EPH.4:29-32 "FOR CHRIST’S SAKE"
INTRO: Eph.4 teaches the walk and service of the believer. The Christian walk and service are not according to man made rules or standards. It does not mean that we are supposed to sign a pledge that we will not go here or there, or do this or that. We are to walk worthy of the name Christian. In us, Jesus must find His earthly walk. He lives in our bodies, He walks in our bodies, and we are the only Bible the world reads. We present the only Christ this world will ever know.
If the world does not see Jesus in us, then we are not walking worthy of the Christ who lives in us! * In Bible language, He dwells in us and walks in us. 2 Cor.6:16 "God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and they shall be my people." We believers are the body of Christ!
We represent Him in this earth, and by our actions we express to others what Christ is.
They measure Christ by the way that we walk. * We prove to others by the way that we walk, that we have had a change of heart, and that we are a new creature in Christ.
Because we are sons of God, and because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we should bring glory and honor to God. We are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Look at vss.1-3. "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk ....................."
With these verses lets go to John 17:20-23. Lets hear the cry of Jesus as He begs for oneness in the body of the Church. Surely it must grieve the heart of God when He looks down upon His people and sees the existing division and strife among Christians;
* whisperings, backbitings, and sowing discord among brethren, God hates!
There is perfect unity in the God-head; perfect oneness in the Trinity. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost are one in providing, planning, and in the working of our salvation.
We should demonstrate in our daily living the unity that is demonstrated in the Trinity.
* It grieves the heart of God when brethren fail to dwell together in harmony and unity.
Ps.133:1 "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."
There should be no division among Bible believing Christians, and if the Holy Spirit has His way, there will be no divisions whatsoever!
In vs.14, Paul begs the Ephesians not to be like children! This is good sound advise and is badly needed in our churches today. The average church has entirely too many spiritual babies still being bottle fed. Paul told the Corinthians they should be eating meat, but were still on milk.
WHY? Because they were carnal! They were divided, criticizing, and backbiting!
* One declared, "Apollos baptized me." Another said, "Cephas baptized me." They were fighting among themselves, therefore they had no time in which to fight the devil!
* Churches do the same thing today! Turn to Titus 3:3-4 "For we ourselves also were ............."
We are changed now! Now lets get into the text of our message, "For Christ’s Sake."
(1) LET NO CORRUPT COMMUNICATION PROCEED OUT OF YOUR MOUTH! V.29
* We are to put away foolish and worthless talk! We are not to say things that would deny the
new man within nor misrepresent the new creation! Our conversation should always be such
as to edify, strengthen, and to build up, never to tear down and hinder other Christians or stand
in the way of sinners!
A) Making sly remarks to others about your brother or sister in Christ is dangerous!
* You’re hurting yourself! There’s people here that don’t believe in saying bad things about
others and you may go up to the wrong person and destroy yourself!
B) We are always to be ministering grace to the hearers! Corrupt communications come from
the old nature! The new nature produces holy communication! * Some need to pray this:
* Ps.141:3 "Set a watch, O Lord before my mouth, keep the door of my lips."
* Speak that which is good. There’s a little good in everybody!
(2) GRIEVE NOT THE SPIRIT! V.30 * Grieve not means "pain not, to cause sorrow or grief"
* We are to put away all things that grieve the Holy Spirit of God.* Remember, the Holy Ghost
dwells in us and He is listening to everything we say and is taking note of everything we do!
A) All that is said, all that is done contrary to the holiness of Christ, and to the righteousness
of God, grieves and causes pain and sorrow to that blessed indwelling Spirit!
(3) LET ALL BITTERNESS & WRATH & ANGER & CLAMOUR & EVIL ........! V.31
* Malice - spite, ill will, deliberate intent, as in committing murder. Malice is the reason for:
* all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking!
A) Bitterness - resentment, cruel stinging as bitter words. * Resentment - the feeling that one has
at being injured or insulted; the act of showing this feeling by action or speech. (work injury)
B) Wrath - great anger, rage, fury. vs.26 "Be ye angry ...." * Let me point out some things about
anger. * Perhaps you don’t understand the statement, "Be ye angry and sin not."
