Well dear saints, as you're opening up your copy of God's Word to Ephesians chapter 4, the title of our sermon for today, What Do You Know About Christ, actually reminds me of a very simple song that I heard years ago. And the question was in the song, what do you know about Jesus? And although the answer in the song was inadequate, the question is still pertinent. I won't give you the answer to the song if you don't know it, good for you. But I think the question is pertinent, it is important. And how we answer that question about our knowledge of Christ determines where we are in our knowledge of the Christian faith and practice. So that question, what do you know about Christ? It resembles the question that Christ asked his disciples. It was our Lord who asked them, who do people say that the Son of Man is? You recall from Matthew the 16th chapter, verses 14 through 19, they said, some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, others Jeremiah, one of the prophets. He said to them, but who do you say that I am? Simon Peter replied, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered him, blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." There are also other accounts of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that when they heard his preaching, they would say that he speaks with authority. In John 7, verse 46, the officers, instead of arresting the Savior, said that no one ever spoke like this man. Our text in Ephesians concludes this. It concludes that if you know Christ, your thoughts on this sinful world under the persuasion of Satan is no longer the world for you. If you know this Christ, your thoughts on this sinful world, on the persuasion of Satan, is no longer the world for you to live and to enjoy. In verses 17 through 19 of Ephesians 4, I did bring this to your attention, that according to the original language, that the appeal, this I say and testify, or I charge of you in the Lord, is authoritative. It is an authoritative appeal. It is an appeal for the Christian who has been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ to no longer live like an unbeliever. And why should we not live like them? Well, they are in spiritual darkness because of spiritual death. They have no hope to save or free themselves from this bondage of sin. Their hearts are hardened, it says in the text. And similar to what Ephesians chapter 2 verse 3 says, they're presently carrying out the desires of their body, their sinful body, and their futile minds. Well, the life of the church can no longer mirror the living dead. The life of the church can no longer mirror the world. It was our past life, but it is no longer valid or fitting for the new life in Christ. Well, then what did the knowledge of Christ teach the church in Ephesus? Well, it did this. It taught them that the way of Christ and what Christ teaches is light, life, and truth. What Christ taught them was light, life, and truth. And to learn Christ was to live distinctively different from the world or from their past life and sin. To learn Christ was to know that He will renew you. And to learn Christ was to know that you will be like God in character, that is, in holiness and righteousness. Well, that is what the believers in Ephesus were taught then, and that is what this text is teaching us today. And so from verses 20 to 24, verses 20 through 24 of Ephesians 4, we will learn what makes your knowledge of Christ life-changing. What makes your knowledge of Christ life-changing. Well, follow along with me as I read verses 17 through 24 of Ephesians 4. And from verses 20 through 24, we will learn this wonderful lesson from this text of Scripture, what makes your knowledge of Christ life-changing. Verse 17, Ephesians 4, Now this I say in testifying the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learn Christ. assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him as the truth is in Jesus to put off your old self which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds and then verse 24 and to put on the new self created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness Well, the overall point is in verses 20 through 21, and then from there, verses 22, 23, and 24 flow from that overall truth in verses 20 and 21. And for us today, as it did for the church in Ephesus, it is teaching that what Christ teaches us is light, life, and truth. What Christ teaches us is light, life, and truth. And that is a contrast to what verses 17 through 19 says. And that is why this but, you, is so emphatic at the very beginning of verse 20. But that is not the way you learn to Christ. And so, in verses 17 through 19, the life that is described there, the church no longer relates to it. In fact, this is a very, very strong emphasis that is being made. This is not the way for you. This is not so for you. This life no longer applies in doctrine or in practice. To that extent, that way of living in verses 17 through 19 is not fitting for a worthy walk. Well, what did they learn when they heard of Christ and were taught of him? Well, first things first is that it began with the gospel message. Because the verb here, the action, includes the moment they heard about Christ or learned of him. When God opened their eyes to hear the message of Christ, the gospel message taught about the person of Christ, and it also taught about the work of Christ. It was a new way to live, and it is unlike the world's way of living. And so comparing the message of Christ, the work and the person of Christ, comparing it to 17 through 19 of Ephesians 