The Christian's Lifestyle: Behavior

It starts with the definition of true Christian: A real disciple of Christ; one who believes in the truth of the Christian religion, and studies to follow the example, and obey the precepts, of Christ; a believer in Christ who is characterized by real piety.

Ephesians 4:17-19 “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”

I started reading a small study on the Christian lifestyle that I’d like to share with you over the next several days. On Ephesians 4:17, this succinct command quickly is followed by a sweeping description of the impotent mind of the Gentiles of that day in contrast to the utterly changed condition of the Believer in Christ (whether Jew or Gentile). 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us, “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” The non-Christian Gentiles had a darkened perceptive ability, rendering them alienated because of the ignorance that was in them, and an overall blindness of their heart that was the root cause of their inability to function, even to feel, in the same way as the children of God (compare Romans 1:21-32; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Jesus explained in John 3:3 , “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Ephesians 4:20-24 “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

The saint of God (those who have been sanctified by saving faith in Christ), however, is told to discard the old man and to put on the new man, as though that simple picture of a powerful reality is adequate instruction to fulfill the earlier command. No longer is the child of God to be corrupted by the deceitful lusts of his or her old condition (the natural sin nature of our flesh desires), but having a regenerated spirit, learned Christ and been taught by Him is to be renewed in the spirit of their mind. A transformation is now possible through the new mental (intellectual, spiritual) abilities given to us by Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

The new man or woman, which we are responsible to wear like a body-enveloping cloak, is created for us by the omniscient Creator in righteousness and true holiness. We have been given a specially created new man or woman to wear (our Christian behavior), which will show (exhibit, demonstrate, make clear) the spiritual difference between the unbelieving Gentiles and the saints of God.

1 Corinthians 2:16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.