That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Ephesians 4:22 calls those who have learned Christ and been taught the truth as it is in Jesus to put off the former way of life, no longer walking as others do in vanity of mind with darkened understanding and alienation from God. The old man to be put off is the old sinful self, corrupt and ruined through deceitful lusts, and putting him off stands joined to being renewed in the spirit of the mind and putting on the new self created after God in righteousness and true holiness. True conversion is this decisive death to self and sin and complete new birth to a new life in Christ, not merely covering sin with correct words or a form of godliness nor improving the old life. It comes through repentance and faith in Christ's righteousness and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, with divine power joined to determined human effort to overcome every defect and replace wrong tendencies with unselfish principles. So put off, believers lay aside pride, selfishness, harshness, temper, jealousy, faultfinding, evil speaking and dissension, and are fashioned to be loving, patient, kind, meek, self-controlled and unselfish, walking humbly, united in truth, and living in courtesy, justice and mercy.
Words and Context
The call to put off the old man belongs to those who have learned Christ, heard Him, and been taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus. That truth renovates the mind now as surely as in the past, as unchanged present verity. Coming to enjoy the privileges of the banquet of truth while claiming to believe and teach the Word yet working unrighteousness proves one has not eaten the flesh and drunk the blood of the Son of God and is like the guest without a wedding garment. Putting off the old man is yielding to the spirit of repentance instead of remaining past feeling and without faith. It is duty to stand at post on guard over self, lest evil agencies succeed in leading to words and deeds that please the enemy, and it keeps members from allowing the enemy to work by and through them so that God can work in the church, as part of doing all to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand with words and deeds fragrant with the holiness of truth.
Concerning the former conversation means concerning the former way of life. It means no longer walking as other Gentiles walk in vanity and emptiness of mind. It means turning from darkened understanding, alienation and separation from the life of God through ignorance and blindness of heart. It means no longer being past feeling and given over to lasciviousness, impurity and greed to work all uncleanness. Those once enslaved by lustful passions must show a decisive change in life and character so that daily conduct gives evidence of true conversion and they no longer live as before conversion.
The old man is the old sinful self of the former life. It is corrupt and ruined according to deceitful, lying lusts and deceptive desires. The former way of life shaped by those desires is corrupt and must be put off. The chapter's instruction is a Bible lesson to be lived in practice, not replaced by human opinions.
The command to put off the old man stands joined to being renewed in the spirit of the mind and putting on the new man and new self, created after God in righteousness and true holiness. That renewal is shown in putting away lying and speaking truth with neighbors as members one of another. It is shown in controlling anger without sin and not letting the sun go down on wrath, in refusing the devil a place, and in stealing no more but doing honest work in order to give to the needy. It is shown in edifying speech that builds up and gives grace, in not grieving the Holy Spirit, and in putting away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice for kindness, tenderheartedness and forgiveness as God for Christ's sake forgave, with conduct marked by love rather than cruelty and bitterness. Together with putting on the new self it requires laying aside every weight and easily besetting sin and running the Christian race with patience while looking to Jesus, applied to the church's life together in giving up pride and rivalry, walking humbly, and becoming one.
The verse is solemn instruction that means much and is a warning and caution for every soul. It calls those who have become hard-spirited because they are strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit to a great reformation in life and in words and works and spiritual understanding, catching the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts and daily breathing the atmosphere of heaven. It calls for churches to be set in order and the door of unbelief to be closed, with faith and works in clear lines. It calls for gathering every ray of light that substantiates truth and bearing aloft the third angel's message amid moral darkness, and for making straight paths for the feet so the weak are not turned out of the way. It guards against the increased seducing power of Satan that would deceive the very elect, and it is given to rescue souls in peril who do not see their spiritual danger. When Satan makes every effort to tear up the foundation of faith in the third angel's message, leaving the former corrupt life stands joined to holding firm the building of the work of the last sixty years without moving a pin or pillar and to reprinting and reaffirming past history.
Conversion and Renewal
True conversion requires decisively putting away the former way of life and letting the old man die, with the change appearing in daily conduct and character so that those once enslaved by lustful passions no longer live as before. The old self corrupted by deceptive desires is to be put off, not merely covered over, for covering the deformity of sin with a self-righteous garment is no remedy. Correct words and smooth talk and writing are not enough when the true language of the heart is unchanged, and having a form of godliness without cleansing power means the old man is not dead. Brokenness before God is required, feeling the impurity and vileness and rottenness of soul and receiving transforming power to save, rather than cherishing sinful habits.
The change is not merely improving the old life but dying to self and sin and receiving an entirely new life through new birth in Christ. It is a complete change of mind and character in which no part of the diseased life remains, with the sinner made new in Christ and the new person representing Christ's character. Renewal reaches every spiritual faculty and produces unselfish service, with impulses shaped by Christ and grace shared through self-denial, sacrifice, meekness, lowliness, and trustworthy words and deeds. Instead of continuing hard, selfish and unconverted, the person dies to self and becomes a new person in Christ, leaving the old life behind in complete consecration.
This putting off comes through yielding to the spirit of repentance instead of remaining past feeling and without faith, so the enemy is given no place to work by and through members and God can work in the church. Faith in Christ's righteousness leads the sinner to part with sin through the merits of Christ, laying aside what scars and deforms the soul and develops misshapen character. The transformation of nature is brought about only by the effective work of the Holy Spirit, whose molding influence sanctifies the whole person, reveals character flaws, and enables growth in grace and knowledge of Christ.
It is the fruit of God's working within, with divine power joined to human effort, not a way to earn approval. Yet it requires determined effort with God's help to overcome every defect of character, with the grace of God united to the strongest effort and persevering determination and energy to control self. Putting off alone is not enough without also cultivating the traits needed for faithful service and putting on the new man, so that wrong tendencies are replaced by new unselfish principles through regenerating grace. In this way the truth's sanctifying power appears in spirit, words and actions, with talents and intellect devoted to God's service and His life taken as the guide.
Claiming the privileges of the banquet of truth, professing to believe the Word and teaching it to others while working unrighteousness, proves one has not eaten the flesh and drunk the blood of the Son of God and is like the guest without a wedding garment. If cold, grumbling, self-sufficient, independent and selfish fruits remain, with the heart unchanged and brokenness unfelt, it proves Christ's religion is not practiced in daily life. Its hearers are not what God requires them to be and must become to be saved in the kingdom of heaven unless converting power enters the heart and transforms the character into a well-ordered life and godly conduct. That putting off means no evil speaking, no evil surmising, no accusing of brethren and no secret working to exalt self and disparage others, with Christ reigning in the heart by faith and senses, appetites and passions kept under the Spirit's control rather than given to Satan's control to work unrighteousness.
Unless truth has this sanctifying influence to mold the character there will be failure of an inheritance in the kingdom of God. Disrobing sinful nature and casting off the old man and his deeds means putting on the new man, which is Jesus Christ, being renewed in the image of God and the likeness of Jesus. This change raises the standard high, and none should think it too high, for it fits people for the city God is preparing where Christ is not ashamed to call them brethren.
Transformed Life Together
Putting off the old man means parting with what scars and deforms the soul and develops a misshapen character, including uncontrolled temper, unsubdued will, jealousy and envy, coldness, reserve, self-sufficiency, self-righteousness, severity, censuring, sharp remarks, sternness, scolding, murmuring, selfishness and an unsympathetic spirit. It means laying aside unbelief, pride of heart, seeking to be greatest and striving to be first, fault-finding and dissension, criticism, evil speaking, evil surmising, accusing brethren, and secret working to exalt self and disparage others. Appetites and passions are no longer to be given up to Satan's control to work unrighteousness, and cherished unChristlike traits that defile the heart are incompatible with a life cleansed for Christ's service. Unless truth has this sanctifying influence to mold the character there will be failure of an inheritance in the kingdom of God, for hearers are not what God requires them to be to be saved unless converting power transforms the character to put off the old life. This putting off requires the grace of God united with strongest persevering determination and energy to control self, through the merits of Christ, with the fire of God's love consuming dross to refine, soften and subdue the soul so Christ may enter and reign in the heart by faith.
In its place the whole man is transformed and fashioned, not merely reformed in the most glaring defects, to be loving, patient, kind, forbearing, condescending, amiable, tender, courteous and unselfish. Harshness of temperament is softened and roughness of manners toned down, and if cold, grumbling, self-sufficient, independent and selfish fruits remain the religion is not practiced in daily life. The natural self with passionate temper must die and cannot be brought into harmony with God's Spirit, but through Christ taking possession of the soul a person can live with meekness and self-control. Criticism and faultfinding are replaced with kindness and love toward others, and conduct is marked by love, kindness, tenderness and forgiveness rather than cruelty and bitterness, in truthful, kind, forgiving conduct and turning from sinful habits. The new birth brings a new life in which no part of the diseased life remains, reaching every spiritual faculty so the new person represents Christ's character, with sanctified eyes and tongue, ears refusing evil reports, senses kept under the Spirit, impulses shaped by Christ, and unselfish service shared through self-denial, sacrifice, meekness, lowliness and trustworthy words and deeds.
The change applies to life together by giving up pride and rivalry, laying aside fault-finding and dissension, walking humbly with God and circumspectly, being subject one to another, coming into the sanctifying circle of truth, drawing together and pressing together. Believers are to heed every word of God that creates oneness and reach the highest standard while God turns His hand to purge away dross and tin and melt and try His people, being risen with Christ to seek things above and being one. When the old self is purged from the heart, differences can be discussed with greater safety and unity lived through Christ's love and Spirit even without agreement on every point. This is God's plainly revealed plan for keeping unity in His church so members reveal a healthy religious experience to the unbelieving world.
Putting off the corrupt old man means escaping the corruption in the world through lust and becoming partakers of the divine nature. It means conforming life to obedience to the commandments of God, loyalty to His law in putting away sin and unrighteousness being connected with life and blessing, being united in the faith of the Scriptures and bound together as one in Christ Jesus with the life hid with Christ in God. It means practicing the golden rule toward others, cooperating with the great Master Worker and heavenly agencies as laborers together with God, and using heaven's costly provision to draw souls to obedience. It means living a consistent Christian life in courtesy, fidelity, justice and mercy that magnifies the law of God and demonstrates that the law of the Lord is perfect in converting the soul, bearing living testimony that the Father loves believers even as He loves His Son.
It is duty to stand at post on guard over self, lest evil agencies warring against believers succeed in leading to words and deeds pleasing the enemy. Putting off the former conduct is yielding to the spirit of repentance instead of remaining past feeling and without faith, refusing the enemy place to work by and through members so God can work in the church. It is part of doing all to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand, with words and deeds fragrant with the holiness of truth, including putting away lying, speaking truth with neighbors as members one of another, and being angry without sin and without letting the sun go down on wrath. The verse is a warning and caution for every soul, calling for churches set in order, the door of unbelief closed, straight paths for the weak, gathering every ray of light that substantiates truth, and bearing aloft the third angel's message amid moral darkness against Satan's increased seducing power.
With old imperfect traits put away and the new life in Jesus put on, people may be complete in Him through complete consecration to God, leaving the old life and its deeds behind. The command joined to putting on the new self created to be like God in righteousness and true holiness requires laying aside every weight and easily besetting sin and running the race with patience while looking to Jesus. Believers thus fulfill the vow made at baptism to practice the lessons taught in the life of Christ by ministering to those around them, using entrusted capabilities and means for the world and for righteousness and truth. Through sanctification of the truth they plant living principles of saving faith and keep alive in the church self-denial and self-sacrifice as shown in His medical missionary work.
