Bible Study

The Gift of Eternal Life Berean Bible Study Course

PART III--The Way Of Serving God In Christ Jesus

D. Lesson 16--We Serve By Being Holy

12. READ: EPHESIANS 4:17-24

c. What must we "put on"?

Answer: The child of God must put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, (verse 24).

MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

• The "new self" is created by God in Christ to be like God--having the true righteousness and holiness of God, becoming the righteousness OF God. This new creation made by God in Christ is all that is important, all that counts:

2 Corinthians 5:16-21: "So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him Who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."

Galatians 6:15: "Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation."

• The "new self" is clothed with Christ:

Romans 13:14: "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

• The "new self" honors God:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

• The "new self" is God's workmanship to do good works:

Ephesians 2:10: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

• The "new self" has the mind of Christ, 1 Corinthians 2:16b.
• The "new self" has the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, Philippians 2:5-11.
• The "new self" follows the example of Christ:

1 Peter 2:21: "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps."