Putting Off the Old Self: How to Live Out Your Calling in Christ


In our journey through the scriptures, Paul frequently reminds us to live a life worthy of the calling we have received. As believers, we have been granted incredible privileges through the boundless love and mercy of God the Father. In response to such grace, our natural reaction should be a deep, grateful penitence—a life visibly transformed.

In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul lays out exactly what this heart change should look like in the day-to-day life of a believer.

A Direct Command: Stop Living Like the World

Paul doesn't merely offer a gentle suggestion; he insists upon this in the Lord:

"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." — Ephesians 4:17

Paul isn't asking non-Jewish believers to abandon their ethnic heritage or cultural roots. Instead, he is addressing a way of living. Before coming to Christ, we were spiritually dead in our transgressions, following the cravings and dark desires of a fallen world.

Paul provides a sobering picture of life apart from God:

  • Their thinking is futile.

  • Their understanding is darkened.

  • They are separated from the life of God due to the hardening of their hearts.

When a heart hardens by personal choice, sensitivity to sin fades. Paul notes that having lost all sensitivity, worldliness leads to unchecked indulgence, impurity, and a continual lust for more.

We see extreme reflections of this hardened heart in society today—where a loss of moral sensitivity leads to appalling acts of violence and abuse. But Paul quickly turns to contrast this dark reality with the light of the Gospel.

The Gospel Contrast: Putting On the New Self

"You, however, did not come to know Christ that way... You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self... to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." — Ephesians 4:20-24

Coming to faith creates a clear divide: a former life versus a new life.

It’s easy to look at extreme societal sins and think, "Well, I've never done anything that bad." But as Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, God looks directly at the heart:

  • We may not commit physical murder, but do we hold hate in our hearts?

  • We may not commit physical adultery, but do we indulge in lust?

Comparing ourselves to others is an unwise trap. True transformation begins in the mind (Philippians 2:5) and reflects in our daily actions.

Taking Off the Old Clothes: Practical Steps

Paul uses the simple illustration of changing clothes: take off the old, corrupt garments and put on the new.

🛑 What to "Put Off"

According to Ephesians 4, believers must remove:

  • Falsehood & Deceit

  • Sinful Anger: Not letting the sun go down on your wrath or giving the devil a foothold.

  • Stealing: Replacing it with honest, useful work.

  • Unwholesome Talk: In the King James Version, this is called "corrupt communication."

  • Bitterness, Rage, Brawling, Slander, & Malice

💭 A Challenge for the Week: Pay close attention to your speech. Try going an entire week without using words you wouldn't utter in the physical presence of Jesus. Remember that He is with you always and knows the thoughts and intents of your heart!

💡 What to "Put On"

Instead of old habits, fill your life with Christlike traits:

  • Truthfulness in all conversations.

  • Useful Work so you have something to share with those in need.

  • Edifying Speech: Speaking only what builds others up and benefits those who listen.

  • Kindness & Compassion: Treating others—especially fellow believers—with genuine care.

  • Forgiveness: Forgiving others just as God in Christ forgave you.

The Overflow of the Heart

Why do we live this way? Not to earn salvation, but out of gratitude. God loved us and forgave us when we were completely unworthy.

As Jesus declared in Luke 6:45:

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."

Our words, choices, and habits are simply windows into our spiritual condition.

🔍 Personal Reflection & Next Steps

This week, take time to read through Ephesians 4 on your own.

  1. Make a Personal List: Honestly write down the things you need to "put off" in your daily walk.

  2. Examine Your Heart: As 1 John 1:8 reminds us, if we claim to have no sin, we deceive ourselves.

  3. Surrender Daily: Pray for the Holy Spirit to renew the attitude of your mind so you can put on the new self daily.

Let us stop living in the patterns of the past and step boldly into the new life created for us in Christ Jesus!

Originally delivered 2024.04.14

Location: Caldwell, KS 67022, USA

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