CCC #6: Eternal Life #2 - Resurrection Life - Stop Zombie Walking
The Corrupt Christian Concepts Series
(All scripture quotes are from the BSB translation unless otherwise noted.)
I recently wrote an article on how receiving the life of Christ - eternal life - is in the past of every believer. This happened at the new birth or salvation. Our spirit was reborn - connected to God by the Holy Spirit - we are now spiritually alive.
That article has been added to the index if you missed it.
Eternal life is enabled by the finished work of Christ - His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. It is enacted through the new covenant. We are now alive because we are infused with Christ's life at the core of our being. This is a genuine state of being - not enacted or redacted by behavior.
However, scripture does not leave it in the past or restrict it to the future. This eternal life - Christ's infused life - continues to work within us while we are living here on earth. In this article, I would like to explore some scripture describing this concept.
I believe of all the manifestations of eternal life, this is the most ignored. Eternal life is a powerful force within us that can be used to walk by the Spirit and live well; or ignored, causing us to walk by the flesh and reap corruption.
There is no better time of the year to be writing this article. Eternal life is also known as resurrection life. It is only possible because of the resurrection of Christ. We are truly saved by His life.
As we go into this most cherished Sunday celebration for Christians, consider the Easter message you have heard or will hear. It is great to teach about the resurrection of Christ; however, it is useless without discussing your resurrection to new life.
Christ died, was buried, and was raised so that you could be too! Easter Sunday is the perfect time to emphasize that truth. I personally feel that if it is not, perhaps the teacher or preacher does not understand the gospel very well. I can't imagine why they would not take this opportunity to emphasize this truth otherwise.
Without your own resurrection and you becoming the new self - alive - then Christ died in vain. Christ came to bring life; thus, scripture is full of this concept - I will barely scratch the surface. But, let's take a look at what I have found.
Crucified with Christ: the New Self
Galatians 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
This is a perfect verse to begin the present manifestation of life discussion. This is one of the rare occasions where 'life' in scripture means temporal or earthly life. Paul is clear - “the life I live in the body”.
Paul shows the past manifestation of eternal life - the old self died (crucified) and we became the new self - characterized by Christ coming to live in us (and us in Him, a connected union). Paul then shows that our temporal life is impacted by our now living spirit - connected to and indwelled by Christ.
We must take great care with the phrase “I no longer live”. Paul is referring to the “old self”, that part of us that was “crucified with Christ”. It is specifically the old self Paul says is no longer living.
This does not mean our “new self” is not living! We are now truly alive - life caused and empowered by Christ and His indwelling Spirit. But the new self is still us. It is an alive version of us, but it is still us, as I emphasized in my bonus article.
We are not some hollow vessel only filled with Christ. We are joined to Him, in union, but we are still part of that union. When the Spirit births us, we still retain our personality and everything that makes us unique. We also retained out 'chooser' as we will cover now.
You Must Choose Life
Romans 6:18-23 - “18-You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19-I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
20-For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness. 21-What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.
22-But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life. 23-For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I could write multiple articles just on this passage. But let me summarize the main points.
This is written to believers, it is not evangelistic.
The purpose of Romans 6 is to demonstrate the benefits of eternal life now and how to use it well.
As a believer, you have been set free from the power of sin. Period.
You are now a “slave of righteousness”. This is Christ's life - it now empowers you.
On a daily basis, we must offer our body (and brain) to God for Christ's life to empower our attitudes and actions.
Our motivation for this mindset is the benefits! This is the best way to live! The outcome of offering our bodies to sin is death (not spiritual death, but corruption in this life).
The new self does not want to sin. When a believer sins, it is hard work - it is earning 'wages'.
Eternal Life (Christ's life) is a gift. We must treat it like a gift to be enabled by it's power every day.
Such a Simple Word: ‘In’
As often happens, I have a translation issue with verses 19 and 22. The Greek word translated “leading to” in verse 19 and “leads to” in verse 22 referring to holiness can mean “in, into, of, to, unto, etc.”. We must take care to not think that our behavior is making us more holy.
This word is so common, it is difficult to determine its true meaning. However, in these verses it can mean the difference between a works holiness vs. faith, which is the truth of the gospel.
Scripture is clear. We have been made holy when we become the new self. Our behavior is not making us more holy. We simply begin to reflect the holiness that we already have. Hebrews 10 is quite clear: we have been sanctified (made holy) and we have been made perfect.
