Havasu Christian Church
May 24, 2026
Study in Ephesians
Ephesians 4:17-32
“A world of Contrasts.”
INTRO: We live in a world full of contrasts.
Friday, Robin was working on the handout you received this morning that gives information about what’ s going on in the next couple of months. Much of the writing on the one side was hard to read. It was all in white, and it didn’t contrast enough with some of the background. She wisely chose to change the colors of the lettering so it would “POP!”
Much of what we see in art, and advertising, is more likely to be seen because of contrast. The starkness of black and white photography works because of contrast. Putting things that don’t go together in a picture “jars the mind.” In nature, God made animals to either blend in or contrast their surroundings. Bright colored, poisonous snakes remind us to “Leave me ALONE!” A bright orange, Monarch butterfly eats milkweed as a caterpillar, which makes it taste nasty to birds. The bright orange is a reminder to birds not to eat them! Other animals who blend in with their surroundings are difficult for predators to see.
Literature often uses contrast. One thing is described, and then another thing that is quite the opposite is described as well.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.”
SURPRISE!!! Scripture uses contrasts too!
Our text today, Ephesians 4:17-32 is a text of contrasts.
Ephesians 4:17-19 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 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; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
- The first Contrast: The Gentile way of living.
- They are walking in the futility of their mind.
- They are living with false assumptions.
- What they believe to be true, is not.
- Our world is full of people who live with ideas that are completely wrong.
- “I’m a good person.”
- No one is truly “Good!” We have all sinned and come up short of God’s expectations!
- “I deserve to go to the “good place.”
- Why is that exactly?
- “I live a better life than most people.”
- Even if this is true, it still doesn’t mean you are “good.”
- “I have every right to feel how I feel and do what I do!”
- Feeling entitled does not make you entitled.
- If I feel like I am entitled to a new car, I can’t just walk on the lot, pick one out and drive it home without paying for it. It’s called Grand theft, Auto!
- They are darkened in their understanding.
- People are living by what society (Satan) tells them is right.
- Satan has polluted the minds of those who don’t belong to Jesus, and there are lots of people who’s minds are polluted.
- Some of those folks work in government and other places where they have the authority to make policy.
- When you are in the dark, it’s hard to tell exactly what you are dealing with.
Story about blind guys trying to figure out an elephant…. One guy feels a leg and thinks it’s a tree. One guy grabs the tail and thinks it’s a rope. Another guy feels the side of the elephant and says “It’s a wall!” Another touches a tusk and says “NO! It’s a spear!” Another one touches an ear and says, “Feels like a fan to me!” One guy touches the trunk and says “It’s a snake!”
They all have their own perspective, but no one has the whole picture.
- They are Excluded from Living with God.
- These people are not part of God’s domain.
- They offer Him no allegiance.
- Why should God “fix things” for them?
- This is often due to ignorance.
- They simply do not know any better.
- No one has taken the time and effort to show them the difference that Jesus makes in their lives, and in eternity.
- This is often because of hard hearts.
- There are also those who HAVE heard the truth but simply choose to ignore it!
- They don’t want to accept the truth of a creator who loves them and sent His Son to redeem them!
- This has come about because of callousness.
- Ignore the truth long enough and you will grow a blind spot.
- Callousness leads to simply doing whatever you think you want to do.
- It boils down to Greediness!
- We want what we want!
- Sensuality… physical pleasure of just about any sort.
- Impurity: Things that are not pure.. they defile.
- 99% water, 1% rat poison… any takers?
- This was, and is, the pagan way of life.
Ephesians 4:20 But you did not learn Christ in this way!
The way of the pagan is now going to be contrasted with the way a Christian is supposed to live their life!
- The second contrast: the Christian way of living our lives.
Ephesians 4:21-32 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
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,
23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.
26 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.
28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.
29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
- We are to lay aside the old self.
- The way of living we just talked about… put it down and don’t pick it back up again!
- Baptism paints a picture.
- You Die to yourself!
- You bury the old guy!
- You rise as a new creature!
- The old way of living was corrupt!
- That od way of living believed all kinds of lies!
- Those lies led us to lust!
- We are renewed!
- We get a new start!
