December 18 2025

Thursday December 18

“You Have Learned Christ”

Ephesians 4:20-24

20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Today we’ve been looking at Ephesians 4:17–19, and now we’re going to move on to verses 20–24. In these verses, the Apostle Paul follows up on his admonition not to walk as the Gentiles walk, but instead to walk in a way that pleases God. Paul describes the lost world as walking in futility—emptiness and vanity of mind. Their hearts are darkened. They lack spiritual understanding, and they do not even know what they are stumbling over. Paul says, in essence, “Don’t go that direction. Don’t live that way.”

Then he gives us a powerful contrast in verse 20: “But ye have not so learned Christ.” There is something fundamentally different about the believer. You have learned Christ. Many people may learn about Jesus, but they never truly learn Jesus Christ. Paul’s argument is that genuine believers have entered into a personal relationship with Him. Jesus Himself extended this invitation in Matthew 11:28–29: “Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

To “learn Christ” means to enter into a personal relationship with Him. I can know about historical figures—such as Abraham Lincoln. I can read biographies and learn what he did and what he accomplished. But I don’t know him personally. He is dead and gone. My friend, Jesus Christ is alive. He is a living Savior. He lives today—first in my heart, and also in the Word of God.

So how do we learn Christ? We learn Christ by spending time with Him—in the Word of God and in prayer.

You will never grow spiritually mature, never grow as you should as a believer, and never dig deep down to the Rock unless you get into God’s Word. We must hear His Word, read His Word, study His Word, memorize His Word, and meditate on His Word. I love Psalm 1:2–3, which says: “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Why does that person prosper? Because they are planted by the river of living water—Jesus Christ Himself. He is the Living Water. He is the Word. He is the Truth. He is the Way. He is the Life. When you take time in the Word of God, you are fellowshipping with Christ. And when you add prayer, you are building an intimate relationship with Him. But learning Christ is not only about reading His Word—it is also about experiencing Him in prayer. Prayer is talking to Him, but prayer also involves listening. Through the Holy Spirit, God speaks to us as we pray.

Over the years, I have learned how wonderful this is. Whether I am praying privately in my office, driving, walking through my house, or doing prayer walks through my neighborhood, I find that God speaks to me as I speak to Him—if I will take time to be still and listen. Sometimes He says, “You need to do this. You need to write that letter. You need to call that person. You need to pray for this individual.” He places these things on your heart. You know it is Him. You hear His voice. Other times, you may be discouraged and in need of comfort. As you meditate on His Word and yield your fears and burdens to Him, He speaks to your heart. He gives comfort. He gives courage. He gives exactly what you need in your time of need. That is why Scripture tells us we can come boldly to the throne of grace with confidence.

Ephesians 4:20, “But you have not so learned Christ.” In other words, you no longer live like the unsaved Gentiles because you have learned Christ. Because you have learned Christ, your life is different. You have a different walk, a different talk, a different outlook, and a different attitude. You now seek things from God’s perspective rather than from the world’s philosophies and opinions. That is so important.

I trust that you will have a heart to learn Christ—to truly know Him, “and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings” as Paul expressed in Philippians 3:10.

God bless!