What Paul could mean is it leads to “holy behavior”. This is a possibility. 1 Peter 1:5 gets at this (in Peter's abrupt way):
“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do,”
Paul could be saying the same as Peter, encouraging “set apart” behavior. Knowing you are already holy as a new creation will lead to holy behavior.
However, I think he is going deeper here. How you translate this word once again is determined by your view of the gospel.
Every single time an epistle calls Christians 'saints', it is this exact same word meaning 'holy'. Clearly we are already holy, yet that does not always reflect outwardly. Thus, we do grow in our behavior, but that growth doesn't make us more holy.
My Opinion of What it Means
I think he means that the “fruit you reap in (or from) holiness leads to eternal life”. Meaning that, because you are holy, you can have fruit that gives life to your mortal body and enables eternal life to happen in your mortal life.
Paul says this exact thing later in Romans 8:11:
“…the Spirit…will also give life to your mortal bodies…”
Several verses use the exact same word for 'in' and show this possible usage. Matthew 2:23 has this phrase: “He dwelt in a city called Nazareth…” 4:13 is similar: “He dwelt in Capernaum…”.
Matthew 10:9 says: “…don't take copper, silver, or gold in your belts…” and 10:41 says: “…receive a prophet in the name of a prophet…” 12:18: “…My Beloved in whom I have found delight…”
And a non-Matthew usage in Mark 5:34: “…go in peace…” In the epistles; Romans 8:18: “…the glory that will be revealed in us…” 10:14: “…how can they call on someone in whom they have not believed?” Galatians 2:16: “…we have believed in Jesus Christ…”
There are many more examples, but my point is that this is a multi-purpose word in the Greek. There are 1774 uses of this exact word in the New Testament. It can mean many things.
We Don't Become Holy by Actions
I firmly believe Paul means that “in holiness” or “in sanctification” - just as other usages of that word in the New Testament. Thus, 6:19 would say: “…give yourselves as slaves of righteousness in holiness.”
What he means is that because we are slaves of righteousness and holy, now we can offer our body to God. Holiness encompasses being a slave of righteousness. They are not exactly the same, but they are a part of our new creation package.
Verse 22 would be like this: “Now that you are free from sin and a slave to God, you can bear fruit in your holiness that leads to eternal life.” Do you see the difference? One bases your fruit bearing in your already finished holiness, while the other bases your holiness in your fruit bearing.
The gospel clearly states you are holy already. So, only one of these fits the gospel. I realize commentaries will say this word means “moving into”, but I have several illustrations where that doesn't make sense. And there are other meanings that portray a more complex usage.
There is another word for “in” that has a slightly different twist. Greek is fun. The one I have been discussing does have the implication of forward action. But it simply means that our current holiness continues to act upon us externally as we submit to it. We can bring our inside life to bear on our outward.
Thus, I will stick with my interpretation as it fits the gospel, which is always the best test. Interpret the unclear with the clear. And we can only bear fruit and offer our bodies because we are already holy as a new creation. Bearing fruit proves our holiness, but it does not make us holy.
And that would flow right into verse 23, which doesn't mean what many people think.
Romans 6 is Not Evangelistic
Many people mistakenly think that Romans 6, and specifically 6:23, is describing the first manifestation of life (salvation) or the third manifestation of life (glorification).
To an extent these are both related within the context. Obviously you must become a slave to righteousness before you can submit your body to righteousness. And becoming a slave of righteousness is what gets you into Heaven. Only people who are alive get in (I would argue being made alive is your spiritual entrance.)
However, Paul's primary point in Romans 6 is the second manifestation of life: the impact of the fact our spirit is alive now here on earth, and the benefits of Christ's (eternal) life now. It is vital that we do not miss this context.
The previous verses were leading up to this. He was reminding them that they are already slaves of righteousness within their holiness. This is the foundation for submitting their bodies to God. And when they do, they have the fruit of eternal life.
Now, we know that this is not salvation - that is the first manifestation. We did not obtain salvation by submitting our bodies to God - that would be “works salvation” or righteousness. But this is infusing eternal life into our current lives. This is the external fruit of our eternal life that infuses us spiritually.
