Embracing New Life: Transformation Through Baptism and Community

Devotional

Day 1: Putting Off the Old Self and Embracing the New

Paul calls believers to leave behind the ways of the world—pointless thinking, hardened hearts, and self-serving actions—and instead to be renewed in mind and spirit, putting on a new self created in God’s image. This transformation is not just about avoiding certain behaviors, but about allowing God’s grace to reshape every part of life, so that truth, justice, and holiness become the foundation of daily living. The journey is ongoing, requiring daily choices to reject bitterness, dishonesty, and selfishness, and to embrace the life Christ offers. [22:30]

Ephesians 4:17–5:2 (CEB)
So I’m telling you this, and I insist on it in the Lord. You shouldn’t live your life like the Gentiles anymore. They base their lives on pointless thinking, and they are in the dark in their reasoning. They are disconnected from God’s life because of their ignorance and their closed hearts. They are people who lack all sense of right and wrong and who have turned themselves over to doing whatever feels good and to practicing every sort of corruption along with greed. But you didn’t learn that sort of thing from Christ! Since you really listened to him and you were taught how the truth is in Jesus, change the former way of life that was part of the person you once were, corrupted by deceitful desires. Instead, renew the thinking in your mind by the Spirit and clothe yourselves with the new person created according to God’s image in justice and true holiness. Therefore, after you have gotten rid of lying, each of you must tell the truth to your neighbor because we are parts of each other in the same body. Be angry without sinning. Don’t let the sun set on your anger. Don’t provide an opportunity for the devil. Thieves should no longer steal. Instead, they should go to work, using their hands to do good so that they will have something to share with whoever is in need. Don’t let any foul words come out of your mouth. Only say what is helpful when it is needed for building up the community so that it benefits those who hear what you say. Don’t make the Holy Spirit of God unhappy—you were sealed by him for the day of redemption. Put aside all bitterness, losing your temper, anger, shouting, and slander, along with every other evil. Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other, in the same way God forgave you in Christ. Therefore, imitate God like dearly loved children. Live your life with love, following the example of Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us. He was a sacrificial offering that smelled sweet to God.

Reflection: What is one “old self” habit or attitude you sense God calling you to put off today, and what is one practical way you can “put on” the new self in its place?

Day 2: Baptism as the Doorway to New Life

Baptism is not merely a ritual or symbol, but a powerful means of grace by which God welcomes us into the family of faith, marks us as beloved, and sets us on a lifelong journey of transformation. In baptism, we are buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life, not because of anything we have done, but because of God’s initiative and love. This new life is not a one-time event, but the beginning of a daily walk shaped by grace, truth, forgiveness, and love, as we grow together into the likeness of Christ. [27:11]

Romans 6:3–4 (ESV)
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Reflection: How does remembering your baptism (or reflecting on its meaning) inspire you to live differently today as someone marked by God’s grace?

Day 3: Living the New Life Together in Community

The Christian journey is not meant to be walked alone; it is a communal calling where each person is responsible for nurturing, supporting, and building up others in faith. The church promises to surround each member with love, forgiveness, and encouragement, helping one another to grow in trust, hope, and service. This shared life means that our words, actions, and commitments matter—not just for ourselves, but for the witness we offer to the world and for the next generation watching and learning from us. [39:50]

Hebrews 10:24–25 (ESV)
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Reflection: Who in your church family or community could you encourage or support today, and what is one specific way you can do so?

Day 4: God’s Grace Goes Before Us

Before we can understand, choose, or respond, God’s prevenient grace is already at work, calling us into relationship and claiming us as beloved. This grace is visible in the way God moves first—loving, inviting, and preparing the way for us to grow in faith. Our response is to trust in this grace, to accept the freedom and power God gives to resist evil, and to walk forward knowing that God’s love is always ahead of us, even when we falter or stray. [29:23]

John 6:44 (ESV)
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

Reflection: Where do you see evidence of God’s grace at work in your life or in the lives of others, even before faith or understanding was present?

Day 5: Letting Your Life Be a Fragrant Offering

The call to imitate God is a call to live a life marked by love, kindness, and sacrificial service, so that our lives become a fragrant offering, pleasing to God and a blessing to others. It is not about perfection or winning, but about making a difference in the lives of others through compassion, forgiveness, and faithful witness. When we live out our baptismal calling day by day, our lives point others to Christ and bring glory to God. [34:56]

Philippians 2:14–16 (ESV)
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

Reflection: In what situation today can you choose to be a “fragrant offering” by showing love, kindness, or forgiveness, even when it is difficult?

Sermon Summary

Paul’s words to the Ephesians call us to a radical transformation—a movement from the old ways of living, shaped by ignorance, selfishness, and brokenness, into a new life marked by truth, compassion, and holiness. This is not simply a matter of self-improvement or moral reform, but a deep, Spirit-led renewal that changes us from the inside out. We are invited to put off the old self, with its deceitful desires and destructive habits, and to be clothed in the new self, created in God’s image. This new life is not a solitary journey; it is lived out in community, where we speak truth, control our anger, work honestly, share with those in need, and build each other up with our words and actions.

Baptism stands as the doorway into this new life. It is not merely a symbol, but a means of grace—a divine act in which God claims us, welcomes us into the family of faith, and sets us on a lifelong journey of holiness. In the waters of baptism, we are buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life. This journey is not passive; it requires daily choices to live in love, kindness, and forgiveness, imitating God as dearly loved children. The grace that goes before us, that claims us before we can even respond, is especially visible in the baptism of infants, reminding us that God always moves first, calling us into relationship and community.

As a church, we make a sacred promise to nurture one another in faith, to model the love of Christ, and to walk together as we grow into the fullness of life God intends. Our lives, shaped by grace, become a fragrant offering to God, not just for our own sake, but for the sake of those who are watching, those not yet part of the family of God. The way we live—marked by love, truth, and forgiveness—matters deeply, for it is through our lives that others see Christ. May we remember our own baptisms, rejoice in God’s claim on our lives, and seek to live each day as beloved children, walking in love and sharing Christ with the world.

Key Takeaways

1. True transformation is not about minor self-improvement or temporary sacrifices, but about a deep, Spirit-led renewal that changes our very nature. We are called to put off the old self and be clothed in the new, created in God’s image, which is a lifelong process of sanctifying grace. This journey is not a checklist, but a continual surrender to God’s work within us. [26:27]
2. Baptism is not just a ritual or a symbol; it is a means of grace, a divine act where God claims us and welcomes us into the family of faith. In baptism, we are marked as Christ’s own forever, and set on a journey of holiness that is both individual and communal. This act reminds us that God’s love and initiative always come first, even before we can respond. [27:11]
3. The new life in Christ is lived out in community, not isolation. We are called to speak truth, control our anger, work honestly, share with those in need, and build each other up. Our words and actions, both in person and online, are to be sources of encouragement and grace, reflecting the character of Christ to one another. [27:55]
4. God’s grace is prevenient—it goes before us, calling us into relationship before we can even understand or choose. This is powerfully seen in the baptism of infants, where the church and family together promise to nurture the child in faith, trusting that God is already at work. Our journey of faith is always a response to God’s prior love and initiative. [29:23]
5. The way we live matters more than what we say we believe. Our lives are to be a fragrant offering to God, marked by love, kindness, and forgiveness, so that others may see Christ in us. It is through our daily choices and the way we treat others that we truly bear witness to the transforming power of God’s grace. [34:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[21:48] - Reading from Ephesians: The Call to New Life
[25:08] - The Brokenness of the Old Way
[25:50] - Transformation, Not Just Reform
[26:27] - Putting On the New Self
[27:11] - Baptism: Doorway to Grace
[27:55] - Living the New Life Together
[28:39] - Prevenient Grace and Infant Baptism
[30:06] - Confirmation and Justifying Grace
[31:27] - The Lifelong Journey of Sanctification
[32:07] - Baptism: The Beginning, Not the End
[33:29] - Living as a Community Marked by Grace
[34:10] - The Witness of Our Lives
[35:40] - Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant
[37:09] - Baptismal Promises and Congregational Vows
[41:36] - The Story of God’s Saving Work
[42:51] - Sealed by the Spirit: Welcoming a New Member
[45:25] - Prayers and Blessings for the Baptized

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Ephesians 4:17 – 5:2 (ESV) —
> Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
>
> Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
>
> Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

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## Observation Questions

1. According to Paul in Ephesians 4:17-24, what are some characteristics of the “old self” and the “new self”?
2. What specific instructions does Paul give about how we should treat one another in community? (Ephesians 4:25-32)
3. In the sermon, what are some examples given of the “old ways” that Paul says we should leave behind? [25:08]
4. How does the sermon describe the role of baptism in beginning the journey of new life? [27:11]

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## Interpretation Questions

1. The sermon says transformation is not just about self-improvement, but a deep, Spirit-led renewal. What does it mean for change to come “from the inside out” rather than just changing our behavior? [25:50]
2. Why is it important that the new life in Christ is lived out in community, not just as individuals? How does this shape our understanding of church? [27:55]
3. The sermon highlights that God’s grace comes before our response, especially in infant baptism. What does this teach us about God’s character and our relationship with Him? [29:23]
4. The pastor said, “How we live is even more important than what we say we believe.” What are the implications of this for our daily lives and witness? [34:10]

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## Application Questions

1. Paul calls us to “put off the old self” and “put on the new self.” What is one specific “old habit” or attitude you sense God inviting you to let go of right now? What would it look like to “put on” something new in its place this week? [26:27]
2. The sermon describes baptism as the beginning of a lifelong journey, not just a one-time event. How can you remember and live out your baptism in practical ways this month? Is there a daily or weekly practice you could start? [32:07]
3. The new life in Christ is meant to be lived in community. Is there someone in your church or neighborhood who needs encouragement, forgiveness, or practical help? What is one step you can take to build them up this week? [27:55]
4. The pastor mentioned that our words—spoken or typed—should build others up. Think about your recent conversations or social media posts. Is there a change you feel led to make in how you communicate? [27:55]
5. The sermon says God’s grace always moves first, even before we can respond. How does this truth affect the way you view your own faith journey, especially in times when you feel distant from God? [29:23]
6. The church makes a promise to nurture one another in faith. Who has helped nurture your faith, and how might you do the same for someone else? [32:46]
7. The pastor said our lives are to be a “fragrant offering” to God, so that others may see Christ in us. What is one area of your life where you want to be more intentional about reflecting Christ’s love, kindness, or forgiveness this week? [34:10]

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Closing Prayer Suggestion: — Invite the group to pray, thanking God for His grace that goes before us, asking for help to live out our baptisms, and to be a community marked by love, truth, and forgiveness.

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