2026-06-28 Living out the New Life in Christ

 (Eph 4:17-29) 

An eagle may look like a chick when it's young, scratching in the dirt and pecking for food. But as it grows, its wings become strong, its vision becomes sharp, and it begins to soar. That's what God created it to do. In the same way, God created us to become more like Jesus. But maturity requires change. Like the eagle, we must go through the uncomfortable process before we can soar in Christ. So today, Let’s turn to Eph 4:17-29 , to learn what needs to change. So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. 20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

1, Put off the old self and renew your mind. (vv.17-24)

Many religions focus on changing behaviour, but Jesus came to change the heart. 1 Chronicles 28:9 says, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.  God does not look only at outward actions; He wants transformation from within, coz Jesus says, “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man unclean. Matt15:18. That is why Paul says, "Put off the old self... be renewed in your mind... and put on the new self" (Eph. 4:22–24). Why? In verses 17–19, we see how corrupted the old self is. From the word "they," we might think it speaks only about unbelievers. If we think that way, we can easily become judgmental: "They're bad." But if we're honest with ourselves, we know it describes the old sinful nature that lives in all of us.

Paul says the old self is filled with futile thinking—empty thoughts. When we face challenges, losing a job, things not going our way, or our children not listening… We quickly think, "what if..." Negative imagination tells lies, which leads to fear, fear to worry, worry to anger, anger to resentment, and resentment to replaying hurts and counting people's faults. It all begins with believing futile thoughts instead of God's truth. But in God's Kingdom, every storm is an opportunity to seek God, allow Him to change us, align our hearts with His truth, and grow in faith. But the old self always wants to play God’s role to change others, it leads us nowhere but brokenness and tears. Paul says, if we follow that way, their thinking becomes darkened, their hearts become hardened, and their consciences become numb. Eventually, sinful living feels normal. It's like driving in thick fog. At first, we can still see the road. But as the fog grows denser, we lose sight of where we are going. Notice the progression: Wrong thinking → Hard heart → Numb conscience → Sinful living (Lust for more). So, the battle begins within. If we want to live the blessed life Christ has given us, we must allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds.

2, Deal with anger before it becomes a stronghold. (vv.26-27)

In v,25-27, before Paul talks about anger, he talks about speaking truthfully. Many conflicts and much anger arise because people believe lies. When someone you know is praised, “he’s done good job.” But you interpret it, "He is better than you." Who said that? When people believe such lies, jealousy, comparison, and anger follow. Lies damage relationships, but truth builds trust. Yet even when we walk in truth, people may still misunderstand, reject, or hurt us. That is why Paul immediately moves to anger. He says, "In your anger do not sin. don’t let the sun go down while you’re still angry. and do not give the devil a foothold." Anger itself is not sin. The Bible does not say, "Do not be angry." Or "Am I allowed to be angry?" Angry is a common feeling. Pual’s focus is on what we do with it. From v.26-27, we see three things.

First, after you feel anger, do not sin. We often hear people say, “Jesus got angry. I have righteous anger too.” In Matthew 21, Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers and declared, “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.” Yet immediately afterwards, He healed the blind and the lame. Why was God's presence still with Him? Because Jesus was angry without sin. He was angry because God’s honour was being violated and grieved by sin and injustice. Often, we are angry because our pride is hurt, or our expectations are unmet. If we leave our anger unchecked by the Holy Spirit and God's truth, it can lead us to complain,

blame, judge, or withdraw. Then we sin against God. We hurt ourselves and others. Second, do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. "Do not" is a command. We are commanded to deal with anger quickly. Why? Because if we don’t deal with anger, it will grow. In the OT, King Saul became angry when the people sang, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands."  At first, it was simply anger and jealousy. But Saul didn’t bring it to God and deal with it. He replayed it in his mind. He became suspicious of David. He spoke against David. He tried to kill David repeatedly. Eventually, Saul was destroyed by the bitterness he allowed to grow in his own heart. From Saul's example, we see:

Anger → Jealousy → Suspicion → bitterness → Destructive Behaviour

Hebrews 12:15 warns us, "See to it that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." The problem was not Saul's first angry feeling. The problem was that he fed it day after day. It became a bitter root. The root grew until bitterness became a stronghold, a way of thinking. Eventually, that stronghold ruined his relationship with God and destroyed his own life.

Finally, “do not give the devil a foothold”. A foothold is an opportunity or a place. It clearly says, don’t give opportunity to the devil to attack you through unresolved anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness. Jesus told the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18. A servant had been forgiven an enormous debt, but he refused to forgive someone owed him a small debt. The master said, “Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” Then he was handed over to be tortured. Jesus warns us that unforgiveness brings torment.

