0:00:01.055,0:00:08.094 The "put off" is not passive. 0:00:08.094,0:00:09.654 But you know what? 0:00:09.654,0:00:13.284 We can act like it is. 0:00:13.284,0:00:16.903 And this can be one [br]of the greatest killers 0:00:16.903,0:00:20.285 to sanctification that we can encounter, 0:00:20.285,0:00:23.003 when we deal with sanctification 0:00:23.003,0:00:27.817 as though it is passive. 0:00:27.817,0:00:29.986 I want to be clear about something. 0:00:29.986,0:00:33.380 Putting off the old man 0:00:33.380,0:00:36.363 is something that Paul is telling 0:00:36.363,0:00:42.365 the Colossians and the [br]Ephesians that they do. 0:00:42.365,0:00:44.676 Oh, I know it's past tense [br]with the Colossians, 0:00:44.676,0:00:48.231 but it's something they did. 0:00:48.231,0:00:50.654 Putting off these old man-ish ways 0:00:50.654,0:00:53.086 are something they must do. 0:00:53.086,0:00:55.645 It is something he is appealing to them. 0:00:55.645,0:00:57.655 It's not something done to us. 0:00:57.655,0:00:59.731 It's not something done for us. 0:00:59.731,0:01:02.427 It is specifically: you are to put away. 0:01:02.427,0:01:04.177 You are to put off. 0:01:04.177,0:01:05.844 That's the language of Scripture. 0:01:05.844,0:01:07.774 Put off the old man. 0:01:07.774,0:01:09.773 Put away falsehood, put away bitterness, 0:01:09.773,0:01:12.890 put away wrath, put away anger. 0:01:12.890,0:01:15.547 And you know what Paul never says here? 0:01:15.547,0:01:18.144 Well, what you really need to do 0:01:18.144,0:01:20.684 is pray about it. 0:01:20.684,0:01:23.087 What you really need [br]to do is fast about it 0:01:23.087,0:01:24.535 or seek counsel over it. 0:01:24.535,0:01:31.638 Now look, you need to hear me right. 0:01:31.638,0:01:36.241 You say, he's telling us [br]not to pray about this, 0:01:36.241,0:01:37.567 not to fast about this. 0:01:37.567,0:01:39.752 I always knew. I always knew he had error. 0:01:39.752,0:01:41.644 There it is. 0:01:41.644,0:01:44.536 I knew something was wrong. 0:01:44.536,0:01:47.184 Listen, you know as well as I do 0:01:47.184,0:01:51.030 Scripture talks about [br]praying without ceasing. 0:01:51.030,0:01:52.545 But you need to listen to me 0:01:52.545,0:01:54.876 and you need to hear [br]not what I'm saying so much 0:01:54.876,0:01:58.069 as hear what Paul is saying. 0:01:58.069,0:02:00.735 Far too often through the years 0:02:00.735,0:02:05.141 as I have been a pastor in this church, 0:02:05.141,0:02:09.237 people use prayer as a crutch 0:02:09.237,0:02:12.178 in a bad way and in a wrong way. 0:02:12.178,0:02:15.890 I can tell you I have seen people 0:02:15.890,0:02:20.418 make horrible decisions in their life. 0:02:20.418,0:02:23.375 But they say, "Well, I prayed about it." 0:02:23.375,0:02:28.601 As though that just certifies 0:02:28.601,0:02:31.641 that what they're [br]doing has God's approval. 0:02:31.641,0:02:33.255 "I prayed about it." 0:02:33.255,0:02:36.140 As though you can't touch me now. 0:02:36.140,0:02:41.718 No counsel that is against [br]this is going to stand 0:02:41.718,0:02:45.285 because I prayed about this. 0:02:45.285,0:02:52.405 That's one way I've [br]seen prayer used wrongly. 0:02:52.405,0:02:56.324 But there's another way. 0:02:56.324,0:02:58.255 You've got some sin in your life. 0:02:58.255,0:03:00.436 There's something wrong. 0:03:00.436,0:03:04.295 And you say, well, I know [br]that I have this thing 0:03:04.295,0:03:05.583 in my life that's wrong 0:03:05.583,0:03:06.926 and it's dishonoring to God. 0:03:06.926,0:03:11.287 And I'm asking God to take it away. 0:03:11.287,0:03:17.355 And you see, that sounds very... what? 0:03:17.355,0:03:21.134 Christian, noble. 0:03:21.134,0:03:25.586 And I'll tell you so often [br]it is nothing but false piety. 0:03:25.586,0:03:28.251 "Well, I'm praying about [br]this sin in my life." 0:03:28.251,0:03:32.751 And you know what Paul would say? 0:03:32.751,0:03:35.469 You go ahead and pray about that, 0:03:35.469,0:03:37.953 but if you're ever going [br]to live a sanctified life, 0:03:37.953,0:03:39.334 you better come to the place 0:03:39.334,0:03:41.462 where you put that off yourself. 0:03:41.462,0:03:42.614 (incomplete thought) 0:03:42.614,0:03:44.095 You know what happens. 0:03:44.095,0:03:46.665 Somebody prays - "I prayed about it." 0:03:46.665,0:03:48.635 And now they sit there. 0:03:48.635,0:03:52.200 "I prayed about that bitterness."[br]"I prayed about that lack of forgiveness." 0:03:52.200,0:03:53.660 "I prayed about my laziness." 0:03:53.660,0:03:56.988 I prayed about this, [br]that, and the other thing. 0:03:56.988,0:03:58.275 And then you sit there. 0:03:58.275,0:04:00.151 And I know what you're waiting for. 0:04:00.151,0:04:04.740 You're waiting for this feeling of power. 0:04:04.740,0:04:06.172 Ahhh... 0:04:06.172,0:04:08.281 You know, you wake up and it's like 0:04:08.281,0:04:10.394 now you're this spiritual superman 0:04:10.394,0:04:12.601 and you feel it coursing [br]through your veins. 0:04:12.601,0:04:16.271 And it's like power's just exuding, 0:04:16.271,0:04:18.112 like you're going to see some light 0:04:18.112,0:04:20.823 emanating from your face [br]when you look in the mirror. 0:04:20.823,0:04:22.878 But that's how we are. 0:04:22.878,0:04:24.369 Oh, I'm going to feel this. 0:04:24.369,0:04:30.770 Paul says you might [br]want to examine v. 17-32. 0:04:30.770,0:04:35.103 You'll notice I'm not really [br]charging the people 0:04:35.103,0:04:37.114 that they need to pray more. 0:04:37.114,0:04:39.240 Where do you see prayer at all there? 0:04:39.240,0:04:41.578 Paul doesn't tell you to [br]pray about dishonesty 0:04:41.578,0:04:43.272 or bitterness or laziness. 0:04:43.272,0:04:46.501 Does he? 0:04:46.501,0:04:47.782 He doesn't! 0:04:47.782,0:04:50.107 You know what? He [br]goes straight to the point. 0:04:50.107,0:04:51.910 And he says, you, Christian, 0:04:51.910,0:04:55.572 need to get that out of your life. 0:04:55.572,0:05:00.442 Period. 0:05:00.442,0:05:01.661 Get on with it, man. 0:05:01.661,0:05:03.191 That's what Paul is saying. 0:05:03.191,0:05:04.947 Paul doesn't say to the Ephesians: 0:05:04.947,0:05:08.352 Well, you have certain [br]people in your church 0:05:08.352,0:05:10.241 with old man-ish tendencies. 0:05:10.241,0:05:12.580 Some of you aren't speaking [br]truth to one another. 0:05:12.580,0:05:14.452 Some of you are given to sinful anger. 0:05:14.452,0:05:16.858 Some are letting the sun [br]go down on their anger. 0:05:16.858,0:05:18.743 Some are giving advantage to the devil. 0:05:18.743,0:05:21.507 Some of you are not laboring [br]very diligently in giving. 0:05:21.507,0:05:23.511 Some of you are grieving the Holy Spirit. 0:05:23.511,0:05:25.271 Some are bitter and slanderous. 0:05:25.271,0:05:27.030 He doesn't tell them to go start 0:05:27.030,0:05:29.613 a special Thursday evening prayer meeting. 0:05:29.613,0:05:31.951 You know what he tells them? 0:05:31.951,0:05:35.448 You put that off. 0:05:35.448,0:05:37.449 Stop it. 0:05:37.449,0:05:42.322 Oh! That doesn't sound very spiritual. 0:05:42.322,0:05:46.658 Having Thursday night prayer [br]meeting sounds spiritual. 0:05:46.658,0:05:51.253 Yeah, but you come back a year later, 0:05:51.253,0:05:53.572 and who are the people [br]that are running well? 0:05:53.572,0:05:55.871 Who are the people that [br]are the godly examples? 0:05:55.871,0:05:59.001 They're the ones that stood up [br]and looked their sin face-to-face 0:05:59.001,0:06:00.635 and said, "You're coming off." 0:06:00.635,0:06:02.182 And you go to battle against it. 0:06:02.182,0:06:05.256 Versus the guy that has the [br]prayer meeting every Thursday night. 