Out with the Old, In with the New!

Ephesians 4:17–24 and the Call to Read the Word

Lord bless you and keep you this morning. Please turn to your Bibles in Ephesians chapter 4. We're gonna be in verses 17 to 24. Again at the reading this morning is from Ephesians chapter 4. Starting in verse 17 when you have that please do stand for the reading of God's Word.

Hear ye this morning the word of the Lord. Now this I say and testify in 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 been given them have been given themselves up to sensuality greedy to every Greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learn Christ Assuming that you've 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 to put on the new self created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

You may be seated. Benevolent father we do come before you Asking that you remove every hindrance From our heart and from our mind and give us the capacity even this morning to Comprehend the length of breath and the height of Your love for us the truth that is in your word to edify us and encourage us.

But Lord, may you also help us to receive truths that are difficult to understand and maybe truths are difficult to accept. That we would do so bringing every thought captive on to the obedience of Christ and Lord that you would help us to see the glory.

That is The new self created after the image of Christ in his holiness. May we see and behold with eyes of faith this morning the beauty and splendor of Jesus Christ. In his name we do pray. Amen today's focus is going to be on the Beauty and the power of the new creation.

The Gospel, Grace, and the New Creation

The Bible teaches us that we as human beings born as sons and daughters of Adam are under a curse and The curse is the curse of sin. And the Bible teaches that God in the fullness of time sent forth his son born of the Virgin To live a holy perfect blameless life.

Died a death a cruel death next to two criminals was buried in a tomb. And on the third day he was raised again to glory he's now ascended and is seated at the right hand of God the Father interceding for us even now and The good news is that through faith in him the one whom God has provided as a ransom for our sins.

The second Adam there is a means by which we can escape the due penalty of our sin The penalty of the curse of Adam and have eternal life. This is the good news and the gospel much of what we have learned about so far in Ephesians chapter 2 centers on the multifaceted beauty and power of God's gospel his good news for you and for me and In chapter 2 Ephesians, we learned that it is by grace.

We've been saved and is by faith. It's not owing to us and it's not a work that we can achieve or can earn or can we can bring to God and say God look at all the wonderful things that I've done all the Wonderful works I can present to you.

Therefore now it is due to me. It is now owed to me that you saved me. That indeed is not the gospel that we find in blessed Holy Scripture but instead what we find is that in Ephesians 2 1 you were Dead and trespasses and sins in the way that you used to walk according to the Prince of the power of the air, but God Being rich in mercy has made us alive in Christ and he has raised us with Christ and heavenly places.

This is good news. God saved you not by any merit not by any work that you can do But by his mercy and his great love and affection towards us. But there is however a way in which we are to walk as new creatures as Being born again members of the new household and family of God.

Again, much of Paul's attention in chapter 2 of Ephesians is focused on God's plan of salvation. Focus and centered on Jesus Christ that is again by grace through faith that we are saved not by any work but the new life however is Accompanied by a forsaking of the corruption that we've been delivered from.

Know this dear brother and sister That in Christ you and I have been delivered from such a great fall the fall of Adam and the fall of our own personal and total depravity and yet from that deliverance God Expects desires and also empowers us to live differently.

You see when you look at the Christian and you look at the one who is not a Christian. There ought to be a difference in the way the Christian lives. For God has called us out of the paganism of the world.

The paganism of the of the culture and of the religions of this of the nations and he has delivered us Into his kingdom the kingdom of his beloved Son. It is said in Colossians chapter 1 that God delivered us.

He transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his beloved Son in Whom we have redemption. But brothers and sisters look really patient chapter 4 verse 17 says. And the Apostle Paul says and testifies this in the Lord.

He says that you must no longer Walk as the Gentiles do in the futility of their minds. If you're following along in today's teaching and the insert Paul testifies that we must no longer walk in the futility of our darkened minds, I Love this imagery that scripture conjures up time and time again.

Last week we were in Psalm 23 taking a detour from our teaching in Ephesians 4 and we learned how we are to walk With our God who is our Shepherd who leads us besides still waters who leads us in the paths of righteousness for his own namesake and There's now another imagery of walking but no longer in the futility of our minds, but rather walking according to the power and principles of the gospel.