This is quite the gift! Because we are alive, we can do living things. These living things are the fruit of the Spirit: unconditional love; true internal peace; joy that is not ginned up; patience that just happens; kindness that is second nature; self-control that is not based on self-improvement lists.
These types of natural attitudes are the product of the gift of eternal life. These naturally flow from Christ's yoke that is easy and light. But they are a gift, not wages.
Sin Is Hard Work for a Believer
The enemy mindset is that sin is natural for the believer. Sin is defined exclusively by “bad looking actions”, not by faith. The enemy then convinces us that we really want to do these “bad looking actions”, that at our core we are bad and want bad things.
And this often seems to be upheld by evidence. We feel like we want to sin. We feel like it is easy. We feel like we stumble more that we do good. But are we going to go by feelings or faith? What does God say about us?
The truth is that even “good looking” actions can be sin, if they are not done by faith. If the enemy can't get us to put on bad looking flesh, then religious flesh is just as good. The enemy's goal for believers is to push self-effort. And self-effort always leads to sin, whether religious or licentious.
My point is that much of the Christian world is convinced they have a “wicked heart” - are bad at the core - but they trusted Christ so He is letting them into Heaven despite how bad they are. But this is an enemy lie, it is not the truth of the gospel!
A “slave of righteousness” is not bad at the core. Paul does not mince words. We either believe the truth or we accept the enemy lie that is “Christian tradition”. We are truly alive now. Period.
Someone who is alive wants to do living things in their core - their nature. Of all the lies of the enemy that have permeated the church, this is possibly the worst. How can a bad tree bear good fruit? It cannot.
For the believer, it is hard work to sin, no matter how much we have believed the lie of the enemy that it is easy. Wages are not easy - anyone who has truly worked to earn wages knows this. Paul is getting at a profound truth - now that we are slaves of righteousness, sinning is hard work.
Christ's yoke is easy and light. The most restful thing for our souls is to submit to Christ's life within - to live and walk from our new living spirit where Christ lives. This eternal life is a gift that keeps on giving forever.
But as long as we believe the lie that sinning is still our natural condition - that we truly want it and it is easy - you will find it extremely difficult to submit to Christ's life. It will still be there, but you will resist it at every turn as your mindset leads you to walk by the flesh.
Walking by the Spirit is believing and trusting in the life we now have and allowing that to manifest in our attitudes and actions. You cannot sin and reflect Christ at the same time.
But you must be utterly convinced that you are truly alive now - it is not some kind of bookkeeping exercise by God. This is a most subtle enemy lie.
Your new life is real, and it can impact your daily living. The Spirit within truly can bring life to your “mortal body”. This is a promise of God that we can be fully confident in. And when we are, the results are incredible!
Reign in Life
Romans 5:17,20-21 - “17-For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive an abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
20-The law came in so that the trespass would increase; but where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21-so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
I have covered this verse before, but it is spectacular and deserves to be a part of this article. Again, this is another reference to our physical 'life'.
Of course, as we have seen, the “gift of righteousness” and “life” are the same thing. So, what Paul is saying is that you can reign in this physical life through Christ's life He has gifted you at your core.
This fully exemplifies the second manifestation of Christ's life now. Because our spirit is alive, we can reign in this mortal life. What does reigning look like? The fruit of the Spirit.
When this fallen world hits you upside the head with betrayal, sickness, ruin, or anything else and you are able to draw from an inner joy and peace, then how is that not reigning? Again, there is no better way to live.
Notice that the purpose of the Law is so that the trespass (sin) would increase. The Law is a light that shines on the problem, yet that is all it is. It cannot ever help the problem. It only makes the problem seem worse.
Galatians 3:24-25 - “24-So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25-Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”
As a believer, you are no longer under the law. Yet, you have a choice: let grace reign by trusting the gift of righteousness you have been given or put yourself under the obligation of law.
It is grace that teaches us to say no to sin, not law (Titus 2:12). The attitudes and actions that please God are those that naturally flow from being alive in Christ. Living actions please God - not dead works.
Dead works flow from obligation, duty, “obey or else”, and other law type coersions. Actions flowing from our life within will never be forced or fake - they will be genuine fruit of the Spirit of life. You won't have to try to bear fruit any more than an apple tree tries to make apples. It will just happen.
Sowing and Reaping
Galatians 6:8 - “Whoever sows to the flesh reaps destruction from the flesh, and whoever sows to The Spirit shall reap eternal life from The Spirit. (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)
I used the best translation I could for this verse. Yet again, there are a lot of words added in to make it make sense in English, yet bias can affect the order of these words.
I will have to do a CCC on “the flesh” since this is easily confused in scripture. It is easy to think that the flesh is “human desire”. While human desire can be corrupted and conscripted by the flesh, they are not the same thing. The flesh is a manifestation of the power of sin that tries to act upon our desire.
The flesh is a way of thinking from a human or earthly perspective - not a Godly one. It is a way of living that tries to get life from things on this earth rather than living from Christ's life within.
The flesh is like sin, it is something that impacts us, tempts us, but it is not us. Thus, translating this verse so that it seems to be our own flesh, as in our body, is simply not accurate.
The translation I used gets it right, but the majority say “sow to his own flesh”. Honestly, in the Greek none of these phrases are there - it is a choice. But it makes a huge difference if you and the flesh are the same vs. the flesh being an enemy.
Scripture always portrays the believer in opposition to the flesh. A house divided against itself will not stand. (I believe a Truth Teller said this, LOL).
Thus, while “the flesh” is a way of thinking and acting that we have been trained in since we were born, it is not an intrinsic part of a believer. It is an enemy we can resist. This happens by “renewing of the mind”.
You and the flesh are not on the same team. It is a key truth to know so you are not fighting your own “new self”. Know the true enemies - know which team you are on (God's team).
Back to Sowing and Reaping
I say all that to say that this verse is a slightly different way of saying what Romans 6:23 says. This clarifies that verse. When we sow to the flesh - we are sinning.
This reaps 'destruction' or 'corruption'. This word is a death word, it is decay or that which is dying. Rottenness. This is the same word Peter uses in 2 Peter 1:4 to say that we have escaped it.
But Galatians 6 is quite clear - it is for believers. We have a choice: two ways to walk and two ways to sow. Choose enemy mindsets or Spirit mindsets. Choose corruption or eternal life.
Peter is describing the first manifestation of life: being born again. We have escaped the corruption - it cannot prevent our connection to God. We are alive. Paul also describes this in Romans 6. Because we are alive we have peace with God. We are His kin!
Yet, in Galatians 6:8 and Romans 6:23, Paul is describing the second manifestation of life: walking by the Spirit. If we make this purely evangelical, then we miss out on the truth.
Our connection to Christ, the fact of our being alive, has an impact now. The epistles are filled with this impact. We are not simply trying to get by in our own power while we wait for heaven.
Don't Walk Like Dead People
Ephesians 4:17-24 - “17-Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.
18-They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
19-They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.
20-But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21-assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,
22-to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23-and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
24-and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (ESV)
There are so many more life verses to discuss, but this passage is going to take some time, and I think you get what I am saying by now. We receive eternal life at salvation and that life empowers our walk here on earth.
So, this will be the last passage I discuss in this article. But it is a powerful one.
Paul comes at the subject of walking according to life from the negative. Instead of saying “you are alive, now walk like living people”, this time he is saying not to walk like people who are “alienated from the life of God”.
He then describes the process by which believers are made alive. And here is where the passage gets confusing. It can be read as if we have a daily task of “putting off” the old self and “putting on” the new self. But that is not what Paul is saying at all.
Paul is saying to not walk like the old self, but that is because we have already put off the old self and become the new self. We are already alive, so we can now walk like living people. We are righteous, so we can walk righteously. Our state of being enables our activity, it is not our activity that enables our state of being.
But if we are not careful with this passage, we can come away with the idea that our walk is how we “put on” the new self. This is works righteousness. Putting on the new self (state of being) and putting on actions that fit the new self (walk) are two very different things.
But let's dig deeper. I will go verse by verse and re-quote them for convenience.
Don't Walk like Unbelievers
17-Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. (ESV)
Paul argues that this discussion is coming from his position as a believer “in the Lord”. He is confirming his status and authority to make these statements. He is testifying to gospel truth.
The Greek word translated “Gentile” doesn't exactly mean that specifically. It is the word “ethnos” and from where we obviously get the word “ethnic”. It simply means another tribe or family group. When a Jew speaks or writes using this word, Gentile is implied. Paul is a Jew, so hence the translation.
