Ephesians 4:25

“Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth to his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.”

                There’s a very real problem if a part of my body doesn’t respond in pain when something is damaged. If my knee get hyper extended, yet doesn’t send the signal that something is wrong, through my spine to my brain; then I go forward throughout my day more susceptible to critical injury, and the rest of my body has to compensate to an injury that isn’t actually known-- same thing with the body of Christ. So often we hide our hurts, our shame and stumbling to each other and refuse to “confess your trespasses to one another… that you may be healed.” (James 5:16) It matters not how awkward we may appear or how petty the burden we may carry; if we unnecessarily bear the pain, we pull down our fellow Christians by our injury, and we miss out on the healing that comes with being truthful to one another.

                Application: Before I discard my brother’s question of concern with a quiet “fine,” I should be more truthful and confess what’s going on with me. If I don’t happen to be suffering with anything, I should express my joy and comfort so that my brother can share in the joy. When I pray for healing or deliverance to the head, Jesus Christ, I should expect him to send a brother and sister, a figurative hand from the body of Christ, to come and minister to me and help me.

Ephesians 4:24

“And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

                Off with the old man of his iniquities and stubbornness. He’s a foolish king who doesn’t heed to the Word of God and scoffs at His saints. I need to tear him away from the throne of my heart and imprison him by the spirit and wait for his eventual execution at the Day of Judgment. He whispers into my flesh persuading me to fulfill its desires. He also becomes upset with unrighteous anger when something or someone tries to usurp his kingship position. The old man tries to establish a righteousness of his own though he is utterly rejected by God because he refuses the righteousness of His Son for the old man’s glory. He’s restless, stressed, and hates this “new man” which is coming to take the throne away from him.

                “Better a poor and wise youth, than an old and foolish king” Ecclesiastes 4:13

                “Put on the new man” this is the wise youth who’s poor in spirit and humbly and joyfully submits to the King of kings. This inner David has been created according to God, who has a desire to go after God’s heart and plays the strings of my heart to make a sweet melody for the Lord. This new man has been anointed by God in true holiness and righteousness to take up the throne of my mind and heart till the Lord comes to reign for eternity. He ministers to God’s people, he lifts my hand in worship, and he’s in good terms with the Holy Spirit and works with him unlike the Saul-like old man who was establishing his own selfish kingdom rather than God’s sovereign kingdom.

                Application: I need to let this new man counsel and lead me in the way of godliness and not let my old man give me fleshly counsel that will only lead to corruption. I will se my flesh aside to give my new man his food which is God’s Word, and his delight which is prayerful fellowship with his Triune Creator. Since it’s so important to make sure that this new man gets what he needs to lead me effectively throughout the whole day, I will spend at least 45 minutes in prayer and communion with God and His Word before I eat breakfast for the morning. I’m going to go to bed earlier so that I can wake up in time to have such a fellowship with the Lord in the morning.

Ephesians 4:23

“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind,”

Another way to put off the “old man” in his sinful ways. In order to defend my thoughts, purify my love, and sanctify my service; I must lift my mind up to the Holy Spirit and let Him clean and renew it. Paul exhorts us to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind,” it doesn’t say to merely renewed in thoughts, or in our knowledge or understanding, but to let the encompassing spirit of our minds to be renewed. You see, if we let the spirit of our minds be holy and set apart by revival, all other things concerning the mind fall into place. For the renewed mind looks and points to and strives for God and hungers for His Word, and allows the Holy Spirit to conform it to the mind of Christ—resulting in thoughts that delight and please the Lord and gives us the highest joy in Him.

Application: I must ask for this renewed spirit, renewed behavior in my mind. To do this, I will meditate on God’s testimonies so that my mind can testify that “I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.” (Psalm 119:90) When the Word of God is the theme of my thoughts, I will be able to easily detect the thoughts that the devil throws at me to stumble and dispatch them by the power of the Holy Spirit and continue in the joy of a renewed mind.

Ephesians 4:22

“That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.”

                What draw my eyes are the words “deceitful lusts.” So not only do I have to watch out for the obvious, big, powerful lusts; but I also have to worry about those “deceitful” sneaky lusts that aren’t so obvious, but do as much damage as if I gave in to those obvious lusts. Take video games for example, they are not inherently wrong (depending on what you play), but they can become an idol that absorbs all your time, energy and focus from which is supposed to be devoted to God. No one may notice what’s going on in the mind, but an unhealthy devotion on video games can be just as detrimental to spiritual life as to bitterness or sexual lust.

