Bible Study - Connect (4) - Connected Through Words - Ephesians 4:25-32 - Septembeer 25, 2014

Bible Study – Connect (4) – Connected Through Words – September 28, 2014

This lesson four (4) in our series entitled “Connected: My Life in the Church.”

Our focus scripture is Ephesians 4:25-32.

Our words matter. Christians are connected to CHRIST, the true vine and as a natural result, HIS life flows through them and what they say and how they say it matters.

Our lessons have focused on the Christian’s corporate involvement in the living body. This lesson focuses on Christians as individuals as they function within their specific gift in the corporate body. Our lesson focuses on what comes out of our mouths, which is important to both the corporate body and outside the corporate body.

Our lessons have been building toward understanding the transition of Christians from their old life before salvation to their new life in CHRIST after salvation. Salvation is instantaneous but transformation into the image of CHRIST takes time.

GOD sees the final product, we see ourselves as we are being constructed in the image of CHRIST.

Christians renounce their old way of life and commit to a new way of life that reflects the righteousness that GOD gave them the instant they placed their faith in CHRIST. Paul explained this process as Christians taking off their old clothes and putting on their new clothes but at times they want to go back to their old clothes.

It is a process which involves taking off, being renewed and putting on. If these stages were such that, when you take off your old ways that would be a final and forever act, that would be wonderful. It would be as if I have taken off all the things in my old life, I have been renewed, I am all clean and now I am putting on my new way of life. In some areas of our lives that may be true but be careful because those old haunts have a tendency to raise their ugly heads. Over confidence in our ability can result in a problem. But if we slip back into our old life of sin, we are to confess it, stop, and flee from it. GOD forgives, cleanses and restores. (1 John 1:9)

This lesson focuses upon the words Christians use. Words that Christians utter are important but the manner in which they are uttered reflects the heart of the person uttering them. Christians are to speak with integrity. There are times when words need to be spoken with authority and with force but even then the situation dictates the manner in which they are spoken.

James, the half-brother of JESUS wrote about the tongue in James 1:26:

26 If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, then his religion is useless and he deceives himself.

And in James 3:3-12:

3 Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal. 4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by • hell. 7 Every sea creature, reptile, bird, or animal is tamed and has been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 We praise our Lord and Father with it, and we curse men who are made in God’s likeness with it. 10 Praising and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.

The foul or abusive mouth of a Christian can call into question their salvation. It can kill his or her witness for the LORD JESUS. A Christian’s old life before CHRIST must be removed, including some of the language he or she was accustomed to using before they received CHRIST. Since Christians are in unity with CHRIST and in unity with the living body, they either bring honor or disgrace by their speech which includes the tone.

Let’s read Ephesians 4:17-24: (Lead-in to our focus scripture.)

17 Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts. 19 They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more. 20 But that is not how you learned about the Messiah,

21 assuming you heard about Him and were taught by Him, because the truth is in Jesus. 22 You took off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires; 23 you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; 24 you put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

“Therefore” ties what we have studied to what Paul was going to write. In our prior studies, Paul discussed the oneness and unity of Christians with GOD, CHRIST, the Holy Spirit and fellow Christians. Christians are bonded to CHRIST and to each other in love. GOD is love and it is HIS love for all people that resulted in HIM sending HIS only Son to earth as the Apostle John wrote in John 3:16-18:

16 “For God loved the world •in this way: He gave His •One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.

Paul challenged his readers to walk the talk by living through the power and enlightenment of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul wrote that he could testify or had experienced what he was writing to them. Paul wrote that they were to “no longer walk as the Gentiles, in the fertility of their thoughts.” They were new Christians! They were to live and reflect lives that had been changed by CHRIST and the indwelling Holy Spirit. They were not like those without CHRIST who were searching for truth in their own effort.  They were new creations and they were to stop doing what they had been doing as non-Christians. They had searched and found the most precious treasure of all by placing their faith in CHRIST, now they were to live like it.

This is an “I think.” I think that as Paul reflected back to his life as a Pharisee and his effort to try to figure out Christianity intellectually was futile. Paul was a Jew who had been taught by the very best Jewish teacher. He was intelligent but he could not understand CHRIST and HIS role in salvation before he surrendered his life to CHRIST.

Paul had lived by the law and the commandments before his salvation experience on the road to Damascus. I think he referred to living like the Gentiles to living like the natural person who is without CHRIST: religious (Jew) or not (Gentile). I think, in looking back over his life’s journey up to his point of salvation, that he was, in essence, a Gentile or a natural person without CHRIST. He was a devout Jew and very religious. He obediently served GOD but when he encountered CHRIST he realized that he was a sinner and did not measure up to GOD’S standard of righteousness. He needed to be redeemed from the penalty of sin and death.  

People can be so religious that they miss the point of being and living as Christians, which is CHRIST in them. Rituals appeal to our physical nature but if they do not bring us closer and into a deeper relationship with CHRIST, they become a barrier.

Following a religion can be a placebo because it can darken your understanding and exclude a person from experiencing the life GOD desires for him or her through faith in CHRIST. Often, due to ignorance, stubbornness or the hardness of the person’s heart, he or she refuses to accept what CHRIST has to offer and often becomes callous. Often, those who become callous will throw up their hands, give up and give themselves over to promiscuity. World bring it on! Once the desire to live a Godly life is not achieved, a person can go in the opposite direction and practice every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more. These are those who try to define Christianity according to their terms.