* The believer can indulge in "righteous indignation" without sinning.
* There are times when, in the pulpit, I become very angry, but its the right kind of anger.
* I am angry at the devil, at sin. * Let me explain:
C) When I am preaching against the liquor crowd, men who will sell liquor to your 18 yr.old son
or your 16 yr. old daughter, thus causing them to commit sin that would wreck their life,
* and ruin them, I am angry with those men! * But I would put my arm around any one of them
and lead them to Jesus if he would give me the chance. We can be angry and yet not sin!
D) A preacher who can’t get angry in the pulpit is not worth two cents! (Columbine High)
* Notice: Paul said "wrath and anger." * The "anger" Paul uses here means:
* strong resentment of injury or wrong with a desire to punish.
* What is your attitude toward someone who does you wrong? * Toward a murderer?
* Drunk driver who kills someone in a car accident? * A rapist? * Child molester?
E) Clamour - continuous outcry, racket, uproar, to shout with confusion.
F) Evil speaking - to speak evil to hurt someone. * God says to put these away, repent and
be forgiven! * If we don’t live up to this, we are not living a real Christian life!
* This is Christianity in the power in the Holy Ghost! * And we are not merely told to put these
things away! * There must be a positive side, and that is found in vs. 32, "And be ye ....."
(4) FOR CHRIST’S SAKE, BE YE KIND ONE TO ANOTHER! V.32
* Greek word is "chrestos" and means: better, easy, good, gracious.
A) Kindness is very important. * How easy it is for us to think only of ourselves and what we
want and not think of others.
B) The kind word, the kind deed, this is a beautiful picture of love!
* The kind person is gentle and considerate. * Kindness is being considerate of the other person
and showing gentleness unto them. ( My dentist trip when I got my teeth )
(5) FOR CHRIST’S SAKE, BE TENDERHEARTED! * The Greek means: well compassioned,
* sympathetic, pitiful. * A tender heart always means a kind touch!
A) The opposite of tenderhearted is hardhearted! * A hardhearted person is hard to deal with!
* To be tenderhearted means to exercise love and patience when dealing with others!
* A tender heart means a loving word, patience and encouragement.
* Be tenderhearted! * It isn’t difficult to be kind when you have a tender heart!
(6) FOR CHRIST’S SAKE, FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER! * Greek word means:
* Pardon, rescue, deliver, forgive freely! * There is a tremendous truth here!
A) If you are saved, you are saved for the same reason I am saved!
* God did not save us because we were fit to be saved! * Nor because we were good enough to
be saved! * God saved us "for Christ’s sake!"
B) God did not save us just so we could have a happy life on this earth! * God did not save us
just so we could go to heaven when we die and not burn in hell! * God saved us for Christ’s...
C) In case you have the tendency to be just a little "puffed up" because of your sonship in God,
* or proud of your spirituality and your holiness! * Just remember; that the only reason you are
not dead and in hell or on your way to hell is because God for Christ’s sake forgave you!
D) Had it not been for the willingness of Jesus to lay His life down, or the willingness of the
Holy Ghost to draw you and convict you while you were yet ungodly;
* Had it not been for the sake of the only begotten Son of God, you would not be saved!
* And no sinner would ever be saved! * God saves sinners for Christ’s sake!
E) Now, God says we are to forgive as He, for Christ’s sake has forgiven us!
* You say, "Preacher, to what extent must I forgive? I have forgiven over and over and over
again, and I can’t go on forgiving forever."
* Wait a minute! * What does the Bible say about the extent to which we are to forgive?
* Here it is: "Even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you."
F) Can you ever go beyond that? * Has anyone ever wronged you as much as you have
wronged God? * Not in a million years!
* If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, God has forgiven you ALL your trespasses and
sins! * Now this is the standard for Christians!
* We are to forgive one another even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven us!
CLOSE:
A) Turn to Mark 11:25-26 "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any:
that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
* But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."
B) A man who said one time; "I will never forgive you as long as I live."
* Reply: "I hope you never sin for the rest of your life!"