                What’s amazing about this “old man” is that he can be ineffective for awhile, being suppressed by the Spirit, but then suddenly burst up like a cancer when he is fed with just a single lustful sin. Like how an alcoholic that has been clean for a couple years can reestablish that destructive addiction by just one sip of wine; some of my “former conducts” can erupt within me at just one passing of a sinful thought. Though this old man is appointed to die along with my flesh, he still lies down like a puddle of gasoline waiting for Satan to throw a match to ignite the flame of my “former conduct” that by the Spirit I’ve quelled, and have to now again.

                Application: I need to be prayerfully careful about any Achilles’ heel that I might have. King Saul was said to be humble and generous but then got corrupted by pride which ended in his down fall as a king. I need be steadfast and not let the Enemy stumble me and revive the old man within me.

Romans 12:12

“Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;”

            Rejoicing in hope, be patient in tribulation, and continue in prayer: three pieces of good advice from a wise Apostle exhorting his Christian brothers. True, but the easy mistake to make is just go on through the passage, seeing this as a continuation of a list of exhortations and not realize the beauty of this triune verse. Notice how these three phrases aren’t just three more phrases added on to Paul’s exhortation series, but look—a semi-colon! The verse doesn’t read: “and rejoicing in hope, and patient in tribulation, and also continuing steadfastly in prayer” but they are knitted divinely together like a symphonic trio composing one of the rich melodies of the Christian life.

            “Rejoicing in hope” anything that’s good—rejoice! Anything virtuous—rejoice! Anything of the Lord—rejoice! Such is one of the keys to correctly follow the next two exhortations, for we will only be able to be “patient in tribulation” when our minds and souls are rejoicing in the Lord, the source of goodness and hope. Thus, when our source of rejoicing is in the Lord, we will be in constant prayer with Him and “continue steadfastly” in sweet fellowship with Him. This in turn makes us rejoice more in the Lord, and able to persevere through tribulation.

Application: When I’m down in my unbelieving like state of “self-pitying” I have to turn to the Lord in prayer and rejoice in the hope that is within Him so that I may persevere through the suffering that I’m going through. I also must be careful when I’m following this verse well in my life because even if I lose one of these, it might catalyze me to lose the rest of these states. It’s much like the Trinity, if I have the Son, I have both the Spirit and the Father, and so if I’m rejoicing in hope, I will patiently endure tribulation, and continue steadfastly in prayer. May I enjoy such fellowship!

Romans 12:10

                “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another”

                Am I to be truly kind and affectionate with brotherly love? Oh how the Devil loves to lead me on top of a pedestal where I try to awe the crowd who I secretly think are below me. Oh how unnoticeable it sometimes is, I even deceive myself sometimes why my showmanship. Yes, I look kind, and I do kind things, but is it truly from a heart of brotherly love? Yah, I might be smarter, more morally adept than most people; and yes, I might appear to be kind and a young man rich in Christian character; but who am I in the eyes of God? Do I truly love my brother, or do I talk down at him like a car salesman/ Where is my motive, and how may I change it to truly be humble and not just appear to be in my flesh.

                “In honor given preference to one another” Oh so easy to do in behavior, yet so difficult to perform in the heart. Why do I exalt myself in my heart when I do such an act and tell myself how “humble” or “kind” I’m appearing which ends up puffing me up in pride. Why can’t I truly let others go before me not for the purpose of show, but for the glory of God letting Christ sine through me?

                Application: I fail at these two commands in my heart all the time, and I need to daily—no, hourly confess the sins and ask my Lord to change my heart and motives. I’m going to continue to read Scripture to find how to truly love and serve people so that I might have my mind thinking about His Word rather than how “Christian” or “holy” I’m appearing to people. Just because my heart might not be fully conformed to this exhortation, it still gives me no excuse not to do kind and loving thins towards people, though my heart might not be following. Once my heart is transformed and conformed to the image of the Word of God, not only will my brotherly love be pure, but it will become more prevalent with my behavior. May Christ’s body be edified in brotherly love through me.