Paul's use here is interesting because he is clearly describing believers and unbelievers. Those who are children of God and those who are not. Much like Christ did, Paul is separating the “sheep and the goats”. He is indicating the spiritually genetic separation of these two groups. These are two different spiritual ethnicities.
Thus, even though Paul is a Jew, he does not mean humans genetically distinct from Jews. If he did intend to use Gentiles, then he is going back to how believers are the true Jew by circumcision of the heart. Either way, he means unbelievers - Jews or Gentiles.
So, what is Paul's argument for not walking like an unbeliever? The “futility of their minds”. Interesting! This word futility means useless. Paul is using some really strong language here! He is saying that the way they think is useless and of little value.
As usual, Paul is greatly emphasizing the way one thinks. He will get to some actions in a bit, but his first foundational thought is that we should not walk like unbelievers because their thinking is warped.
More Reasons not to Walk like Unbelievers
18-They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. (ESV)
Paul continues portraying the condition of an unbeliever in his argument about why a believer's walk should be different. Every word he uses here indicates a state of being.
He even used the word 'eimi’ which means “I am” or a state of being. This word is notoriously hard to translate in the sentence, but it's usage indicates that Paul's descriptions are intrinsic to their nature. Unbelievers are spiritually dead while believers are alive.
Paul indicates that the deepest level of their comprehension is dark. He then indicates that their state of being is alienated or estranged from Christ's life. They have not turned to Christ for life. They seek life elsewhere.
This can be sought through religion or paganism - they are both fleshly. And often, they both lead to where Paul takes us in the next verse. Consider all the public scandals within various formal religious circles.
This is due to willful ignorance or blindness which causes hardness of heart. These people deliberately choose their own way over Christ. They have a dulled spiritual perception. And again, religion or paganism can equally dull the heart. We must get over the idea that a religious zombie is better!
In 2 Corinthians 4:4, Paul essentially says the enemy has blinded them:
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
The Results of Blindness and Death
19-They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. (ESV)
The word translated 'callous' is the only time this word is used in the NT. It is an interesting word. It basically means they have given into their condition. It literally means “cease to feel pain”.
These people realize their condition - that they have no hope - they know deep inside they are empty, yet they are in a state of denial. They refuse Christ so they have to keep putting up the front, whether religious or otherwise, and pretend they are happy.
They are full of pain, yet they no longer feel it. They have made their own life and it's as if their brain has adjusted to make them unaware of their condition. This state of mind causes them to operate from flesh power continuously.
Sensuality is not Always Sexual
It is easy to take words like sensuality and uncleanness and come at them from a worldly perspective so that they almost always have a sexual overtone.
The church is sadly really good at sexualizing everything. I believe this is a reverse take on the way the world sees sexuality. There seems to be some perverse desire to spotlight these particular sins. But that is another CCC.
Certainly, sexual deviancy and misconduct are a part of this. Again, reference all the scandals in the church. Sex is definitely related to the human senses - thus sensuality. Paul directly calls this out multiple places.
Yet, sex is not the only way to be sensual. By overly focusing on that, we miss all the other ways we try to live by our senses.
Religiosity is actually sensual in nature. When you walk by sight, not faith, you are using your senses to enable life. It is easy to pick on a pagan lifestyle while letting the religious have a pass. They are both still spiritually dead. They are both living from their senses.
What is it impure or unclean? That which is not of God. Obviously this includes sexual sins, yet, again, a religious spirit that flows from works righteousness is just as impure. We cannot highlight one and give the other a pass. All walking by the flesh is ultimately sensual and impure - whether it looks religious or not.
Paul does not call out specific sins in the immediate context of this verse. Later in the passage he calls out several non-sexual sins like anger, slander,and stealing.
Paul's point is that these people live from the flesh - a way to live where they have figured out life from their senses - what they see, hear, think, etc. And the life of Christ plays no part. Whether this manifests in religious flesh like the Pharisees or sexual flesh like the pagan temples, it is all from the same source.
A Contrast of Minds
20-But that is not the way you learned Christ!— (ESV)
This is fairly self explanatory, yet I want to point out what is implied: there are many ways to “learn Christ”.
You can learn Christ in such a way that you never get life in the first place. Church is just a good behavior club where the rules nominally come from scripture.
You can learn Christ in such a way that you are rarely empowered by His life, even though you have it. Often this happens the same way - by varying degrees of legalism.