However, once you have experienced the truth of salvation and CHRIST is in you as confirmed by the indwelling Holy Spirit, it is a new day. You realize that CHRIST is real and that you belong to HIM and are secure in HIM through relationship as confirmed by the indwelling Holy Spirit.  

Paul likens that understanding and reality to taking off your old dirty, smelly clothes, taking a refreshing bath, splashing on some smell-um good and putting on new clothes. Your old life without CHRIST has been removed and your new life in CHRIST has been put on. It is a new day and you are exuding a new fragrance as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:14-17:

14 But thanks be to God, who always puts us on display in Christ and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 15 For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. And who is competent for this? 17 For we are not like the many who market God’s message for profit. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.

The new Christian has put on his or her new clothes, now it is important that what he or she does and speaks matches his or her new look and smell. Integrity is vital. This leads into our focus scripture.

Let’s read Ephesians 4:25-28:

25 Since you put away lying, Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. 26 Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and don’t give the Devil an opportunity. 28 The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.

Since Christians have taken off their old life and put on their new life in CHRIST, they have put away lying and they speak truth. Again, Paul ties the actions of Christians to their unity with CHRIST, GOD, the Holy Spirit and their fellow man.

Paul inserts “be angry and do not sin” and “do not let the sun go down on your anger.” When Christians see things that make GOD angry, they should get angry and respond as led by the Holy Spirit. Christians must keep in mind they are to get angry about the sin but love the sinner. Christians are to address the issues of life that make them angry quickly and not let them grow to an explosive point. When we let things stew, Satan enters and makes matters worse.

The Christian’s new life in CHRIST carries responsibility. Those who were thieves are to stop stealing and earn a legitimate living and be givers and not takers. They are new creations in CHRIST and integrity is vital to their testimony and witness.

Let’s read Ephesians 4:29-30:

29 No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. 30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by Him for the day of •redemption.

The Greek word for “foul” is associated with rotten fruit and carries the idea of being useless or worthlessness. As Christians, we are not to add to a down trodden person’s woes but as GOD has extended HIS grace to us through our faith in CHRIST, our speech, in turn, can be a healing balm to those in need. It is not you can’t but you can because GOD loves you and sent HIS only Son to give HIS life for you. All of our hope is in CHRIST.

At the beginning of our lesson James wrote in verses 11-12, “Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.”

Christians have a new life in CHRIST and they are to live as CHRIST would have them to live by being different than others in the world who are without CHRIST. Let the speech coming from your mouth be pure and not polluted. Be an encourager and not a harsh discourager because you represent CHRIST to those around you. When Christians do things that do not honor CHRIST and GOD, the Holy Spirit is grieved. The Holy Spirit rejoices when those in whom HE resides bring honor to CHRIST and GOD, HE rejoices because HE knows the truth of what awaits those who obediently serve GOD.

The Holy Spirit has sealed Christians until the day of redemption and HE knows that when Christians bring glory to GOD through obedient service, they will receive rewards. The more they serve HIM and minister to others they grow closer to GOD and to fellow Christians. HE knows that obedient service fulfills GOD’S desire for them. Once GOD removes the seal, the Holy Spirit’s desire is for all HE has sealed to pop out on the Day of Redemption and for all to say “WOW! Look what GOD, CHRIST and the Holy Spirit have created for eternity in this person’s life because of his or her obedience through the promptings of the Holy Spirit.” The final unveiling will be awesome!!!

Let’s read Ephesians 4:31-32:

31 All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

Bitterness can be pointed, sharp and keen. It also includes resentment, animosity, wickedness and cynicism.

Anger and wrath go together. The Greek word for “anger” can be translated “rage” or “wrath” and “wrath” translated as “anger.”

Shouting and slander – shouting can be translated “brawling” or “harsh words.” It is often associated with insults. Slander refers to “evil speaking” and refers to speaking falsely about people or GOD.

Malice is “evil behavior” and relates to hatred, jealousy, murder and revenge.

The flip side is that Christians are to “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.” Paul wrote three qualities every Christian needs – kind, compassionate and forgiving as part of their natural new Spiritual nature. These qualities reflect his or her heart and are the result of the sanctification process.

Christians are to put on:

Be kind – kindness comes from our relationship with CHRIST. It comes from the heart. All of the bad things Paul stated earlier need to be cleaned out and replaced with the fullness and presence of CHRIST. Kind carries the idea of virtuous, benevolent, gracious and with the addition of “one to another” means these acts are to be ongoing.

Compassionate – compassionate means tenderhearted, to be genuinely sympathetic toward others. It carries the idea of mercy toward “one another.”

Forgiving – the word forgiving carries the idea of grace. GOD gives all Christians “grace” or unmerited favor. Christians are to forgive “one another” and extend the same grace they receive from GOD to others.

Christians are to allow the Holy Spirit to fill the void created when they empty the bad stuff in their lives. The good things which replace the bad are to be a natural part of their lives, which can only flow through them because of being connected to CHRIST, the vine, and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, direct and control their lives.

Christians are to speak the truth by living their lifestyle such that it reveals their new relationship with CHRIST. When Christians put on their new life in CHRIST that includes being mindful of what they say and how they say it. This includes the tone of their voice.  

JESUS spoke of the living water flowing in and through our lives. HE is the living water which is manifested by the indwelling Holy Spirit. A spring does not produce both good water and bad water. Christians are to live a lifestyle which reflects the grace GOD has extended to them by being kind and compassionate with one another and forgiving one another. Christians are to speak truth, which is living the lifestyle which reflects their new life in CHRIST. Blessings!!!