Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:1. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:1

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.”

All of the instructions that went before and after this verse have to be understood in the context that we are beloved children of God. The commandments are not given dispassionately or in a vacuum. The reason is that Paul wants us to be imitators of God.

To imitate God is to imitate him in a particular, narrow range. We cannot imitate His power or strength, His unlimited knowledge and wisdom, nor in His transcendence over creation. We are not to receive worship or prayer. We are not to pretend to be God.

To understand what it means to be imitators of God, we need to go back to the creation story. In Genesis 1:26 God says, “ Let us make men in our image, in our likeness.”

God’s initial plan was that people were to carry his likeness in their being. Our way of life was, in every way, meant to reflect the glory, the personality, and the character of God.

Of course, sin marred that somewhat. We no longer bear that image in a pure form. The likeness has become tarnished and corrupted.

In Christ, we are new creations. The old sinful nature has been put to death, and in its place the new nature, the image of Christ, has been raised to life in us.

When Paul says we are to imitate God, he is really saying that we need to make a conscious decision to let the Holy Spirit, the God in us, rise to the fore, and direct the way we live.

We imitate God, then, in areas of morality, integrity, and in relationships.

In the area of morality, the demand that we be holy as God himself is holy, overcomes our tendencies to greed, lust, and selfishness.

In the area of integrity, the law of God as summarised in the Ten Commandments, is activated in us by the Holy Spirit. We no longer need an external law to regulate our behaviour as we have the law- giver in our hearts regulating our desires.

In the area of relationships, the love of God constrains us. Where we were once dominated by sin to such an extent that selfishness, self protectiveness, and arrogance undermined all relationships, we are now filled with the love of Christ. In Christ we have learnt to give and not just take, to serve rather than to be served .

We imitate God because his image and his spirit are now in us. In discovering that God is our Father, we have become beloved children.

God loves us with a perfect love called agape love. This is love that is poured out solely for the sake of the beloved. There is no self interest in agape. Agape love does not depend on a response from its object, as it is given regardless.

God is love, and in love He is perfect. God’s love is eternal and unchanging because God is eternal and unchanging.

When we say that we are beloved children, this status is not something we earned or deserved. God loves us because He is good, not because we are worthy of being loved. We cannot earn God’s love .

We are children who are beloved, but we do not know how to return love. It is only as we experience what it means to be loved that we can become capable of loving God and loving other people.

In ancient cultures attitudes to children varied. Often there was a belief that they were not independent people or individuals in the way that we in the West would understand. The child was an empty vessel into which the parents poured their own skills, knowledge, and wisdom so that the child would become like the father .

It was expected that the son would grow up in the family business and would one day become so like the father that he would be worthy of running the business as the father had done before him. The son became like a reproduction of the father, so to speak.

The duty of the child, then, was to imitate the father. They were to learn the values of the father, about the skills of the father, and above all they were to honour the father and mother who gave them life.

As children of God who know that we are loved by God, we can therefore be imitators of God. We received the love of God. We hear about God’s character and incorporate that into our lives. We seek fellowship with the Father in order to be more like Him.

In doing these things, we show the world what God is like. We exalt His name in the world so that others will see Him, love Him, and become His beloved children also.

Key points in this verse:

• We are to imitate God by carrying His likeness in our lives
• We are to let the Holy Spirit direct our lives
• We imitate God in areas of morality, integrity, and relationships
• God loves us with perfect agape love
• As his children, we are to grow up to show His character

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:32. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:32

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Having written about the deeds of malice, anger, and slander, exhorting us to take these things off, Paul now tells us what put on in their place.

We are to be kind to one another.

Kindness could be described as love in action. Love is not a romantic feeling or a favourable disposition to another person. It is practical.

To be kind is to see what a person needs and to help them to gain it, whether in the form of a gift, through encouraging words, or by practical help.

To be kind means to be giving. We are concerned about the needs of others just as much as we are concerned about our own needs.

Of the early church, it was said, “there were no needy people amongst them for from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles feet, and it was distributed to anyone in need.” (Acts 4:34-35). This is kindness on a big scale, people working to ensure that nobody is left out.

We are to be compassionate to one another . Some translations render this word as tenderhearted.

To be compassionate or tenderhearted to others is to empathise with their emotions and to react appropriately.