You can learn Christ well and live much of your life empowered by His connected life. This only happens by a gift mindset with no obligation or coersion.
What Paul is implying is that when believers act sensually (either religiously or paganly), then it is because they haven't learned Christ well. When believers walk by the flesh, it is because they don't know who they are or have forgotten in the moment of temptation.
It is a great question to ask: how have you learned Christ? Let's see what Paul means by “learning Christ “.
The Grand Assumption
21-assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, (ESV)
Paul uses an interesting word - 'if' (translated assuming here). What he is implying is not everyone in his audience knows Christ or learned of Him. They are in my first category above where they learned Him so poorly that they are not God's child.
Paul chooses his words with care - “taught in Him” and “the truth that is in Christ Jesus”. He chooses the word 'in' on purpose. Only because we are in Christ and He is in us do we have life. Only because we have life can we walk in a living way.
But in order to walk well, you need to be taught these truths about Christ.
Note: the tense in this verse is very important. It plays into the verses immediately following. These verses portray the teaching about Christ Paul is referencing that needed to be taught - in the past - for this to be true of them. For the next verses, the teaching is implied to be in the past.
The Old Self Dies and We Put On the New
22-to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, (ESV)
Paul is yet again describing the salvation experience from another perspective - putting off the old self. Different translations translate this better or worse, but Paul is describing something they should have been taught properly in the past.
We only put off the old self and put on the new self once - when we are born again. Paul is saying that if you were properly taught this, and if you understand this, then avoiding walking like an unbeliever should be easy.
If you don't believe me, then head to Colossians 3:9-10. Here Paul is discussing the same topic in a slightly different way.
“9-Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10-and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
Whether you tell a lie or not is part of your walk. So, his reasoning goes, you walk well because you have already “taken off the old self…and have put on the new self”.
Notice how the new self grows - renewed in knowledge. Just because we are the new self doesn't mean we understand everything - especially the implications of “Christ in us” or the gospel. We grow in grace and knowledge of Christ. We do not grow in holiness or righteousness however.
Back to Ephesians. Paul is speaking a certain way here because he is almost being hypothetical. He is acknowledging that many, of not most, of his audience have already done this. They are believers.
Yet, some may not be believers. And others, may be believers, but they just don't get it. They don't understand the concept of the “new self”. And thus they struggle with knowing how to walk well. I think it is this group that is his main audience.
Notice it is the “old self” that is corrupt with deceitful desires. Some, who are smarter than their own good, will point to the present tense and act as if this still means believers.
No! In Paul's hypothetical he is saying that if someone in his audience did not learn Christ well enough to put off the old self, then they are still the same old self that is (present tense) corrupt. He is still speaking of the “old self”.
Paul is making sure they understand the reason they can walk well - because they are already the new self. They don't walk well to somehow enable the new self. The new self gives them the power to walk well.
It is an utter shame and a crime that this passage is often used to push the very opposite idea.
Our Spirit is Made New - This Impacts the Mind
23-and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
Once again, great care is needed. The renewing of the mind is an ongoing process. It is what Paul described in Colossians 4 and Romans 12. It is not what he is describing here.
Again, Paul is describing salvation, not growth. He is describing the foundation for a good walk and growth, not the walk and growth themselves.
What is the ”spirit of the mind”? In 1 Corinthians 2:16 Paul makes a confusing statement:
““For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
So, wait Paul, I thought you said our mind needs renewing? Now you are saying we have the mind of Christ? Does Christ's mind need renewing? Which is it?
Well, it is both.
When we get saved, our spirit is renewed, made new and alive, and as part of that package we receive the “mind of Christ”. But His mind is in our spirit, not our own mind. Our mind still needs renewal.
But when Paul describes the renewal of the ”spirit of the mind”, that happens at salvation. It is that renewal that enables the renewing of our minds. It is the same thing as receiving the mind of Christ. It happens at our new birth. Our renewing of the mind doesn't make us more holy, but being holy is what renews our mind.
Again, our state of being doesn't change. But our knowledge of our state of being and Christ, obscured by this fallen world, does change.
Created in Righteousness and Holiness
24-and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Remember the context: Paul is saying that IF those in his audience were taught Christ properly, this would be what they were taught. The implication is that if they did not learn Christ in this way, then they are either not saved or they are walking poorly, because they have not been taught Christ properly.
