Give Grace

Ephesians 4:25-32 [25] Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. [26] Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, [27]and give no opportunity to the devil. [28] Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. [29] Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. [30] And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. [31] Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. [32] Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (ESV).

Before COVID, the internet was not known as a place of calm, rational discussion. Once people became restricted from their usual physical contacts and the stress of managing multiple unknowns were put into the mix, online dialogue degraded to the point where motives are almost always assumed to be negative, facts become politicized, and personal attacks replace discussion. Unfortunately, many have remarked that even the church itself, where people should look to the broader objectives, is in danger of following the downward spiral of the world in this regard. Ironically, it is God’s grace that brings us into fellowship, and only the showing of grace, unmerited favour, that will sustain us.

Giving Grace does not come naturally. Paul has just demonstrated (vv. 17–24) that believers know salvation to be laying aside “the old self” and putting on “the new self” (Eph. 4:22, 24). The Grace that we give to others must first come from the inside. The new self of grace comes from the Strength of the Holy Spirit inside of us in subduing our unredeemed humanness (1 Cor. 9:27).

For those who are the redeemed in Christ; there is a new supernatural ability to transcend the past deadly way of life. It should make a difference in how we deal with all the resources that God has given us: In how we act, speak, give and generally treat others: In essence, by Giving Grace.

After showing what believers are and have positionally in Christ (Ephesians 1–3), Paul first gives general basic instruction for the practicality of living the new life (4:1–24) and then continues throughout the rest of the letter to give specific commands for the conduct of that life or giving grace. We are to Give Grace in 1) Truth (Ephesians 4:25), when dealing with 2) Anger (Ephesians 4:26–27), 3) Possessions (Ephesians 4:28), 4) Words (Ephesians 4:29-30), and 5) Virtue (Ephesians 4:31-32).

First, we are to Give Grace in:

1) Truth (Ephesians 4:25),

Ephesians 4:25 [25] Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. (ESV)

This second “therefore” of the chapter (Eph. 4:17) provides an anticipated response to the general description of the new life in Christ described in verses 20–24 and introduces the first specific command for the new walk. The Christian should have no part of any kind of lying. A believer is to be characterized by having put away/laying aside falsehood, because falsehood is incompatible with a new nature and unacceptable to a believer’s Lord. Apotithemi, from which put away/laying aside is derived, has to do with discarding, stripping off, casting away, and the like. The Christian put away/lays aside falsehood so they can be free to do the righteous work of the Lord. Habitual Liars will not inherit the kingdom of God. Revelation 21:8 [8]But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (ESV) (cf. 1 Cor. 6:9). A believer can fall into lying just as he can fall into any sin, but if a life is a habitual flow of lies that proceed from a heart that seeks to deceive, then one has no biblical basis for believing they are a Christian. Lying includes more than simply telling direct falsehoods. It also includes deliberate exaggeration, adding falsehood to that which begins as true. Cheating in school and on income tax returns is a form of lying. Making foolish promises, betraying a confidence, flattery, and making excuses are all forms of lying. When members are open and perfectly truthful one with another, the body will work in harmony and therefore efficiently. Without openness and truth, there can only be disunity, disorder and trouble in human community. (Foulkes, F. (1989). Ephesians: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 10, p. 139). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)