THE OLD LIFE AND THE NEW.
Ephesians 4:17-32.
Having argued the case for keeping the unity of the body of Christ (cf. Ephesians 4:1-16), Paul now moves on to insist upon the maintenance of true holiness.
EPHESIANS 4:17. The “therefore” connects with the ‘therefore’ in Ephesians 4:1. Paul is carefully and deliberately unfolding the application of the wonderful teaching found in the first three chapters of this Epistle. Paul’s testimony here is “in the Lord” – meaning ‘in the Lord’s name.’
The Apostle to the Gentiles insists that believers should not “walk” as other Gentiles walk: “in the vanity of their mind.” There needs to be a line of demarcation between what we once were, and what we now are.
EPHESIANS 4:18. The unbelievers' “understanding” is “darkened.” This is on account of their “being alienated from the life of God” due to the “ignorance that is in them.” This all arises from the “hardness” of their hearts.
So, hardness of heart leads to spiritual blindness, moral ignorance - and to alienation from God.
EPHESIANS 4:19. “Having cast off all feeling,” they gave themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to work all kinds of uncleanness (cf. Romans 1:24-26a).
EPHESIANS 4:20. “BUT ye have not thus LEARNED Christ!”
“CHRIST” is THE line of demarcation between what we once were and what we now are. Not just that we learned ABOUT Christ, but that we “learned Christ” – implying a personal relationship with Him.
EPHESIANS 4:21. “If indeed ye HEARD Him.” Not just that we heard the preachers and teachers and other witnesses, but that we heard HIM through them (cf. Hebrews 1:1-2). And hearing Him, that we received His words, and applied them to our hearts:
“And have been TAUGHT by Him according as the truth is in Jesus.” The man Christ Jesus is the very embodiment of truth (cf. John 14:6)!
The following is what we LEARNED, HEARD, and were TAUGHT when we first entered the school of Christ:
EPHESIANS 4:22-24. That we “put off the old man” (EPHESIANS 4:22), and “put on the new man” (EPHESIANS 4:24). This is a description of our conversion, our new birth (cf. John 3:5). We are saved FROM “corruption” and “deceitful lusts” (EPHESIANS 4:22), and we are saved UNTO “righteousness and true holiness” (EPHESIANS 4:24).
The Christian mind, I submit, must constantly be being “renewed” (EPHESIANS 4:23; cf. Romans 12:2).
This being “renewed” is otherwise called ‘mortification of the flesh’ (cf. Colossians 3:5). And it is an ongoing work, based upon the same premise: that we "have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him’ (cf. Colossians 3:9-10).
We could not do this without the work of the Holy Spirit, already at work within us. It is the outworking of what God has put on the inside (cf. Philippians 2:12-13).
One of the practical reasons given for “putting away the lie” (as the Greek of EPHESIANS 4:25 reads) is that “we are members of one another.” Quoting Zechariah 8:16, Paul exhorts every one of us to speak the truth with our neighbour. Paganism is a lie (cf. Romans 1:25), but ‘the truth is in Jesus’ (cf. EPHESIANS 4:20-21; John 14:6). So, we are to be ‘in truth walking’ (cf. 3 John 1:4).
“Be angry” (EPHESIANS 4:26) is an imperative but the verb is passive, not active. So, whilst anger is allowed, we are warned not to allow it to get out of hand: “sin not.” There is such a thing as righteous anger – after all, we are told that even Jesus was “angry” at hardness of heart (cf. Mark 3:5). However, we are warned not to let our anger fester: “let not the sun go down upon your anger.”
There is a fine line between anger and sin, so Paul warns us, “Neither give place to the devil” (EPHESIANS 4:27). If we allow anger to eat away at us, and fail to bring our anger under control, then we can be sure that the devil is hanging around us to disrupt the peace and to provoke us into excessive reactions.
Elsewhere the Apostle advises us to ‘give place to the wrath’ (cf. Romans 12:19) for it has been written, ‘To Me vengeance! I will recompense, says the LORD’ (cf. Deuteronomy 32:35). “The wrath” to which we must give place is ‘the wrath of God’ (cf. Romans 1:18).
Paul draws out the positive side of the eighth commandment, ‘Thou shalt not steal’ (cf. Exodus 20:15). We are to work for our living in order that we might have the wherewithal to give to those in need (EPHESIANS 4:28). Paul was all too aware of church people elsewhere who were ‘working not at all’ (cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-11).
The Apostle next warns us against corrupt, rotten, speech (EPHESIANS 4:29). Our conversation is rather to be for building up and edification, ministering grace to others (cf. Proverbs 12:18).
The Holy Spirit is “grieved” (EPHESIANS 4:30) when He sees those for whom Christ died ‘giving place to the devil’ (cf. EPHESIANS 4:27). The “Holy Spirit” is a Person, not just an influence. He is grieved by disunity in the church, and by unholiness on the part of believers. This Grief does not speak so much of anger as of a disappointment based in love. ‘Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation’ (cf. Hebrews 6:9).
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit ‘turned to be the enemy’ of rebellious Israel (cf. Isaiah 63:10). But that is not going to happen to those who are “sealed (by the Holy Spirit) unto the day of redemption.” On the contrary, ‘there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit’ (cf. Romans 8:1).
Paul enumerates six more things to “put away” from us (EPHESIANS 4:31).
“Bitterness” speaks of a sour, unforgiving spirit. “Wrath” represents a passionate outburst of rage, whilst “anger” is less explosive and more seething. “Clamour” is a public outcry, raising our voices and shouting. “Evil speaking” is, literally, ‘blaspheming’ (Greek) – and how easily a shouting match does break down into cursing and swearing. “Malice” is literally ‘bad’ (Greek) – thinking and even plotting evil against our opponent.
All these, the Apostle teaches, we are to put it far from us! Failure to do so is to ‘give place to the devil’ (cf. EPHESIANS 4:27) and to ‘grieve’ the Holy Spirit of God (cf. EPHESIANS 4:30).
Instead of these things, we should be “kind” to one another, “tender-heartedly” and affectionately reaching out to one another in compassion. We must never forget that we are a forgiven people, and therefore we must be “forgiving” towards others (EPHESIANS 4:32).
