EPHESIANSShembull

Have you ever tried to change your walk permanently? It is so hard to do, because how we walk is part of who we are. When our identity changes, our walk must change, too. You can see this when the leader of a political party becomes the Prime Minister; who they are changes, and so must the way they live life. The problem is that, under all sorts of pressure, we can often find it easier just to walk the old way. 

Paul states that this must NOT be the case (verse 17), this way of walking is no longer appropriate for the new identity God has given his people. It is the way of ‘futility’, ‘darkness’, and ‘exclusion’ (vs.17-19). They are now ‘in Christ’ in God’s mob and their walk must show this. Their lives must show how their old self is gone (vs.22), their minds are changed (vs.23), and their new identity is clear (vs.24). And this new walk is clear; just look at how simple the eleven commands are in verses 25-32.

Question:

Look through the eleven commands in verses 25-32. Pick one that is particularly relevant to you. Using the lens of verses 22-24, unpack what this new walk might look like. What was the old way? How has God’s Word renewed your mind in this area? What is the new way of walking?

Prayer:

Dear Father, you have brought me into your household, into community with you and the rest of your people. Please change my walk, creating in me new habits that reflect the new identity you gave me ‘in Jesus.’ Please help me to express this new walk within this new community. Amen.