Gospel of John [Joh 16:12-15]. The Doctrine of the HS, part 44. Eph 4:30.

Class Outline:

Title: Gospel of John [JOH 16:12-15]. The Doctrine of the HS, part 44. EPH 4:30.

 

 

EPH 4:17 This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,

 

EPH 4:18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;

 

EPH 4:19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

 

EPH 4:20 But you did not learn Christ in this way,

 

EPH 4:21 if indeed you have heard Him [as is the case that you have heard Him] and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,

 

The "if" in this clause is with the indicative mood which implies the truth of the supposition.

 

EPH 4:22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,

 

The "that" connects with "you have heard Him and been taught in Him.

 

The first word in the Greek in this verse is the participle "lay aside" or "put off".

 

"lay aside" - avpoti,qhmi[apotithemi: aorist middle infinitive] = to put off garments. Is this many decisions for the believer or did this happened at the moment of salvation?

 

This is not a command nor is it in the present tense but an infinitive of indirect discourse. This is the use of an infinitive after a verb of communication. Since the emphasis cannot be determined exactly we would include both:

 

You have laid aside the old man at salvation, and you continue to lay aside the old man in your walk with Christ and the Holy Spirit as the new creature that you are.

 

If you fail, recover in grace and get at it again without guilt or condemnation.

 

Manner means behavior or conduct.

 

The present participle of "corrupted" shows that the old man, old meaning worn out, decrepit, or useless, never gets any better but only decays over time. We still have the old nature in us and that is why it is possible that Paul is referencing recovery by using the aorist tense, but in light of his other teachings, it is also likely that he is reminding us what we have been taught "in Him," and that is that our position is now in a new self and the old man has been crucified and entombed forever.

 

Lust is a passionate desire or inordinate desire, which in the Scripture can be for good or evil according to the context, and here it is obviously for evil cravings that give a false impression of something desirable, but are only deceitful. All of this the believer put off when he was saved and in his Christian life he is learning that fact through doctrine, which is the highest motivation for putting it off from his lifestyle by relying on the instruction, direction, and power of the Holy Spirit.

 

EPH 4:23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

 

"be renewed" is also an infinitive and so also refers back to "you were taught in Him," in verse 21. They were also taught as we are that the spirit of their minds were being renewed [present infinitive].

 

The word renew can be defined as making young again, but here it is in reference to the new creature that you became when you were born again at salvation. The present tense means that my continual education in doctrine is continually reforming the spirit of my mind into balance [worthy] with the new creature I am. The intellect, sensibility, and will are becoming in harmony with who I am in Christ.

 

You were taught in Him… that you keep on being renewed in the spirit [sensibility and will] of your mind (through the ministry of the Holy Spirit).

 

The present tense refers to a constant instruction which is received through the ministry of God the Holy Spirit. It is not just a renewal of the mind as in some superficial way, but the spirit of the mind which is the human spirit or the seat of sensibility and will. We could distinguish intellect alone from the sensibility or moral fabric of the mind, which emanates from the conscience. This goes beyond knowledge.

 

HEB 4:12

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

 

A doctrinal moral fabric goes far beyond the morality of divine establishment alone and reaches into the realm of Christian, divine virtue, the highest of which is agape love.

 

EPH 3:19

and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.

 

To know the love of God is to know the description of what agape love is.

 

1CO 13:4-8

 Love is patient [patience], love is kind [kindness], and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly [peace]; it does not seek its own, is not provoked [self-control], does not take into account a wrong suffered [gentleness], does not rejoice in unrighteousness [goodness], but rejoices with the truth [joy]; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things [faithfulness]. Love never fails [is eternal]

 

Production in the CWL is intelligent on the part of the believer, in partnership with the Trinity, and it is not a let go and let God life in time.

 

Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

 

Php 4:5 Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

 

Php 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

 

Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.

 

Php 4:9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.

 

ROM 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

 

EPH 4:24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

 

"Put on," an aorist infinitive brings us to the same issue that we had with "lay aside" is verse 22.

 

"You have been taught in Him… that you have put on the new self or to put on the new self…" [both certainly go together.]

 

The same inconclusiveness occurs but we can find peace in the fact that both interpretations work and they certainly go together.

 

Every believer is a new creature in Christ forever and every believer is entreated to walk in a manner worthy of that calling.

 

The new creature has been created according to the manner in which God is Himself, or in other words, a divine nature.