In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them recalls that believers once walked and lived in the sinful practices named just before it, but that way of life belongs to the past and must now be put away and left behind. Those practices include fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil craving, and covetousness which is idolatry, together with anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, and lying to one another. That former walk belonged to the old man with his deeds and to the children of disobedience, and in this life of probation it must be mortified and put off. Those now risen with Christ died to that old life at baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and are to seek the things above where Christ sits at the right hand of God, set affection on things above, put on the new man renewed after the image of God, and appear with Christ in glory when He who is their life appears. This requires a present transformation of the entire being by the grace of Christ, mortifying sin with rigor, guarding weak points, watching unto prayer and staying united to Christ every moment, lest any walk again into Satan's trap toward the former state.
Former Life Left Behind
The verse looks back to a time when believers themselves walked in and lived in the very sinful practices named just before it, and marks that walk as belonging to the past, no longer to be lived in but to be put away and left behind in serving Christ. It describes a former way of life and action that has been exchanged for new life in Christ.
The practices it refers to are the earthly members that draw the wrath of God, namely fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil craving or concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. They also include anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of the mouth, and lying to one another.
That former walk belonged to the old man with his deeds and to the children of disobedience, on whom the wrath of God comes for these things. In this life of probation it must be mortified and put off with rigor and severity, sternly resisted and cleansed from the soul, even when such evils have found place among workers for God.
New Life in Christ
Those now risen with Christ died to the old sinful life at baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, pledging to put off the old man with his deeds, to leave the former walk, and to rise to represent the life of Christ in newness of life. That baptismal pledge binds every soul to remain dead to the world, to come out from the world and be separate, no longer to follow worldly methods and practices nor to act as sinners act. Having been buried with Christ in baptism and raised in the likeness of His resurrection, believers are to die to sin even when deeply cherished, to discern and guard weak points of character, and to reveal what Christ can do while abiding in Him.
Risen believers are to seek the things above where Christ sits at the right hand of God, to set affection on things above and not on things on the earth, and to have life hid with Christ in God. They are to turn mind, affections, heart, and intellect away from the world and toward the things of God, a change that puts them in position to grasp divine things as part of the high calling in Christ Jesus. They are to put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of the mouth, and lying to one another, having put off the old man with his deeds, and to put on the new man renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him, where Christ is all and in all. Those who in this life of probation follow the principles of heaven will appear with Christ, who is their life, in glory when He appears.
This change requires the transforming power of the grace of Christ affecting heart and character in a new present state before God transforming the entire being, and it is not enough to say I was once converted and rest hope on what one once was when first professing Christ. The one born again overcomes and empties from heart and life the old things — quick impatient temper, hate, envy, revenge, spirit of retaliation, pride of heart, emulation, and seeking for supremacy — being dead to carnal desires and to fierce, burning passions that consume love and gentleness, kindness and Christian courtesy. The converted person is dead to earth, dying even to deeply cherished sin.
The verse is straight, plain, unvarnished warning not to walk again into the trap Satan has placed for the unwary, for a tempting devil is continually on the track and a strong undercurrent runs swiftly to bear the soul back to the former state of sin to indulge the natural passions of the unrenewed heart. The warning is still needed because some engaged in God's work have given place to those evils, so these wrongs are to be sternly and determinedly resisted and cleansed from the soul, mortified and put off with rigor and severity. No heart can be kept pure without being constantly salted with divine grace, watching unto prayer, keeping the soul firmly united to Christ every moment and trusting in Him, praying in faith and singing songs of praise and thanksgiving, and forcing passage heavenward against wind and tide with both oars — faith and works. God has covenanted that the power and grace of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will answer the call with wisdom and strength to stand as victors over Satan's beguiling, so no one need walk into his trap.
Learning duty and doctrine from the Word under the guidance of the Holy Spirit consecrates the whole heart for God to mold and fashion after the divine similitude. That same instruction gives Christ's ambassadors a message of truth for parents and children, masters and servants, employers and employed in the great work that will be cut short in righteousness.