This is the power of the new life is to walk differently. To be different to be different in the inner working of your mind and of your heart that you have been delivered as new creations of Christ Jesus.

Therefore it says Paul testifies. He's putting a double emphasis. I say and Testify in the Lord. He wants you to get this point clear though. You've been saved by grace through faith. Though you are a new creation in Christ not merited by any work that you have done yet.

There is a new standard by which you are to live and walk. It is similar to to saying to someone who is Now a married man or a married woman. There is now a different expectation of life for you. No longer are you single?

No longer can you do the things that you once did in singlehood? But now you've been called to covenant relationship with one person for all of life and There is a difference between the life of a single person and the life of one who is married and dedicated in their marriage.

So is true for the Christian. There is a difference between he who is in Christ and he who is not in Christ. There's a difference between he who has made a covenant with God and his relationship with God and those who are not but are alienated.

There is a difference in the way that we walk in due life. Therefore again the double emphasis from the Apostle Paul he says and testifies in the Lord. This is authoritative from God himself that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do.

What an interesting? Phrase Paul uses by saying no longer as the Gentiles do because he is speaking to the church in Ephesus made up of mostly Gentile believers. And he's telling the Gentile believers in Ephesus not to walk as they once walked.

Not to do life the way they once did life not to walk in the futility of their darkened hearts and minds. Therefore Paul makes clear that grace is not the absence but the power of a walk of a new way of life.

The Christian must completely abandon his old way of living. And how we walk as Christians how we do life it matters. It has huge implications for our witness for our testimony and For the glory that awaits us in heaven.

For by grace, you've been saved. We're not saying that you're you can earn Your way to heaven, but instead that as children of God, we all have the same destination. Which is upward heavenward call in Christ Jesus yet.

The way that we live matters because there's a crown that awaits for us on the other side of glory and that crown much of it is determined by the works and by the Life that you lead as a Christian. Not on to salvation but on to glory.

But the Bible says in 1st Corinthians chapter 2 that there is a in chapter 3 there is a judgment that is for the believer and that believer will be judged according to his works and The quality of crown glory that you receive is Determined upon what you do in this life for the glory and the cause of God's kingdom in Christ.

Therefore again Paul makes clear that grace is what empowers us to walk in the newness of life. We must abandon completely the old way of living the old way of behaving the Gentile way how we walk Matters and it speaks of the condition of the heart in the light or darkness of the mind.

You see mankind again is in a state of rebellion. It walks in the futility. The word futility in the Greek means depravity which means to be devoid of truth or appropriateness and the Bible says that in verse 17 that you must no longer walk as Gentiles doing the futility the depravity of their minds.

Again Speaking mostly to Gentile Christians. He tells them not to walk as Gentiles do for they are now members of the Israel of God. No longer a alienated or foreigners, but now they are now sons of promise sons of faith sons of Abraham Isaac and Jacob not by blood but by a promise by the Inheritance that comes through faith in Jesus.

You see the believer is truly a new creation. Though you may come from a Gentile family. Those who put their faith in Jesus have indeed by faith the blood of Emmanuel flowing through their veins. You have been purchased you have been made into a new holy Race of people of all tribes nation and tongues.

What a beautiful magnificent promise we get to walk in that we're no longer alienate. We're no longer foreigners, but we have now come to the Israel of God and that's our promise. For you and for me, this is why Paul tells the church not to walk as Gentiles though.

They are Gentiles, but truly they are not. They are the Israel of God verse 18. Paul says the following they are darkened referring to the Gentiles and to those who are Gentiles in spirit as well. They are darkened in their understanding.

Alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of heart due to the hardness of heart. And it goes on to say in verse 19. They have become Callous and have given themselves up to sensuality greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

If you're following along in a teaching mankind is alienated from God due to their ignorance. In Adam there is an ignorance that is yours. Ignorance to the things that are of God the ignorance of the things that are true righteous and holy and beautiful.

Isn't it true that before Christ you took pleasure in things? That really when you look back at it now you wonder what was the appeal? What was the what was the loveliness of that you may have before Christ.

