Study Questions: Ephesians #9
The New Self
Ephesians 4:17-24 (CGS#9)
INTRODUCTION: If we haven’t caught it yet in Paul’s writing, he is going to state it plainly for us in this next section of Ephesians. He’ll say, you are something new in Christ, so live like it. Here’s how one commentator explains it. “Chameleons are an amazing species of lizard that can adapt their appearance to match their surroundings in order to stay camouflaged and invisible to predators. Christians often live like spiritual chameleons, imitating the world around us in order to remain camouflaged and safe from spiritual predators who might criticize or hurt us. We can usually tell if we’re spiritual chameleons when unbelievers who have spent time with us are shocked to discover that we’re Christians. It could be that we’re just culturally very contemporary—but it’s more likely that we’ve compromised. We may be consciously copying someone else: a popular friend, a successful colleague, an exciting celebrity, or an impressive public figure. More probably, we’re being influenced subconsciously, by our family background, our educational experience or by our society’s media. For instance, we may have a spiritually damaging fixation with salary and status, because of our ambitious parents. Or we may have a spiritually unhealthy tendency to uncritically approve of ungodly religious opinions, because of our Western education in undiscerning tolerance and a fear of appearing “judgmental”. Or if we’re unhappily single or unhappily married, we may surrender to bitter self-pity and indulge our appetites for erotic fantasy, because we’ve accepted the lies of our media that we’re all entitled to sexual pleasure, stunted without it, and free to seek it in private without censure. More often, and more dangerously, we live as spiritual chameleons without even noticing that we’re accommodating to secular morality; in which case we’re not just like camouflaged chameleons—we’re more like those unfortunate frogs that, as every teenager knows from school science lessons, can be placed in an open saucepan and slowly boiled to death without ever recognizing a change severe enough to make them jump out. So Paul challenges all of us: “You must no longer live as the Gentiles do …” (v 17). He’s saying: Stop copying the world like chameleons and start imitating God.” [1]
I appreciate this analogy of living like a spiritual chameleon. But it isn’t just some becoming like the prevailing culture that makes us chameleons. It can also be a legalism through moral or religious performance. In that, we can fool ourselves and others into thinking we are something that we aren’t. For example, this is the very problem facing the Pharisees in the Gospels. In Paul’s letter, the Ephesian believers will need to be spurred on to resist the “deceitful desires” of the culture around them. But, in another 40 years, they will get a letter from John (Rev. 2) reminding them to rekindle their love for their neighbors and not be blinded by their religious performance. Paul and John’s words to these believers remind us of the temptation and ease of becoming spiritual chameleons instead of living authentic lives of discipleship. But we’ve been made into something new, and so we need to have our “minds renewed.” Renewal is a process that begins at the moment of salvation and continues every day on this side of heaven. And we have to constantly be reminded of the goal of this renewal because we are too easily distracted. What does Paul say this goal is? A renewed mind is about becoming like Jesus in every way possible. Here’s how he’ll say it word for word (v.24), “put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Let’s not settle for anything less than what God has for us in becoming like his Son.
GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question. Have you ever felt like you needed to be something or someone other than who you are? How did that experience go for you?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage(s). It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions.
- What stands out to you so far in chapter 4 as Paul talks about our new self? What encourages you, and what challenges you?
- When you think about the idea of being a spiritual chameleon, which direction do you tend to lean, legalism / religious and moral performance or embracing of the culture? What parts of your personality encourage you to lean in that direction?
- How do Paul’s words encourage you in the good parts of your personality and sharpen you in the weaknesses of your personality? This is in relationship to question #2.
- Being “renewed in our minds” is a process that takes time. How have you seen the Lord renew your mind in your journey of following Jesus? Who have been key people in those moments of growth?
- Coming back to last week’s topic on spiritual gifts and S.H.A.P.E., how does your gift play a part in helping others to have their minds renewed in becoming like Jesus? What is an intentional next step for you with your gift?
- You can get last week’s study with notes on S.H.A.P.E. here: https://ccames.org/2024/09/study-questions-ephesians-8/
[1] Richard Coekin, Ephesians for You, ed. Carl Laferton, God’s Word for You (The Good Book Company, 2015), 129–130.