4. LORDSHIP AND LIVING HIS LIFE

The apostle again uses the phrase "in the Lord", in relationship to the lifestyle of those living under the Lordship of Jesus.

Ephesians 4:17 "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, ..."

Their lives are to be different now that they are in Christ, and the apostle speaks to them on the authority of the living Lord. Acceptance of His Lordship means witnessing for Him in the power of a completely new life. The apostle draws for them and for us, a full-length portrait of the former life of sin. They had been walking:

Ephesians 4:17-19 "... in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness."

Not all of the Ephesians may have fallen with such abandon as described here, but every one of them had walked as sinners in just such company. There is no doubt that we will recognise features of our past walk in sin, and under the dominion of Satan.

	It is a picture of spiritual death, "being alienated from the life of God".
	It is a picture of spiritual darkness, "having the understanding darkened".
	It is a picture of specific degeneracy, "who being past feeling, have given themselves over ..."
	It is a picture of sensual depravity, "over to licentiousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness".

This is a graphic statement of the insatiable nature of sinful desire - and a vivid description of our own day. When we hand over our lives to the control of the Lord, our altogether different life shows that we are under new management. The same Lord who lived His life on earth in a physical body, now lives His life of purity and God pleasing in the surrendered life of the believer. Just as the Father sent the Son to reveal Him in the life He lived before men, so Jesus now sends us into the world to live His life before men. The Lord Jesus was able to say:

John 14:7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."

When our lives are lived under the control of the Lord, He is seen in us. The evidence that we accept His Lordship is seen in our living His life, because accepting his government of our lives, makes it possible for Him to live His life in us. The apostle describes this life:

Ephesians 4:24 "and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness."

Living His life is an entirely new life. Having put off the old life, we are now by an act of commitment and faith to put on the new life. The apostle describes by contrast the new life which is really living His life.