You may have found things to be lovely. You find them no longer to be so. You may have found things to be right in your own eyes prior to Christ. But now you know, that is not so in Christ there's a shift between what you Once thought was lovely and beautiful and that which Christ has ordained as lovely and beautiful.

There's an ignorance to the human to the human experience. Who is alienated from God and it's also because of the hardness once you write that in there as well ignorance and hardness. Which originates and their heart?

It originates in the heart. I want you if you can't turn to you Matthew chapter 15 and Listen to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ as Christ brings attention To the heart of the problem, which is the problem of the heart.

And he says in verse 18 of Matthew 15 verse 18 says. But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart in This the files a person for out of the heart come evil thoughts murder adultery sexual morality theft false witness slander.

These are what the follow person. But to eat with unwashed hands is not the foul anyone. The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. You and I brothers and sisters Have been delivered from the old heart into the new one.

God has changed your estate from being a son of Adam to a son of God. It is through faith in Jesus Christ that this is accomplished and yet still as Fallen humans as still sons and daughters of Adam we contend with this old heart.

And we wonder why as Christians. Why do we still fall prey to sin to sexual immorality to adultery to all types of wickedness? Why do we fall prey to these things that are not of God and the answer is simple?

We must remember as Christians to continue to put off the old self the old practices. To remember that you're no longer a Gentile alienated from God, but you have now been brought near through faith in Jesus Christ.

You have been made an heir of promise by faith. It's often when we forget who we truly are in Christ that we fall prey to who we once were in the world. We must continue to admonish ourselves preach these truths to ourselves to remember that we are not who we used to be.

We are not who we used to be. God has changed as he's given us a new heart a heart that can desire him a heart that can go after him a heart That wants to be aligned to him but still. Out of that vestige of the old heart still comes all types of sins trials tribulations even temptations.

Which is why again we must realize the truth of our condition that we are still in total utter need of Christ daily. You see when we become a Christian, we don't just confess Jesus one time a long time ago, but we have to continue To walk in him being established rooted in him.

We don't make the decision just one time to follow Jesus every morning that you wake with breath in your lungs. May you say I choose to follow Jesus? I choose to follow him. And I choose to follow him because he has chosen me as his child as his inheritance as his promise.

The Futility of the Gentiles and the Hardness of the Heart

Remember what God has delivered you from if you can't please turn to Romans chapter 1. As we see a lot of similarities between what Paul wrote in Ephesians Chapter 4 and what he also writes in Romans the first chapter many of you are familiar with this text of Scripture.

But there are some things I'd like to bring your attention to in the context of today's teaching starting in verse 20 and 21 notice what it says for his that's God's Invisible Attributes namely his eternal power and divine nature had been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world and the things that have Been made so they are without what?

Excuse. Without excuse brethren the world Though darkened under ignorance darkened in their heart truly are without Excuse why. Because verse 20 tells us his invisible attributes namely his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived.

Just as you look into the world and you see buildings and houses. You can rightly deduce that there was a builder but the Bible says that he who built all things is God. There is one who made all things from whom you have received your name in your lineage and Because of this truth of creation that there's a creation therefore there's a creator.

Men are without excuse verse 21 says for although they knew God There's a general revelation of God that all men women and children can come to it says They did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became Futile there's that word again Futile in their thinking and in their foolish hearts were darkened.

You see when man looks at the general revelation of God in creation and Says to himself as it says in the psalm in psalm 13. There is no God. The Bible says that person is a fool. Just this week. We saw these glorious pictures from this new telescope out in space of these vast far regions of space and how beautiful creation is.

Now if it was ever any wonder to you beloved the chasm between creation and Creator is bigger than you and I could ever imagine. That chasm between us and God is so vast That even the most brilliant pictures taken by that telescope fails to do justice at the grandeur of who God is and how can one look into the vastness of space and See the galaxies in their orbit the Sun the moon the stars and say there is no God.

It is the fool who would make such claim in affirmation. Yet we see that and we acknowledge as the psalmist did in Psalm 8 when he says when I behold The heavens and the works of your hands. He says what is man that you should be mindful of him and the Son of Man that you should care for him we should look at the vastness and the beauty of creation and Consider how small we are and how big and glorious Yahweh truly is.

