Exchange

Ephesians 4:25-28

renewal is an overwhelming exchange of the old for the new - the old is moved aside through an overwhelming inundation of that which is righteous, holy, and true

the new self comes through a renewed mind
it is an external reflection of your new internal nature

the born again believer will choose to act according to their new nature and actively renew their minds so that they actually live a transformed life

at some point, you can’t fake it (you won’t fake it)
but for some of you, you look forward to honoring and worshiping Jesus with your lives

6 ways to exchange the Old for the New:

1 Truthing

reject falsehood, this is easy and normal for others
identify falsehood: lying, defrauding, white lies, half-truth, rumors, manipulation)

commit to truth; protects relationships

2 Be Careful with Anger

good anger: at immorality and injustice
bad anger: self-righteous, impatient

don’t let it fester and produce more hurt later
the potential exists to be carried away
a foothold or opportunity is a starting point

anger is the beginning, never the end of strained relationships

3 Don’t be Lazy

idleness leads to temptation
how many dumb decisions have you made that started off with “boredom”

A boredom comes from not knowing or learning how to use you time - time is a gift from God that must be used for His Glory like all other gifts

content > hard working > generous (not laziness again)

the world works hard so they can be lazy
we work hard so that we can be generous