An
entirely new way of life is what Paul is asking the people of Ephesus to do.
What would that be like for us? If we stopped following the crowd, if we
stopped listening to voices telling us that we need 60 inch TV’s and Victoria
Secret model’s bodies and live in houses with 5 bedrooms and bathrooms and have
a membership at this gym and that country club and it goes on and on…What if we
shut off those voices and listened instead to God’s voice as he tells us to
give everything to him and serve him? What would the world be like? What would our community be like? What would
our homes be like?
What if that started here with this
congregation, an entirely new way of life, a new way of doing things, a new way
of living each day? Listen to Paul’s words in verses 20-24…that’s no life
for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful
attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in
Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do
mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten
through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of
life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working
itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.
Almost everyone here attended Sunday
school and listened to the stories and paid attention to the teachers and
learned about Jesus. And if you were never in Sunday school because you’re here
you’ve listened to the words from the Bible and heard the word proclaimed and
heard how Jesus lived and the example he was for each of us. So, what’s our
excuse? Why aren’t we “all” living an entirely new way of life?
What’s it mean? Paul says it adds up
to this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In
Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other…Watch the way you talk. Let
nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a
gift. Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart…Don’t take such a gift (His Holy
Spirit) for granted. Make a clean break with all the cutting, backbiting,
profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as
quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.
That doesn’t sound so difficult, does
it? We could do that couldn’t we? Sure we could! Begin at home. Surely we can
be gentle and sensitive with our spouses and children. Surely we can forgive them
like God has forgiven us in Jesus the Christ. Right?
And then can’t you see how that could
and would spread throughout the community and then the county and the state and
on and on. Friends, even the most skeptical among you has to admit that if we each
made the commitment to begin at home how it could spread. Of course we’d really
have to try.
It’s just like trying to break any
other bad habit. It begins in our hearts, within our soul. The desire for being
transformed has to come from deep within first. And I believe it’s there if
we’ll just dig deep enough, if we throw aside the garbage that we’ve piled on
top of it. God, I believe, created us
with this innate desire to be like him, loving and compassionate. It’s in here.
Paul said, “Watch what God does,
and then do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents…Keep
company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us…not
cautious, but extravagant…Love like that.”
So, good friends, can we commit to
taking on an entirely new way of life? Are we willing to risk everything to
try? I am. Will you join me?
Remember with God everything is
possible. Thanks be to God. Amen.
