Last week, this week and for the next few weeks we are looking at in this sermon series what “Putting on the New Man” looks like. Reviewing from last week:
Ephesians 4:22a and 24a (NKJV)
that you put off, … the old man, -- and that you put on the new man ...
These instruction that Paul gives reading, From Ephesians 4:17 through Ephesians 5:21, appear to have a lot of negative instruction, meaning he says a lot about what we should not being doing. Why is that? As we discussed last week, we have problems taking off the “old man.” The ways and influences of the world around us tend to tear us away from the things we should be doing.
My daughter and her husband are in the process of adopting two little girls, ages two and five (Ellen and I are new grandparents!). They have a son age 9. I was talking to her last night and she was telling me about all the adjustments they are making. How many of you remember what it was like with a two year old in the house? Well my daughter’s new two year-old is quickly learning her new name, “No-No.”
Are we not like two years-olds in many ways? We have to be constantly reminded what not to do. This is the situation Paul is in with the church in Ephesus. It is a lifelong process of ridding ourselves of all our old ways of the old man so we can be all that God has called us to be as a new man, a new creation in Christ. (2 Cor 5:17).
Ephesians 4:25–32 (NKJV)
In Ephesians, the Scriptures tells us, as Christians, those that are saved, who are “in Christ," have their lives changed by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13–14 (NKJV) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
We have been sealed. Who can break that seal? No one, not even ourselves, can break the seal that is on us by the Holy Spirit. What comfort that brings by the assurance of our salvation.
That "seal" implied possession. It was like the brand that ranchers use to identify their cattle. Once that brand was seared onto a cow, it could not be removed. It could be altered or changed with another branding iron, but the true brand would still show up if the hide was examined from the inside. If a cow is marked with a certain brand, it belongs to a certain ranch. It also means that a cow with that brand better now show up somewhere in the neighbors stock-pens!
But that brand that was burned into the cows hide also meant that the rancher made a commitment towards that piece of livestock. What would the neighbors say if they saw his cows wandering around with no water on the range? Or what would they say down at the auctions if all the cows with his brand came through mangy and uncared for? What would that say about the owner of those cattle?
And so God put his seal (or His brand) on you when he gave you his Holy Spirit. When you first heard the gospel, the Holy Spirit entered your heart. His presence in your heart is God’s seal. That seal gives a message loud and clear to the devil, who would love to claim you as his own. It says, "That one belongs to me. Don’t you dare meddle with someone who carries my seal!
And that seal also carries with it a commitment on the part of the Holy Spirit inside of us. On the last day, when we are brought before the Lord for judgment, how can he miss his own seal? How can he not see that we have been bought with the blood of Jesus and sealed with the Holy Spirit? He must then claim us for eternity! We have been sealed for the day of redemption! [1]
Today’s passage deals with the seal of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:30 (NKJV) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
With the Holy Spirit, the very seal of God on our lives, we should not be doing anything that brings grief to God and His Spirit. In the Greek, the “do not grieve” is in the Present Active Indicative tense coupled with a negative. That means it is a command to stop an on-going action. If Paul was writing this today in today's contemporary English, he would say something like “STOP GRIEVING the Holy Spirit.” The implication is that we are grieving the Spirit continually. We cause pain as well as well as sorrow to God and His Spirit because of our thoughts and actions. We know there are many things we can do to grieve the Spirit, but I want to consider this verse in the greater context of today’s passage, our conduct within the church.
Those in the church have some real issue in putting off the old man so Paul gives some basic instruction, to the church. Remember Paul is instructing those within the church. Paul is telling those who are saved within the church what their conduct should be with one another.
Ephesians 4:25 (NKJV) Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.
We need to speak the truth to one another. This should go without saying, but Paul has to remind them. Do not lie. Isn’t that one of the 10 commandments?
We are part of one another within the church. Scripture plainly tells us that we are one body, with Jesus as the head. What is the purpose of a lie but to deceive? Why would we want to deceive one another in the church? For that matter, why would we want to lie to anyone, or to deceive anyone.
You would think this would be an universal virtue, but it is not. In Islam, lying, stealing, cheating is allowed if it is against an infidel and furthers the cause of Islam.
Lying and deceiving is the work of Satan. What did Jesus slam the Pharisees with?
John 8:44 (NKJV) You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
Lying is doing the work of the devil. The devil is depicted throughout Scripture as being the great deceiver. Why would we want to be found deceiving others by lying, just like the devil. It is easy to see why that would distress the Spirit within us?
Ephesians 4:26–27 (NKJV) “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.
We need to read this carefully. It does not say not to be angry or that being angry is a sin. How many times do we read about God being angry? Or for that matter, Jesus got very angry, most notably when he threw-out the money changers in the temple. There are times when anger is the proper emotion, however the command is not to sin in our anger. The problem with anger is that we tend to let anger control us rather than we controlling the anger. We will do things in a fit of anger would never do when not angry. Paul tell us not to let the anger dwell continually. Deal with it quickly while we have it controlled. Why? Prolonged anger opens a door for the devil to influence us. Hence we are grieving the Spirit by listening to the devil and not Him, the Holy Spirit.
Anger tends to feed more anger. I tend to get angry back whenever someone is angry with me. The Proverbs says:
Proverbs 15:1 (NKJV) A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
By listening to the Holy Spirit within us, we can break the anger cycle.
Ephesians 4:28 (NKJV) 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.
Stealing, like lying, will destroy trust in a fellowship. A loss of trust brings disunity in the fellowship and that grieves the Holy Spirit. Rather the Christian should be working. All Christians need to work. This does not mean that a Christian should not accept help to get over a rough time, but in the long run, Christians need to be contributors. A lazy Christian robs himself, robs God, and robs his fellow believers. A lazy Christian not doing his/her part will cause another believer to work that much more and causes them to contribute more, both in terms of work and resources, to make up the shortfall caused by the lazy one. Paul said:
2 Thessalonians 3:10 (NKJV) For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
A lazy Christian is also one who grieves the Spirit. But how should we relate to one another?
Ephesians 4:29 (NKJV) Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
Our words should be for the building up of one another. “Edification” is the word used here. But filthy talk should never be on our lips. Jesus said:
Matthew 12:34b (NKJV) For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Whatever bubbles over in our hearts comes out of our mouths. When filthy talk comes out, gossip and other talk that tears down the fellow believers around us, we must ask the question, what is in your heart? It is with this in mind that Paul goes on to say:
Ephesians 4:30 (NKJV) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
We are not to speak evil of one another, whom the Spirit has also sealed for the day of redemption. Paul continues in this thought, moves on and says:
Ephesians 4:31 (NKJV) Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
All these things should not be part of who we are. That is all part of the nature of the old man whom we are told to put off. But in turn as we put on the new man, we are taking on the traits of Jesus Himself.
Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV) And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Another word for tenderhearted is to be compassionate. We need to always be forgiving of one another. Why? Look at what Christ has forgiven in you and me Does His forgiveness compare with what others may have done against us?
In Matthew 18:23-28, Jesus told a parable where a king forgave a servant of millions of dollars, yet that servant would not forgive another for a few hundred. That is how it is with wrong others may have done against us. Regardless of how big the wrong to us, it is nothing compared to our offenses before God. But God love us so much that He sent Jesus to take the penalties of our sins on Himself, and He died a horrible death on the cross for us.
I’m going to back to Doug’s translation of Ephesians 4:30: “STOP GRIEVING THE SPIRIT.” It is not a matter of whether of if we are grieving the Spirit, we grieve the Spirit every day. We need to stop. Taking off the old man and putting on the new man is something we are continually doing.
We need to be looking and listening to Spirit. We need to walk in the Spirit and not in our flesh. That is decision we must make every moment of every day. Walking in the Spirit will bring us joy. One day, I want to hear as I meet Jesus face to face, “Well done my good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master” (Matthew 25:23).
Are you listening to the Spirit? Are following the Spirit of following our flesh. Are we grieving the Spirit? Have we taken off the old man and put on the new man?
[1] www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/do-not-grieve-the-holy-spirit-charles-degner-sermon-on-trinity-60542?ref=SermonSerps