Kindness can be performed in a mechanical way, out of duty or habit. Tenderheartedness or compassion, demands an emotional involvement. We need to feel the heart of another person, to enter into their head space.

There are many so-called caring services these days. However the caring cuts out at 5 pm or whenever the service closes. People working in these fields are coached in not getting too close, establishing boundaries, and so on.

While there is a place for professional detachment, Paul is encouraging us to go deeper with one another. He wants us to be attached not detached, to be emotive in our caring and not leave it all behind at an office, taking weekends off.

When I see a Christian brother or sister in distress, I must be kind and tenderhearted, reacting out of compassion and love.

We are to forgive each other just as Christ has forgiven us.

Forgiveness is the antidote to bitterness.

Forgiveness is letting go of offences that others have committed against us in the past.

When we come to Christ seeking forgiveness, He wipes the slate clean. There is no longer any outstanding debt. There is not even a record kept of the sin. He no longer holds anything against us.

Forgiveness means that we no longer hold a sin against the person who has offended us. We let go of the hurt, the anger, and the sense that we are owed something .

Our forgiveness of others must be unconditional, just as his forgiveness of us Is unconditional. He does not wait for us to apologise to forgive, and neither should we.

Some might ask, “What about the need to confess and repent in order to be forgiven?” The truth is that confession is for our benefit not for God’s. It brings us to reconciliation rather than forgiveness, fellowship rather than exoneration.

When we forgive someone we are not saying that the offence was not significant. We are rather conforming our own attitude to that of the Father who chooses to forgive for the sake of fellowship.

Some sins are too severe to just “ forgive and forget” because the hurt to our soul is too great. Over time, we receive healing for our pain, and one key step in that healing is to forgive.

To forgive those who sin against us is to acknowledge that we too have been forgiven much. To forgive is to recognise that we have no right to keep a record of the wrongs of others.

Key points in this verse

• We are to be kind and compassionate to others. Love has to be practical and exercised from the heart, not merely as a duty
• To forgive others is to imitate Christ who forgives us
• Forgiveness means to let go of the right to be offended
• We must forgive regardless of whether the person expresses remorse
• Forgiveness means that we do not keep score

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:31. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:31

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

Paul returns to listing sins that we need to put away in order to be faithful to Christ. In particular these sins are things that undermine unity in the Body of Christ. They not only put individuals down, but they destroy the Church and run counter to the teachings of Christ.

Bitterness is the cultivation of anger long after the event that has sparked the anger. A brother offends me, and I continue to be angry and refuse to forgive him. This is called bitterness .

In November 1975, the Australian prime minister, Gough Whitlam, was removed from office by the Governor- General under unique circumstances. Whitlam called upon his followers to “ maintain the rage.” Some of them remained bitter many years and decades after the event.

Followers of Christ have been forgiven their sins. We have a duty, therefore, to forgive those who trespass against us. It is there in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 4:12) and in parables such as The Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35).

Refusal to forgive our Christian brothers and sisters is bitterness, and may bring down upon us the judgement of God.

Rage is the uncontrolled passion that seeks to destroy out of vengeance. It can be irrational in its expression, and is always destructive. It may be expressed as violence or as a verbal spray of hatred and insults.

This kind of anger is never acceptable to God. One of the works of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is to bring healing of the wounds that produce rage and to replace it with peace and self-control.

The Greek word for anger is orge which is also used of the anger of God against sin, and of the righteous anger of people against sin. It can also apply to unrighteous anger in which we are not so much perturbed by the sins of others as by threats to ourselves.

At its best, this kind of anger can motivate and drive a person to seek justice and righteousness on behalf of others. It can sustain a campaign for change over months and years.

At its worst, though, anger is directed against individuals or groups of people. The supposed misdeeds of others become forgotten, and the people themselves become the objects of anger.

This kind of anger is bad because it keeps us separated from others. The love of God draws people together, but anger keeps us apart.

Anger can be focused on differences over worship styles or doctrine. It can be expressed through discipline processes such as “shunning” in which the righteous people refuse to have fellowship with sinners.

The word translated as “brawling” in the NIV may be better translated as clamour. Brawling suggests an all- in physical fight which is rare in churches. Not so rare is the noisy, pushy form of speech which refuses to be quiet and to listen to differing points of view.

