The sermon continues an ongoing exposition of Ephesians, arriving at 4:20-24, where Paul commands believers to put off the old self and put on the new self. The preacher opens by marking the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, using the sheer scale of that devastation as a foil: what Paul describes here, he argues, is in one sense even more radical than an atomic blast, because it concerns a total, inward transformation of a human being rather than external destruction.

The sermon first sets the context of verses 17-19, where Paul forbids the Ephesians from continuing to live as the Gentiles do, "in the futility of their minds," darkened in understanding, callous, and given over to sensuality. Verse 20 turns this around with a sharp contrast: "But that is not the way you learned Christ." Drawing on Ephesians 3:16-17, the sermon explains that to know Christ means Christ himself dwells in the innermost being through the Spirit, and this indwelling is what now obligates the believer to a different way of life.

The sermon then works through the three commands of verses 22-24: put off the old self, be renewed in the spirit of the mind, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Three observations are drawn out. First, the "clothing" metaphor does not mean Christianity is merely an outward change of costume over an unchanged self; what is removed and put on is the self itself, something as radical as one's very being, not a superficial layer. The imagery of a nurse's uniform or a police officer's or soldier's uniform is used to show that this is nevertheless meant to be publicly visible — a real, observable identity, not merely an interior conviction.

Second, the sermon stresses that the new self is not something believers manufacture; it is something God has already created and given "in Christ." Ephesians 2:4-5 and 2:10 are cited to show that believers, though dead in trespasses, have been made alive with Christ and are "his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works." Romans 6:6 and 2 Corinthians 5:17 reinforce that the old self has already been crucified and that anyone in Christ is a new creation — the old has passed away, the new has come. The command to "put on" therefore rests on a finished, gracious act of God, not a project of self-improvement.

Third, the sermon addresses the tension between this settled status and ongoing sanctification. Being a new creation does not mean instant, total transformation of thought, desire, and speech. Paul's very command assumes believers still sometimes live "like the rest of the Gentiles." The preacher illustrates this "already but not yet" reality with the story of a Soviet pilot who defected to the United States: his citizenship changed completely and immediately, but his personality, habits, and instincts remained the same and only gradually conformed to his new identity. Two errors are warned against: doubting one's genuine sonship every time one sins, and treating ongoing sin as acceptable because sanctification is incomplete. Galatians 2:20 and Romans 8:1 are used to anchor assurance — those in Christ are truly crucified and alive with him, and there is no condemnation for them — while sin is still named as something that grieves the Spirit and harms both the sinner and those closest to them, especially in marriage.

The sermon then unpacks the "deceitful desires" of the old self (v. 22), connecting it to the deceit described earlier in the chapter and, further back, to the serpent's deception of Eve in Eden. A lengthy illustration about blind men describing an elephant is used to expose the deceit of claiming "all truths are relative" — a claim that secretly presumes the speaker alone sees the whole truth, and one that self-refutes when asked whether the claim "all truth is relative" is itself relative. The point is that sin is not merely an intellectual failure but a matter of the heart not treasuring the beauty of righteousness and holiness, echoing how Eve was deceived into doubting God's goodness rather than merely his instructions. The sermon closes by turning to Ephesians 2:4-7, dwelling on the "immeasurable riches" of God's grace and kindness toward believers in Christ Jesus, urging the congregation to let the sheer goodness of God's plan — not mere duty — draw their desires toward true righteousness and holiness, and to keep growing into the new self through worship, daily reflection on Scripture, prayer fellowship, and mutual encouragement in service.

Bible Verses Used

• Ephesians 4:20-24: The sermon's main text, commanding believers to put off the old self and put on the new self created in true righteousness and holiness.

• Ephesians 3:16-17: Shows that knowing Christ means Christ dwells in the believer's inner being through the Spirit.

• Ephesians 2:4-5: Cited to show the new self is God's gracious work — believers were dead but made alive with Christ.

• Ephesians 2:10: Used to show believers are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.

• Ephesians 2:4-7: Closes the sermon, dwelling on the immeasurable riches of God's grace and kindness in Christ as the motivation for pursuing holiness.

• Romans 6:6: Confirms the old self was crucified with Christ and enslavement to sin has ended.

• 2 Corinthians 5:17: Anchors the identity of the believer as a new creation in Christ, the old having passed away.

• Romans 8:1: Used to assure believers that those in Christ face no condemnation, guarding against doubting one's salvation when they sin.

• Galatians 2:20: Cited to describe the believer's life as no longer their own but Christ living in them.