“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
My Notes
What Does Ephesians 4:24 Mean?
Paul is describing the transformation that happens in Christ — putting off the old self and putting on the new. The "new man" isn't improved morality or better behavior. It's a new creation, "after God" — created according to God's pattern, in His image.
The two characteristics of this new self are "righteousness" and "true holiness" (or "holiness of truth," per the marginal note). Righteousness describes right relationship — with God and with others. Holiness describes being set apart — distinct, consecrated, dedicated. Together, they describe a life that is both relationally whole and distinctly devoted.
The phrase "created in" is passive — you didn't create this new self. God did. You put it on. The work of creation is God's; the act of wearing it is yours. It's like being given a garment you didn't sew but are asked to dress in every morning.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How does it change your approach to spiritual growth to think of it as 'putting on' something God already created rather than building something from scratch?
- 2.Which feels more natural to you right now — the old self or the new? What makes the difference?
- 3.What does 'putting on the new man' look like first thing in the morning for you — practically, not just spiritually?
- 4.Is there a specific area of righteousness or holiness that feels like it's still hanging in the closet, unworn?
Devotional
You didn't create your new self. That's the first thing to notice. God created it. You're asked to wear it.
This distinction matters because so many of us approach spiritual growth as self-improvement. We try to construct a better version of ourselves through effort, discipline, and sheer willpower. Paul says something different: God already created the new you. In righteousness and true holiness. It already exists. Your job is to put it on.
Putting on the new self is a daily, deliberate act. It's not automatic. You wake up and you have a choice — will you live out of the old patterns or step into what God has already created? It's less about building something from scratch and more about remembering what's already true and living into it.
Righteousness and true holiness. Right relationship and genuine devotion. These aren't aspirations — they're descriptions of who you already are in Christ. The gap between who you are and how you live isn't a gap between who you were made to be and who you'll someday become. It's a gap between what you've been given and what you haven't yet put on.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Be ye angry, and sin not,.... There is anger which is not sinful; for anger is fouled in God himself, in Jesus Christ,…
And that ye put on the new man - The new man refers to the renovated nature. This is called in other places, the “new…
Put on the new man - Get a new nature; for in Christ Jesus - under the Christian dispensation, neither circumcision…
The apostle having gone through his exhortation to mutual love, unity, and concord, in the foregoing verses, there…
that ye put on See note on "put off," Eph 4:22. Here again is an aorist infinitive in the Gr.; and we may…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture