[English Sermon 영어 설교]
Sunday, July 13, 2025 - Sermon by Rev. Jinkook (Danny) Sohn
Living as a New Self (Ephesians4:25-32)
2025. 7. 13. 주일예배 설교- 에베소서 강해 16
본문: 에베소서 4:25-32
제목: 새 사람으로 사는 삶
설교자: 손진국 목사
Last Sunday, Missionary Inkwon Kim came and delivered the message. Do you remember the message shared the week before that? It was titled “Put Off Your Old Self and Put On the New Self.” What did we say was the purpose of our life? It is to become like Jesus Christ, and we called that “salvation.” Today’s sermon is titled “Living as a New Self,” and this includes the implication that in order to live as a new person, one must receive salvation.
First, I would like to remind us again about the three types of salvation we must receive in our lives.
1. The Three Salvations and the Three Deaths
We said that our salvation is not just one, but threefold. There is the salvation of the past, the future, and the present that connects them. The past salvation is when, through repentance of sin and believing in Jesus Christ who died and rose again for me, we accept Him as our Savior and Lord of our lives. Through that, we gain eternal life and our relationship with God is restored—this is the salvation of the spirit. This is the past salvation that occurred when believers believed in Jesus, and it is the salvation of justification, being clothed in God's righteousness. It is salvation from the result of sin, meaning there is no longer death or judgment.
Secondly, there is the salvation that will occur when Jesus comes again to this earth—at the time of His Second Coming, in the future. At that time, our current imperfect and perishable body will be put off, and we will wear the glorious and eternal resurrected body. This is the salvation of the body in which full restoration of all circumstances will take place. At that time, we will dwell forever in glory with the Lord in the kingdom of heaven, and since sin no longer exists in that perfect kingdom of God, this is freedom from the presence of sin.
We also said that there is the salvation of the present, which connects the past and future. [Philippians 2:12] Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. “Work out your salvation” is in the present progressive tense, meaning we are to continuously work out our salvation. This is the present salvation we must actively work on in our current life, aligning our thoughts, emotions, and will to Jesus Christ in all our daily relationships. It is the salvation of the soul, fighting daily against the temptation of sin that exists and operates in the world today. This is freedom from the power of sin, and the theological term for this is sanctification.
The past salvation is the salvation of the spirit, the present salvation is the salvation of the soul, and the future salvation is the salvation of the body. This reveals the three parts that make up a human being: spirit, soul, and body. [1 Thessalonians 5:23] May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The spirit is the channel that communicates with God. The soul is the channel that communicates with people or living beings. The body is the channel that communicates with the environment.
What happens when the spirit communicates with God? You enjoy eternal life as a citizen of heaven. If it does not, you fall into hell and receive eternal punishment.
The soul is the channel of communication with others. If you connect with others, you experience heaven on earth. If you don’t, you live a life like hell. Heaven and hell are realms of eternity we go to after death. But they are also expressions of relationship. Heaven is where God's love, mercy, and forgiveness exist. Hell is where there is no such love, mercy, or forgiveness. So when people are in relationships filled only with hatred, curses, and resentment without love, mercy, and forgiveness, what do they say? “This is so miserable. It’s like hell.” On the other hand, when people are in homes or communities where they love, show compassion, and forgive each other, what do they say? “This is heaven. I love it here.”
What about the body? When we harmonize well with our material surroundings—the environment—we stay healthy. When we eat food and digest it well, and when we adapt well to the surrounding temperature, we stay well. But when we eat spoiled or poisonous food, we get sick (my wife—food poisoning). If you go outside on a freezing day wearing only underwear for just one hour, you’ll get a runny nose and start coughing. You’ll get sick. That means you’re not harmonizing with the environment.
The reason there are three salvations is because there are three deaths. The Bible tells us so. When did death first come to mankind? When Adam sinned against God. Three types of death came upon Adam who sinned.
What did God say would happen if Adam ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? He said he would surely die. Did Adam and Eve die right away after eating it? People say they didn’t, but they did die instantly. God came looking for sinful man and called out, “Adam, where are you?” Let’s look at Adam’s response. [Genesis 3:10] He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” Here we see the first death. What died? The spirit died. The spirit is what communicates with God. Adam being afraid and hiding from God shows that the relationship with God was broken—his spirit died.
The next death appears in [Genesis 3:12] The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” What died here? The soul that communicates with others died. Previously, he had said, “This is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,” but now he blames her, “It’s the woman’s fault.” The relationship with others was broken.
The third death appears in [Genesis 5:4-5] After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died. This is the death most people think of. When the soul leaves the body, the body loses all function and no longer responds to the material world.
This is the death of the body.
May all of our dear Hope of Heaven Church members receive the Lord’s grace to be strengthened in spirit, soul, and body.
[Application] When was the happiest time you experienced with those around you? And when was the most hellish time?
2. Live in the Likeness of Jesus
Living as a new person means living by imitating the life of Jesus Christ. Today's passage describes this as a life led by the Holy Spirit. [Verse 30] And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
It says not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. In other words, it means to live a life that pleases God and to become more like Jesus, who is our Lord. This is the purpose of our lives and the reason we live. However, there are aspects of our lives that grieve the Holy Spirit—ways of living that Jesus neither desires nor delights in. From verse 25 onward in today's passage, we can categorize these into three areas.
(1) [Words] Speak what is true and build others up with your words.
To live as a new person, our words must change. [Verse 25] Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
It tells us to put off falsehood and speak truth. What were the first words spoken by man after sinning? Lies. When God searched for Adam and asked, “Where are you?”, what did Adam say? He said he was afraid because he was naked and so he hid. That was a lie. He didn't hide because he was naked. Was he wearing clothes before that? No. He was afraid because he had disobeyed God.
Where there is sin, there are always lies. Even between married couples, if there is something inappropriate going on, lies will follow. It’s said that women have excellent intuition. They don’t find out about their husband’s affairs through evidence, but by a feeling. The same goes for relationships between parents and children. When grades are poor, the student hides the report card and lies saying the results haven't come out yet. Eventually, when the lie is discovered, relationships are broken, and communication becomes difficult.
We tend to lie to avoid immediate consequences or escape an uncomfortable situation. It’s not something we intentionally craft—it comes out naturally. Why? Because of our sinful nature. Therefore, a life that puts on the new self is a continual battle against lies. Although we believe in Jesus and have received salvation of the spirit, the power of sin still tempts us to sin—to speak lies. Why? Because, as Jesus said, the devil is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).
A life of lies is exhausting. Once you lie, you must remember all your lies so that you don’t get caught. Mark Twain said, “If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.” Abraham Lincoln said, “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.” What does this mean? Lies will eventually be exposed.
It also tells us not to speak corrupt words, but rather to speak what is good for building others up. [Verse 29] Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Why must we be careful with our words? Because God hears them all. [Matthew 12:36] But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
God will ask us why we said what we said. Why will He question our words? Because words can hurt and destroy a soul. One harmful kind of speech is twisting someone’s words. That was the method the serpent used with Eve. Rumors are powerful. A mere cough becomes a rumor that someone is in intensive care. Slightly twisting a story can cause great pain to others. I once heard from YWAM about how they resolve conflicts in relationships: they conduct a three-party meeting to verify whether something was actually said. They trace the source of the rumor. This is where the term “real-name rumor system” came from. Dear beloved saints, I encourage you to put off falsehood and speak truthfully—speak words that build others up.
[Application] Have you ever been hurt because of a lie? Have there been times when a relationship was restored or improved through kind and truthful words?
(2) [Emotions] Control your anger and get rid of evil intentions.
[Verses 26-27] “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
We are told to manage intense emotions within us and control our anger. Many people misunderstand this passage. They think it’s okay to stay angry until the sun sets. That is not what this verse is saying. Remember, sin is often hidden inside anger. Why do we get angry? When we look closely, whether it’s us or someone else, anger often appears to be righteous on the outside, but if we dig a little deeper, we find that the real reason is because something didn’t go our way or our pride was hurt. If we continue to hold on to that anger, we give the devil a foothold. That anger will eventually be expressed and directed toward those around us. This ends up hurting others and causing damage.
So what should we do when we feel angry? Don’t unload it on people—go before God and honestly confess your emotions to Him. This is what David did in his prayers.
[Verse 31] Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
It tells us to get rid of evil hearts and evil intentions. If a thought comes to us with the purpose of hurting someone, or making them look bad, or if we make up stories just to protect ourselves from loss—that is an evil intention.
[Application] Have you ever thought, “If only I had held back a little more at that time”? Have you ever made something up to avoid loss?
(3) [Actions] Do not steal, but do what is good.
[Verse 28] Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
First, we are told not to steal. This can be difficult because it directly affects us economically. Stealing can mean directly taking what belongs to someone else, but it also includes things like tax evasion or using pirated software or movies—violating intellectual property rights. Also, I advise against reading the Bible or praying during work hours. If you’re being paid for that time, it should be used for your work. Of course, if it’s during unpaid breaks, then it’s fine, but otherwise, it’s not right. When Scripture says to “work,” it means to work honestly in proportion to what we’re paid. That is what it means to do good work.
Doing honest work and receiving fair compensation is a passive form of doing good. But there is also an active form—living a life of sharing. Verse 28 also says to help the poor with the money we have earned through our labor. True good works require personal sacrifice.
And in Verse 32, it describes another good work we must do as people who have put on the new self:
[Verse 32] Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
What are the good works we must do for others? Kindness and forgiveness. Are you being kind to others? Are you forgiving those who have wronged you? Like who? What does today’s passage say? Just as God forgave us in Christ, we too must forgive each other.
Faith is not just something we hold in our hearts—it shows in our lives. So it is with kindness, and so it is with forgiveness. I tend to be a bit blunt, and my wife often tells me, “Please be a little kinder.” I reply, “But my heart is warm!” But as I was preparing this sermon, I realized something: warmth that no one else can feel is not true warmth. If the other person doesn’t feel your kindness, it’s wrong to claim to be a kind person. Forgiveness, too—if the other person doesn’t know you’ve forgiven them, it’s not true forgiveness.
If we truly believe in Jesus, it shows in our lives. What’s in our hearts will come out in our actions.
There’s a story from the American frontier. Two men headed west in search of gold and discovered a gold mine in a secret place. They decided to go home to prepare, but made a pact to tell no one. If asked, they would say they found nothing, and they’d meet again in three days at dawn. They kept it a strict secret. But when they came out ready to leave, they saw the whole village had gathered with mining equipment.
Surprised, they asked, “Why are you all here?” “To go with you,” people replied. “But we didn’t find anything,” they insisted. “Don’t lie. Your words say one thing, but your faces say it all.”
Perhaps our inability to show kindness and forgiveness to others means we have forgotten the joy of salvation, the wonder of forgiveness, and the incredible love and grace of God.
Beloved brothers and sisters, just as the Lord treats us with love and kindness, and just as He forgives all our sins, let us treat everyone with kindness and forgiveness to the best of our ability.
May all of us be transformed day by day in our words, emotions, and actions into people who bring joy to the Lord in Christ Jesus.
[Application] What in your words, emotions, or actions grieves the Holy Spirit? Is there someone the Lord is bringing to mind today to whom you need to actively show kindness?
하늘소망교회(담임 손진국 목사)는 뉴질랜드 오클랜드 북부 실버데일에 세워진 한인교회로 '하나님의 마음으로 사람을 살리는 교회'입니다.
Hope of Heaven Baptist Church (Senior Pastor: Rev. Jinkook Sohn) is a Korean church established in Silverdale, Auckland, New Zealand. It is a church that saves people with the heart of God.