Clamour can be a defensive reaction in which we try to shout down those we disagree with. In an argument it could be name-calling, or accusations such as ”you said this.” When it is in full flight, this clamour is much like the reaction of small children when called to account for their actions.

Clamour refuses to listen to other points of view. It makes a noisy appeal for its own opinion. It uses sound and fury to keep others at a distance, and to demand its own way .

Clamour is the language of the street demonstration which demands action and demeans opponents. Clamour is the noise of the Twitter mob which closes down all opposition by demanding that people be silenced .

As Christians we must always remember that our brother whom we oppose is also someone whom God loves and for whom Christ died.

Slander is speech which undermines a person’s reputation. It takes many forms from name calling to false accusations .

Gossip is a form of slander. Humans love to hear and pass on to others details of the weaknesses of other people. We hear a claim about someone, add in our own Insights, and pretty quickly a person’s reputation is shredded.

Slander can be true or it can be false. Lies about people can be readily believed because they may not be easily controverted. Even when true, people can make all kinds of statements about others without a context that might offer explanation.

Whether true or false, deliberate or not, slander is not based in love. We believe the worst about a person, makes suppositions about their motives, and then spread our conclusions far and wide.

We are to love our brothers and sisters. We should seek to build up their dignity and worth, and not pull it down.

Finally, we are to get rid of every form of malice. Every action or speech that is directed against another person must be removed from our operating system.

If I want to act badly or speak ill of another person, then I am not loving them. The great commandments, Jesus tells us, are to love God and love our neighbour.

Malice is the opposite of love. While love values another person, malice devalues the other. While love acts to advance the interests of another, malice seeks to harm them.

Key points in this verse:

• We are to actively remove from our lives all actions, words, and attitudes that seek to harm other people
• Forgiveness of others is an essential part of living for Christ
• Rage is never acceptable to God
• We must ensure that righteous anger against Injustice does not turn into anger against people
• Love draws us together, but anger separates us
• Slander and gossip can destroy the reputations of other people
• Malice is the opposite of love. We must build others up, not pull them down.

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:30. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:30

“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

We are not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God.

The word “ to grieve” has a similar meaning in Greek as in Hebrew. It means to cause sorrow or grief or to distress. Paul is telling us we must not distress the Holy Spirit.

This follows immediately after the instruction to not let any unwholesome to come out of our mouths. Some commentators suggest that this is important because the Holy Spirit is especially concerned about our communication within the fellowship and to unbelievers. The words that we use and the ways we talk to one another are important to the Holy Spirit and can cause Him grief or distress.

It is also true that our habitual or repeated sins of any character can distress the Holy Spirit. We are told repeatedly in the scriptures that we are to be holy just as the lord is holy. To be constantly in sin is to desecrate the holy vessels that God has called us to be and which Christ died to purchase.

The fact that we can grieve the Holy Spirit is a reminder of the personhood of the Spirit. We can sometimes think of the Spirit as being an impersonal force, perhaps because we fail to adequately grasp who the Holy Spirit is.

We must affirm that the Holy Spirit is God, and therefore a person, in the same way that the Father and the Son are also God and persons .

We use the word “spirit” very loosely at times – the spirit of Christmas, team spirit, the spirit of Australia. In this context the word means a vaguely conceived connection, a bond, or a shared purpose. This is not the character of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is God active in the world- whether the context is seen in individual believers, in non-believers, in a culture, or in the church.

When we grieve the Holy Spirit, we grieve God. This occurs through our sin and rebellion, and it opposes the whole concept of our salvation.

Paul here describes the Holy Spirit as” the Holy Spirit of God.” He could have referred to him as the Spirit, or the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit. In this way, Paul is emphasising that the Spirit of God is Holy. This is not a name or a title, but a description of the nature of the Spirit of God.

God is Holy. When we use the word “holy” about God, we don’t mean the same thing that we mean when we describe a created thing or a person as holy.

To say an object is holy means that it has been set apart for God’s purposes. The object then cannot be used for ordinary or profane purposes. Similarly when the scriptures say that we are to be holy, they mean that we are now devoted to God’s purposes and we cannot do just whatever we want to do.

To say God is holy is to say that God is untouched in anyway by sin. We can’t say this of any created thing because, just by being in the world, they are touched by the general state of corruption which sin has brought into the creation.

