Open The Word | Fungua Neno

⏱️ 2 minutes.

Greetings beloved of God,

Today, let’s examine Paul’s instruction to the Ephesians for a complete spiritual transformation:

To lay aside, in reference to your former conduct, the old man, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,

Ephesians 4:22

We enter the scene as Paul instructs the Ephesians to walk in accordance with Christ, not like unbelievers.

“Therefore, this I say, and testify in the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind.”

Ephesians 4:17

After sharing this, Paul provides the Ephesians with three steps to completely transform from following old ways to embracing Christ in their new birth. The very first step starts with putting off the old man.

The old man is the unconverted person trapped in worldly inclinations, fully submitted to this world’s ways. Paul states this old man is “being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit.” This corruption stems from the old man’s inclination towards sin, corrupting him and allowing him to “suppress truth in unrighteousness” — Romans 1:20.

The admonition to “put off” relates to repentance, meaning “to change one’s mind.” It entails realizing the sinfulness and wickedness of one’s acts toward God, consciously deciding to depart from old ways and turn towards God.

This instruction was well understood by the church in Ephesus and others, as salvation without repentance was not conceivable.

In today’s world, the notion of salvation without repentance is gaining traction, which contradicts clear biblical teachings.

Let’s examine two instances where Jesus gave clear instructions on the believer’s lifestyle:

“Go, and from now on sin no more.”

John 8:10-11

“Do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.”

John 5:14

In both scenarios, Jesus instructs witnesses of His works to stop sinning.

Paul’s idea of putting off the old man involves repentance from sin and turning towards Christ.

Key takeaways from this step:

• Repent: Repenting of sin is integral to following Christ.
• Put off the old man: Sin corrupts and leads to death, as “the wages of sin is death” —Romans 6:23

We’ll revisit this verse tomorrow to explore the renewal process.

With love, Paul.