We all need to have a clear vision of the new man. Our former manner of life, our heritage from Babel, and even the Jewish ordinances have been abolished in the flesh of Christ by His death on the cross. Instead of treasuring our heritage, we should disown it. On the positive side, we need to see that the new man has already been created and, by regeneration, has been put into our spirit. The need now is for our spirit to become the dominant part of our being. This means that our spirit mingled with the Spirit of God must become the spirit of our mind (4:23). If our spirit is the spirit of our mind, then all our living will be by the spirit. Whatever we do will be according to the spirit. This spirit of our mind will then become the renewing spirit. As we are renewed by this spirit, we put on the new man.
Ephesians 4:24 indicates that the new man was created according to God directly. But Colossians 3:10 reveals that the new man is being renewed unto full knowledge, which is according to the image of God (Gk.). Because the new man was created according to God, in a very real sense it is the same as God. Nevertheless, in our experience the new man must be renewed unto the full knowledge that is according to the image, the expression, of God who created him. The creation of the new man according to God has already been completed, but in our experience the new man is renewed unto full knowledge little by little. In this way the new man experienced by us becomes the expression of God.
Ephesians 4:24 says that the new man is created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Righteousness here signifies God’s deeds, and holiness signifies His being. Whatever God does is righteous, and whatever God is, is holy. The new man is created according to God in both of these respects. Moreover, both righteousness and holiness are of the truth. Dean Alford says that in this verse truth denotes the very essence of God, for God is truth. This is in contrast with the lust of the deceit mentioned in 4:22. Deceit is the essence of Satan, who is a liar, but truth is the essence of God, who is truth. Thus, the lusts are of Satan, who is the deceit, whereas righteousness and holiness are of God, who is the truth. Vincent points out that in these verses deceit and truth should be personified. The new man is created according to God in righteousness and holiness, two aspects of God’s essence.
In our experience of the new man, the new man is gradually renewed unto a full knowledge according to the image of the Creator. This renewal takes place by the putting away of the former manner of life and by our living according to the spirit. In the past we have spoken a great deal about our spirit. However, we should not separate this from the matter of putting off our former manner of life. If we would have the new man as our living, we must firstly put off our former manner of life. Then we must allow our spirit to become the leading, dominating, directing, and governing element of our whole being. If we live in this way, spontaneously the process of renewing will take place within us. Such a continual renewing is the putting on of the new man. This is the church life, the life and living of the new man.
In this message I have not put forth a philosophical teaching. On the contrary, I have shared with you the vision the Lord has shown me concerning the putting on of the new man. I do not care for teachings according to culture, custom, or ethics. My burden is that we have a heavenly vision of what God is seeking in these days. God desires the one new man. This new man must be the living of the church today. The way to live this new man is to put off the former manner of life and to allow our entire being and daily living to be dominated and directed by the spirit. Then we shall be renewed and experience the new man as our church life.