In my ministry, I have seen people hold on to offences without realising the damage they were causing. Over time, they were tormented mentally, spiritually, physically, and relationally. Their sleep suffered, their health suffered, their marriage and relationships suffered. But when they forgave from the heart, they found healing and peace again in Christ. Unresolved anger keeps us trapped in the old self: “What about me? My rights, my reputation, my feelings.” It keeps us stuck in the past, prevents us from being free. But we are called to put off the old self, come out of the past, break the chain through forgiveness, and put on the new self.

3, Replace selfish living with generous living. (v.28)

Paul then goes on to v.28. It seems to say, 'Stop stealing, work, and have something to share.' But his focus is much deeper. Stealing is about taking. Paul calls us to put off the old self that takes and put on the new self that gives. Why? Because God is a generous Giver. He gave us His Son, His forgiveness, His love, His life, and even His Kingdom. The world teaches us, "Get more, keep more, and protect what is yours." That’s why marriages often struggle. People enter marriage thinking, "What can I get?"

Over time, when their expectations are not met, they feel disappointed, frustrated, hurt and may even want a divorce. The same can happen in a church, our relationship with Christ. Why do you find yourself so often hurt and disappointed in relationships? Probably you are still living by the old way of thinking: 'What can I get?' rather than, 'How can I give?'" The new self is filled with God's love and generosity, asks, "How can I bless others through God's grace?"

Proverbs 11:25 says, "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will be refreshed." God's principle is that those who bless others are themselves blessed. The old self takes and lives in fear; when we always take, we will always fear of losing. But the new self gives and lives in abundance. Because our God is a God of abundance. When we give according to His grace and abundance, His resources never run out.

So today, what is God asking you to put off so you can shake off the dirt and begin to soar? What’s holding you back? Is it an offence, an old way of thinking, or the belief that taking is better than giving? Jesus didn't die only to forgive you, but to transform you. He is calling you to respond.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank You that You are holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. Before You angels bow, heaven worships, and one day every nation, tribe, and tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Such a sovereign God, You laid down Your life for our sins. Through the shedding of Your blood on the cross, You showed us that true love is not to take but to give. Your love not only forgives us, but transforms us from people who take into people who give, from selfishness to selflessness, from the old life to the new, so that we may live in Your love, joy, peace and become a blessing to others.

How many of us want to respond to God today and say, "Lord, here I am. Change me"? If that's you, you can pray this prayer with me:

“Father, I come to You through the blood of Jesus Christ. Thank You for creating me to be like an eagle in Christ, to soar above the early desires, not to spend my life scratching in the dirt, entangled by fear, worry, bitterness, anger, and disappointment because of unhealthy expectations of others.

Lord, I confess that too often I have lived according to my old way of thinking. Too often I have expected people to do for me what only You can do, and as a result I have become hurt, angry, and disappointed.

Today I turn to Your truth. Jesus, when You walked on this earth, You trusted the Father and walked in step with the Holy Spirit. You came not to be served, but to serve, and to give Your life as a ransom for many. You lived out a victorious life for me to follow.

So Father, today I choose to forgive those who have disappointed me, rejected me, misunderstood me, or failed me. I recognise that I have done the same to others. Forgive me, Lord, as I forgive them. Thank You for Your mercy toward me. I release forgiveness instead of demanding justice, and I leave room for You to judge, for You the Judge who judges justly.

Lord, I break every lie that says my joy depends on what others do for me. I break the lie that I must receive in order to be satisfied. I choose to believe Your truth: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'

Holy Spirit, renew my mind. Teach me to give love instead of demanding love, to give forgiveness instead of demanding justice, and to trust in You rather than in imperfect people or my old way of thinking.

Fill my heart with Your love, my mind with Your truth, and my life with Your Spirit.

Help me to walk in the truth I have prayed today. Renew my strength like the eagle soaring on the wind, that I may live a life that brings You glory, just as Your Son Jesus Christ did on earth. In Jesus' mighty name I pray. Amen."

Discussion Questions

1. The sermon compares believers to an eagle that was created to soar. What are some "old ways of thinking" that keep people scratching in the dirt instead of soaring in Christ?
2. Paul says we must be "made new in the attitude of our minds" (Eph. 4:23). What is one area where God has been renewing your thinking, or one area where you still need His help?
3. The sermon suggests that much anger and disappointment come from expecting people to do for us what only God can do. Have you ever experienced this in a relationship? What did God teach you through it?
4. Why do you think unresolved anger and unforgiveness can become a stronghold in a person's life? What practical steps can help us deal with anger before it grows into bitterness?
5. The old self asks, "What can I get?" while the new self asks, "How can I give?" This week, what is one practical way you can show Christ's generosity and blessing to someone around you?