Ephesians 4:22 calls those who have learned Christ and been taught the truth as it is in Jesus to put off the former way of life, no longer walking as others do in vanity of mind with darkened understanding and alienation from God. The old man to be put off is the old sinful self, corrupt and ruined through deceitful lusts, and putting him off stands joined to being renewed in the spirit of the mind and putting on the new self created after God in righteousness and true holiness. True conversion is this decisive death to self and sin and complete new birth to a new life in Christ, not merely covering sin with correct words or a form of godliness nor improving the old life. It comes through repentance and faith in Christ's righteousness and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, with divine power joined to determined human effort to overcome every defect and replace wrong tendencies with unselfish principles. So put off, believers lay aside pride, selfishness, harshness, temper, jealousy, faultfinding, evil speaking and dissension, and are fashioned to be loving, patient, kind, meek, self-controlled and unselfish, walking humbly, united in truth, and living in courtesy, justice and mercy.
Words and Context
The call to put off the old man belongs to those who have learned Christ, heard Him, and been taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus. That truth renovates the mind now as surely as in the past, as unchanged present verity. Coming to enjoy the privileges of the banquet of truth while claiming to believe and teach the Word yet working unrighteousness proves one has not eaten the flesh and drunk the blood of the Son of God and is like the guest without a wedding garment. Putting off the old man is yielding to the spirit of repentance instead of remaining past feeling and without faith. It is duty to stand at post on guard over self, lest evil agencies succeed in leading to words and deeds that please the enemy, and it keeps members from allowing the enemy to work by and through them so that God can work in the church, as part of doing all to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand with words and deeds fragrant with the holiness of truth.
Concerning the former conversation means concerning the former way of life. It means no longer walking as other Gentiles walk in vanity and emptiness of mind. It means turning from darkened understanding, alienation and separation from the life of God through ignorance and blindness of heart. It means no longer being past feeling and given over to lasciviousness, impurity and greed to work all uncleanness. Those once enslaved by lustful passions must show a decisive change in life and character so that daily conduct gives evidence of true conversion and they no longer live as before conversion.
The old man is the old sinful self of the former life. It is corrupt and ruined according to deceitful, lying lusts and deceptive desires. The former way of life shaped by those desires is corrupt and must be put off. The chapter's instruction is a Bible lesson to be lived in practice, not replaced by human opinions.
The command to put off the old man stands joined to being renewed in the spirit of the mind and putting on the new man and new self, created after God in righteousness and true holiness. That renewal is shown in putting away lying and speaking truth with neighbors as members one of another. It is shown in controlling anger without sin and not letting the sun go down on wrath, in refusing the devil a place, and in stealing no more but doing honest work in order to give to the needy. It is shown in edifying speech that builds up and gives grace, in not grieving the Holy Spirit, and in putting away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice for kindness, tenderheartedness and forgiveness as God for Christ's sake forgave, with conduct marked by love rather than cruelty and bitterness. Together with putting on the new self it requires laying aside every weight and easily besetting sin and running the Christian race with patience while looking to Jesus, applied to the church's life together in giving up pride and rivalry, walking humbly, and becoming one.
The verse is solemn instruction that means much and is a warning and caution for every soul. It calls those who have become hard-spirited because they are strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit to a great reformation in life and in words and works and spiritual understanding, catching the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts and daily breathing the atmosphere of heaven. It calls for churches to be set in order and the door of unbelief to be closed, with faith and works in clear lines. It calls for gathering every ray of light that substantiates truth and bearing aloft the third angel's message amid moral darkness, and for making straight paths for the feet so the weak are not turned out of the way. It guards against the increased seducing power of Satan that would deceive the very elect, and it is given to rescue souls in peril who do not see their spiritual danger. When Satan makes every effort to tear up the foundation of faith in the third angel's message, leaving the former corrupt life stands joined to holding firm the building of the work of the last sixty years without moving a pin or pillar and to reprinting and reaffirming past history.
Conversion and Renewal
True conversion requires decisively putting away the former way of life and letting the old man die, with the change appearing in daily conduct and character so that those once enslaved by lustful passions no longer live as before. The old self corrupted by deceptive desires is to be put off, not merely covered over, for covering the deformity of sin with a self-righteous garment is no remedy. Correct words and smooth talk and writing are not enough when the true language of the heart is unchanged, and having a form of godliness without cleansing power means the old man is not dead. Brokenness before God is required, feeling the impurity and vileness and rottenness of soul and receiving transforming power to save, rather than cherishing sinful habits.
The change is not merely improving the old life but dying to self and sin and receiving an entirely new life through new birth in Christ. It is a complete change of mind and character in which no part of the diseased life remains, with the sinner made new in Christ and the new person representing Christ's character. Renewal reaches every spiritual faculty and produces unselfish service, with impulses shaped by Christ and grace shared through self-denial, sacrifice, meekness, lowliness, and trustworthy words and deeds. Instead of continuing hard, selfish and unconverted, the person dies to self and becomes a new person in Christ, leaving the old life behind in complete consecration.
This putting off comes through yielding to the spirit of repentance instead of remaining past feeling and without faith, so the enemy is given no place to work by and through members and God can work in the church. Faith in Christ's righteousness leads the sinner to part with sin through the merits of Christ, laying aside what scars and deforms the soul and develops misshapen character. The transformation of nature is brought about only by the effective work of the Holy Spirit, whose molding influence sanctifies the whole person, reveals character flaws, and enables growth in grace and knowledge of Christ.
It is the fruit of God's working within, with divine power joined to human effort, not a way to earn approval. Yet it requires determined effort with God's help to overcome every defect of character, with the grace of God united to the strongest effort and persevering determination and energy to control self. Putting off alone is not enough without also cultivating the traits needed for faithful service and putting on the new man, so that wrong tendencies are replaced by new unselfish principles through regenerating grace. In this way the truth's sanctifying power appears in spirit, words and actions, with talents and intellect devoted to God's service and His life taken as the guide.
Claiming the privileges of the banquet of truth, professing to believe the Word and teaching it to others while working unrighteousness, proves one has not eaten the flesh and drunk the blood of the Son of God and is like the guest without a wedding garment. If cold, grumbling, self-sufficient, independent and selfish fruits remain, with the heart unchanged and brokenness unfelt, it proves Christ's religion is not practiced in daily life. Its hearers are not what God requires them to be and must become to be saved in the kingdom of heaven unless converting power enters the heart and transforms the character into a well-ordered life and godly conduct. That putting off means no evil speaking, no evil surmising, no accusing of brethren and no secret working to exalt self and disparage others, with Christ reigning in the heart by faith and senses, appetites and passions kept under the Spirit's control rather than given to Satan's control to work unrighteousness.
Unless truth has this sanctifying influence to mold the character there will be failure of an inheritance in the kingdom of God. Disrobing sinful nature and casting off the old man and his deeds means putting on the new man, which is Jesus Christ, being renewed in the image of God and the likeness of Jesus. This change raises the standard high, and none should think it too high, for it fits people for the city God is preparing where Christ is not ashamed to call them brethren.
Transformed Life Together
Putting off the old man means parting with what scars and deforms the soul and develops a misshapen character, including uncontrolled temper, unsubdued will, jealousy and envy, coldness, reserve, self-sufficiency, self-righteousness, severity, censuring, sharp remarks, sternness, scolding, murmuring, selfishness and an unsympathetic spirit. It means laying aside unbelief, pride of heart, seeking to be greatest and striving to be first, fault-finding and dissension, criticism, evil speaking, evil surmising, accusing brethren, and secret working to exalt self and disparage others. Appetites and passions are no longer to be given up to Satan's control to work unrighteousness, and cherished unChristlike traits that defile the heart are incompatible with a life cleansed for Christ's service. Unless truth has this sanctifying influence to mold the character there will be failure of an inheritance in the kingdom of God, for hearers are not what God requires them to be to be saved unless converting power transforms the character to put off the old life. This putting off requires the grace of God united with strongest persevering determination and energy to control self, through the merits of Christ, with the fire of God's love consuming dross to refine, soften and subdue the soul so Christ may enter and reign in the heart by faith.
