Ephesians 4:24

“and put on the new man, that after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth”

“And put on”: The Christian life contains much more than just "negative" instructions. We are not finished with serving God merely at the point of getting rid of. sinful habit. The void left by discarding that attitude or habit must be filled by. new habit and attitude. “The job is only half done in putting away sin. Whole-hearted acceptance of the new way of living in Christ is the mark of the reformed man” (Caldwell p. 203). “The new man”: “That new and better self” (Wey). “The new man involves new qualities (Colossians 3:10; Romans 12:21; Romans 13:14). The new man has new feelings, principles, desires, goals, and hopes. It is. wholly different direction of life (Romans 6:4; Galatians 6:15; 2 Corinthians 5:17)” (Caldwell p. 204). “That after God”: “Which is created to be like God” (Beck). Compare with Colossians 3:10 “renewed to. true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him”. God is the standard for the new man (1 Peter 1:14; Matthew 5:48; Ephesians 4:32). “Created”: The Christian is. "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17), he or she has been "born again" (John 3:3; John 3:5). Since the Christian is. "new creation". blueprint or pattern must exist for this new life, and that pattern is the word of God (1 Timothy 3:15). Christians are those who have admitted that they need to be "re-created", and that their own ideas and the ideas of the world only made their lives into. mess (Ephesians 4:22; Jeremiah 2:23). True self-improvement can only be found in the Christian life. Everyone who is trying to improve themselves or change apart from Jesus Christ and His will is using substandard materials. What God desired man to be when God created him, can only be obtained in. relationship with Jesus Christ. Hence, when you obey and submit to Christ, only then can it be said that you have truly found yourself, or your true purpose for living.

“In righteousness and holiness of truth”: Notice the contrast with the old life. The old man was unethical and had. very low or situational standard of morality. The new man pursues righteousness and personal holiness (purity). The old man was corrupt and the new man is pure. The old man lived in. world of illusion and deceit while the new man lives by the truth. “The knowledge of God is never divorced from walking in His ways: to know Him is to be like Him, righteous as He is righteous, holy as He is holy” (Bruce p. 359).

Specific Changes

“As in Colossians 3:8. Paul identifies exactly what it means for the believer to put off the old self and put on the new” (Boles p. 289). “Instead of. list of vices to be discarded and another list of virtue to be cultivated, this paragraph counterbalances each vice that is mentioned with. virtue: falsehood is to be replaced by truth, unrestrained anger by timely reconciliation, stealing of other's property by the generous sharing of one's own, foul language by helpful speech, animosity by kindness” (Bruce p. 360). Nothing has changed. Some 2000 years later we are still faced with all of the following sins, therefore the Bible continues to remain relevant for mankind himself remains the same. The culture these Christians lived in often overlooked or condoned some of these behaviors. Therefore, the apostles are not laying down some culturally defined ethic, rather this is God's ethic for all time and for everyone. “Holiness is not. mystical condition experienced in relation to God but in isolation from human beings. You cannot be good in. vacuum, but only in the real world of people. It is not enough to give up lying and stealing and losing our temper, unless we also start speaking the truth, working hard and being kind to people” (Stott p. 184).