Don't Give Up on Christ. Shape Up

The eleventh sunday after pentecost

Shepherd of the Hills Ev. Lutheran Church (WELS)

Ephesians 4:17-24

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (NIV)

Paul’s characterization of life without Christ in our verses this morning provides plenty of reason not to give in and give up on Christ no matter what the situation.  One could hardly imagine that anyone – believer or unbeliever – would find his description of those without Christ to be flattering.

He begins by discouraging the Ephesians from having any resemblance to the unbelieving Gentiles of the world.  “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking” (v.17).   The thought process of one without Christ is futile, or empty.  The mind without Christ cannot think straight, but is wandering around aimlessly.  It doesn’t matter how brilliant one might appear to be; without Christ, all thoughts are in vain.

Paul goes on to write, “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts” (v.18).  A common refrain from the unbelieving world against Christians is that they are ignorant on this issue or that; too blind to be able to see anything clearly.  Paul turns the table on them, clarifying that in reality it is those separated from God who are in the dark and are ignorant.  

Finally, “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed” (v.19).  With consciences oblivious to any sense of right or wrong and a moral compass that could not possibly be any further out of whack, nothing is off limits.  If a person can imagine it, then it’s fair game, and who is anyone else to say otherwise?  What’s more, since inevitably this or that indulgence will cease to bring satisfaction, the bar of immorality will be raised, in an ever-increasing but never-satisfied lust for gratification. 

Last Sunday, through the pen of Paul to the Ephesians, we were reminded of the need to Grow Up in God’s grace, using his gifts of pastors and teachers and all called leaders to guide us in that grace, so that ultimately we do not forfeit the goal of our salvation and eternal life with Jesus.  It’s only as we grow up in Christ that we then recognize the need to Shape Up as well.  After all, a child does not necessarily know why there is a need to shape up, but an adult does.  An adult knows why it is important to stay healthy and in good shape.  An adult knows how one should behave properly.  But a child does not. 

So it is with the spiritually immature Christian.  Unless he first takes the time to grow up in Christ, he will not see the need to follow through with God’s call to shape up, nor will he be empowered to do so, if God’s grace has not been continually at work in him.  We do not have to look far to see what life that rejects that grace by giving up on Christ looks like.  Sadly, all of the descriptions Paul gives in the first three verses of this morning’s text are all-too familiar in the world around us.

If you have ever tried to reason with an unbeliever, then you know what Paul meant when spoke of “the futility of their thinking.”  That word “futility” has this idea of aimlessness to it, which very much describes the impression one gets from those without Christ.  Priorities are mixed up.  The stuff that shouldn’t matter is all that matters.  This life with its treasures and trinkets takes precedence over everything, and the life that follows doesn’t even receive a second thought.  Getting noticed is what matters more than anything, so it’s not uncommon to be covered nowadays with tattoos of shocking images, or to post some obscene statements or video online, or, God forbid, even to resort to extreme violence to garner attention.  In their futile way of thinking, since this life is all there is, the only thing that matters is leaving one’s mark somehow.

But such a mindset is to be expected from the individual who is in the dark and separated from God “because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.”   Given that American Christians are growing increasingly biblically illiterate, what should we expect of our unbelieving neighbors and coworkers?  Yet, we should take note that it is one thing simply to lack knowledge in a particular area, and another thing to have no desire to attain that knowledge.  When Paul refers to those living in ignorance, he’s speaking of those very people in our networks of friends and acquaintances who willingly choose to remain in spiritual darkness.  They are in ignorance because they choose to ignore Christ.  They don’t know a lick about God, and they don’t want to know a lick about God.  Their hardened hearts wouldn’t have it any other way.  But, as so many choose to remain ignorant of Christ and his Word and will for their lives, there will be consequences.

It’s why there is so much moral decay in our world and a desire “to indulge in every kind of impurity.”  Examples abound.  We’re long past the era in which it was shocking to have a gay character portrayed on any given sitcom; now it’s shocking not to, despite the fact that such visibility is a gross misrepresentation of the actual percentage of homosexuals in the overall population.  Regardless, it’s not like heterosexuals fair any better at all when it comes to sexual immorality. The new order of things happens to be sex first, baby second, with marriage a distant third, if even on the radar at all.  And let’s not look to politicians for examples.  Infidelity almost seems to be a prerequisite for political office these days.  Then there’s the all-you-can-eat buffet of consumerism and materialism, at which society gorges itself, spurred on by subtle (and not so subtle!) marketing everywhere we turn. 