God is holy because He cannot do anything that is opposed to His own character. The Spirit of God is likewise holy. Jesus, the Son of God, was tempted in every way that we are, but He remained without sin. He is holy.

Because God is by His nature untouched by sin, He does not change in His holiness. We are assailed in every direction by temptation, and often we give in. We can be righteous one minute, and commit some grievous in the next minute, but God’s holiness is constant and unchanging .

The Spirit of God is holy because He is God, and He does not change .

We were sealed with the Holy Spirit of God for the day of redemption.

A seal was often placed on a document to serve two functions.

Firstly, it served as a guarantee of the source of the document. It was a sign of ownership. The document could be trusted as a genuine letter from a king, because it contained the king’s seal. The Holy Spirit’s presence in the life of the believer is a sign that we belong to God.

The second purpose of a seal was to guarantee the document’s authenticity. A letter that was sealed could be trusted to be free from alterations as long as the seal remained intact.

The Holy Spirit is a sign or a seal that we are the real thing as far as Christ is concerned. We carry the mark of God in our spirits to show that we are not a forgery. Our salvation is real because the Holy Spirit is really in us.

The presence of the Holy Spirit seals us for the day of redemption.

The day of judgement, when the sheep are separated from the goats, and the wheat from the weeds, can make us feel anxious. Judgement sounds like it is about condemnation or punishment.

The day of judgement is, for christians, the day of redemption. We will be declared free and righteous on that day. The Holy Spirit in us will be seen as the true sign of our salvation .

Christians have nothing to fear from God’s judgement. We know, or we should know, that Jesus’ death on the cross has bought our salvation. We look forward to eternal joy spent in the presence of God.

Those who do not know Christ will be judged and condemned to the lake of fire.

Our culture does not deal well with binary, or black and white, decisions. We like to have grey zones where the edges are blurred, where laws have loopholes. God has stated clearly that those who die in Christ will be raised to eternal life, while those who die away from Christ are doomed to hell.

To choose for Christ is the most important decision any person can make.

Key points in this verse:

• To grieve the Holy Spirit means to cause him pain or distress
• Our words and our sins can distress the Holy spirit
• The Holy Spirit is God and is a person not a force
• God is totally untouched by sin and cannot sin
• We are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a sign and guarantee that we belong to God
• For Christians the day of judgement is the day of freedom

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:29. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:29

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that is may benefit those who listens.”

The words that come from our mouths reflect the reality of what is in our hearts. Just as it is humanly impossible for thieves to become generous givers (v.28), this change of heart that leads to a change in our speech can only come through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The word translated “unwholesome” in the NIV actually means corrupt, rotten, or putrid. Paul users this word for effect. We could say “ disgusting” if we wanted to be more accurate to his intent.

There are many forms of “ unwholesome talk” or” putrid words” that come from the mouths of Christians. We need to ensure that our words reflect the glory and purity of God.

Swearing is one such area. The casual dropping of words that were once considered beneath contempt and not suitable for speaking in public has become standard speech for many people including Christians.

Gossip is based on the actions and supposed motivations of other people. Gossip is always negative and seeks to pull down the standing of other people. We need to build up rather than pull down. Gossip is nearly always false.

Slander is a direct attack on the reputation of another person. It might be lies about what another person has done, or a telling of just part of the truth. We need to be careful that the words we speak about others are both true and build up their reputation amongst the brothers and sisters in the church.

Lies are a repudiation of the truth. Christians are supposed to be people of the truth as we follow Christ who said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” We live in a post- truth age, but God is still requires us to speak only words of truth. Lying takes various forms in which we try to promote our own self interest at the expense of facts, and often the expense of other people.

Our unwholesome talk can take the form of inciting others to violence or to hatred. We promote false stereotypes that result in particular individuals or groups suffering unfairly.

There are two keys to not letting unfair unwholesome talk come out of our mouths .

First, we need to let the Holy Spirit completely renew our minds. If we don’t think it we can’t say it. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conformto the pattern of this world,but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. “

We musttake seriously the doctrines that people bear the image of God, and that God loves all people. As a follower of Christ, how can I use words to injure a person for whom Christ died?

When we find that ungodly thoughts go through our heads, we need to confess them to the Lord and ask him to change our brains.

The second key is to apply a filter to our speech. Some people just blurt out every thought that goes through their heads. We need to think before we speak, and ask ourselves whether we need to say this thought out loud, or whether we should speak it in a more godly way.

We should only speak what is helpful for building up others.

In our conversations we should seek to build up the people we are speaking with or about. This doesn’t mean that everything has to be a kind of mindless positivity. it does mean that we must use a words to edify, exhort, and encourage. Our conversations are opportunities to help others to go deeper in Christ, to seek positive choices not negative.

We are to build others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Our words and conversations need to be other focused. Just as thieves are required to turn their attention from getting to giving (v.28), so all of us who speak and listen must turn our attention to someone else.

It is often noted that most people engage in conversation with their focus on themselves. While another person is speaking, we are looking for what we are to say next.

If we are trying to build others up according to their need, then we will be looking for what the person is needing rather than what can we say next. We listen to the words, the tone of voice, to what is not being said. How would Jesus respond to this person?

This posture in relating to others turns us around so that in our speaking and listening we are seeking to love our neighbour.

if I’m consciously wanting to love this person I am speaking with, then there will be no space, no reason, no desire for putrid or corrupt talk. All that will be in my head is how can I help this person?

Key points in this verse:

• Unwholesome talk is rotten or corrupt talk, and it dishonours God
• Corrupt talk takes many forms from swearing to gossip and slander
• God wants me to focus on the needs of the person I am talking to, not on my own need
• When we seek to love our neighbour in conversation, it benefits everyone who hears it

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:28. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:28

“He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.”

In any church that is successfully winning people to the Lord, there will be some, perhaps many, who have come from a place where they have made an income from various dishonest means.

The Greek word for stealing here means pilfering, that is small time theft such as shoplifting or picking pockets, Rather than violent robbery or fraud. nonetheless, what Paul speaks of here should equally apply to these other forms of theft.

The principle here is that followers of Christ should never have to resort to dishonest means to survive. He has promised to supply what we need. To steal, then, under any pretext, is a sign of unbelief, that we do not trust our Lord.

To some people, this way of living seems easier than the drudgery of a nine to five job. It becomes a habit to steal rather than to work.

Paul says clearly here that if you were a thief before you came to Christ, you must stop this now and turn to an honest living.

Paul says that rather than stealing, such people should turn to working with their own hands. The Greek word here is korato which means the kind of physical labour which makes you tired at the end of the day. Rather than taking the easy route of theft, Paul says they must work hard for their living. In many senses, this is the most fulfilling kind of work, resulting in things being produced by our hands.

We are were created to be productive. This is clear from Genesis 2, where Adam and Eve were meant to co- labour with God in tending His creation. Unemployment can lead to despair and depression, a sense that we are not useful for anything .

The purpose of work is not just to earn an income with which to feather one’s own nest. People in the world are very good at finding ways to spend their cash on their personal comforts and entertainment. They see this as a reward for working hard. Once we have paid for our basic needs of food and shelter, we can believe that what’s left over is ours to spend as we like.

Paul says that the goal of working is to have something to share with others. Instead of focusing on what I can do with “my” money, Paul is saying that we must use it to meet the needs of other people.

In our very self-centred society, that is a strange notion. Surely we want to feed our family and ourselves. No, we work to feed those in need.

For people who are used to meeting their own needs by taking from others, this is a total reversal. They are to stop taking from others to gain an income, and instead they must work hard in order to give to others.

In the natural, this sort of lifestyle change is inconceivable. A leopard cannot change its spots. Christ turns us all around. Repentance is about a change of thinking that leads to a change in action. So, in Christ those who used to be thieves become generous donors. Their eyes move from themselves and their own needs to others and their needs.

Key points in this verse

• Thieves who come to Christ are to stop stealing
• All followers of Christ must find honest ways to support themselves
• God honours productive work
• The goal of working is to earn an income in order to share with the needy, not just for our own comfort
• The kind of transformation that sees a thief become a generous giver is only possible in Christ

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:26-27. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:26-27

“In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil an opportunity.”

Anger in its uncontrolled form is a quality that belongs to the old nature. There is a place for what is called righteous anger, but we need to make sure that it does not give an opportunity for the devil to get into our lives.

Paul seems to be saying here that anger is a reality in our human condition, and we need to deal with it in a godly manner.

Anger can be defined as an emotion which directs us to self defence or the defence of others when a threat arises. Anger can be a good thing in that it motivates us and energises us in the face of provocation or threat.

Anger is a problem when it leads to uncontrolled rage. We’re not content with a blast of the horn at a thoughtless driver, but instead we ram their car or stop them and hit them long after the threat to our safety has gone.

Anger can lead to resentment or hostility that constantly pushes other people away and destroys relationships. This kind of anger is like a psychological cancer that eats away at our soul.

A psychologist once described anger as like the “check engine” light in a car. it is a sign something is wrong and needs attention before a catastrophic failure occurs.

Anger can become a smokescreen for avoiding our own responsibility for our actions and attitudes. it leads to the reflex in which we constantly blame others for things we have done or failed to do.

Anger is a natural human emotion and, properly handled, it can be a good thing.

Jesus is moved to anger on a number of occasions, but never as a result of others provoking him. The most clear example of this is when he removed the corrupt money changes and animal traders from the Temple. John’s gospel tells us that he “made a whip out of cords” (John 2:15), suggesting that his actions were not a spontaneous rage, but a controlled fire.

We know that Jesus was tempted in all ways, but remained without sin (Hebrews 4:15). His anger must have been without sin also.

How can we be angry without sinning?

Firstly, we need to make sure that we do not allow the emotion to run away with us. Anger, or rage, can cloud our thinking so that we just want to destroy things or hurt people. This is sin.

Secondly, we need to determine if our anger is really a godly anger. Am I allowing self-protection to direct my actions, or is this a genuinely God-inspired action?

Thirdly, we should ask” Will my actions harm other people?” If we will be killing or injuring people, then we need to reconsider.

Paul tells us that we should not let the sun go down on our wrath. This is not permission to maintain the rage until a particular time of the day. We are not to think that we can allow ourselves to be offended in the evening and hold on to it for 24 hours.

Since the Jews counted each day as starting at sunset, Paul is effectively saying “Don’t hold onto your anger overnight. Start the day fresh with a new beginning and new expectations.”

This is good advice because it is hard to sleep when we are angry. Let the sun go down and unwind. Let go of the hurt, the offence, the desire to retaliate, and receive the peace of the Lord instead.

Christians are not to be people who hold on to ofence. We must forgive and release those who sin against us. This means letting the emotions go as well.

If we hold onto anger we give a place for the devil to get in and twist our spirits .

The devil can take our anger and make us permanently quick to fire up, or smouldering with resentment. If we are like this, we are not loving our neighbours with the love of Christ, and we are certainly not loving our enemies .

Anger can lead us into crimes that we would not normally consider possible, so-called crimes of passion. A life might be taken, leaving us to be thrown into jail and a fruitful life for Christ short-circuited.

Anger might lead to depression and an inability to know God’s presence much less to worship and serve Him.

The destructiveness unleashed by anger is the operating method of the devil. God builds up but satan pulls down.

Anger is a reality in our lives. It can be a positive emotion, but it is so easily subverted and twisted by satan.

Key points in these verses:

• Anger belongs to our old nature
• We need to be sure that we do not let righteous anger become a tool that Satan uses
• If we are angry we must take extra care to avoid sin
• We must not let our anger continue into a new day
• Anger can lead us away from God and into the hands of the devil

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:25. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:25

“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body.”

In the previous section, Paul talked about putting away our old nature and putting on the new nature in Christ. We are ”created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” He gives specific instruction in how the new nature should replace the old.

In this verse, he addresses the issue of truth and falsehood.

We are to put off falsehood and speak truthfully to our neighbours.

Some translations use the word lying here, but the idea is broader than that. Yes, we are to put away deliberate lies, but there are many ways to deceive, and all of them are opposed to God.

Deception is any attempt to cause someone to believe something that is not true. That includes lies ( whether “black” or “white” lies), omissions or half-truths, using words in such a way as to make a seem better than we really are.

We must always speak truthfully to our neighbour, even if it seems difficult or costly.

We are followers of Jesus who called himself “ the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Therefore, we are committed to truth-telling by virtue of the nature and authority of Christ.

Our culture is sometimes described as post-truth, that is sceptical or indifferent about issues about truth and falsehood. The argument is that there is no objective test of truth, and it is an obsolete concept.

Regardless of whether you seek truth or deny truth, the law of gravity still operates regardless of your opinion. It can be fatal to ignore some truths.

The Nazi propagandist Goebbels is credited with the statement that any lie repeated often enough becomes true. In our age of information saturation, people lack time or desire to investigate the veracity of political and commercial claims, and so blatant lies tend to become accepted as true.

We are not to live in this cynical way. We must remove all forms of deception and seek to be people of truth.

Paul now gives the reason for this as “ we are all members of one body.” This then raises the question “who is my neighbour?”

It might seem that Paul is limiting his definition of neighbour to fellow Christians. We have a duty to our Christian brothers and sisters to walk in honesty. Deception is about taking advantage of other people for our own game.

We must not use deception or falsehood in anyway in connection with the Christian family.

But Paul does not generally use the word neighbour to describe Christians. Jesus made it clear that to love our neighbour is to love everyone that we might interact with.

If we adopt this definition of neighbour, then Paul’s command here is open-ended. We must deal truthfully with everyone and not just our fellow christians.

In all of our business dealings, our family relationships, our friendships and so on, we must always speak truthfully.

This can be painful when we are filling in tax forms or don’t have enough cash to pay for items at a stall with an honesty box. It becomes very costly when we break the law and and are not caught.

Paul relates this commitment to truth in all situations to being a part of the Body of believers. God’s people are people of truth. Together we follow Christ, and He requires us to walk in truth. If one part of the Body is tainted by falsehood then the whole body is weakened.

Key points in this verse:

• We are to put off falsehood
• We must speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
• This commandment flows from the nature of Christ
• We have to speak the truth always, not just within the church

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:23-24. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:23-24

“…, to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

We are to be made new in the attitudes of our minds.

God is not impressed by our cognitive intelligence or academic abilities. He knows more than we can ever know. He desires us to have a new mind that is changed in its attitude.

Attitude describes our approach to life, to others, to God, and to ourselves.

An attitude of arrogance means that we have an opinion about ourselves that is higher than it should be. We treat other people as inferior, God as needing us, and our failure as somebody else is full.

An attitude of fear means that we approach life and other people as wanting to hurt us. We see God as a capricious judge ready to smite us if we step out of line.

An attitude of boldness means that we trust our own abilities, and talents to succeed in any situation.

These attitudes, and many others, are sinful. They belong to the old self, the old person. They are wrong because their emphasis is on self .

As Christians, our attitudes need to be renewed, made over, so that God is at the centre.

Arrogance should be replaced by humility that recognises that we are all made by God, and in that sense, I am no more entitled then any other person.

Fear should be replaced by faith. I am a child of God, and I can trust in His protection, provision, and direction at all times. If God is for us, who can stand against us?

Rather than being bold because of my own abilities, I can be confident in God’s purposes in my life .

Every self-centred attitude needs to be taken off and replaced by God’s attitude .

We take off our old self in order to put on a new self. The word here in Greek is kainos, which means something completely new. It is a new species, a new type, not something renovated and made new again.

In Christ, we have a new mind, a new nature, a new self. We might think of Christ’s resurrection body which was recognisable (most of the time) but had new powers that his old body did not have. Our new self has continuity with the old person, but we are something completely new and different.

We are told to put on this new self. This is not “reinventing myself” as some try to do. To put on the new self means that we co-operate with the Holy Spirit to get rid of all those qualities which Paul ascribes to the Gentiles and to become more like Christ.

This new self is created to be like God in true righteousness and true holiness.

This new self is being fashioned by God to imitate him. This is not a sausage factory cloning process in which we are all forced to be a particular personality. God creates unique reflections of His nature which we carry in a unique way.

The core of this new self is true righteousness and true holiness.

Righteousness is doing what is right all the time. We were once sinful people, but now we are righteous. We have been declared righteous by God through our faith in Christ. We now have to become righteous, that is to live out that state in our daily living.

There is a self-centred form of righteousness, which seeks to draw attention to itself, often by pointing out the failings of others. Self-righteousness is the self declaring that it is right and other people are not.

