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Ephesians 4:22-24 - Putting on the New Nature.

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT) throw off your old 
sinful nature and your former way of life, which is 
corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the 
Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on 
your new nature, created to be like God - truly 
righteous and holy. 

Ephesians 4:22-24 (AMP) Strip yourselves of 
your former nature [put off and discard your old 
unrenewed self] which characterized your previous 
manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts 
and desires that spring from delusion; 23 And be 
constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a 
fresh mental and spiritual attitude], 24 And put 
on the new nature (the regenerate self) created 
in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness 
and holiness.  

INTRODUCTION

Our old way of life before we believed in 
Christ is completely in the past. We should put it 
behind us like old clothes to be thrown away. This 
is both a once-for-all decision when we decide 
to accept Christ's gift of salvation (2:8-10) 
and also a daily conscious commitment. We are 
not to be driven by desire and impulse. We must 
put on the new role, head in the new direction, 
and have the new way of thinking that the Holy 
Spirit gives. [Life Application SB] 

COMMENTARY PEARL

No man receives holiness as a birthright, or 
as a gift from any other human being. Holiness 
is the gift of God through Christ. Those who 
receive the Saviour become sons of God. They are His 
spiritual children, born again, renewed in 
righteousness and true holiness. Their minds are changed. 
With clearer vision they behold eternal 
realities. They are adopted into God's family, and they 
become conformed to His likeness, changed by His 
Spirit from glory to glory. From cherishing supreme 
love for self, they come to cherish supreme love 
for God and for Christ 6BC 1117 

The grace of Christ is essential every day, 
every hour. Unless it is with us continually, the 
inconsistencies of the natural heart will appear and the 
life will present a divided service. The 
character is to be full of grace and truth. Wherever 
the religion of Christ works, it will brighten 
and sweeten every detail of life with more than 
an earthly joy and a higher than earthly peace. 
 6BC1117 

When we submit ourselves to Christ, the 
heart is united with His heart, the will is merged 
in His will, the mind becomes one with His 
mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to 
Him; we live His life. This is what it means to 
be clothed with the garment of His 
righteousness. COL312 

COMMENTARY

   Soon after retirement, I decided to clean 
my closet. My unworn teacher's clothes took up 
too much space. I thought the process would be 
easy. But as I sorted through my skinny pants and 
fat pants and fatter pants, as I pulled blouses 
off hangers and sweaters off shelves, I removed 
more than clothes. I was removing twenty-five 
years of me. The identity that I valued, that gave 
my life so much purpose, lay in piles ready to 
be donated. Leaving the former me behind was 
difficult but necessary. 
   Like my closet, my schedule gained a lot 
of free space when I retired. I began filling 
my time with activities I hadn't prioritized in 
the past. A morning routine with Jesus is easier 
to keep when I'm not up late the night before 
grading papers. I write thoughtful prayers in my 
journal instead of writing lesson plans. I accept 
invitations to Bible studies because I'm not exhausted 
after teaching all day. Oh, how much I had 
missed! 
   I wish I could have convinced my former 
self that giving Jesus even fifteen minutes a day 
is better than zero. I wish she understood that 
letting others tell her what the Bible says is no 
substitute for reading scripture for herself. If she 
only knew how much she would enjoy studying the 
Bible with her friends! My former self didn't get 
it, but thankfully, my new self does. Karen 
Sargent 
   Faith Step: Does your identity as an 
employee, parent, or volunteer take time away from 
Jesus? Think about doing a little "cleaning out" to 
make more room for Him. [Mornings With Jesus 2024 
Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] 

   If you want to have lasting change in 
your life, you must change the way you  
think.
   Romans 12:2 says, Do not conform to 
the pattern of this world, but be transformed by 
the renewing of your mind (NIV). That word 
transformed in the Greek is the word we get 
metamorphosis from. Metamorphosis is what happens when a 
caterpillar changes into a butterfly. 
   When a caterpillar wraps itself in a 
cocoon, it eventually comes out. But its been 
transformed"not into a better version of a caterpillar, but 
into a totally different creature. Thats not 
improvement. Thats radical transformation! And only 
God can do that.  
   Radical transformation is what God wants 
for you, too. You can turn over a new leaf on 
your own, but only God can give you a new life. 
He does this by renewing your mind. 
   Ephesians 4:22-24 says, Put off your 
old self, which is being corrupted by its 
deceitful desires . . . be made new in the attitude of 
your minds; and . . . put on the new self, 
created to be like God in true righteousness and 
holiness (NIV). 
   Notice that theres a putting off and a 
putting on. The health of your mind really comes 
down to stopping some stuff you need to stop 
doing and starting some stuff you need to start 
doing. Stop putting negative, hurtful things into 
your mind. Start watching and listening to things 
that make you more like Christ. 
   In the renewal of your mind, youve got 
to put off before you can put on. Lets say 
you go to a store to look for a new coat. You 
find one to try on. But if youre wearing a 
coat already, you have to take off the old one 
before you put on the new one. 
   Thats also true spiritually, 
emotionally, and mentally. Look at the verses from 
Ephesians 2 again. The Bible says, Put off your old 
self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful 
desires. The old self is the impulses and 
compulsions that pull you the wrong direction. 
   Then you need to be made new in the 
attitude of your minds. Attitudes are kind of like 
diapers.  Youve got to change them every once in a 
while, or they start stinking.  
   Only after youve put off your old self 
and old attitudes can you put on the new 
self, created to be like God in true righteousness 
and holiness. 
   Do you need change in your life today? 
Remember that a changed life begins with a changed 
mind. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: 
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY 

Ephesians 4:22-24 - Putting on the New 
Nature. 

https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20240103-0816.html 

Ephesians 4:22-24 - You Can Change Your Mind.

https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20231231-0846.html 

Ephesians 4:22-24 - Gods Goal: Your 
Character, Not Your Comfort. 

https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210511-0946.html 

Ephesians 4:22-24 - In Step With God.

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200306-0903.html 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/