Ephesians 4:17–28

The Old Life and the New

¹⁷Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer walk as the^l gentiles walk, in the futility of their minds;^{* 18}they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart.^{* 19}They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. ²⁰That is not the way you learned Christ! ²¹For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, ²²to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts,^{* 23}and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.^*

Rules for the New Life

²⁵So then, putting away falsehood, let each of you speak the truth with your neighbor, for we are members of one another.^{* 26}Be angry but do not sin;^m do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷and do not make room for the devil. ²⁸Those who steal must give up stealing; rather, let them labor, doing good work with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy.