Welcome back to week 36. We hope the past week has been a blessed one for you. Last week we briefly considered the language we use in the biblical counseling process. This week we will briefly examine the significance of Ephesians 4:17-25 for biblical counseling and discipleship.

The significance of Ephesians 4:17-25 as a tool for teaching Christlikeness in counseling is huge.  In this passage Paul is teaching believers the take-off and put on principle. The take-off and put on principle refers to taking something off, and then putting something on. This is a simple yet profound concept. Because the biblical counselor disciples his counselee’s from God’s Word, aided by the empowering Holy Spirit, he is much more effective in this task than his worldly counterpart who operates through the powerless psychological system.

In the section at hand Paul explains the take-off part of his principle. In verse 17 he instructs us to “walk no longer as the Gentiles also walk.” When Paul says, “Gentiles” he means unbelievers. When he uses the verb, “walk” it is in the present tense and speaks of a life pattern, a practice. 

Thus, Paul instructs believers to stop thinking and living like an unbeliever. He says unbelievers practice a futile way of thinking and possess ignorance, that comes from willful ignorance of God, which in turn leads to all kinds of immorality. He is saying that unbelievers think willfully wicked thoughts and manifest a corresponding life-pattern (cf. Rom. 1:18). Paul exhorts the believer to take-off that kind of life which is the former way of sinful life (v. 22). We are being admonished not to think and live like that. 

Now, if Paul stopped his instruction with the take-off portion of the principle, he would be right where psychologists stop. Psychologists answer the question: “when is a drug addict not a drug addict?” with the answer, “when he stops taking drugs.” However, that answer is woefully inadequate because it is addressing behavior alone. If man’s behavior alone is addressed the only thing that can be expected is a drug addict who is not taking drugs right now. This is a person still enslaved to the drug who is currently on vacation. His wicked heart has not been changed and will look for any opportunity or excuse to leap back into the sin from which it came.^[1]

However, Paul does not stop at the take-off portion and this is where the immense value of the passage comes into its fullness. Paul also instructs us to put on a new way of thinking (v. 23), and a new self which is in the likeness of God. This is a life marked by righteousness, holiness, and truth (v.2 4). 

Paul does not stop with behavior modification. He is talking about a complete transformation of one’s heart which comes only from knowing Jesus Christ (v. 20). Paul is talking about putting the horse before the cart –so to speak. Paul targets the heart first because he knows that no real change will be accomplished until the heart has been renewed by Christ (Matt. 12:34; 15:11, 18; Luke 6:45; James 4:1-3). Then, once the heart has been supernaturally changed, it will manifest that change through a life that is full of truth and love toward others (v. 25).^[2] Either way, believer or unbeliever, the heart drives the practice. So, its foolish, unproductive, and not God-honoring to go after the practice first. And, even if the practice is altered, it is temporarily on hiatus until the next opportunity arises.

The take-off and put on principle found in God’s Word is significant because it does not operate from man’s bankrupt philosophies of changing the behavior alone. The psychological system produces self-righteous Pharisees. On the other hand, Scripture’s principles and commands give real hope to the counselee and teach him or her how to live a life of victory over sin. 

The take-off and put on principle teaches the counselee what the real repentance and reconciliation necessary for a righteous life lived in Christ looks like. That is the significance of Ephesians 4:17-25 significance in counseling. It is yet another Divinely inspired tool to help us effect real heart change; real repentance, escape from enslaving vices, and bring more glory to God! No secular plan, program, or philosophy can accomplish that. We hope our short time considering the significance of Ephesians 4:17-25 for biblical counseling and discipleship was helpful. God’s Word truly is sufficient and the only source of hope. Lord willing, next week we will briefly examine, and diagram, how depression develops and is to be alleviated. Until then may our Lord bless you and keep you

^[1] This is exactly why Alcoholics Anonymous, and other organizations like them, tells their attendees that they are always an alcoholic in recovery, that they are only one drink away from a relapse. They might not realize the ultimate cause, a sinful heart, but they do realize the reality of life-dominating addiction (i.e., enslavement). In contrast, read Romans 3:10-18 for a look at the reason people stay enslaved to things like this.

^[2] Cf. Matt. 3:8; Eph. 4:28-32; James 2:14-26.