Scripture:
Ephesians 4:25-32 NKJV
[25] Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. [26] “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, [27] nor give place to the devil. [28] Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. [29] Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. [30] And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. [31] Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. [32] And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Observation:
The book of Ephesians it stuffed full of great words of wisdom. Wrote by Paul to help the church not only understand the spiritual battle but what it looked like to fight in that battle. Right here in chapter 4, we see Paul laying the groundwork for what it looks like to repent. The first behavior he zeros in on is lying, but it’s certainly not the last. His instructions are to stop doing it. Speaking the truth is the opposite of lying, as we all know. As I read this, I see that just like most of Paul’s writing, he gives both the negative and the positive behavior. For example, in Galatians chapter 5, he tells us the works of the flesh and then gives the contrasting fruit of the Spirit. Here is Ephesian his approach is very similar, with one small exception rather than giving a whole list he goes one by one for the most part, starting with lying and moving on to anger in verses26 and 27. We should notice that he does not say do not be angry. But do not sin behind your anger. This allows us to see that there is a right and a wrong way to handle anger. In verse 27, he makes a short statement that has a lot of impact if you are paying attention. “Nor give place to the devil.” I believe this statement is in place because when anger is left unresolved, it allows the enemy to turn it into resentment and/or bitterness, and the bible teaches that bitterness and resentment can affect your prayer life. Verse 28 has honestly had a major impact on my life. Teaching me what repentance looks like. Having been a thief due to addiction. Verse 29 is also another verse that has helped me and shows the contrast between a life lived in the flesh or led by the Spirit. The way we talk and the things we say sow seeds of life or death. Paul’s instructions here are to speak life. Build up your brothers and sisters. Throughout the bible, this principle is taught. Verse 30 tells us that the Holy Spirit can be grieved and we should be aware of that. We have been sealed by the stamp of the Holy Spirit when we accepted Jesus Christ as our LORD and SAVIOR. But HE can get frustrated with us if we do not pay attention to HIS leading when we are in our emotions. Verse 31 is a throat punch. Let all bitterness anger malice be put away from you along with evil talk. Finally, verse 32 brings us to the point. I’m going to rephrase it to tie it into other parts of the Bible, and I’m sure it will make sense as soon as you read it… love your neighbor as you love yourself. You have been forgiven, therefore forgive.
Application:
I could write forever about the bible and never run out of great principles to write about. It’s important not to pass over portions of scripture like this. The Bible is designed to correct us. One of the first things John the Baptist said was repent. Ironically enough, it was also the first thing Jesus said when when HE came out of the wilderness after HIS this of testing. But how can we do something if we don’t know what it looks like. GOD is a perfect GOD. HE has left nothing out. As HE spoke into the Holy Spirit, who spoke into the men like Paul to write the bible. HE gave us several ways to see where we were in our walk with HIM. Free will is a very difficult thing to navigate at times. As Joshua said, we get to choose who we will serve. Paul spells it out in Romans chapter 7. When he is going over the battle, we fight with our flesh and our spirit. We need to learn to walk by the Spirit, not by the flesh. All the contrast is put in the bible so we can see how to walk out our salvation and be transformed by the living word of GOD. Setting down an entire lifestyle of Sim is just not going to happen overnight. Staying in GOD’S word and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in and through us is the key. Romans chapter 12 verse 2 comes to mind. We renew our mind by changing the way we think. Setting down the old way of life and picking up the new way of life that is led by the Holy Spirit. Now, don’t get me wrong…. again, this is not something that happens overnight. The longer we walk with Jesus, the more and more the Holy Spirit points out to us that needs to be removed. To repent does not mean to just say I’m sorry. It means changing the behavior that cause the problem in the first place. Like I said in my observation. Verse 28 had a major impact on my life. I used to steal to feed an addiction to meth. Through the Holy Spirit with the help of a program called teen challenge. GOD showed me that I was a thief. After leaving the program. HE made that real evident. Pride and a lack of discipline in my life had taken me down a path that led to distraction. Verse 28 gave me a picture of repentance. First and foremost, stop the behavior… second, do something different. Stop stealing and work hard so that you have something to give. Giving has become my outlet. Sowing into the kingdom is my joy. An encounter with Jesus Christ has changed my life. It has been a process, and I am not perfect. There is a lot of change to come, but as the Holy Spirit points it out to me. I will do my very best not to grieve HIM. Justification happens the day we accept chrits. That moment day you are justified. Sanctification takes time and obedience to the Holy Spirit. So let’s do our best to walk worthy of the calling that GOD has placed on us. When the Holy Spirit points something out, remove it and change the way you do things to line up with GOD’S word.
Prayer:
Father, we love you. You are truly amazing. We know that you will not start something you do not finish and you started a work in us. Training us and molding us to be made in your image. Help us to walk instoe with your Holy Spirit. We do not want to be decived. We know that whatever we sow, that’s what we reap. We want to live a life that brings you glory and honor. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so there is no room for anything else. We want more of you and less of us. You are our GOD, and we are your people. You have paid a price for our lives that is beyond our understanding. Help us to put down that old life of the flesh and pick up the new life you have given us through your Holy Spirit. Dying daily to the things that have caused endless Kaos in our lives and picking up the freedom in Christ Jesus. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen.