Transcription downloaded from https://sermons.heritagesermons.org/sermons/6842/ephesians/. Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions. Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt. [0:00] As the Lord may help, I will direct your attention to the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, the fourth chapter, the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth verses. [0:13] The Epistle to the Ephesians, the fourth chapter, verses twenty-four and twenty-five. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. [0:44] And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. [1:04] The whole world in the Day of Judgment will surely be judged from what is written in this holy book. [1:23] But at the same time, this precious holy Bible is of special benefit and purpose for the people of God. [1:39] It is they that prize it much. It is they that receive of the choice things which are contained in it. [1:51] It is they that are instructed from it. And those that fear the Lord will understand the spirit of the Apostle in his epistles, where he felt such a concern and such a love to the Church of God. [2:14] That which was evident and which is evident in his epistles is incumbent upon us as members of Christ's body. [2:27] We should be very concerned for the spiritual prosperity of our souls and for the prosperity of the souls of others. [2:41] We find that John, in one of those short epistles, he writes concerning the desires which he had for the beloved Gaius. [3:03] And he says, It is worthy of our attention to notice that very carefully. [3:20] We may more easily, and thus in the present day, reverse what the Scripture says, in order that we may make it fit. And that we would say, as your life prospers, so may your soul prosper. [3:39] But, we must not reverse the Scripture. It is important for us to observe what the Scripture declares. And, we have declared to us, in these epistles in the New Testament, the fullness and the glory and the substance of the true benefit and blessing which are given to the Church of God. [4:07] We see, perhaps, a Church in its prosperity. May we not desire to be at such a time, in such a place, joined to such a Church, which is enjoying such prosperity. [4:24] Now, we must look at these words from that point of view. there is no question of free will being introduced to us when the Apostle says, and that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and through holiness. [4:50] He is speaking and writing to one that has been given a nature that is capable of so doing. [5:05] We turn to the beginning of the epistle. We notice that it is written to the saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. [5:17] Who are the saints? It is those that are manifested as saints and are born again of the Spirit. That is, those that have put on Christ and, having put on Christ, evidence that new nature which is in their heart. [5:40] It would be foolish indeed for us to say that we are born again if there was no evidence of it. [5:51] Many people, alas, in the religious world are quick to inquire, are you a born again Christian? It should never be necessary for anyone to ask you or me whether we are born again Christians. [6:10] Our life should declare it. it is a standard that it would be most unwise for us to lower. Our life should declare it. [6:25] And it certainly will declare it if this new man is put on. That ye put on the new man. [6:36] man. If we examine our experience of the things of God in respect to this particular matter, how shall we describe it? [6:48] What shall be our testimony? That ye put on the new man. In other words, that ye put on Christ. Was it, in fact, that which you did? [7:01] Or was it not rather the power and accomplishment of the Spirit that caused you to be changed? Changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. [7:15] It is a wonderful favor from God to have an evidence that we are born again of the Spirit. I greatly fear sometimes that we live in an age when there is a great deal of indecisiveness, indefiniteness, in relation to what it is to be a child of God, what it is to walk as a child of God. [7:44] But the word of God surely is very clear. The mind of God is lucid in the extreme. And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. [8:06] There are therefore two particular points to be noted in relation to the new man. Truth and holiness. [8:21] Perhaps you will immediately say that I am unholy. you may join with the hymn writer and rightly do and say that I am unholy needs no proof. [8:37] I sorely feel the fall. Yes, but it is not that, it is not holiness that is to be found in the old man of sin, in the old nature. [8:52] If we look for that nature to be altered, if we look for that nature to be working after holiness, we shall ever be disappointed. [9:09] Because the apostle makes it very clear and when I say the apostle, it is the spirit in the apostle, the Holy Spirit declaring the truth unto us, that makes it very clear that the natural man is enmity, the natural mind is enmity to God. [9:31] And the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them because they are spiritually deserved. Now the things which are before us are things to be spiritually deserved. [9:46] And therefore we may find the natural man knocking his head against the wall as it were, trying to penetrate the meaning, unable to come to the knowledge of the meaning, making all sorts of foolish suggestions, and attributing free will where it is not to be found. [10:05] But if we have a spiritual mind in respect to such a word as this, I believe there will be great benefit as we may have our hearts open to understand it. [10:20] So, in putting on the new man, there are two particular features that we would notice, holiness and truth. Now the Lord Jesus Christ has declared himself to be the way, the truth, and the life. [10:44] One of our hymn writers, in speaking of Jesus as the way, he says Jesus is the holy way. And if we are in Christ, then we shall be walking in a pathway of holiness. [11:01] How shall we be walking in a pathway of holiness? I believe it is one of the points that considerably exercises the hearts of many people. [11:13] The very thought of holiness, holiness, especially when they consider the continual upsurging of sin within their members, begins to make them feel that holiness is something quite outside the pale as far as they are concerned. [11:32] May it not be that this is due so often to a lack of a proper conception of what holiness is. Now the word of God says this, that which is not of faith is sin. [11:52] Now we do many things and in all honesty we could not say they were the outcome of faith. But on the other hand, we also do many things which are the outcome of faith. [12:10] how have we proceeded along the lines of faith today? [12:23] You see, faith comes into our lives. When you begin the day, do you walk in faith? Have you put on Christ? Have you put on the new man? Is it evidence in your life? [12:40] faith? Now we become very concerned where the grace of God is when we have to engage on certain commitments with the world. [12:52] I mention this because I think it may set before you what is in my mind. I was in Manchester yesterday on a business appointment and I knew that I could so easily be drawn aside by the company that necessarily I had to be in with. [13:18] my heart was very concerned before God that he was so ordered a matter that nothing under war would take place. And I am able to bear witness this evening that God heard my prayer and the day proceeded without anything that violated my conscience in any way. [13:42] Now when I say that violated my conscience it was a conscience void of offense. it did not violate my spiritual conscience. Well we have to do business. [13:55] You have to do business with the world. The old man can easily get the ascendancy can't it? But if we are the people of God it will be of the utmost importance that we should be concerned to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. [14:21] Now you may say wherein did the holiness come? Well if that which is not of faith is sin then that which is of faith is holiness. [14:34] And since we are called upon to walk by faith and not by sight the activity of faith in the soul is the revelation of holiness in the life. [14:51] The spiritual will understand it. The natural may not observe it always. They may not know how you have walked in life or faith even before them. [15:05] They may observe your spirit. They may see that your spirit is different to theirs and remember this friend they may be conscious sometimes of a power that keeps them back. [15:21] It is a wonderful blessing to walk by faith in our business life. Do you ever pray for those with whom you have to come in contact that they may be kept back from doing this or saying that or offending your ears in certain things? [15:41] Well now God is able to do this and God does accomplish it. Now the apostle himself has walked this way and because he has walked this way he desires to enjoin this way upon those others in the body of Christ. [16:03] He desires to enjoin it upon them and because he saw the benefit that was to be derived from it. He wanted to come and see the church at Ephesus in the same state and condition that John could write to his beloved Gaius. [16:26] he wanted to be able to say to them beloved and this is the way he was saying it beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth. [16:41] What is soul prosperity? here again sometimes our thoughts may misguide us but may we not suggest this that soul prosperity is when the faith in God is our continual concern. [17:09] you see we can get into a very sad state. I have no need to enlarge upon that because I'm sure some of you at least have too painful memories of how easily a state of coldness backsliding and distance from God can creep upon us but nonetheless our desire is where the grace of God is in the heart that we may put on the new man. [17:46] In other words that we may where we walk it may evince that Christ is in our heart for hope of glory. How is this done? [18:00] You see we want to be Christians ye are lights in the world. perhaps you will say I'm not much of a light and here again me people may make many mistakes I feel what does the word of God say? [18:22] them it speaks of a candle a candle being set upon a candlestick well perhaps you may say a candle doesn't show much light it wouldn't show much light in this building because of more powerful lights that are available but what a light it would show if this building was in pitch darkness what a light a candle would show in this world of which the word of God says is in darkness even until now is in gross darkness so if a candle only a candle you may say but only a candle how much that light would shine now why did that candle the word of God says this the spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord and I believe this brings us down to the crux of a true profession the spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord how much we need to watch our spirit what spirit the spirit of the old man perhaps it is too much in evidence so therefore may we receive this word of loving exhortation from the apostle this evening wherefore put and that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness that true holiness which is walking by faith and inventing that faith by the spirit that is in a person now there's one more thing [20:30] I would say about the candle and about the light people so often today describe or expect to see light as something that is very noisy if they can attract by all sorts of noises from all sorts of quarters and if many people stop if they can get people into the churches and chapels by some devious means then they feel that there has been great prosperity but may we not consider this in respect to the light of a candle how silent how silent you wouldn't know it was there would you other means of lighting and power make far more noise than a candle but how quietly the candle is doesn't make a sound but it gives a lot of light and especially where there is great darkness now then if we our light is to show so shine before men that they may behold our good works and glorify our fowl which is in heaven then this is the way it is to be done by that light shining that candle shining by your spirit being governed by the spirit of Christ so quiet oh so quiet there is nothing really that we can read concerning the [22:22] Lord Jesus Christ which avenges anything but a quiet spirit a meek spirit perhaps the nearest that we could take as an example of a departure from this and even that I do not think we can really do so was the occasion when the Lord Jesus took some small cords and beat those that were defining the temple but the Lord Jesus was essentially a man of meekness we observe I believe it is in the Acts of the Apostles of this description the gentleness of Christ these things are desirable and are to be made manifest where [23:23] Christ is put on you may perhaps say well of course my nature is different to other people my nature is very boisterous I'm up in a very very few minutes I don't know what gentleness is well does your weakness make void the power of Christ in you are you saying that it's not possible for Christ to be put on in your case in the blessedness of the spirit of Christ in the meekness of Christ in the tenderness of Christ in the gentleness of Christ in the condescension of Christ in the love of Christ alas alas how sad that is indeed if the spirit of Christ dwelt in your heart and your natural mind was so very different so quick tempered as it were then how much more evidence there would be how many people would say what's happened to this man what's happened to this woman their whole nature has changed their spirit has changed oh but how does it how has it changed well you see they see the outside they don't know the workings inside what are the workings inside well the workings inside are deep exercises before [25:07] God are you deeply exercised before God concerning your spirit hasty spirit foolish spirit angry spirit whatever it may be and the heart know of its own bitterness and God knows what is most bitter to you as you view your carnal spirit how many times does it bring you down before God that you seek under him in prayer what does the psalmist say create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a right spirit a right spirit within me why did he want a right spirit well if you want a right spirit you will know the answer but I believe the deep seated meaning that was in his soul was this that he desired a spirit that would honour [26:11] God he desired a spirit that would cause men to take knowledge of him that he had been with Jesus and learned of him surely this is the spirit that is desirable and must necessarily be put on if we are truly to enter into this text and that he put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and through holiness so we may see the evidence of Christ formed in the heart as a holy principle evinced by the walking by faith and not by sight the fullness of Christian experience may perhaps be best described by this quotation concerning what [27:15] Christian life is tis to credit contradictions talk with him one never sees cry and groan beneath afflictions yet to dread the thought of ease tis to feel the fight against us yet the victory hope to gain tis to feel that Christ has cleansed us though the leprosy remain now where you have these strange workings within your soul there will be plenty of room for the activity of faith what kind of faith is this it is not natural faith it's not something that you can keep alive but it is the faith of Jesus Christ which is communicated to your soul it is the faith of Jesus Christ which rises to the top as the mercury rises in the thermometer when there is warmth applied to it rises to the top when well it rose to the top in the heart of [28:17] Hezekiah when he was in trouble when he came face to face with death and he said subsequently as he viewed the whole scene in retrospect he said the living the living he shall pray as for as I do this day for by these things men live and in all these things is the life of my spirit he was faced with death we may not necessarily be faced with death but God brings things into our life sometimes that causes us to seek unto him in all these things what things things of suffering what sufferings well we may have many sufferings painful sufferings a body but what is the real suffering of the people of God I believe the real suffering of the people of [29:19] God is the suffering which sin causes them oh how much suffering does sin cause you that's what made Hezekiah weak he saw dirt in his best attainment in religion John Bunyan saw dirt in his tears of repentance what does the apostle say in the eighth of Romans we groan being burdened but what's the outcome of that surely by these things men live and in all these things is the life of my spirit the life of faith looking unto Jesus seeking for deliverance hoping in God is it not true is it not that the way in which your soul is kept alive this brought forth the sentiment and it was a real one not a sentimentality a sentiment from the heart of the hymn writer more the treacherous car my dread than tempest bursting on my head how dangerous is it for us when things are calm where do the tempest often arise well perhaps you know the experience where people have met you or have been in your company and as far as they could judge all things were serene but they didn't know about the tempest that was raging within they didn't know the fury that the tempter was tearing up within they didn't know the scum that was rising to the top within and you know friends if you have been in the company of the godly and they have been speaking upon spiritual things and Satan has been injecting at the same time into your mind all sorts of dreadful thoughts oh how much you need to walk this path by our faith and to pray unto god in a time when he may be found but able to deliver you from yourself oh that [31:56] I had not a myself says Rutherford what trouble has myself given you given me and that he put on the new man which after god that is in the likeness of god and god was holy and this new nature is holy and the word of god declares by john that that which is born of god sinneth not and this is verily true the new man of grace sinneth not the new man of grace is sometimes grieved grieved because of the sin which doth so easily beset me but then the new man is also created in true holiness or the holiness of truth now what is truth it stands out in the present day [33:04] I know things have always been like this the heart deceitful above all things in jeremiah's day and before is true today because we experience it perhaps we think it wasn't as bad in jeremiah's day and the fact that the word in the next verse says wherefore putting away lying clearly indicates to us that in his day lies were the order of the day the order of the day today how can we trust anybody we shall need therefore this evidence this evidence of the putting on the new man which after [34:08] God is created in righteousness and true holiness or the holiness of truth now there are two ways in which we might look at this first of all there is truth to be received truth to be sought for and truth to be received have we the evidence of being having put on the new man being in Christ because we are seekers after truth the people that are conscious of the wickedness which is around them the deceitfulness of their own heart have manifested their seeking after truth when they have prayed show me some token Lord for good some token of thy special love show me that I am born of God and that my treasure is above love and why do they cry out like that well the new man of grace is seeking after truth it breathes after truth there is imbued in it truth and everything that opposes truth is obnoxious to it do you feel that there are many things which are obnoxious to your soul and do you eventually come to the conclusion by the spirit's teaching that it is because it is not the truth it is a lie and now this will sort us out from the spirit of hypocrisy are you afraid of the spirit of hypocrisy if you are what has revealed it it is this putting on of this new man it's putting on of [36:14] Christ which as a mind detector if we may be allowed such an expression goes over the ground and picks out this in profession in religion in the world and says that's not true that's not true that's not true have you got this blessed spirit in your soul have you got this evidence of Christ formed in your heart the hope of glory have you put on the new man which is created in righteousness and true holiness because there is this mind detector now what should we call it what does the scripture call it I believe it calls it the fear of the Lord the fear of the Lord well the hymn writer says it is an light to all that's right and a power to all that's right do you ever feel that working if you do feel it working you see there will be a good evidence that you put on a new man and the new man is active the new man is going over things as it were the fear of the [37:40] Lord says I'm seeking after truth but this is it not it and if such and such thing should be presented to you as the truth this same fear of the Lord will say I cannot receive this this is not the truth no it is not an easy matter you see we live in a day when the Satan is appearing as an angel of light and therefore there are many lies as he he attempts to mingle with just a grain of truth here and there that he might deceive many just as an example we may recall the words that he quoted from the scripture to the [38:44] Lord Jesus Christ when he tempted him to a presumptuous act and he brought him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said unto him if thou be the son of God cast thyself down from hence for it is written he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time they will dash thy foot against the stone but as no doubt most of you will be aware Satan had omitted a very important part of that word and that was this for he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways to keep thee in all thy ways sometimes words of the scripture come to us now I do not say this in the least way to discourage you but rather that there may be a warning in what we say now it will be good if this fear of the [40:17] Lord is an exercise in our heart that will detect truth detect the word that comes from God detect that which Satan has wrapped up and presented to your mind if so be he might deceive you and cause you to go on a false path for the fear of the Lord is to depart from evil what will the fear of the Lord do as Christ is put on how will he detect that which is wrong well the fear of the Lord will have the effect of causing us to depart from evil it will also have the effect of leading us to Christ may we examine those words of the scripture which may sometimes come into the mind do they lead us to [41:24] Christ or do they lead us into evil it is a very searching matter needing some deep consideration and it will be worth it because Satan if he can dupe you if he can cause you to follow in a certain course and you to be unobservant of his treachery will find yourself in the fowler's net will find yourself entangled and who can get you out oh we bless God that there is set before us in the gospel the Lord Jesus Christ who is watching over you watching over your enemies and will surely preserve you and bring you out safely at last and that he put on the new man which after [42:26] God is created in righteousness and true holiness after God can we look at those two words like this following after God you know the apostle exhorts the pilgrims in the Hebrews to run the race that is set before them looking unto Jesus following after God so that we may keep his image before us it's a good thing for us to keep the image of God in Christ Jesus before us that spirit of that image that new man which is after God and created in righteousness and true holiness and this will have the effect of separation there's no question about it friends that one of the principal effects of grace is separation and it won't be you separating yourself it will be [43:41] God separating you God separating you in your spirit so sometimes when perhaps you may be in the midst of a company and shall we say their conversation might be quite innocent as we would judge it there was nothing really under war but there's a heaving and a sighing in the soul why because this conversation instructive to my intellect as it is it's not leading me to God and we may have in this category all sorts of pursuits of theological discussion do they lead to Christ or do they lead your way from [44:42] Christ does it get your natural mind working on things in theology or do you see the need to be led by the spirit of God if you are to rightly understand these things that is created in righteousness and true holiness now the truth what is the truth the truth is found in Jesus Christ alone he is the truth the only truth he is the living truth he is the embodiment and personification of all truth the truth concerning God the truth concerning holiness and righteousness the truth concerning the law the