We turn to the chapter that we
read in Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 4 and our text is found
at verse 24. Ephesians 4 24 and that she put
on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and
true holiness. Our fourth sermon then on this
theme the subject of the restoration of man and previously we've considered
something of that in terms of the text in Colossians, Colossians
chapter 3 and verse 10 and they put on the new man which is renewed
in knowledge after the image of him that created him it's
the same truth that we have here although there is a certain difference
of emphasis of course and that he put on the new man which after
God that is after God's image is created in righteousness and
through holiness. And as we turn to these words
for a while tonight, I want to divide what I say into two parts. First of all, to see how this
man is restored in the Lord Jesus Christ. And then secondly, to
see how this is indeed a new creature or a new creation. First of all, here we have that
man, that sinner who has been restored in the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at the words at the beginning
of the verse, he says, and that she put on the new man. Dr. Gill makes the observation
here that some do indeed understand this as a reference to Christ,
putting on of that new man. In Galatians chapter 3 and verse
27, for example, he says, as many of you as have been baptized
into Christ have put on Christ. There is a putting on of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And isn't the Lord Jesus Christ,
in a very real sense, the one who is spoken of as the new man? We're told, are we not, that
the first man is of the earth, earthy. That's a reference to
Adam. And the second man is the Lord
from heaven. How, in 1 Corinthians chapter
15, the apostle speaks so clearly concerning these two men. the
first Adam and the last Adam. He goes on to say the first man
Adam was made a living soul, the last Adam is made a quickening
spirit and when he speaks here of the last Adam he is speaking
of course of the Lord Jesus Christ as we said on previous occasions
there is that sense in which in God's sight there are but
two men there is the first Adam and there is the last Adam. Now
by nature of course all are in the first Adam, all are descended
from that one man. By grace there are those who
are also to be found in the last Adam. Those who have put on the
Lord Jesus Christ. I say then that in a very real
sense Christ is that new man, and how extraordinary it is. There's a verse that we find
back in the book of Jeremiah, in Jeremiah chapter 31, and at
the end of verse 22 we have these words, for the Lord hath created
a new thing in the earth. A woman shall compass a man. The Lord has created a new thing
in the earth. A woman shall compass a man. And the reference there is a
prophecy speaking to us of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking to
us in particular of the Incarnation, how Christ was conceived, Christ
was contains, encompassed as it were, encompassed in Mary's
womb. Isn't this the great mystery
of godliness? Our God contracted to a span,
incomprehensibly made man. And there in Jeremiah 31, the
prophet speaks of this great mystery a woman encompassing
a man, even the man Christ Jesus, he speaks of it as a new thing. The same as we have then in the
text, that she put on the new man. As I say, Gill observes
that there are those who recognize this in terms of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He who in the fullness of the
time was sent into this world and that miracle that we have
in the virgin birth and the angel says to Mary, the Holy Ghost
shall come upon thee, the power of the highest shall overshadow
thee. Therefore also that holy thing
that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Remember how in that birth the
Lord Jesus Christ was indeed preserved from any taint of original
sin. All who are descended from Adam
by natural generation partake of that original sin. Who can
bring a clean thing out of an unclean, we find the question
in Scripture. And the answer is given, no,
not one. Our sinful parents give birth
to sinful children. And so sin courses down the generations. But here is one who in the miracle
of his birth is preserved from any taint of sin. What is conceived
there in Mary's womb, as we have it in Luke 1.35, is spoken of
as that holy thing. that holy thing, the reference
being, of course, to Christ's human nature. How that human
nature was joined to the divine nature, the eternal Son of God. And in the person of the Lord
Jesus Christ, then, we witness that great mystery of two natures. He is both God and man, and yet
He is one person. He is one person. And in every
action, in all that he does throughout his life, he is ever always the
God-man. And what is it that the Lord
Jesus Christ has done? Why he was preserved from original
sin in his birth and throughout his life, of course, he was kept
from any actual sins. His life was a righteous life. His life was a holy life. The
new man, which after God is created in righteousness and through
holiness, as it says. Think of that righteousness then
of the Lord Jesus Christ, how that he was made of a woman,
Yes, but more than that, we read in Galatians 4, he was made under
the law. He's a man, but he's a man now
who is very much subject to the Holy Lord of God. He stands,
as it were, in that law place as a representative of all his
people. And what does he do in the course
of living? He obeys the commandments of
God. The Lord is well pleased for
His righteousness sake, we're told, He will magnify the law
and make it honourable. How His obedience was such a
complete obedience. Never, never a sinful thought,
never a sinful word, never a sinful deed. How His life was a righteous
life. And we see it In that twofold
sense, both the active righteousness and the passive righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. In being under the law, what
does he do in the course of living? He obeys it, he obeys the commandments. He fulfills all righteousness
in that sense. He renders to the law that the
law ever always demands. We have those words. I think
it's the end of Deuteronomy chapter 6, concerning just what God requires
under the Holy Law, and it's a complete and an utter obedience
to every one of the commandments. There in Deuteronomy 6.25, it
shall be our righteousness, it says, if we observe to do all
these commandments before the Lord our God as he hath commanded
us. This is righteousness. There
is to be the observation and the doing of each and all of
his commandments. And that's precisely what the
Lord Jesus did in living. He lived according to the Lord
of God. He honoured the Lord of God.
He magnified it by a life of obedience. But then there's the
other aspect of that righteousness when we think in terms of his
death. Remember in Philippians chapter
2 we read of him as found in fashion as a man and he becomes
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. As He is
obedient in life, fulfilling the commandments, obeying the
law, so He is obedient in death. The same law, how does He honour
and magnify it in dying? Why, He now bears in His own
person all that punishment that was due to the sinner. What is
visited upon him is that penalty, or the law, you say. It demands
that there must be the punishment of those who are the transgressors. And there we see Christ in the
transgressors' place, dying as the sinner's substitute. Found in fashion as a man, he
humbles himself and is obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross, the accursed death of the cross, curses everyone
that hangeth on a tree. And friends, is that righteousness
that justifies sinners? This is the righteousness that
is so necessary to justify the sinner. What is justification?
It is, of course, that which is judicial. we are to think
always are we not in terms of the court of law and there the judgment must be passed
the declaration must be made as to whether the man is guilty
or innocent in Deuteronomy 25 In the opening verse we read,
if there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment,
that the judges may judge them, then shall they justify the righteous,
and condemn the wicked. And the sinner, of course, is
that one who is wicked, he is the transgressor, but here is
the great wonder, you see, of justification in the Lord Jesus
Christ, justification by faith, God declares the guilty sinner
to be righteous. Why? Because Christ's righteousness
is imputed. Christ's righteousness is reckoned
to the sinner's count. And there's that blessed exchange
as Christ has taken the sinner's guilt and borne that punishment
that was the sinner's desert. So in exchange Christ gives to
that sinner his righteousness. Surely shall one say, in the
Lord have I righteousness and strength. And remember the language
of the Apostle Paul, always great desire to be found in him, he
says, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which
is of God by faith. Here we see how the sinner is
restored. He is restored in the Lord Jesus
Christ, that He put on the new man which after God is created
in righteousness and true holiness. As there is righteousness in
Christ for the sinner, so there is also true holiness. Again, remember what we are told
concerning this man, or this wondrous man, that that is prophesied
as we saw back in the book of Jeremiah there in chapter 31
at verse 22 the Lord has created a new thing in the earth a woman
shall encompass a man a woman shall encompass a man the reference
as I said is to the Lord Jesus Christ and what is that that
is conceived spoken of as It is said to be that holy thing.
That human nature was a holy human nature. Holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, made higher than the heavens. That's the language of Paul in
Hebrews 7.26 concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. in Christ is that
true holiness. Now what does Christ say as he
comes to the end of his earthly ministry and as he's anticipating
the death of the cross And we have that high priestly prayer
in the 17th chapter of John, and there at verse 19 we find
the Lord speaking to His Father in these terms. He says, for
their sakes, speaking of the disciples that God had given
to Him, and those who would believe on Him through their words, for
their sakes, He says, I sanctify myself that they also might be
sanctified in me. In the Lord Jesus Christ is not
only justification, in the Lord Jesus Christ there is also sanctification. Now when he says, I sanctify
myself, we are to understand it, of course, in terms of the
basic meaning of the words. What is it to sanctify? Well,
literally, to sanctify is to set apart. There were those things
in the tabernacle of old that were sanctified. There were certain
perfumes that were to be used on the altar of incense and other
aspects of the tabernacle worship, and these things were never to
be applied to any common use. If they were being used in the
worship of God, we're told how these things were sanctified. They were set apart to the service
of God. And when Christ says, I sanctify
myself, He is speaking about He has set Himself apart to complete
and to fulfil that work that He had covenanted to undertake
in eternity with His Father. How the Father, the Son and the
Spirit had entered into that covenant. before time was ever
created, the eternal covenant of grace. And Christ sets himself
apart, and he will complete all that work. I sanctify myself,
he says, that they also might be sanctified in me, as he completes
that work. So they're sanctified. Hebrews
10 and verse 10, by the witch will, we are sanctified through
the offering of the body of Christ. Again, Hebrews 13 verse 12, Jesus
also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood,
suffered without the gate. Though He is a sanctification,