As depressing as it all is, what’s sadder even still is when these realities apply indistinguishably to both believers and unbelievers.  One can understand why the world lives this way, in such darkness, but when the Christian looks no different, something’s wrong.  Not only is the reputation of Christ’s church tarnished, but the reputation of Christ himself is sullied.  “If this is how his followers live” reasons the unbeliever, “then how is that any different than my life?”  It’s why Paul takes the time in these verses to remind believers that there is a difference between believers and unbelievers, and it ought to be reflected in their lives.  It would be unreasonable for anyone to expect the heathen world to shape up, but that’s not the case for believers.  Believers have every reason to shape up and be what God has made them.

The biggest reason starts with Christ.  Paul reminds us that we were taught differently than those of the world.  “That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires” (v.20-22).  Though you might see garbage and filth all around you everywhere you look, it’s not what you were taught when you learned about Jesus.  You were taught, not to give into such sin, but to put it off, as if taking off a coat or a jacket that has an unsightly stain on it.  And remember, Christian, Christ has made that possible because he now dwells in you.  The old self is no longer a dictator who governs your every thought, word, and action; he must now contend with Christ, and friend, Christ is stronger.  He is more powerful.  He has already won.  The cross and tomb are the banner under which he enters the fray on a daily basis against your old self.  Continue in Christ and you will continue to shed the old self more and more each day.  Continue in Christ and he will shape you into what you are to be. 

That is because through Word and Sacrament he is at work in you to make you “new in the attitude of your minds” (v.23).  Have you noticed that as we age, we are not as inclined to engage in the same sinful vices of our youth?  Is that only because we are older and wiser?  Hardly!  It is because the Lord Jesus is constantly renewing our minds, making them more like his, so that the new man in us is able to put down the old self with more frequency.  Yes, Satan will most assuredly switch things up and come at us with new and fresh temptations, but we continue to counter with Christ and trust him to guide us and grant us victory.

As that happens, as our Savior continues to shape us, we identify less with the world and more with the Word.  We don’t as often find ourselves slipping in Satan’s footsteps, but stepping in sync with our Savior.  That is what happens as Christ’s love compels us to “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (v.24).  True righteousness and holiness is more than a trendy bumper sticker with the letters N-O-T-W (Not of This World).  True righteousness and holiness is more than waiting in line at a chicken franchise just “to show them.”  True righteousness and holiness is humbly adorning ourselves with Christ’s righteousness and holiness, that Christ might be glorified, not us.

Such a call to righteousness can be a daunting task, especially because we know our sinful inclinations better than anyone else.  We need to remember what God has done with us…  After fishing all day in Scotland, a man stopped to get a bite to eat and something to drink in a local inn.  While there, he couldn’t help but share his fishing stories.  Describing the size of the one that got away, he motioned with his hands to demonstrate the size of the fish, and as he did, in his excitement his hand smacked into a server about to set down a cup of tea on a nearby table.  The cup of tea splashed against the wall and instantly left an ugly brown stain against the otherwise white surface of the wall.  Feeling terrible, the fisherman began to apologize at length.  But then a guest at a table nearby got up and told him not to worry about it.  As he did, he pulled out a pen and began to sketch around the unsightly brown stain.  Before long, the image of a majestic stag with an magnificent set of antlers appeared from the stain.  As it turns out, the other guest was Sir Edward Landset, an English painter known for his portrayal of animals.

Doesn’t that represent what our merciful God has done with us?  At times the stains of our sin make it so that we look no different than anyone else in this world.  Covered in the shame of our unsightly sin, we are far from anything beautiful to behold.  But then our gracious God paints over us with the blood of Christ and makes us into a work of art, perfect in every way.  In Christ we are flawless.  We have no blemish.  We are pleasing in God’s sight.  May that reality be reflected in our lives as God continues to shape us in Christ.

It is far too easy to dwell on the world’s wickedness and be inclined to throw our arms up in the air in defeat.  How absurd!  Have you forgotten that in Christ we’ve already won?  Don’t waste another second lamenting the world’s wickedness.  Rather, focus on living as Christ enables you to live.  Why curse the darkness when you can light a candle instead?  Let the light of Christ shine in your lives, for though the world around us may be shrouded in darkness, we live in Christ’s light.  Let it show.  Amen.

“For the freer confidence is from one’s own works, and the more exclusively it is directed toward Christ alone, so much better is the Christian it makes.” (Luther)