In its place the whole man is transformed and fashioned, not merely reformed in the most glaring defects, to be loving, patient, kind, forbearing, condescending, amiable, tender, courteous and unselfish. Harshness of temperament is softened and roughness of manners toned down, and if cold, grumbling, self-sufficient, independent and selfish fruits remain the religion is not practiced in daily life. The natural self with passionate temper must die and cannot be brought into harmony with God's Spirit, but through Christ taking possession of the soul a person can live with meekness and self-control. Criticism and faultfinding are replaced with kindness and love toward others, and conduct is marked by love, kindness, tenderness and forgiveness rather than cruelty and bitterness, in truthful, kind, forgiving conduct and turning from sinful habits. The new birth brings a new life in which no part of the diseased life remains, reaching every spiritual faculty so the new person represents Christ's character, with sanctified eyes and tongue, ears refusing evil reports, senses kept under the Spirit, impulses shaped by Christ, and unselfish service shared through self-denial, sacrifice, meekness, lowliness and trustworthy words and deeds.
The change applies to life together by giving up pride and rivalry, laying aside fault-finding and dissension, walking humbly with God and circumspectly, being subject one to another, coming into the sanctifying circle of truth, drawing together and pressing together. Believers are to heed every word of God that creates oneness and reach the highest standard while God turns His hand to purge away dross and tin and melt and try His people, being risen with Christ to seek things above and being one. When the old self is purged from the heart, differences can be discussed with greater safety and unity lived through Christ's love and Spirit even without agreement on every point. This is God's plainly revealed plan for keeping unity in His church so members reveal a healthy religious experience to the unbelieving world.
Putting off the corrupt old man means escaping the corruption in the world through lust and becoming partakers of the divine nature. It means conforming life to obedience to the commandments of God, loyalty to His law in putting away sin and unrighteousness being connected with life and blessing, being united in the faith of the Scriptures and bound together as one in Christ Jesus with the life hid with Christ in God. It means practicing the golden rule toward others, cooperating with the great Master Worker and heavenly agencies as laborers together with God, and using heaven's costly provision to draw souls to obedience. It means living a consistent Christian life in courtesy, fidelity, justice and mercy that magnifies the law of God and demonstrates that the law of the Lord is perfect in converting the soul, bearing living testimony that the Father loves believers even as He loves His Son.
It is duty to stand at post on guard over self, lest evil agencies warring against believers succeed in leading to words and deeds pleasing the enemy. Putting off the former conduct is yielding to the spirit of repentance instead of remaining past feeling and without faith, refusing the enemy place to work by and through members so God can work in the church. It is part of doing all to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand, with words and deeds fragrant with the holiness of truth, including putting away lying, speaking truth with neighbors as members one of another, and being angry without sin and without letting the sun go down on wrath. The verse is a warning and caution for every soul, calling for churches set in order, the door of unbelief closed, straight paths for the weak, gathering every ray of light that substantiates truth, and bearing aloft the third angel's message amid moral darkness against Satan's increased seducing power.
With old imperfect traits put away and the new life in Jesus put on, people may be complete in Him through complete consecration to God, leaving the old life and its deeds behind. The command joined to putting on the new self created to be like God in righteousness and true holiness requires laying aside every weight and easily besetting sin and running the race with patience while looking to Jesus. Believers thus fulfill the vow made at baptism to practice the lessons taught in the life of Christ by ministering to those around them, using entrusted capabilities and means for the world and for righteousness and truth. Through sanctification of the truth they plant living principles of saving faith and keep alive in the church self-denial and self-sacrifice as shown in His medical missionary work.