4, the way you learn about Christ stands in contrast to spiritual darkness, death, and a hardened heart. You get that? It is a contrast to spiritual darkness, spiritual death, and a hardened heart. Now let's carry that truth to a very important conclusion here as we think about the teaching of Christ. It is light, life, and truth. And it is that one of the distinctions between the unbelieving world and the church is that we learned about Christ and we're learning more about him. And so the church's life centers around the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the object and the subject matter of his own gospel. Another distinction is that the knowledge of Christ is a personal one. It is not a collection of knowledge per se, although knowledge is important here. The reference that it is making here to the learning of Christ and also hearing of Him and being taught of Him in verses 20 and 21, it is that this is a living and an active knowledge. This is not just informational, as I've said before, this is transformational. This is not here just to inform, it is here to transform. And so when God is revealing to us what it means to learn of Christ and having heard and taught in Him, it is a life-changing truth about the person of Christ. So what this does, it deepens the well of our own heart for an intimate knowledge of Him that alters our belief and also affects our behavior. So as you grow in your knowledge, your faith is stronger and your confidence grows in Christ, therefore you live confidently and trusting in what He says. And that is why we add the word truth there, because truth permeates this epistle as it does this exhortation. And when you get to verse 25, it also tells us to put away falsehood and speak the truth to our neighbor, because our Savior is indeed truth. Well, there's another distinction that we do want to look at, and it's that we believe in the character of Christ and the content of his message. to learn of Christ is to believe in the character and the content of his message. So you cannot just believe in the Savior and not believe in his message. And that is true today. There are many false dichotomies and many false presentations of believing in a Christ and not receiving and embracing his teaching that is not consistent with the scripture. To believe in the Savior is also to believe in his person, his character, and also his teaching. So to that extent, it is all of Christ, on all of his glory. So it is to love his teaching, And also it is to love how we should live according to his teaching. It is to learn of his life and his sacrifice for guilty sinners. It is to embrace all that he has revealed to us from his ministry on earth and also through his disciples. Now, what does the Holy Spirit impress upon us? What is he impressing upon us at this time? Well, dear saints, the calling of Christ to his way of living invites us to learn of him and to submit to his way of living. It is to learn of him and to submit to his way of living. It is a way of life that has no resemblance to the life of sin. To that extent, his way of life and his way resembles the final age of perfection. where you will see the subjection of all creation. Everything will be subdued to the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, through the church you begin to see what that looks like. We learn from Ephesians chapter 1 that we're part of the beginning of the final summing up of making all things new. Well, until then, dear saints, Scripture concludes that if you identify yourself with the Lord's Church and the Lord Jesus Christ, if you've heard of Him and you were taught of Him, you are part of the summing up of making all things new, and it has begun to change your mind and your life. Well, verse 21 also affirms that. It affirms that what Christ teaches is light, life, and truth. It says, it is assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him as the truth is in Jesus. Okay, well, what is the reason for this really unique statement? Because it says, as the truth is in Jesus. And this is assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him. Why is this important here at this stage in this epistle? Well, when you think about the Gospels, dear saints, when you read the Gospels, Matthew through John, Christ preaches with a greater sense of priority and urgency. But that priority, okay, if you have heard about him or taught on him, that priority is not natural. It isn't about this natural or what we see or perceive in this world. It's not about the earthly. So when you're declaring the gospel to a people group who are far from him, who are wicked, who are evil, it isn't about the natural attainment in this life. You're preaching a very strange message to those ears who have never heard it before. This is not natural. This is a calling to something that is heavenly, something that is unlike this world, unlike this age. And so when Christ and his message comes to us, If you have heard and taught from him, or by him, or through him, you were taught to live a life that is uniquely different from this world's way of living. Well, you hear the message of the gospel, like the Gentiles did, who spent centuries in idols and false deities. They would find it strange to hear about this message that calls to believe in someone, to trust in him with all of your heart. And it is nothing that you can do to earn this righteousness, that you must trust in him only for salvation. So the gospel message is like any other message, where God invades this darkness that will repel its truth. God invades