The Right Side Of Anger Series

Ephesians Series #29

“The Right Side of Anger”

Ephesians 4:26-27

REVIEW

I. Our Wealth and Worth In Christ 1-3

II. Our Worthy Walk in Christ 4-6

This life all has to do with gathering together with God’s newly formed community and living in community as He has lived in community from all eternity. There are specific characteristics that should characterize God’s community.

A. Live in Unity 4:1-16

B. Live in Newness of life 4:17-24

1. The old life 4:17-19

2. The NEW life 4:20-24

C. Live in Love 4:17-24

1. Speak truth not falsehood 4:25

God calls us to be people who speak healing, life giving truth into one another’s souls. The soul dries up for lack of God’s truth. The soul requires continually feeding on God’s truth for life and growth. The capacity of the soul to assimilate truth diminishes from lack of exposure.

“If you don’t use it, you lose it.” Part of functioning in a loving community is the practice of sharing truth. God wants us all to be truth talkers. Peter wrote his second letter with an interesting outlook.

I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. 13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind. 2 Peter 1:12-15

This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. 2 Peter 3:1-2

Paul felt the same way.

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. Philippians 3:1

Words have the power to build up or bowl over.

Living and speaking the words of God promote the purposes of God.

We are to demonstrate our love for the community of fellow followers of Jesus by guarding our tongue from destructive words and training our tongue to build one another up with God’s truth.

29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29

Let us work on energizing one another with God’s truth in this coming year. It is so easy to engage in conversation that discourages and degrades. Paul seems to indicate in his letter to the Philippians that refraining from grumbling and disputing amongst each other will be a witness to unbelievers that we have the real thing.

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 16 holding forth the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. Philippians 2:14-16

Many consider some kind of New Year’s resolution that involves the tongue. Remember what James had to say about the tongue.

2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.

3 Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 3:2-4

6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. James 3:6-10