Ephesians 4:17-24 - Appeal For New Behavior

¹⁷ Therefore, I tell you and insist on in the Lord not to live any longer like the gentiles live, thinking worthless thoughts. ¹⁸ They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart. ¹⁹ Since they have lost all sense of shame, they have abandoned themselves to sensuality and practice every kind of sexual perversion without restraint.

²⁰ However, that is not the way you came to know the Messiah. ²¹ Surely you have listened to him and have been taught by him, since truth is in Jesus. ²² Regarding your former way of life, you were taught to strip off your old nature, which is being ruined by its deceptive desires, ²³ to be renewed in your mental attitude, ²⁴ and to clothe yourselves with the new nature, which was created according to God's image in righteousness and true holiness.

¹² Therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. ¹³ Be tolerant of one another and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, you also should forgive. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which ties everything together in unity. ¹⁵ Let the peace of the Messiah also rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body, and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of the Messiah inhabit you richly with wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and singing to God with thankfulness in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether by speech or action, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.