it's in the Lord Jesus Christ. How He sets His people apart,
And now as He is holy, so their holiness is altogether in Him,
and as they are in Him, will they not therefore be that people
who are a holy people? Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption. Oh, He is made unto His people
sanctification. Now, in putting on Christ, in
putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, is there not that sense in which
also the new nature is being put on? Those who are in Christ,
they are a holy people and they will therefore live holy lives. They are those who are a new
creature, a new creation. Look at what the Apostle says
in Romans chapter 13, there at the end of that 13th chapter
of Romans, he says, But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. Observe the connection, you see,
you put on the Lord Jesus Christ, you're righteous in Christ, you're
sanctified in Christ, therefore you make no provision for the
flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. And really here, in the text
that we have before us tonight, the principal reference is to
the believer's new nature, the principle reference. Whilst we
see it in terms of all that Christ is, and all that Christ has done,
clearly here the context indicates to us that it's the new nature,
in contrast to the old nature that is being spoken of. If any
man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Now that new creation,
that new nature can never sin. Do we recognize that fact? That
if we are those who are born again, born from above, born
by the Spirit of God, we have within us a new nature that can
never sin. Peter is very bold in the way
he describes that new nature. In 2 Peter 1.4 he speaks of believers
as those who are partakers of the divine nature. The divine
nature, that's God's nature, and God is holy. Again, look
at the language that we have in 1 John, and there in chapter
3 and verse 9, whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin,
because his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because
he is born of God." That is the new nature. And that new nature
is righteous, and that new nature is holy. And of course Whilst there is
that new nature, there is yet in the believer the old nature. And that's the great grief of
the child of God. And we see it so clearly in the
experience of the Apostle. We were considering something
of Paul's experience this morning, how he is a remarkable example
of the sovereignty of the grace of God. He was a great sinner. He was the chief of sinners.
That's how he describes himself there in 1 Timothy 1.15. Oh,
but he was also a great saint. We see two perspectives. We see
what he was. Oh, he was a blasphemer, a persecutor,
injurious. He hated Christians. He hated
Christ. His great business in life was
to rid the world of those who were of that way, the way of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And yet, this is the very man
who becomes the great apostle to the Gentiles, what he was
by the grace of God. And I said then it's remarkable
how he is set before us in scripture as a pattern, a pattern of what
it is to have faith. And we see so clearly there in
that seventh chapter of Romans how he speaks of himself. And
he speaks of the conflict that he was ever feeling between the
old man and the new man. And when we come to the end of
that chapter, what does he say? Oh, wretched man that I am! Who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? That's what he
thinks in terms of the all-nature. It's like a body that he's having
to bear about wherever he goes. He's carrying this awful load.
And he bears down upon him. It's the all-nature. And he feels
the wretchedness of his sin. And what does he go on to say
there at the end of that chapter? I thank God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. So then, with the mind, I myself
will serve the Lord of God, but with the flesh, the Lord of sin. And as we've said before in that
final verse, there's such an emphasis. Here is the real Paul. It's the new man. It's I myself. There's such an emphasis. This
is who I am. I'm the new man. But how I feel
this conflict with my old nature, and this I say in some measure
must be the experience of all those who are Christians. If
Paul is a pattern to them, we should hereafter believe. Oh
friends, what do we know of the conflict? What do we know of
that good fight of Fife? Or do we feel our worst enemies
to be those enemies that dwell in our own hearts? How Ralph
Erskine used to say, Oh that I had not a myself. Myself. That's my great burden, who I
am, what I am. I'm such a sinner. I say it's
the new man who is really to be identified with the believer
and yet the believer sometimes feels that he's overwhelmed by
the old man. But what does he do? It makes
the believer long and yearn after heaven itself. Sin, my worst
enemy before, shall vex my eyes and ears no more. My inward foes
shall all be slain, nor Satan break my peace again, is what
Joseph Hart says of heaven. That's what makes it such a sweet
place to contemplate. All sin cannot enter therein.
There the believer is free from sin forever and ever and ever
and ever, a never-ending eternity. free from sin in the very presence
of Christ, and the Lamb we know is all the glory, in Emmanuel's
land, all that conflict. And we see it, you see here,
in the context. He says at verse 22 that he put
off concerning the former conversation, the former manner of living,
the old man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts. And then at verse 25 he says,
wherefore putting away, lying, speak every man truth with his
name before we are members one of another. Be ye angry and sin
not, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give
place to the devil and so forth. He speaks then of a putting off
of a putting away. Now that's exactly the same truth
is it not as we have been considering previously there in Colossians
chapter 3 when we took for our text those words at verse 10
and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after
the image of him that created him But previous to that, verse
8, now you also put off all these anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy,
filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another,
seeing that you put off the old man with his deeds. And what is this putting off? What is this putting away? Why, it's very painful. It's
painful. It's no easy thing. It is really
a putting to death, is it not? It's mortification. That's what
the believers call to do, to mortify. That means to put to
death. And we have it there, of course,
in that fifth verse of Colossians, chapter 3, "...mortify therefore
your members which are upon the earth." All this is a believer's
calling. as he is a new man in the Lord
Jesus Christ, so he wants to see the destruction of the old
man. He wants to see the old nature
being put to death. This is the Christian's calling,
I say. Paul again, there in Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20, that
great verse. I am crucified with Christ, he
says. Nevertheless I live, And the
life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of
the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Oh,
what a life it is! Crucified with Christ and yet
living. The life that we're living is
that life in the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, look at what we're told
here in the context in the previous verse to our text, verse 23 says,
Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Be renewed in the spirit
of your mind, the way you think. Be careful how you think. Our
God, you see, doesn't only have to do with us in terms of our
deeds, but also our thoughts. We find something similar, do
we not, there in the twelfth chapter of the epistle to the
Romans. I beseech you therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service, and be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind." Here it is again, you see. The
same as we have it in verse 23 of Ephesians 4, be renewed in
the spirit of your mind. Paul says to the Romans something
very similar, be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind. that ye may prove what is that
good and acceptable and perfect will of God how the believers
mind you see is to be taken up with the will of God not what
I will we say to God but what thou will it's God's will that must be
paramount and how we are to be careful then with regards to
our minds our thoughts our ambitions, all things. And Paul, you know,
he gives very practical exhortations, does he not, time and again.
I know Paul declares such tremendous doctrinal truth in these epistles. And Peter says there are many
things hard to be understood. He was a great theologian, this
man, and yet there's also that he's so practical, so down to
earth. And so, when he writes to the
Philippians at the end of the epistle, it's often the way,
is it not? The latter chapters and verses of the epistles are
the practical part, as the old Puritans used to say, the practical
part. And writing there in Philippians
4, verse 8, he says, Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are
true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things
are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be
any praise, think on these things, or fill your mind with these
things. Don't fill your eyes with rubbish. How many Christians
today, you see, they fill their heads with nonsense. They watch
all sorts of programs on the television or they read all sorts
of books. So, contrary to what Paul is
saying. And he doesn't just say these
things, he practices these things. Those things which he has both
learned and received and heard and seen in me, do. and the God
of peace shall be with you." This is what the Christian is
called to when he's putting on the new man. It's the very image of the Lord
Jesus Christ, is it not? And so above all things, how
the Christian needs that, the mind, the mind of Christ. To be renewed in the spirit of
your mind, is it not to have that very mind of the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself. That, friends, is the great motivation
to the Christian. there in the second chapter of
Philippians, if there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if
any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels
and mercies fulfill you, my joy, that ye be like-minded, having
the same love, being of one accord, of one mind, let nothing be done
through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind let
each esteem other better than themselves. looked like every
man on his own things but every man also on the things of others
and then we come to it let this mind be in you which was also
in Christ Jesus and then that great passage who being in the
form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made
himself of no reputation you know the words he speaks of how
Christ humbled himself Oh, this is that mind, you see, the mind
which was in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's that spirit of humility. This is what the Christian is
called to, to have the mind of Christ. Christ is the motivation.
If we do any good, what is it that moves us to do the good?
We don't look to good works as something that is meritorious,
I trust. We know we can win no favors
from God. Our salvation is all of God's
grace. Oh, but are we moved by Christ? We want to manifest something
of that love wherewith we love the Lord Jesus Christ. We want
to be like Him. We want to express our gratitude
to God for all that He has done for us in Christ. When we come
to the end of this fourth chapter in Ephesians, what does he say? Verse 32, Be ye kind one to another,
tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's
sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of
God as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath
loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweet-smelling savour. But fornication, all uncleanness,
all covetousness let it not be once named among you as become
a saint and so he goes on all the motivation is Christ, Christ
is all and Christ is in all to the believer all friends are
we those who know what it is to be these new creatures if
any man be in Christ are we those tonight who are in Christ How
we have to examine ourselves and prove ourselves and know
ourselves if Jesus Christ be not in us we reprobate. Is the Lord Jesus Christ in us?
Are we those who have put on the Lord Jesus Christ that new
man? Is the Lord Jesus Christ our justification, our sanctification? Is the Lord Jesus Christ that
One who is the motivation to all that we do? Our one desire,
our chief desire in life is this, that we will live to His honor
and His glory, that we will only do those things that are pleasing
in His sight. Oh, this is the new man, the
new creature, that ye put on the new man which after God is
created in righteousness and through holiness. Might it please
the Lord then to fulfill it in our hearts. Amen.