Yet even with all these things humanity continues to Walk in the futility of their thinking and because of the foolishness of their hearts, which are dark. We've seen in Romans chapter 1 as well verses 28 It says and since they did not see fit to acknowledge God referred to the Gentiles who who do not receive the revelation of God God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

This is the condition of One who rejects God's general revelation and even more specifically the revelation of God in Christ through his word. Verse 29 says and they were filled of all manner of unrighteousness.

Evil covetous malice they're full of envy murder strife deceit maliciousness their gossip slanderers haters of God insolent haughty boastful inventors of evil. Disobedient to parents foolish faithless heartless ruthless.

Though they know God's righteous decree. That those who practice such things deserve to die not they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. Is that not the day and time that we're living in?

More now than ever before where we're seeing things such as the sins that are illicit here. Not only practice but approved of by the world and by its institutions. We can't even define what a woman is anymore.

We can't even define truth anymore. The world has gone mad and It is what scripture tells us is true of the condition of humanity. That they have been given over to a debased mind. That they do not practice what ought to be done but the practice will ought not to be done.

That they are full of all types of slander evil. They're haters of God just look at the culture and if you have a preacher of righteousness standing outside of the abortion clinic as We tend to do here at our church.

And what do they say? They begin to misalign God his character his people they begin to Slander the most holy name of Jesus and they trample on the Holy One himself and They give approval to those who practice such wickedness and iniquity beloved.

Remember that the truth of our condition is that we are fragile that at any point Humanity as a whole Can be and will be handed over to even more depths of wickedness and depravity and It is this futility that Paul warns us to walk away from.

To walk in a new way of living to walk and live differently to receive the upward call of Christ Jesus back in our main text in Ephesians chapter 4 We notice and we see how the Apostle Paul Brings attention to this truth of the new creation.

Learning Christ, Truth in Jesus, and the Call to Put Off the Old Self

By pointing us towards the person and work of Jesus Christ. He says in verse 20. But this is not the way you learned Christ. This is not the way you learn Christ. If you're following in today's teaching Please write in the following we learned a new way of life by the truth.

Notice what it says in verse 21 as well. Assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him as the truth is in Jesus and so what I want you to write in there is we learn a new way of life by the truth.

That is in Jesus. Again the world we can't even define truth anymore. You know, I once housed a college student who was majoring in philosophy and. And this was one of the most Futile discussions I've ever had.

Was talking philosophy of a philosophy major where she contended that there was nothing there was no such thing as objective truth and that all things were subjective and Yet as I pressed her on this subject of truth, whether it's subjective or objective I said so two plus two can be three then she said yeah, it can be it can be three.

And I said, okay. Well, let's apply that logic to your line of work if you're older wage and your boss says Well, I know I owe you a hundred bucks, but I'm gonna give you 50 and let's just call it a hundred.

You probably wouldn't fly with that. Would you that wouldn't really be some type of subjective truth to you? You would want your hundred dollars in your pocket and not be ripped off because truth has implications therefore truth matters and Friends, there's no greater truth than the truth that is in Christ.

Jesus. Jesus said this of himself in John 14 6. I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except by me. Jesus makes an exclusive claim to truth that not only does he possess truth.

Not only does he share truth. Not only does he say truth. No, not only does he preach truth, but he is the truth. He is the truth. The truth is not simply Something philosophical in the mind, but rather has become embodied in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the truth and Therefore Paul can say we have not learned this from Christ. We have not learned this way from Christ. Assuming that you've heard about him and we're taught in him as the truth is in Jesus all truth is From Christ in in Christ.

All objective truth has a foundation a sure foundation and it is the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ to whom be glory and. So we know and realize this to be true. That in Jesus we have learned a new way of living.

No longer walking according to the hardness of our hearts now no longer clinging to the old nature of Adam, but now we get to walk in the newness of life as children of the Most High God and because of this we Acknowledge also what is written for us in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 22.

Notice what God's Word says. To put off your old self. Notice the imperative here after we have learned this truth. That is in Jesus to put off your old self. Which belongs to your former manner of life and it's corrupt through deceitful desires.

