, and be renewed in the spirit 00:25:35.559 --> 00:25:36.039 of our minds? 00:25:36.299 --> 00:25:38.019 These are the kinds of things he has in mind. 00:25:38.019 --> 00:25:39.440 These are not the only examples. 00:25:39.539 --> 00:25:43.259 There are a million examples we could give, but this begins to give us an idea of what 00:25:43.259 --> 00:25:44.940 it looks like in daily life. 00:25:46.200 --> 00:25:49.180 So this is how Christian conversion works. 00:25:50.059 --> 00:25:53.740 It's both a completed action and it is a continual process. 00:25:54.099 --> 00:25:57.400 And friends, it is crucial that we hold those two things together. 00:25:57.400 --> 00:26:05.580 As just a final thought experiment, what happens if we think conversion is just a one-time event 00:26:05.580 --> 00:26:09.259 and we forget that it's a continual process? 00:26:12.040 --> 00:26:12.900 What happens? 00:26:12.900 --> 00:26:15.759 You know, I came to faith when I was 10. 00:26:15.820 --> 00:26:17.060 I came to faith when I was 5. 00:26:17.120 --> 00:26:18.300 I never remember coming to faith. 00:26:18.360 --> 00:26:19.180 I've always been a Christian. 00:26:19.300 --> 00:26:21.080 I came to faith radically when I was 18. 00:26:22.620 --> 00:26:23.860 And it happened back then. 00:26:24.460 --> 00:26:25.519 And it was a completed event. 00:26:25.580 --> 00:26:26.120 Now I'm a Christian. 00:26:28.259 --> 00:26:28.600 Right? 00:26:28.599 --> 00:26:34.439 If that's how we think about conversion, well, it results in people who may call ourselves 00:26:34.439 --> 00:26:39.079 Christians, but our lives really don't look that different than anyone else's. 00:26:40.299 --> 00:26:43.199 You know, maybe we came to faith when we were in our teens. 00:26:43.379 --> 00:26:45.359 Maybe we think that's all there is to it. 00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:52.000 But we've never really realized the importance of discipleship, of formation, of spiritual 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:54.819 disciplines, of ongoing obedience. 00:26:56.559 --> 00:26:59.500 Our faith doesn't really shape the way we spend our money. 00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:01.779 It doesn't shape the way we spend our time. 00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:04.959 It doesn't shape the way we approach conflict or politics. 00:27:05.139 --> 00:27:06.539 In fact, it tends to be the opposite. 00:27:07.539 --> 00:27:13.219 You know, we tend to be people whose faith is far more influenced by money, by politics, 00:27:13.219 --> 00:27:14.719 than the other way around. 00:27:16.059 --> 00:27:21.039 It kind of leads to people who call themselves Christians, but live as functional atheists. 00:27:22.059 --> 00:27:24.959 Call themselves Christians, but live as functional atheists. 00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:30.559 On the flip side, what happens if we only think of conversion as a continual process, 00:27:30.679 --> 00:27:32.599 but we forget that it's also a completed action? 00:27:33.639 --> 00:27:36.599 Well, that, friends, can lead to an enormous amount of discouragement. 00:27:37.639 --> 00:27:40.799 Because living lives of obedience to Christ can be difficult. 00:27:41.299 --> 00:27:42.599 It can be costly. 00:27:42.599 --> 00:27:47.179 It can put us at odds with family and friends. 00:27:48.179 --> 00:27:52.219 Because in some cases, we make very, very, very different choices based on a different 00:27:52.219 --> 00:27:53.000 set of priorities. 00:27:53.000 --> 00:28:00.920 I mean, thinking about the examples that we just talked about, seeking to put off all falsehood 00:28:00.920 --> 00:28:07.180 and only speak truth to ourselves and to others, seeking to put off all sinful anger, 00:28:08.220 --> 00:28:13.180 seeking to put off all self-gratification in order to live lives of truth and patience and 00:28:13.180 --> 00:28:18.960 forgiveness and sacrificial love, the truth is, speaking from a certain amount of experience, 00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:23.420 we will fail much more often than we succeed. 00:28:24.680 --> 00:28:26.080 And that is simply the reality. 00:28:26.079 --> 00:28:34.319 And when we fail, right, because that's how it works, you seek to obey, and there are some 00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:36.720 victories, and then there are some failures. 