- We put on the new self!
- This is something we intentionally do!
- The “new self” looks like God!
- This new self is created to be
- Righteous.
- Holy
- How we live really does matter!
THEREFORE! So, do you want to know how to do this? Here it comes.
- How do I live a “New Person?”
- We lay aside falsehood!
- Don’t be a LIAR! Speak the Truth!
- We are all part of the same body!
- Be Angry!
- Go ahead! Get good and mad! It’s ok!
- God gave us emotions…. You can’t control being angry, any more than you can control being sad, or scared.
- But all emotions CAN BE CONTROLLED!
- DO NOT SIN!
- Self control is a must!
- Don’t hold onto your anger!
- You can’t make yourself forget…
- You can choose to forgive!
- If you do, you are inviting the Devil to come along and really mess up your life!
- I suspect, that if you think about times you let your anger get out of control, that you did or said things you regretted!
- When someone wrongs you, don’t “save it for a rainy day” to beat them over the head with!
- Don’t steal!
- With much of the Roman world being slaves, this was probably a pretty common practice.
- Sometimes, even not being slaves, we find ourselves making excuses for taking something from work.
- Instead of stealing, we are told to Work Hard!
- Put your hands to good use!
- Have something to be able to share with those who need it!
- Watch your mouth!
- Unwholesome… Sapros: decaying, rotten, worthless, bad.
- That kind of talk isn’t fit for a Christians mouth!
- Foul language
- Cruel comments
- Thoughtless words
- Edification: Ekadomeo… to build, to strengthen, to build up.
- Here we have another contrast!
- Don’t tear people down!
- Build them up!
- Even when we correct someone, how we do it makes a world of difference!
- If we allow ourselves to tear people down, we grieve the Holy Spirit.
- He lives inside us, and inside our Brother or Sister in Christ!
- If we make a practice of “edifying others” we give them grace.
- We treat them in a way that they don’t necessarily deserve.
- This builds them up even more.
- There are more things to “put away!”
- Bitterness
- Don’t let yourself get bitter!
- Even when people and events disappoint, realize that God is still working in and through what’s going on.
- Wrath
- A state of intense displeasure, anger, wrath, rage, indignation
- God is qualified to handle this kind of anger, but I am not.
- Someday, God’s wrath will be visited on the ungodly, but it isn’t my place to give it!
- Anger
- I need to keep even this level of anger under my control.
- “But I Can’t! I have red hair!”
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help!
- Dye your hair black???
- Clamor
- This has the idea of making a scene…
- “I didn’t get my way, so I’ll yell about it!”
- If I don’t control this, besides displeasing my Savior, I’ll probably wind up as the star of a “Karen” video!
- Slander
- Speaking ill of others.
- Even if it’s true, it usually doesn’t need to be said out loud!
- Usually, slander is NOT true.
- Often, it’s a “half-truth” at most.
- Particularly common in our present political climate.
- All Malice
- Being mean and hateful.
Again, we are given a contrast… we are told what NOT to do, now we are told what we SHOULD do!
- There are three more things to actively do!
- Be kind to one another
- To be morally good and benevolent
- The “Golden Rule” comes to mind.
Luke 6:31–33 “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
- Be tender-hearted toward each other.
- A mother caring for an infant comes to mind.
- Even when they mess a diaper.
- Even when they throw up.
- Even when they are crying.
- You may get exasperated, but you keep giving them your “tender heart.”
- forgive each other
- As we have said often, forgiveness is an act of the will, not a feeling.
- I can choose to forgive great harm or injustice.
- I can choose to treat the other person in a way that is as if they had never wronged me.
- IS THAT EVER HARD TO DO!!!!
- Why on earth would I choose to do this?
- I am doing for others what Christ has done for me!
- My mountain of sin has been forgiven… How can I not forgive someone else for what they have done to me?
- Jesus died a horrible death to get rid of my sin.
- Jesus died a horrible death to get rid of your sin.
- If I truly have accepted His Lordship, I will do what He says and forgive.
Conclusion: Today, we’ve seen the contrast of the old way, and the new way. We’ve seen the contrast of the World’s way, and Jesus’ way.
Which way will you live?