See as Christians we still although we have been given a new nature. We've been given a new heart. We also still contend with the flesh and as long as we are in this body in this flesh on this side of eternity We will still struggle with sin.

What I preach to you is not a legalism. That says you must be perfect in every way and God will approve of you and God will love you. Here's the truth. God does love you. God does approve of you in his beloved son Jesus.

There's nothing that we can merit of our own of our own nature of our own works our own doing. God's love for us is truly Unconditional but that love ought to change us ought to motivate us ought to Empower us as I used the analogy earlier of a married couple.

The love that a man a woman Encounter and live and enjoy ought to change that person. So that you're no longer thinking like a single one like a single person. But now your priorities your way of living your desires have changed.

They've changed. Because that's what love does. Love changes you love motivates you it also begins to mold you into a new way and In this life that we live now We are being molded by the Spirit of God to become more and more like Jesus.

Isn't that phenomenal that our hope is not to be like we were but that we are now becoming more and more like Jesus now. I get it if we were to map our lives on a chart On a graph there would be ups and there'd be downs.

Not the whole life of sanctification of holiness and of righteousness is not one of just being shot straight up to the sky. But instead it is progressive. We are progressively being changed being molded into the image of our Creator into the image of Christ.

And it is a process. Here's something that I do personally as introspection is every September I got saved on this September 22nd in 2008 and I always Kind of do around that time a spiritual inventory of myself.

And I to reflect and think have I grown over the last 12 months. Have I grown in holiness? Have I sinned less? I've become more like Jesus. Am I loving people more authentically? Am I reading the scriptures?

Am I growing in him? Am I rooted in him? I ask myself these questions for the Bible says in 2nd Corinthians chapter 13 verse 5. Test yourself to see whether you're in the faith or do you not recognize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you.

Unless indeed you fail the test. And so one should examine himself or herself under the light of Scripture every year every day every month and consider am I growing in holiness and that's a wonderful opportunity to.

Also, not just to to check all the boxes of righteousness and holiness and sanctification and our lives but it also helps us to reflect on where we are falling short and Where we need to mature and where we need to surrender and where we need to come to God's Word into God's people into the Pastors and say I need help in this area.

I want to grow in holiness and righteousness in these areas not because I'm trying to gain God's approval, but because I have it and Because I have his approval. I know I ought to live differently and be different and so remember where Christ has saved you from.

You're no longer a Gentile walking in the futility of your mind. You have now been called to be sons and daughters of the Most High God. That is our glorious inheritance in future. Therefore again why Paul says to put off the old self if you're following along and teach in the second to last one in Christ.

We put off the old self which belongs to our former life and deceitful desires. You see in Romans 13 14. It gives us a very powerful tool in our fight against sin and a tool for our sanctification. Romans 13 14 says to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh.

To put on Christ and make no provision that is to say that as a Christian We ought to daily pick up our cross and follow him. We ought to daily recognize that we have to put off the old self. It's old practices and to put on Christ so that we could become like him so we could become more like Jesus and Making no provision for the flesh which is also to say that Oftentimes as in our in our deceitful desires in our deceitful nature.

We as humans We prepare ourselves for sin. What do I mean by that? What I mean by that is that we make provision to facilitate our sin whether it be pornography and individuals who are not accountable and.

And you know, they close they're behind closed doors and and they have just the right provisions to facilitate that sin. Whether it's adultery and those who who facilitate The the the eye and the heart of another and it facilitate that and it grows and becomes a gross immoral sin.

Humans will make provision for that which they desire in their heart. May your desire be Christ. That you desire Christ More than you desire sin that you desire the pleasures of knowing him rather than the pleasures of this fleeting world.

That Christ would be all sufficient for you. Because he is all sufficient and that in the pursuit of Christ. You make no provision for the acts and the works of the flesh. But that you put on Christ you put on the new creation.

And if we do sin Brethren, there is still good news for us. For while we are still in this world We will still contend with sin and if we sin there is the righteous one our advocate with the Father even the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who stands ready? To forgive us our sins to empower us to give us the gift of the Holy Spirit to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So that we can walk in the power and the units of life as promised in the gospel.

And so we put off the old self and it's deceitful desires. Paul closes this thought in verse 23 and 24. By saying this after he says to put off the old self and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds.