True righteousness, on the other hand, is the ability to live God’s way without drawing attention to the fact. It is a form of humility in which the person just gets on with living their own best life without seeking recognition or reward for doing what is right.

To be holy is to be dedicated to God’s use. A holy vessel is one which is set apart for worship .

To be a holy person means that my life is dedicated to God’s purposes, set apart for him. I no longer make any attempt to direct my life the way I want. My plans and ambitions are surrendered to God.

This does not mean that we stop aspiring to achieve things or to seek promotion. It does mean that we allow the Lord to set the parameters for every part of our life.

False holiness seeks to be recognised for religious deeds. This is a kind of fake religion which Jesus derided. He told us we are not to pray on the street corners or announce our giving with a fanfare.

True holiness seeks God for who God is, not for the accolades of men and women. I fast for God’s glory not for mine. I pray to seek God’s will not to impress others.

True righteousness and true holiness keep their focus on their source which is God. My good deeds, such as they are, flow from my relationship with God not from my own strength of character.

Key points in this verse:

• God is remaking our attitudes so that He is our focus not ourselves.
• We need to put on a new self which glorifies God rather than glorifying ourselves
• We are created to be like God in a unique way.
• True righteousness and true holiness flow from God as we seek Him for who He is

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 4:22. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 4:22

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.”

We were not taught about Christ in terms of sin and worldliness. No, we were told about a Christ who was different, and the lifestyle we must follow is also radically different to the old nature.

Our way of life before we knew Christ was self-directed. We did what we thought was right, or more likely, what we wanted to do.

The old way living is now a former way of life. It has passed away because we died in Christ, and therefore have been raised in Him. The former way of life must remain in the past as we follow the way of Christ.

We have to” put off the old self” – literally it says to put off the old man, or old person.

The analogy is to taking off old worn out clothes in order to put on Christ, and our new nature in Him. but here Paul says we have to take off the old person in order to put on the new nature in Christ.

For some people, this is scary, and for most people it is difficult. How can I take off the old person that I was before Christ? I am quite attached to my self, and I can’t imagine being without my self. Does that even make sense?

Before we knew Jesus, our nature was corrupted by sin. Everything we did was polluted by sin. Our old nature is destined for death.

But then we came to know Jesus, and we were attracted to him so much that we asked him to come in and make us new. Part of becoming new is getting rid of the old.

This is not something we have to do ourselves. If we take up our cross to follow him, we will die to ourselves. The Holy Spirit takes our dead old nature and brings us back to life. The old man is gone and the new has come.

To put off our old nature is dying to ourselves, presenting ourselves to God as a living sacrifice. We bring ourselves to God with all of our sinful desires, and we say, “ Lord it is all yours. Do what you will with me.”

It is the Holy Spirit who makes it possible to put off the old self, the old person. All we have to do is die to our own ambitions, and let God do His work in us.

The old nature is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.

If we hold on to our old persona, then its deceitful desires will continue to corrupt us. If we demand that our old nature be allowed to live, then it will corrupt us and destroy our new life in Christ.

Our old nature is a breeding ground for corruption and sin. it is like an incubator for a deadly virus which ultimately kills everyone that touches it.

The corruption comes from the deceitful desires of the old nature.

We all have desires, some of which are healthy, and some of which are not healthy. A desire for food is good, but so easily corrupted into greed and obesity. A desire to be significant is a good thing, but can be switched to arrogance, pride and control .

Our desires are deceitful in a number of ways.

Firstly, they can distract us from what is really important. if I constantly give in to my snacking desire, I get nothing done for the Lord .

Secondly,they deceive us into thinking they cannot harm us. “ A little pawn might liven up my marriage.” “ A glass or two of wine never hurt anyone.” We find ways to justify those deceitful desires.

Thirdly, the desires of the old nature are deceitful because they pull us away from godly things. A favourite TV show does not come with the warning that we could be spending that hour in prayer. My need for social interaction may take precedence over the call of the Holy Spirit to spend a period of time in solitude and meditation.

This old person or former self must be put off. The desires which lead us away from God seem so appealing, until we learn that they take us away from the abundant life in Christ.

Key points in this verse:

• The way to deal with our old way of life is to put off our old self
• We must take up our cross and die so Christ’s life can fill us
• The desires of the old nature are deceitful and will lead us away from our new life in Christ.