In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them recalls that believers once walked and lived in the sinful practices named just before it, but that way of life belongs to the past and must now be put away and left behind. Those practices include fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil craving, and covetousness which is idolatry, together with anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, and lying to one another. That former walk belonged to the old man with his deeds and to the children of disobedience, and in this life of probation it must be mortified and put off. Those now risen with Christ died to that old life at baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and are to seek the things above where Christ sits at the right hand of God, set affection on things above, put on the new man renewed after the image of God, and appear with Christ in glory when He who is their life appears. This requires a present transformation of the entire being by the grace of Christ, mortifying sin with rigor, guarding weak points, watching unto prayer and staying united to Christ every moment, lest any walk again into Satan's trap toward the former state.
Former Life Left Behind
The verse looks back to a time when believers themselves walked in and lived in the very sinful practices named just before it, and marks that walk as belonging to the past, no longer to be lived in but to be put away and left behind in serving Christ. It describes a former way of life and action that has been exchanged for new life in Christ.
The practices it refers to are the earthly members that draw the wrath of God, namely fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil craving or concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. They also include anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of the mouth, and lying to one another.
That former walk belonged to the old man with his deeds and to the children of disobedience, on whom the wrath of God comes for these things. In this life of probation it must be mortified and put off with rigor and severity, sternly resisted and cleansed from the soul, even when such evils have found place among workers for God.
New Life in Christ
Those now risen with Christ died to the old sinful life at baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, pledging to put off the old man with his deeds, to leave the former walk, and to rise to represent the life of Christ in newness of life. That baptismal pledge binds every soul to remain dead to the world, to come out from the world and be separate, no longer to follow worldly methods and practices nor to act as sinners act. Having been buried with Christ in baptism and raised in the likeness of His resurrection, believers are to die to sin even when deeply cherished, to discern and guard weak points of character, and to reveal what Christ can do while abiding in Him.
Risen believers are to seek the things above where Christ sits at the right hand of God, to set affection on things above and not on things on the earth, and to have life hid with Christ in God. They are to turn mind, affections, heart, and intellect away from the world and toward the things of God, a change that puts them in position to grasp divine things as part of the high calling in Christ Jesus. They are to put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of the mouth, and lying to one another, having put off the old man with his deeds, and to put on the new man renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him, where Christ is all and in all. Those who in this life of probation follow the principles of heaven will appear with Christ, who is their life, in glory when He appears.
This change requires the transforming power of the grace of Christ affecting heart and character in a new present state before God transforming the entire being, and it is not enough to say I was once converted and rest hope on what one once was when first professing Christ. The one born again overcomes and empties from heart and life the old things — quick impatient temper, hate, envy, revenge, spirit of retaliation, pride of heart, emulation, and seeking for supremacy — being dead to carnal desires and to fierce, burning passions that consume love and gentleness, kindness and Christian courtesy. The converted person is dead to earth, dying even to deeply cherished sin.
The verse is straight, plain, unvarnished warning not to walk again into the trap Satan has placed for the unwary, for a tempting devil is continually on the track and a strong undercurrent runs swiftly to bear the soul back to the former state of sin to indulge the natural passions of the unrenewed heart. The warning is still needed because some engaged in God's work have given place to those evils, so these wrongs are to be sternly and determinedly resisted and cleansed from the soul, mortified and put off with rigor and severity. No heart can be kept pure without being constantly salted with divine grace, watching unto prayer, keeping the soul firmly united to Christ every moment and trusting in Him, praying in faith and singing songs of praise and thanksgiving, and forcing passage heavenward against wind and tide with both oars — faith and works. God has covenanted that the power and grace of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will answer the call with wisdom and strength to stand as victors over Satan's beguiling, so no one need walk into his trap.
Learning duty and doctrine from the Word under the guidance of the Holy Spirit consecrates the whole heart for God to mold and fashion after the divine similitude. That same instruction gives Christ's ambassadors a message of truth for parents and children, masters and servants, employers and employed in the great work that will be cut short in righteousness.