this sin that will resist his will and his word. And according to his grace and his power, he rescues this heart and trains them in this will of the Savior. This is unlike the world. He rescues hearts that are perishing, hearts that are dead, hearts that are in sin, and He trains them in the school of His Savior. So one of the things that the gospel teaches is this, that you are going to be ushered from death to life, from darkness to light, from deceit to truth, and you will be taught by the Savior what it means to follow Him. So that means the gospel's call was a call to an exclusive life to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not Christ plus something else. It is not Christ plus the wealth of this world. It is not Christ plus the material things of this world. It is Christ and Christ alone and nothing else. It is to follow him and not turn back. It is to trust in him and him alone. It is his absolute infallible truths and his truths alone. That's the school of the Savior, but when you heard the gospel, it called you to this exclusive life of the Lord Jesus Christ and to learn of him. Well, there was also another problem, as it is today. There are schools of false Christs and idols. even in the height of the church's beginnings. During the height of the church's beginnings, false teachers were preaching and teaching a different Christ. A Christ with no claims on one's life, a Christ who will not call his people to holiness, a Christ with no power, no objective teaching. When you look at this text, dear saints, you can't miss it. You did not learn of a Christ who leaves you in sin's grips, and the longings of this world. That's not the Christ of the Scripture. He doesn't leave you on the sins power. He doesn't leave you groping for this world's attractions. He's not the Christ who ascends into heaven and leaves you in your sins. No, He is the Christ who opens spiritual eyes, gives life and light, and when you meet this Christ from Scripture, He will never leave you the same. In 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, it illustrates that we're being changed from one degree of glory to another because of Christ. When you behold the glory of Christ in the gospel, it is a life-changing message with life-changing promises to change your affection and to change your desires to be more like Christ. So, to truly hear and learn of Christ is to learn these truths that he calls and he bids and commends the sinner to turn from their sin and wholeheartedly trust in him, to serve him, to live for him, Notice with me in verse 21, there are two important phrases it says that you have heard about him and were taught in him. So I said before, hearing begins with the gospel. This is not only a reference to what you heard in the past, but this is an ongoing hearing. But certainly when you first heard the gospel, the true authentic, they're false gospels, they were then and they're now. Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ. This is true gospel preaching that produces change. So the instruction, beginning with the gospel, it has this ongoing effect. It not only is the gospel that is the power of salvation, but it's also the power of transformation. The gospel saves, it transforms. That means you are now deliberate up to learning more from Christ and learning more about him. there is no controversy to what this text is saying. And that is why that conditional statement is there, assuming. Some say this is probably a positive statement. Whatever the statement is, the point is that if you indeed have heard of this Christ, this is what his message does for the heart and the life. And if you have not heard of this Christ in this way, then you are hearing from and you have heard from a different Christ, which is not the Christ of the Scripture or the Christ that the Father sent. You are delivered up to this Christ to learn more from Him and about Him, and you are always in the process of learning. And so you have this very clear statement of truth and confidence that if you have heard about this Christ and learned of Him, then He is not a Savior who leaves you in darkness. He's not a Savior who leaves you in your stubborn darkness. He's not a Savior who leaves you in spiritual death. He leaves you in life and truth and light. Because that is exactly what the gospel message is. It's a glorious gospel of the light and the life of the Spirit of God. It also says that you were taught of Him, and being taught of Him, that is the same lesson that you learn. And this teaching is what connects us to verses 22 through 24. That you were taught that not only will you not be the same, but I will encourage you and compel you and command you to no longer live the same. And dear saints, this is all about the Christ. If you've learned of this Christ, and I'm assuming that you have indeed heard about Him and were taught in Him, you recall in chapter 3, a part of the prayer in chapter 3 of Ephesians was to know how much Christ loves you, and a part of knowing how much Christ loves you is to know Him, and to know how much He loves you is to know the gospel, You know, the gospel's to see the love of God, the Father, the love of the Son, and the splendor of the cross. But then there was another part of the prayer in verse 17, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. You recall when we preached that message back in February of this year, we said, so that Christ may be more at home in your heart. Dear saints, in practice, not just in precept. Not just what you know. but how that knowledge affects your