Ephesians 4:17-24 - Appeal For New Behavior

¹⁷ So I mean this and now testify to it in the name of the Lord: You must now stop living as the heathen usually do, in the frivolity of their minds, ¹⁸ with darkened understanding, estranged from the life of God because of the ignorance that exists among them and because of the stubbornness of their hearts; ¹⁹ for in their recklessness they have abandoned themselves to sensuality which leads to excessive practices of all sorts of immorality.

²⁰ But this is not the way you have learned what Christ means, ²¹ if, as I take it, you have heard Him and in union with Him have been taught the truth as it is seen in Jesus, ²² to lay aside, with your former way of living, your old self which is on the way to destruction in accordance with its deceptive impulses; ²³ and to have a new attitude of mind ²⁴ and put on the new self which has been created in the likeness of God, which fruits in right and holy living inspired by the truth.

¹² So as God's own chosen people, consecrated and dearly loved, you must once for all clothe yourselves with tenderheartedness, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience; you must keep on ¹³ forbearing one another and freely forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; just as the Lord has freely forgiven you, so must you also do. ¹⁴ And over all these qualities put on love, which is the tie of perfection that binds us together. ¹⁵ Let the peace that Christ can give keep on acting as umpire in your hearts, for you were called to this state as members of one body. And practice being thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ continue to live in you in all its wealth of wisdom; keep on teaching it to one another and training one another in it with thankfulness, in your hearts singing praise to God with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. ¹⁷ And whatever you say or do, let it all be done with reference to the Lord Jesus, and through Him continue to give thanks to God the Father.