Put Off the Old Self, Put On the New Self
Pastor Tan Thai · Nov 19, 2022
This sermon explains the transformation of a believer's life through three steps from Ephesians 4:22-24: putting off the old self, allowing God to renew the mind and spirit, and putting on the new self. The pastor emphasizes that this change is not instantaneous but a prolonged inner battle, and that God provides four invaluable gifts to ensure victory.
The sermon opens by reviewing the previous week's theme of the inner battle between the old self and the new self after coming to faith in Christ. The pastor revisits three truths Scripture teaches clearly: every person harbors a sinful nature within, this sinful nature is often hidden and concealed, and no one can overcome sin through personal willpower or effort alone. Paul's lament in Romans 7:24 reflects this helplessness, but the answer found in Christ is a sure guarantee of victory.
The pastor uses the imagery of individual battles and an entire war to explain why transformation looks different for each person. Everyone has different old habits and character flaws that need changing, and the duration of the inner war depends on how long the old sinful self had been formed before coming to faith. The sermon also cites 1 Timothy 2:4 to emphasize that salvation is linked to coming to a knowledge of the truth, and that spiritual growth depends on correctly understanding and applying God's Word.
A significant portion of the sermon distinguishes between the role of psychology and Christian faith in changing a person. Through a story set at Harvard University and an extended explanation, the pastor argues that science can only analyze and explain human psychology but cannot prescribe what a person ought to become. The moment one speaks about who a person should be, one has entered the realm of faith and religion, and the Christian answer is to become like Jesus Christ.
God gives His people four priceless gifts to ensure transformation: (1) Jesus Christ as the living example to follow; (2) the Holy Spirit as the Comforter, teacher, and indwelling guide; (3) the Bible as the compass and map for the Christian life, written by nearly 40 authors over roughly 1,500 years; and (4) the Church as the family and community that supports and strengthens believers on their journey with God. No religion or philosophy can offer anything comparable to these four gifts.
The sermon concludes by introducing the three-step framework from Ephesians 4:22-24: put off the old self, allow God to renew the mind and spirit, and put on the new self. The pastor explains that merely discarding bad habits without putting on good ones is insufficient, illustrated by the parable in Matthew 12:43-45 about an unclean spirit returning to an empty house. The renewal of the mind through the Holy Spirit is the essential bridge between putting off the old and putting on the new, and this is the uniquely distinctive feature of Christian faith.