Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
Hagerstown, MD
www.mycrossway.org
Watch this message at: https://mycrossway.churchcenter.com/episodes/129300
Introduction
As we continue through the end of Ephesians 4, we have learned from Paul several transitions in the life of the believer that should be observed as a result of the work of Christ in their life. Paul tells us that:
Ephesians 4:17 “that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.”
The life of the the unregenerate can be summarized with one word: futile. In fact, Ephesians describes the life of the unbeliever as futile, darkened, alienated from God, ignorant, hard-hearted, callous, greedy in their impurity (Ephesians 4:17-19).
But then the Apostle Paul adds, “But that is not the way you learned in Jesus Christ” (Eph 4:20). It all comes back to Jesus. Paul is not simply outlining a list of do’s and don’ts for the believer to live by. This is transformation that happens through our faith Jesus.
The character of Jesus has not only been the highest pattern of virtue, but it is our strongest incentive. His life has exerted such a deep influence, that the simple record of the three years of his ministry life has done more to regenerate and to soften mankind than all the lectures of philosophers and all the laws of legislation. His life has influenced the entire course of history. (Zacharias) That being the case, how his followers should be described should match the significance of his very life.
Christianity is not a political theory. It is not a social justice program or a cultural revolution. At it’s root Christianity is all about changing the heart of every man and woman, so at our very core we begin to think God's thoughts and act in accordance with his character. The Apostle Paul likens it to taking the old man off and putting a new man on. Think of a prisoner who is released from prison, but still wears his prison clothes and acts like a prisoner and not as a free man. The first thing to tell that person is that they should put on some new clothes. (Guzik) Paul says that for the Christian, there must be a break with the past. Jesus isn’t merely added to our old life; the old life dies and He becomes our new life.
Now, as we continued through this portion of Scripture, we learned of two transformations mentioned by the Apostle. First, we are to put away all falsehood and be people of the truth (Ephesians 4:25). Second, we are not to sin in our anger, giving the devil a foothold in our lives. Today we move on in verse 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. (Ephesians 4:28–30 ESV)
I. The Believer’s Life is Marked By Honest Generosity
What does the Bible have to say about stealing? Let me first say that stealing is one of those default sins that is dwells in the human heart. So much so that God wrote it as the 8th of the 10 Commandments
?“You shall not steal. (Exodus 20:15 ESV)
With those 4 simple words, God demands the entirety of our sin nature to be undone. There is a deep-rooted fleshly attraction to take what does not belong to us. Now, most of you are likely not going to go out and rob a store or burglarize a home, but stealing is far beyond the violent acts and is as common as not telling the truth. A paper given at an American Psychological Association symposium on employee theft presented a breakdown on the 8 billion dollars that inventory shortages cost department and chain stores every year. Of these losses, 10 percent were due to clerical error, 30 percent to shoplifting, and a shocking 60 percent (sixteen million dollars a day!) of theft by employees. (Hughes)
Years ago on Candid Camera, children were used in an experiment about generosity. The children were placed by themselves in a room with a plate of cookies. On the plate were at least two cookies, there may have been more, but one of the cookies was very large. The adult left the room and the kids were allowed to take a cookie. You know, they all took the big one. One boy was challenged as to why he took the biggest cookie. Alan Funt, the host, told the boy, "All you left me to eat was the little cookie. I would have eaten the little cookie and given you the biggest one." Without a blink the boy responded, "Then you got the one you wanted."
?For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Romans 13:9 ESV)
The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him! (Proverbs 20:7 ESV)
What is even more interesting, is that psychologists say that people don’t steal out of need, but instead they steal out of greed. They steal out of what is basically suggested as deprivation: “I don’t have what you have; I want what you have.” And that’s why another of the Ten Commandments is, “Don’t covet.” It’s envy, it’s jealousy; and the envy and the jealousy leads to theft, and it can also lead to massive upheaval in society as people collectively become jealous and seek vengeance.
Now we see news stories of smash and grabs, looting, we have identity theft, bankruptcy, not paying fair wages, pocketing what the cashier gives back in change, dishonestly reporting hours at work, overcharging a client, cheating on our taxes, the opportunity for dishonest gain, no matter how big or how small are endless.
?Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel. (Proverbs 20:17 ESV)
There are other ways we steal that we may not think about. Do we rob our spouses and families of our time or our love. Then there’s the stolen waters of lust, an image, thinking that something that looks delightful to the eye will satisfy our empty soul.
?Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
But there’s one more: stealing from God. (1 Corinthians 6:18–20 ESV)
?Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. (Malachi 3:8 ESV)
I heard a story of a missionary in Africa who received a knock on the door of his hut one afternoon. Answering, the missionary found a native boy holding a large fish in his hands. The boy said, "Reverend, you taught us what tithing is, so here. I've brought you my tithe." As the missionary gratefully took the fish, he questioned the boy. "If this is your tithe, where are the other nine fish?" At this, the boy beamed and said, "Oh, they're still back in the river. I'm going back to catch them now."
