Ephesians 4:17-24

As we turn back to Ephesians, we are reminded that this book teaches that every believer is part of the body of Christ. Because we have this beautiful relationship with Christ, we receive practical instruction on how to make the experience a growing one.

In Ephesians 4:17, Paul describes a difference that should be seen in a believer’s life. We are no longer to walk like the Gentiles. The church included both Gentiles and Jews. Paul was not singling out one group against the other. He used Gentiles as a term for unbelievers. The people in the church were of another category – Christian; thus, he was showing a contrast between the believer and unbeliever.

As we study and analyze these words, which give us the concept of Christian conduct, we will be more aware of our responsibility in our behavior as Christians.

• The characteristics of unbelievers (Ephesians 4:17-19)
  • Futility of mind
    • May be brilliant in accomplishments
    • Life is empty and purposeless
  • Darkened understanding
    • Failure to comprehend spiritual truth
  • Separated from God
    • Nature of sin separates us
  • Hardest hearts
    • Resist the working of God
  • The result of these characteristics
    • Calloused – gotten over pain
    • Sensual – do things to satisfy the senses
    • Practice impurity – direct relation to sensual greed
• The challenge to the Christian (Ephesians 4:20-24)
  • Lay aside
    • Not just practices, but conduct, attitudes, and speech
    • Colossians 3:9-10 “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
  • Renew
    • A continuing experience
    • A whole new set of thoughts and attitudes and desires and speech are to be experienced by the Christian
  • Put on
    • Exhibited in Christlikeness
    • In accord with God’s design
    • Righteousness – life is right
    • Holiness – quality of being given over to God’s control

Thus, the Scriptures, as we have experienced in their teaching so far, show us that we have great responsibility for our behavior as Christians. There is more to be discovered in this chapter, but as we can see, God has given us the responsibility to be different and let that difference show in our lives.