And to put on the new self created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Look at the beauty that God is calling us to to abandon self to abandon the old way of living in its Practices and its deceitfulness and to put on that which we have learned from Christ for the truth is in Christ.

And this that is to be renewed in the spirit of your mind. One of the things that the devil attacks is the mind. He weakens us By speaking lies to us as he did in the garden to Adam and Eve. Notice the tactic of the serpent in the garden when God Told Adam and Eve.

He gave his decree and his law of what is good and what is not good. What is to be enjoyed and what is not to be enjoyed? And satan comes into the picture. And he says did God really say that? He begins to question God's word.

Begin to infiltrate the mind of eve. And she was taken astray by the cunningness deceitfulness of the enemy. And was led astray from the simplicity Of the gospel of Christ the simplicity Of God's decree.

You see following God is not all that complicated. He's given us a book. And in this book, he tells us what is expected of us. He kind of gives us a list of do's and do nots you may have heard of them.

Called the ten commandments. This is what you ought to do. This is what you ought not to do and yet God's law. God's decree to Adam and Eve was simple. Enjoy life. Worship me. Go and subdue and multiply.

But do not partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And satan and his acceptiveness comes into the picture and begins to speak lies. Begins to cast doubt into the authenticity of God's word by saying did God really say?

And he begins to lead astray. Even those of us today with the same tactics of attacking the mind. Which is why as Christians we are called to be renewed in the spirit of our minds to fortify it. To empower it to speak truth to our own heart and mind by the word of God.

You see God's word is a protection for us. Notice when satan tries to tempt the Lord Jesus Christ. And notice what Jesus does and rebuttal to the devil. It is not to go along with his line of questioning, but it is to use God's word as a defense.

Because satan comes into the picture and he begins to say to Jesus. He says he says the word of God says that he will protect you to throw yourself off the ledge. And he will send his angels to command over you.

And yet Christ seeing past the deception. Having been fortified in his own mind with the word of God. He quotes scripture. And he rebukes the devil friends. May we learn to not only learn the scriptures But to live it.

That it becomes such a protection for the mind. That we can withstand all the fiery darts of the enemy. Stand tall and strong with the Shield of faith and the armor of God the armor that God provides and standing firm for battle even with the spirit.

The sword of the spirit which is the word of God. May you be empowered to do so but you can only do so. By living as the new man and the new woman that God created you to be. Verse 24 says and to put on the new self Created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

The New Self, the Image of the Creator, and the Need to Be Born Again

The last part of the teaching being renewed in our spirit. We put on the new self That is created that is created after the image and i'll fill that last part in a second here. But I want you to realize this truth that is so important to us this morning.

That you have been made new therefore live as a new person in other words out with the old in with the new. Live as new creations live. As if God has purchased you from that former way of living in its former conducts.

And be empowered to live in a new way of life because you are being created after the image of our Creator if you can turn to colossians chapter 3 To see a parallel of what paul is saying and to the church in colossi.

And in colossians chapter 3 verse 9 The apostle paul tells this church a similar thing. And he says do not lie to one another. Seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices. And have put on the new self Which is being renewed in the knowledge in knowledge after the image of its creator.

So God through the apostle paul tells the church to not lie to another to one another not to pursue deceitfulness not to pursue the Impulse of the flesh to be a son of their of satan the devil, but instead to be sons of god.

By putting off the old self of its practices. And putting on the new self which is being renewed as paul says to the church in Um in ephesus to be renewed in the spirit of your mind. In this case he's saying being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Last part I want you to write in there is creator Being renewed in our spirit. We put on the new self that is created after the image of our creator. And how exactly Does that happen? How are we fashioned after the image of our creator?

Jesus made it plain in john chapter 3. In verse 3 he tells nicodemus You must be born again. And he says do not marvel did I tell you. For that which is flesh is flesh. The bible says in romans chapter 8 verse 7 that in the flesh There is no way you can please god.

You are subject to the futility of your mind and your darkened heart in the flesh but That which is born of the spirit Is spirit. That's why jesus says not marvel that I tell you you must be born again and and poor nicodemus puzzled and marveled at this.