Now I say off that because should demonstrate the abject sinfulness of our thievery, no matter how small or insignificant we characterize it. Jesus calls Satan a thief (John 10:10) and we are told an unregenerate thief cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven (1 Cor 6:10). There is a transformation that should exist in the believer’s heart.
?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. (Ephesians 4:28 ESV)
Where we were once greedy we should instead be generous. I meet so many people that have no problem asking and taking, but are rarely generous themselves. In fact, my experience is that those who become accustomed to take feel that is their entitlement. Now we must labor, kopiao, which means “to work to the point of sweat and exhaustion”—hard work. Even God had a six-day work week. Exodus 20:9, “Six days shall you labor and do all your work.”
If you’re a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you exchange stealing for sharing. Paul’s idea is that we should work so that we can give. That’s un-American, really, we’re taught that we work hard so we can play hard. Paul tells us the purpose for getting becomes giving.
One more thing about thieves. Who was the first to receive the promise of eternal life during Jesus’s crucifixion? A thief. (Luke 23:42-43).
II. The Believer’s Life is Marked By Gracious Speech
?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. (Ephesians 4:29 ESV)
On the negative side, Paul says “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth.” "Corrupting” is sapros in the Greek. It means “rank,” “foul,” “rotten,” “putrid,” “disgusting”. This, too, is an epidemic of sin in our society. First we hear it in our music, movies, television, cartoons, talk shows, social media, and everywhere.
?Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. (Ephesians 5:4 ESV)
For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34 (ESV)
you may think you can say anything you want and get away with it. Listen to this: “I tell you every careless, every useless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Wait a minute, wait a minute. We’re condemned by our words and justified by our words? What are we hearing? Is this works salvation? No. What it means is that when you stand before the Judge, and the adjudication of your eternal destiny is at stake, the evidence of your regeneration will show up in your words. The record of your words will validate the transformation because your words are going to be transformed.
?I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, (Matthew 12:36 ESV)
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. (James 1:26 ESV)
For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; (1 Peter 3:10 ESV)
The issue of speech here is more than foul language. It is the manner of the conversation. Divisive speech is also unwholesome. Gossip and slander is one of the more destructive forces of the church (Romans 1:29-32, Prov 12:22, 1 Tim 3:11, Prov 19:9, Lev 19:16). Some of the most shameful discussions I have heard about other people have come from the lips of other believers. This world curses the name of Christ and his followers enough, must it also come from our own lips as well.
A stock boy at a grocery store was asked by an elderly lady, “Can I buy half a head of lettuce?” He walked back to the manager’s office, not realizing that the lady followed him. He said to the manger, “You’re not going to believe this, but there’s an old bag out there who wants to buy half a head of lettuce.” He turned around and saw her standing right behind him. Quickly he added, “And this fine lady would like to buy the other half.”
Instead, Paul tells us that our words should be Eph 4:29 “only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
?Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians 4:6 ESV)
But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, (2 Timothy 2:16 ESV)
Look at what Paul says: First, our speech should be edifying or building people up instead of tearing them down. How do we do that? It’s more than empty compliments. Our speech should be helpful, encouraging, instructive, uplifting, and sometimes correcting. Rely on the Word of God.
"Cold words freeze people, and hot words scorch them, and bitter words make them bitter, and wrathful words make them wrathful. Kind words also produce their image on mens souls, and a beautiful image it is. They smooth, and quiet, and comfort the hearer."
Second, what we say should be appropriate for the occasion. I don’t know how many times I said the right thing at the wrong time and wish I could’ve taken it back. The people I admire the most are those who speak and when they open their mouth, their words are precise and few. They’re not chatterboxes. They know every word has significant meaning.
Third, our speech should be full of grace. In fact, just as we should be generous with our labors, we must also be generous with the graciousness in our speech.
?A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. (Proverbs 25:11 ESV)
Words have meaning and they have power. Words can be used as weapons. It was God’s Words who created the universe (Psalm 119:89). It is Jesus who is described as the Word in the Flesh. It is our word that will always be our greatest witness.
On August 3, 1776, Sent the following order to the entire American Army: “The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice hitherto little known in our American Army is growing into fashion. He hopes that the officers will, by example as well as influence, endeavor to check it and that both they and the men will reflect that we can little hope for the blessing of Heaven in our army if we insult it by our impiety and folly. Added to this it is a vice so mean and low without any temptation that every man of sense and character detests and despises it.” Signed, General George Washington.
?Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)
Do the Apostle’s description of the unregenerate person describe you? A thief, a liar, a person of vulgar speech. If they do, then perhaps today you would allow the Holy Spirit to come and transform your heart. To take away the anger, the darkness in your heart, the futility in your life. This may be the first time you’ve heard an invitation to come to the healing grace of Christ.
ABC’s of Salvation
Or this may be a reminder of the life you are supposed to live and have walked away from in your faith. God is inviting you home.