life. That's the prayer. That Christ, as he by the Spirit dwells deeply in your heart, you will become more and more like him in character, which is a part of the goal here in our text today. That Christ will be at home, is one way to put it, That is that his character will comfortably abide, because Christ is at home in you, but that his character will comfortably abide in your heart, will be at home in your heart through what may be mundane events in your life. That Christ will affect every fabric of your life, every part of your being, every aspect of your life, living in you and conforming you to his image. When you look at verse 21, it says that just as the truth is in him, in the Lord Jesus. This is, I think, important for us to examine. The truth here in Jesus could be a reference to the nature or character of his teaching that the truth is found in him. Maybe it is one way of saying that this is a part of the attribute of Christ, that he is truth. Or we can say that Christ embodies the truth. One thing that we can say is this, that the truth that is in Christ stands in contrast to the deception from Satan in the world. And that is a very crucial and pivotal contrast that this text is outlaying before us. That is not the way you learn Christ. There's no deception in Him. There is no shadow of turning in Him as the Father is. In His divine essence, in His divine nature, He stands in contrast to deception. Therefore, everything that He says is absolutely pure and true. So then the truth that he reveals and teaches us, it builds up as in contrast to the deception. Deception destroys us. Deception is in the sphere of unbelief. Truth is where Christ resides. And then that would indicate to us, dear saints, that if Christ embodies the truth, then the claims that he makes on your life are true. If Christ embodies the truth, the claims he makes on your life are true. The way he commands you to live is true. Then what he calls sins are sins. What he identifies as life is life. What Christ says is truth is truth. If the truth is in Jesus, and this is a reference to who he is, and I believe that is really what the text is emphasizing, this divine attribute of the Savior, then he is absolutely, perfectly righteous and true in all of his ways. Therefore, what he's commanding is not optional, and what he's saying to us is not optional, it is absolute fundamental truth. There's another way to look at this truth, and it's a way to look at this truth by seeing it as the original source of a thing. And the source of that truth is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the living Christ speaking living truths to his living body. So if he is the truth, When you compare the Savior to the world, the world lives in futility, it feeds on Satan's lies, it lives in deception. The church receives its instruction from Christ who is the truth. And that is the instruction the early church was given. That this is the embodiment of truth because it comes from a person who is truth. So then, that is not the way you learn Christ, who is truth, assuming that you've heard about him or taught him as the truth is in Jesus, who is the truth. Therefore, if he is the truth, and he speaks nothing but the truth, then what we're exhorted to do is consistent with his character. Our lives must be formed and shaped according to his divine nature, and not according to the world's futile, sinful way of life. There's something critical to this. There's things, when we look at our lives, and we're supposed to be a display of God's work in our hearts, you are personally, in one way, not confirming it in its fullness, but affirming it in a small manner, whether or not you truly believe that Christ is the truth. And also, that is a display to the world. For to live in deceit, And darkness and deception and to live in lies and to be a liar and untruthful is sort of contradictory to the Savior himself. It's also not a coincidence that verse 25 begins with, "...therefore having put away falsehood." It's false, so it is a symbol of deceit. It's a symbol of deception. It is a representation of the old life. It reflects the life of sin, the life of depravity, the life of death, the life of a lie. But for the saint, they're growing from a godless life to a God-filled life, filled with the knowledge of God, being filled with the knowledge of God. And so what Christ teaches is light, life, and truth. And then to learn Christ, you'll find in verses 22 through 24. The first one is this, to learn Christ is to live unlike the world. It is to live unlike the world. This is not a one-night transformation. This is progressive. But it is true. Once more, I bring to your attention light, life, and truth in comparison to futility, a darkened understanding, and death in verses 17 through 19. It is to begin to live unlike the world. Why is this critical? Because in verses 22 through 24, these three verses, they're saints, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ did not leave these truths out. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Behold, the old has gone and the new has come. The gospel message and to learn Christ is to live unlike the world. It says that you were taught this. This is a continuation. Verses 20 through 24 in the original text is one sentence. I mean, we appreciate the exclamation point there for a state of emphasis in the verse 20, but this is one complete sentence. And so the flow of thought is important. It is saying, but that is not the way you learn Christ. Assuming that you have heard about him in verse 21 we're taught in him as the truth is in Jesus and then if you believe that the truth is in Jesus and you were taught by him and heard of him and learn this Christ you were taught and you are being taught to live unlike the world that is to put off your old self and so the teaching that Believers in Ephesus heard through the preaching of the gospel is that you are no longer characterized or will be characterized with the world. And this idols, the world and its love, the world and its affection, the world and its enjoyments. What is consistent in each verse is that you heard in the hearing of the message about Christ that you're no longer living like your past life in sin. That's repentance. Once you've begun that turning away from and turning to God, that life continues of turning from those sins and turning to God, which is, in essence, putting off and putting on. Putting off those habits and those relics that are like the sins of the past and putting on the deeds of righteousness. So what you have here in verses 22, 23, and 24 are examples of the original instruction. This is not something new. Once again, if our Savior is the Lord of Truth, He doesn't woo people in with lights, camera, and action. He compels them to come and believe in Him. So there's no deception in true gospel preaching. There's no, let's leave this part out, Let people warm up to the church and warm up to Sunday mornings. No, we give the full counsel of God's Word. This is not progressively working your way up to Christianity. Christianity must come to you in the form of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh no. When Christ called us in the gospel, it was a call to no longer live like the world. no longer live like the old self, because the old self is a relic of a past life of sin. This new beginning marks the end of sin's rule, the end of sin's authority, and the end of the devil's reign and rule in the hearts of those who are in Christ. So the initial act of putting off begins with salvation. When God saves us, that is the beginning stages of putting off the old self. But because we're still in the body of sin, we're practicing putting off the habits of the old man, but the old man and his deeds we have collectively put off when we turn and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the old man that represents passions and desires that are unlike Christ, that are not like him, it's a course of life that lacks self-control, totally given over to sin, it is useless for the new walk. That old self characterized by sin and dominated by worldly pleasure, ruled by sin, no longer the same, no longer the case. It is a relic of the past. Relic of the past life of sin and death. What else should we consider when we look at this verse that, to put out this old self which belongs to your former man of life and is corrupt, it says, through deceitful desires. Well, dear saints, you recall from Romans 6 verse 6, this is critical to consider when we look at this text in Ephesians 4 verse 22. It says in Romans 6 verse 6, we know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. That great exchange of our guilt and unrighteousness for the Savior's sinlessness and righteousness on our behalf, our old self was crucified with the Lord Jesus Christ. There is an eternal disassociation, detachment to that old self, forensically, judicially on the cross. now comes a part of living out the implications of this old self having been crucified and putting on the habits of the new self. The text says that it's corrupt. In other words, the old self that was nailed to the cross is in a continuous cycle of ruin. That, in fact, is what the gospel teaches us, that the wages of sin is death. Things will never get better for the unbeliever. They must turn and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a continuous cycle of ruin. The process is ongoing, and things will never get better. It will only get worse. That is something to really meditate on, saints, when we are looking at our lives and We really have to frame our lives within the work of Christ and the gospel, but also in sanctification must be seen in the gospel. This is not an overnight event, but it is a day-by-day, lifetime process of spiritual growth. And we are to be trending in that direction of Christlikeness, and not corruption, but purity of heart, purity of life, as we're sanctified in the truth, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God. So the Christian, instead of having a feudal mind, has an informed mind, a transformed mind of being transformed. And they're living unlike the world because the gospel says and the gospel's claim is that the power of God to save is so effective that it will transform you, give you a new heart and affections to live unlike the world. My dear saints, before we move to verse 23, we must ask this question. Do you find it hard to live unlike the world? Or do you just love the world and everything in it? I'm speaking in reference to God's creation, which is something we should enjoy, but I'm speaking to the indulgences of the world. Do you love the world's form of enjoyment, of entertainment, their language, their crude words, their crude actions, their immorality, their sensuality? Do you love it? Do you crave it? Do you desire it? But then on a personal level, do you despise your own sins because you love the Savior so much and you want to please Him? To live unlike the world is also to have a different view of sin because your sin reminds you of the old self. And when you give into those sinful habits of the old self, it reminds you of