00:28:36.919 --> 00:28:43.199 And when we fail, we need to be reminded that our relationship with God does not depend on 00:28:43.199 --> 00:28:43.759 our obedience. 00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:47.059 It depends on Christ's obedience. 00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:51.339 And Christ's obedience is a completed action, right? 00:28:51.339 --> 00:28:54.459 Jesus Christ was perfectly obedient to the Father. 00:28:54.959 --> 00:29:01.039 And because of that, on the cross, Jesus accomplished everything necessary for our salvation. 00:29:01.959 --> 00:29:06.659 And when Jesus on the cross says, it is finished, that's what He means, completed action. 00:29:07.539 --> 00:29:13.679 Everything necessary to secure our place in God's kingdom has been completed. 00:29:13.980 --> 00:29:15.220 It is finished. 00:29:15.459 --> 00:29:17.019 It cannot be taken away. 00:29:17.279 --> 00:29:18.659 It cannot be added to. 00:29:18.660 --> 00:29:29.060 So, knowing that our conversion is a continual process reminds us that change is possible. 00:29:30.200 --> 00:29:31.640 It's a continual process. 00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:34.040 It reminds us that change is possible. 00:29:34.420 --> 00:29:35.279 We can grow. 00:29:35.400 --> 00:29:36.200 We can mature. 00:29:36.540 --> 00:29:41.360 We should be able to look back years ago and see ways that we've grown in faithfulness. 00:29:41.359 --> 00:29:49.099 However, knowing that our conversion is also a completed action reminds us that God loves 00:29:49.099 --> 00:29:56.159 us, He delights in us, and no matter how many times we fail or mess up, He will always love 00:29:56.159 --> 00:29:56.439 us. 00:29:57.599 --> 00:29:59.419 He will always delight in us. 00:30:00.559 --> 00:30:02.199 And that will never change. 00:30:03.240 --> 00:30:04.359 It will never change. 00:30:04.519 --> 00:30:04.939 Let's pray. 00:30:04.940 --> 00:30:13.500 Lord, our Lord, our Heavenly Father, we here need to hear and be reminded of either one 00:30:13.500 --> 00:30:17.400 or the other of these true realities, Lord. 00:30:18.380 --> 00:30:22.120 Some of us need to be spurred to action. 00:30:22.440 --> 00:30:24.360 Lord, we become complacent in our faith. 00:30:26.460 --> 00:30:29.559 Lord, we may feel Your Holy Spirit stirring us. 00:30:29.559 --> 00:30:36.460 Lord, You may be calling attention to areas of our lives where we need Your grace to penetrate, 00:30:36.700 --> 00:30:39.480 where we need to put sin to death. 00:30:41.500 --> 00:30:43.579 Lord, You're convicting us, and we need that. 00:30:43.700 --> 00:30:47.740 Lord, help us to have eyes to see what is real and true of our own hearts. 00:30:48.599 --> 00:30:53.319 And then some of us, Lord, we labor under a sense of failure and inadequacy. 00:30:53.539 --> 00:30:56.419 We feel like You are frustrated with us or angry at us. 00:30:56.420 --> 00:31:01.600 Lord, maybe we struggle with despair. 00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:06.320 Maybe we can't see You in our lives. 00:31:06.900 --> 00:31:12.660 We need to be reminded of the completeness of our salvation, the security of our salvation, 00:31:12.820 --> 00:31:17.940 the inheritance that we have in You because of not our obedience, but the obedience of Jesus 00:31:17.940 --> 00:31:18.400 Christ. 00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:22.320 So, Lord, wherever You find us this morning, I pray that You would comfort us. 00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:26.500 And then if there are people here who don't know You, Lord, who have never thought about 00:31:26.500 --> 00:31:31.099 this before, we pray that through the power of Your Spirit, You would give them eyes to 00:31:31.099 --> 00:31:37.579 see reality, to recognize that the most important thing in our life is not our success or our 00:31:37.579 --> 00:31:38.419 bank account, Lord. 00:31:38.619 --> 00:31:40.059 It is our relationship with You. 00:31:40.579 --> 00:31:45.559 And I pray that right now, this morning, Your Holy Spirit would go to work bringing those 00:31:45.559 --> 00:31:46.919 people into Your arms. 00:31:46.920 --> 00:31:50.960 We pray this, Lord, for Your glory and for our good in the name of Jesus Christ. 00:31:51.560 --> 00:31:51.840 Amen.