0:06:05.256,0:06:07.307 And a year later, he's just as pathetic 0:06:07.307,0:06:09.303 and wrapped up in his sin as ever. 0:06:09.303,0:06:11.157 Why? (incomplete thought) 0:06:11.157,0:06:13.785 It's like here's God. 0:06:13.785,0:06:17.556 God's saying to you: Take it off. 0:06:17.556,0:06:19.587 And you say, "Help me take it off." 0:06:19.587,0:06:22.566 And He says Paul's under inspiration here. 0:06:22.566,0:06:24.037 Take it off. 0:06:24.037,0:06:26.139 "Would You please help me to take it off?" 0:06:26.139,0:06:27.538 Take it off! 0:06:27.538,0:06:30.966 Can you imagine if your [br]child was doing that? 0:06:30.966,0:06:31.967 What would you do? 0:06:31.967,0:06:34.957 Most parents would eventually [br]become frustrated with that 0:06:34.957,0:06:39.166 and they'd take the child as [br]rebelling and spank them. 0:06:39.166,0:06:41.176 If you as a parent say to your child, 0:06:41.176,0:06:44.660 "Take that shirt off right now." 0:06:44.660,0:06:46.405 "Would you help me to take it off?" 0:06:46.405,0:06:48.927 You have arms. You can take that off. 0:06:48.927,0:06:51.606 You're equipped to take that off. 0:06:51.606,0:06:54.776 "Oh, but I need power to take this off." 0:06:54.776,0:06:57.046 "I need help to take this off." 0:06:57.046,0:07:00.119 Take it off! 0:07:00.119,0:07:03.728 But you see, we feel so pious and so holy 0:07:03.728,0:07:05.898 and so, oh, you know, I'm a man of prayer. 0:07:05.898,0:07:07.751 I pray about that sin all the time. 0:07:07.751,0:07:09.948 Yeah, how long have you [br]been praying for it? 0:07:09.948,0:07:12.271 The last twenty years? [br]Why do you still have it? 0:07:12.271,0:07:14.180 Because you never took it off. 0:07:14.180,0:07:16.118 You see, that's the way Paul's talking. 0:07:16.118,0:07:19.721 We need to come face-to-face with this. 0:07:19.721,0:07:26.089 There's something that's [br]definitely active on your part - 0:07:26.089,0:07:27.310 almost aggressive. 0:07:27.310,0:07:28.957 There's a violence about this. 0:07:28.957,0:07:30.326 And there ought to be. 0:07:30.326,0:07:32.614 There's a lot of procrastination. 0:07:32.614,0:07:35.169 There's a lot of false piety. 0:07:35.169,0:07:38.113 We get people who struggle [br]with the same thing 0:07:38.113,0:07:40.411 over and over and over. 0:07:40.411,0:07:43.215 They pray. They ask others to pray. 0:07:43.215,0:07:46.877 But Paul comes along [br]and simply tells them: 0:07:46.877,0:07:49.075 Stop. 0:07:49.075,0:07:51.361 Are you a thief? 0:07:51.361,0:07:57.010 Stop. And work with your hands and give. 0:07:57.010,0:07:59.191 Are you grieving the Spirit? 0:07:59.191,0:08:00.825 Stop it. 0:08:00.825,0:08:03.480 Are you bitter? Are you unforgiving? 0:08:03.480,0:08:05.706 Put it off. 0:08:05.706,0:08:11.346 Quit doing that. 0:08:11.346,0:08:13.703 Stop acting like a baby. 0:08:13.703,0:08:15.731 Because the truth is you're not a baby. 0:08:15.731,0:08:18.289 You know what the truth is? [br]You're God's man. 0:08:18.289,0:08:20.738 You're God's woman. 0:08:20.738,0:08:22.739 And he's telling us to act like it. 0:08:22.739,0:08:24.911 And I know you're going to declare to me. 0:08:24.911,0:08:28.095 Oh, I'm so weak... 0:08:28.095,0:08:29.796 I'm so frail. 0:08:29.796,0:08:31.862 I'm too pathetic, too inexperienced, 0:08:31.862,0:08:35.113 too newly saved, too dark a season. 0:08:35.113,0:08:37.089 My righteousness's are filthy rags. 0:08:37.089,0:08:41.602 My heart's deceitful. No one's good. 0:08:41.602,0:08:45.729 What's the answer to this? 0:08:45.729,0:08:49.096 You're a new creation in Christ. 0:08:49.096,0:08:51.627 Old things are passed away. 0:08:51.627,0:08:57.161 If by the Spirit, you put to death [br]the deeds of the body, 0:08:57.161,0:08:58.528 you will live. 0:08:58.528,0:09:00.216 If you live according to the flesh, 0:09:00.216,0:09:02.474 you're going to die. 0:09:02.474,0:09:03.675 Let me ask you this: 0:09:03.675,0:09:05.271 Are you a Christian? You say yes. 0:09:05.271,0:09:08.985 Does Scripture teach that if you're [br]a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit? 0:09:08.985,0:09:10.587 You say yes. 0:09:10.587,0:09:12.141 Case closed. 0:09:12.141,0:09:14.249 You have the Holy Spirit. 0:09:14.249,0:09:16.592 By the Holy Spirit, you put to death 0:09:16.592,0:09:18.874 the deeds of the body. 0:09:18.874,0:09:21.655 This excerpt was taken [br]from the full sermon: 0:09:21.655,0:09:23.766 What is the "Old Man"?