everything that Christ was sacrificed for. To learn Christ is to know these truths and for these truths to be deeply rooted in your heart. We must go to verse 23. If we're saying that what Christ teaches is light, life, and truth in verses 20 and 21, and to learn Christ is to live unlike the world in verse 22, then in verse 23, to learn Christ is to live a transformed life. To learn Christ is to live a transformed life. That is what is verse 23 saying, that you were taught when you heard, The gospel, when you heard about Christ and you were taught of him and you're being taught of him, that he will constantly renew you. You were taught to be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Once again, this has past effect and present impact. It's something you heard in the past with the preaching of the gospel that has present impact on the life now. Now, just quickly so that we'll know that this renewing is not just a mental effect. This is impacting and changing the very inward life of the believers, one commentator says. It's deep within our hearts. It's the Holy Spirit working because this renewing here is actually a divine passive. It's the Holy Spirit who renews us, but it says to be renewed. In other words, we're engaging in this process, but he's actively renewing us. We're called to actively respond to his renewing work, which then sets us in further and further contrast from our sins in the sinful world. It was a commentator, John Eady, 19th century pastor and commentator, who said, and I quote, the change here is not in the mind, this natural way of thinking, either in its essence or its operation. And neither is it in the mind as if it were a superficial change of opinion on points of doctrine or practice. but it is in the spirit of the mind, in that which gives mind both its bent and its material of thought. It is not simply in the spirit as if it lay there in a dim and mystic quietude or stillness, but it is in the spirit of the mind, in the power which, when changed itself, radically alters the entire sphere and business of the inner mechanism. The point being that this change is so deep, so powerful, that it changes you from the very core of your being. It affects your core priorities and your core desires. This work of transformation begins in the place where only the Spirit can work. God doesn't play mind games. This is not a mentally acumen-driven work. This is not how smart you are and how much you can learn from the scripture. This is so deep that when you are changed, that not only will believers say that, but others will say that this cannot be natural. This cannot be normal. It's like the old phrase you would hear in the testimonies years ago. I don't know if they meant it, but it certainly has an element of truth to it. It says that the things I used to do, I just can't do anymore. The places I used to go, I just can't go anymore. There is something so deep, there's just, there's no attraction for it at all. That is the renewal here, the Spirit works so deeply to perform this divine surgery, that yes, it will say, now listen, for the preaching of the gospel, I want you to know this, the gospel says that Christ is going to do a work in your heart. Day by day, he's going to change your affection, change your desires, change your longings to be more like Christ. And then he's going to ask you to examine your heart to see if those longings are for Christ or still for sin and self. This is a radical change. This is not superficial. This is not on the surface. This is not theological mind games. This is a divine work that is so deep that when we see it we can say, this can be nothing but God. At the end of being, in verse 16 of Ephesians 3 is very similar to what we find here in verse 23, the spirit of your mind. It's not the mental mind, it's the very depths of your being. It's oftentimes synonymous with our heart. It is where God does his divine surgery. It is deep, it is divine, it is supernatural, it is powerful, but the gospel says this is what will happen when you turn to the Lord. And that is why we must be very careful with easy believism and making decisions the end all. There are times when the gospel calls and the heart is transformed in that moment so dynamically. There are times when God is pressing the gospel from the heart of someone that it looks like they're saved, but they're not. But what Affirms it is the fruit the work is so deep in the heart That you can't help but notice that something is different It's like I know this person they used to love XYZ, but I can't even offer it to them every time I do they give me Christ This is not some type of as the as the commentator some some mystical things some emotional euphoria some emotional high Now, over the process of time, it's proven to be true that you're day by day being conformed to the image of Christ. Something different has happened that cannot come about by anything that man or you can do. But it is a part of learning Christ. A learning of Him that He will continue to transform you. And you're learning of Him and have learned of Him to live a transformed life. But then finally, in verse 24, what Christ teaches is light, life, and truth. And to learn Christ is to live unlike the world, live a transformed life. And then verse 24 is to live a holy and righteous life. It is to live a holy and righteous life, because that, in essence, is what the new self is. It says in verse 24, you were taught, and you're being taught, to put on this new self You've been given this divine nature as a gift that is