truth concerning ourselves as fallen creatures he is the truth oh it is a wonderful favor from [45:55] God to know the truth do we know the truth perhaps we can best discover whether we know the truth by looking back to see whether we always knew the truth and I'm going to piece of bold as to say this that if we say that we always knew the truth then we have need to examine ourselves to see whether this is really so it is one thing to know the truth in our judgment this is not putting on Christ it is when we know truth in our hearts and we only know truth in our hearts when the spirit of God causes us to know the truth in the 16th chapter of [46:56] John we find a few details concerning the work of the spirit nevertheless I tell you the truth which is expedient for you as I go away for if I go not away the comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you and when he is come he will reprove the will of sin and of righteousness and of judgment of sin because they believe not on me of righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more of judgment because the prince of this world is judged you will find that the truth of that received merely into the mind or the head is very different when it is applied to your heart and you become a sinner before [47:59] God I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now how be it when he the spirit of truth notice that he is the spirit of truth when he is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he will show you things to come now there is another aspect of the truth which is noticed in the next verse he shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you where the work of grace is in the soul this will be an evidence of it where Christ is formed in our heart where Christ on the new man is put on after God in righteousness and true holiness this will be one of the desires yea we may almost say the principal desire of the soul to glorify [49:10] God to glorify Jesus Christ now as we examine ourselves to see whether we be in the faith is this our prime desire in our daily life is it your desire to glorify Christ that you may walk before men and before God in such a way that they may glorify Christ that they may see the grace of God in you may raise up their enmity may raise up the isle of ungodly men but nonetheless Christ is glorified under these conditions sometimes he is glorified in what way he is glorified because grace has been given for you to walk that way you know as we come against men it is if they become aware and if the grace of [50:18] God is really in evidence it won't take them long to become aware that you are as they say a Christian person you won't have to tell them they'll come and ask you are you a Christian person now if you are and you agree to it and you must then if you want it carefully you'll find that they will do all sorts of things to try and trap you they will say things and they will do things with this main object of causing you to fall now Satan's behind you now how are you going to glorify Christ sometimes they may do those things that would make you angry oh but he that controleth his spirit is better than he that taketh his sitting do you cry unto [51:22] God have you cried unto God that your spirit may be controlled now what's the desire why do you want your spirit controlled because you know friends it may mean biting your lip it may mean humiliation it may mean turning away it may mean to all intents and purposes losing the battle but you've honoured God that did not I said there my because of the fear of the Lord and God has said then that honour me I will honour and the words have been true all down the ages then that are me I will honour those that despise me shall be likely esteemed the word of God leaves nothing in between you either honour or you despise where do we stand this evening have we honoured [52:26] God have we honoured the name of Jesus or have we despised him perhaps I should say a word here if there should be one who stands silently before God and says I am verily guilty I have despised thee may I commend to you this word there is forgiveness with thee that thou may us be feared if thou lord should mark in equity oh God who shall stand now the effect of this will be if it's real if we confess our sins and for sake our sins we shall find mercy so if we have despised if there have been certain things in which we have despised the lord and despised his commandment now may be the time when under solemn confession before [53:40] God and receiving the power of forgiveness in our heart by the application of the blood of Christ then we shall desire to honour God yes that will be the mark that God has done something in our heart the fear of the lord as it were has been this detector that has moved across our heart and said that's you you despise God in that matter and then what does the fear of the lord do it lead you to Christ does it not does it not move your heart it not this growth moving your soul moving you to Christ and seeking forgiveness only there and you're seeking after truth because there's forgiveness nowhere else but there is forgiveness with him and there there is pardon pardon indeed oh how wonderful is pardon has the life of [54:48] God been manifest in your soul by your fervent desire after the pardon of your sins now it's not something that can be left in abeyance is it you don't know whether you will live to see the moral light how is it with you do you feel insecurity I have sometimes felt that a lot of insecurity is felt in a person's soul because of the need of pardon just listen to what the hymn writer says if sin be pardoned I'm secure now is it not because of your uncertainty you're not sure that Christ has died for your sins you hope he has but oh you feel a little insecure you do want to know though God's election is a truth more comfort there [55:50] I see till I am told from God's own mouth that he has chosen me that he has pardoned my sin that he has died for my sins well that will make you secure won't it oh that God may grant us such a blessed security this evening that we may feel that we are on that rock Christ Jesus and that he put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness but we must leave here because the time has gone to won't come, П, things like the people might shade with him does him have gummyura