December 21 2025

Sunday December 21

Renewed In the Spirit of Your Mind

Ephesians 4:21-24

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 are looking at Ephesians 4:21 through 24, where the Apostle Paul teaches us about putting off the old man and putting on the new man. I will never forget a little chorus I learned years and years ago. It goes something like this:

“Well, the best thing in my life I ever did do,

 Was take off the old robe and put on the new.

The old robe was dirty, all tattered and torn;

The new robe was spotless and had never been worn.

Yes, the best thing in my life I ever did do,

Was take off the old robe and put on the new.”

This little chorus fits perfectly with the verses we are studying today.

First, we must recognize the importance of hearing and responding to the Truth. In verse 21, Paul says, “If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus.” In other words, if you have truly heard Jesus—if you have truly met Him, listened to Him, and embraced the truth that is in Him—and if you are determined by God’s grace to do His will, then you will know the truth and live it. Jesus Himself said that if anyone is willing to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God. Hearing the truth leads to obedience when the heart is surrendered.

Then we can begin to understand what it means to “put off the old man”. Paul says in verse 22: “That you put off, concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.” This is a call to deliberately lay aside the old way of living—the former conduct that is corrupted by deceitful desires. And then, in verse 24, he says: “And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

One of the best illustrations of this truth is found in the story of Lazarus in John chapter 11. You remember that Lazarus had been dead for four days, lying in a tomb. When Jesus arrived, He called out, “Lazarus, come forth!” And Lazarus came out of the grave—still bound in his grave clothes. Then Jesus said in John 11:44, “Loose him, and let him go.” In other words, take off the old grave clothes. You’ve been made alive—now live like it. Put on the grace clothes. Live like someone who has been changed by the grace of God. That is exactly what Paul is teaching here. The truth we have heard in Christ Jesus demands a new way of living.

Now, there is something very important in verse 23 that we did not spend much time on yesterday: “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” So how do you take off the old robe—the dirty, deceitful, corrupt way of living—and put on the new way of life? How do you live truthfully, proclaim truthfully, and walk truthfully before a watching world? You do it by being renewed in the spirit of your mind. Conversion is a crisis experience that leads to a lifelong process. Through Jesus Christ, we have once and for all become new creatures in Him. But now, day by day, we need the Word of God to renew our minds as we continually surrender ourselves to Him.

This brings us again to Romans 12:1–2, which we discussed yesterday. Because we have been saved by the mercies of God, Paul urges us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. You know, anybody can take a bullet and die for Jesus. But, my friend, to live sacrificially every single day—by the grace of God, for the will of God, and for the glory of God—that is where the real challenge lies. We are swimming upstream against the corrupt, deceptive schemes of the devil. And to live faithfully for Jesus in this world requires daily surrender and renewal.

Jesus prayed in John 17:17: “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.” One of the best passages that ties into this—and we will talk about it tomorrow—is Philippians 4:8-9, where Paul instructs us to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report.

You’ve heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” That is true physically. But spiritually, my friend, you are what you think. That is why being renewed in the spirit of your mind is so vitally important.

God bless!