EPHESIANS4 vv20-21

 The essence of the new nature                (20-21)

"But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by(in) Him, as the truth is in Jesus."

The first thing to note is that he moves from a catalogue of evils in our fallen state, directly to Christ.   God's new life given to us is not a catalogue of good works, it is not an alternative life creed, it is not a list of rules which we are to follow, it is rather a glorious person of infinite beauty, who is in His very person "the truth" and He is our new standard of life.   Everything apart from Him is a lie and is of the devil, everything of Him is the truth, and represents God truly.   Thus we do not have a list of commandments as our model of life, we have the person of Christ.   Note the change from Christ to Jesus from verse 20 to verse 21.   Jesus is the title of His humanity, and if we would know how to live in our new situation we must learn from the gospel records of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the nature of His life while here on earth.   During His short stay on earth, He fully demonstrated godliness and He is one we should follow in every aspect of life.

• Once we lived in emptiness of mind, now our minds are filled with the things of God.
• Once our understanding was darkened, now we have been illuminated.
• Once we were alienated from the life of God, now we are in fellowship with God.
• Once our hearts were hardened to the truth of God, now we are receptive to Him.
• Once our consciences were inert to His will, now we have been awakened.
• Once we lived according to the dictates of sinful desires, leading to corruption and rank selfishness, now we seek holiness before God and the betterment of others.

All this in Christ, who changes not only our destiny, but also our lifestyle!   We are now introduced to one of the many "if" statements of scripture.....it is not so much a matter of questioning anyone's salvation, it is that of asserting that true salvation will lead to a change of lifestyle.   Salvation in the Bible is never presented in terms of profession, but in terms of real spiritual change, and if no such change is evident, the profession is probably just that and nothing else.

Romans8 v10    "If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."

Ephesians4 v21 "If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him....."

Colossians1 v23 "...if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled....."

Hebrews3 v6      "..whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."

True salvation will result in true conversion of the individual.   Note the process by which this change of lifestyle takes place.   He says "you learned Christ.....", you learned Him by first of all hearing Him, then you were taught in Him.   Hearing Him involved heeding His word, believing His word, just as He said when He was here....  "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life."   His word, in the matter of salvation, is authoritative for everyone.   He is the giver of everlasting life, He is also the authority of our spiritual growth, His word, His life must become indispensable to us in our new life, and so we have not only heard Him for initial salvation, we are "taught in Him", and since there is so much to learn it will be a continual process.   "Taught in Him" involves not merely verbal academic teaching, it involves inward supernatural power within such that only the Spirit can provide.   However it is only in exceptional circumstances the Holy Spirit by-passes the normal means of communication, and so the continuous programme of bible teaching, as indicated in scripture, and, as practised by the Apostles, indeed, as expounded in the first half of Ephesians chapter4, should be in evidence in every church.   This teaching is to be "according as the truth is in Jesus", and so it is unlikely such teaching will ever end this side of eternity.   In the first half of the letter, we are "in Christ" with all the attendant blessings; in the second half it is Christ in us with all the inevitable responsibilities.