This is something they should have been taught to do in the past - this is a past work of God through Christ with their cooperation. Do not be confused about the “put on” language, this is not works. It is faith - putting on Christ and the new self is faith.
Putting aside the timetable, I want you to pay close attention to what the “new self” looks like: created like God in true righteousness and holiness. Do you realize, if you are a believer, this is you?
Paul is not content to use only the word righteousness because it can so easily get confused with an outward behavior 'righteousness’ shell. So he adds in the word 'true'. He wants to make sure that they understand the difference.
This is what Peter means by “partaker in the divine nature”. This is the new creation. This is what eternal life has wrought. This is what being alive means. At our core, we are created to be like God (not God or a god, but like God) in true righteousness and holiness.
It is the fact we are holy and righteous that makes us like God. He has done this. We cannot boast that we did it, but we can brag on what was done to us by God through the Spirit enabled by the finished work of Christ! And we can revel in this eternal life we have.
Ephesians 4:17-24 Conclusion
Want to walk well? How have you learned Christ? Let's review:
Do you know that you have already put off your old corrupt self? Do you know your old self died?
Do you know that the spirit of your mind has been renewed? That you have a new way to think? That you have a place at your core where the mind of Christ informs you?
Do you know that since your old self is gone, you have put on or become the new self? Do you know you are a new creation? Do you know you are alive?
Do you know that the new self looks like Christ? Do you know the new self is already fully righteous and holy, even if you do no other righteous and holy actions?
This is how Paul says we all should have learned Christ. I dare say if this is all you learn about Christ, it is enough to live by and empower you. If you truly put faith in these truths of God, you will realize you have everything you need. You are alive in Christ. Period.
The new self is a living self. It is the direct product of eternal life. And realizing you are alive, with all it's implications, is the key to a healthy growing believer.
All other perspectives, even using scripture, are just a re-hash of worldly religion. At best, they are a distraction, a waste of time. At worst, they will make you walk like a zombie. You are not a zombie, you are alive!
You are not half alive and half dead, you are fully alive. Paul's point is that if you recognize this fact, then your walk will take care of itself.
One Final Point
It is easy to get overly focused and turn a spotlight on when Paul and other apostles portray the results of life and then get into a legalistic mindset about them. In the above passage, Paul goes out of his way to avoid this.
Yes, we all make choices every day. And I will always emphasize that not lying or stealing is always the best choice - no matter the motivation or power. But my point, and Paul's point, is that even unbelievers can make the same choice based on fleshly motivation.
As believers, we have a better path. We don't have to act like religious zombies or licentious zombies. We are alive, connected to Christ, so we can do living righteous things from our new heart, genuinely motivated by our own identity. There is no pressure or compulsion - no coersion. A gift by definition has no strings attached - that is the gospel.
This is a good definition of legalism: motivating good behavior by pressure and compulsion - carrots and sticks.
This type of teaching avoids emphasizing the new self and tries to motivate by other means. The gift of eternal life doesn't feel like a good enough motivation to these teachers. They use fleshly motivations like fear and threats.
Any teaching that has implied threats by God for believers or puts conditions on God's goodness to His children is an evil doctrine. Do not learn Christ in this way! And if you have, repent, and ask God to show you the true gospel!
Knowing you are alive is the key to walking well. A living walk is a confident walk. A living walk recognizes the power of the life within and it's natural motivation.
You are new - holy and righteous - re-created in Christ Jesus to be like Him. Meditate on this; know it; trust it. Now go be yourself and act like the new self.
I guarantee if you get to know the new self - it doesn't want to lie, cheat, steal, commit adultery, etc. It is full of joy, peace, love, kindness, patience, goodness, and self-control. When that fruit within you is let out, the results are not sin.
So, if you are struggling in your walk, take a crash course in Christ. Don't get confused by all the fake news out there about Him. He is a gift with all that implies: only benefits, no coersion needed.
Listen to Paul - all you need to know about Christ is that because of His finished work you are like Him - the new self, created in holiness and righteousness.
And the new self, holy and righteous, doesn't want to walk in a sinful way. This is a truth you can fully trust. You are alive - now walk like it! Stop doing the zombie walk! It is a dead end.
Happy Resurrection Celebration - we must celebrate the results of Christ's resurrection and our own every single day. Walk in resurrection life!