created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. So as a new creation in Christ, you receive this new self, the moment of salvation. You're no longer associated with the old self. Christ daily fills you, the fragrance of his goodness, of his character, And you have begun to partake of God's divine nature. And so what this does, when you participate in the life of Christ in union with him, God gives to you a godly way to live. But once more, dear saints, that godly way is in opposition to unbelief and spiritual ignorance. These are lessons you're taught to be holy. It's God your Father's holy. But then why is this possible, and why should we expect this? Because the gospel of your salvation fulfills God's intent. God's intention under the new covenant was to give your heart of flesh a new heart, to write his law upon your heart, so that you may obey him. It leads to, yes, new affections, dear saints. And so God's promise of a new heart was not only in word, but in power. God didn't say, I'm going to give you a new heart so you can recite the Torah and all the gospels. That's marvelous. But in your reciting of them is so that you may know him and serve him. And you serve him in righteousness and holiness. Well, there is a part to this in putting on the new self, but you are also called to this. You are given this new self, but you are called to put on the habits of the new self. This is a part of the Holy Spirit who equips us to do so. We must always ask God to equip us, to strengthen us, but we're called to participate, to pursue this, to do it. We must engage in this great work. But it says, this new self, dear saints, is created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. And I must point this out to you, beloved, that this creation is a work of God and it is very reflective of when God created the heavens and the earth. But this is a reference to the miracle, the miraculous work of new birth. And that is why this is powerful as well as it is true. that this work that is done deep in the hearts of God's people produces this appetite and this zeal for holy living. But this new creation is not according to man, it's not according to the world, it is according to the character and the nature of God in righteousness and holiness. So the new self, or the new way, is in the likeness of the Father. Therefore, if we put that on, we will resemble Him by our character, or through our character. We'll reflect His goodness, His greatness, His holiness, not in perfection, but we are reflecting it in some ways because we have been given this new self. So who God is in his divine perfections, we're called to be like him, although we will not do so in its perfect sense. But we're to express the likeness of God that comes through our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Because the new self is created after the likeness of God. But there's a very critical and final examination we must do of verse 24. It says that it is created after the likeness of God in true righteousness. Here, once more, true comes to the forefront. And we must know where this truth applies because the text says it is in true righteousness and godliness. We must also see that this truth is in contradistinction, or it is the opposite of deceitful desires. It is the opposite of deceit. It is the opposite of lies. It is the opposite of living in falsehood. But this truth could be holiness of the truth or purity of the truth. But once more again, we need to see that this truth produces righteous and holy living. This truth produces righteous and holy living because that too comes from God. You're putting on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness. Truth produces this because this truth is a reflection of God. So this is another attribute of God that is true, points to the God who is a God of truth, what is righteous, and God, what is holy, God. So, dear saints, our life of holiness and righteousness is a reflection of a God who is a God of truth. This truth here is vital. As I reminded you earlier, is that when we speak the truth, we speak the truth to each other, we saw that in verses 15, in verse 15 of Ephesians 4, but we also will see that in verse 25 of speaking truth with our neighbor. It is not coincidental. But how to do that, and the way to do that, is through the revelation of the inspired Word of God. It is not our notion. It is not our feeling. It comes through the Scripture, and it is based on our knowledge of the Savior. So, truth, therefore, is one brand in the life of the new man. The new man is going to be marked as a man or woman of truth, because it stands in line with the truthfulness of our God, whose truth, whose righteousness and holiness is perfectly true. So if that be the case, then as we engage in our life together with one another, we're going to be truthful to one another. We're going to speak the truth and love to each other. We're not going to deceive, trick, lie. Because God is truth. The righteousness comes from truth. Holiness comes from truth because it comes from a God who is true. But it all points back to, what do you know about the Lord Jesus Christ? I mean, is that not the question of the ages? What are you learning about him? Because that is the building block for the way that you put off your sins, the old self, the way that you're pursuing this renewal of the spirit, and the way that you're putting on the new self is based on your knowledge of the Savior. A deficient knowledge of him, an unscriptural knowledge of him, will not produce spiritual growth. It will not advance the cause of Christ in your life. But what you learn of Christ in the preaching of the gospel and what you continue to learn of Christ through the preaching of the gospel and the preaching of the scripture is that the way of Christ is light, life, and truth. And that is what you're called to live in, live according to. Therefore, to learn of this Christ is to live distinctively different. To learn of Christ was to know that you will be renewed in the Spirit of your mind, that the Holy Spirit will renew you in the very deepest part of your being, the part that affects your thoughts, your emotions, your desires, the very heart of your impulses, the very heart of your desires. That's where the renewing is being done. And it is supernatural, and it is life-changing. And to learn about Christ is to know that you will be like God, who's a God of truth. And because it's a God of truth, it will produce true holiness and righteousness. Dear saints, are you learning to cherish this truth and abide by it? To live unlike the world, to live a transformed life, to live a life that is holy and righteous? That is our exhortation this morning, dear saints, because the knowledge of Christ is life-changing. It doesn't change a part of you, it changes all of you progressively in increments, but it will change you until that final, eternal, perfect transformation. But it's also so vital to remember that the message of the gospel doesn't hide these truths. God is not calling sinners to a deception. He's not leaving these truths out. This is the way that you learn Christ. This is the way to learn of the Christ in the preaching of the gospel. Let me give you a few reflections, dear saints. The first one is this knowledge of Christ renounces the old life. In other words, it abandons the old life. Another reflection is that knowledge of Christ informs and transforms the inner person, the very core of your being and conviction. Knowledge of Christ informs and transforms that part of you, and then it affects from the inside out. And then the third reflection is that knowledge of Christ imparts God's character to your new life in Christ. Knowledge of this Christ imparts God's character to your new life in Christ. Now, I know there may be thoughts of inadequacies, and that is, it's good because we're not sufficient for these things. I'm not telling you what you can do. I'm telling you what God has done in Christ for you and what he's doing in you. I am absolutely confident, not in myself or you, but in God. I'm confident what Christ has done for us, that we can be a church, a people unlike the world, living a transformed life, and living in true, holy, and righteous living, because the gospel says this is what Christ has done and is doing in our lives. Are you willing to acknowledge Your weakness, willing to acknowledge that maybe you have not pursued this with the zeal that you should have. Maybe acknowledge that this is not all lovable to you. You don't really enjoy these precious truths from God's word, these treasures. Or maybe you say, yes, I have treasured it, but I want to treasure it even more. We're all on different levels, but dear saints, God wants us to learn of this Savior so that we may be more like him. And in our interaction with each other, our brothers and sisters in Christ see Christ at work in our hearts and our lives. It is possible because God has promised it. Let us pray. Father, we hold fast to your goodness. Thank you for blessing us with your word and for revealing Christ to us. I pray that we remember the message that we've heard today and take it to heart. And Lord, I ask that you work in the very deep places, the hidden places of our hearts, so that Those who observe and watch and see us, they know that we have passed from death to life. They may not be able to explain it that way, but they'll be able to say something is different about him or her. It comes after hearing your word and being brought nearer to this truth, the scales removed, the blinders taken off, so that we can see the glorious Savior who died and was raised for this guilty sinner. And upon hearing that truth, when we're hearing that we're able to put off the old self, we do so joyfully because we begin to realize that this sin was a burden on our shoulders, that we could no longer bear. It was weighing us down, and we carried it night and day. But it was lifted at Calvary, And then this new self, which is so precious and so glorious, is a foretaste of the future glory with the saints and with the Savior. We will all, with one robe, worship the Savior because we have been drenched by his blood and robed in his righteousness, saturated in his love. Not our own, not our goodness, but the work of our Savior for us. And so putting on the new self. is a refreshing change of the old. There's no load, there's no burden, there's the joy of sharing in the life of Christ together. the blessedness of being free from the encumbrance of sin and its power, the joy of finally being able to live in a reasonable way and know why we were created for you and for your glory. And indeed, we find it to be a precious honor to serve you. Awaken us from our slumber. Stir our affections, O God. We're being drawn by the world. The world is attracting us. We're distracted, O God. Draw us to the very precious truth and the treasure of our Savior. Oh, may our longing grow for Him day by day. And may our longing grow to see Him one day. I pray these things in his name, for the good of your precious saints, but O God of heaven, so that we may all shout to the praise of the glory of our Father. Amen.