Ephesians 4:25-32

Ephesians 4:25-32

In verses 23-24, Paul tells us that the spiritual change of being a disciple will also change our conduct so that we will be becoming like our heavenly Father. In verses 25-32 he describes some of the behaviors that will result. These behaviors are by no means an attempt to earn God‘s favor or grace; rather, this is the working out into our daily lives of the new life of Christ in us.

This passage is not difficult to understand; in fact, the language is rather simple. It is, however, or can be, difficult to practice. This life of simple holiness is admirable even among non-believers. A great many people would say, ‘Yes, we should tell the truth’ or ‘We should not hold grudges’ or ‘We ought not steal.’ The guidance Paul gives us is generally well accepted. The problem for disciples and nonbelievers alike is we want exclusion or escape clauses for ourselves. We want an exception clause we can put into use in the event we feel we might need it. 

“We should tell the truth, but I had to lie about having my work done so I could go home.” 

“We shouldn’t steal, but I was a little short this month, and I just needed a little extra to get by.” 

“I shouldn’t tell dirty jokes, but I want these people to think I’m funny.” 

Scripture does not provide for us the escape clauses that we want so desperately! 

These may not seem like a big deal, but being faithful and holy in minor things is essential in two ways. First, it is in the ‘minor things’ that we establish the practices that will shape the major things. If we are in the habit and practice of lying about little matters, when an important moment comes, we will not have the commitment or habit of truth that will direct our actions. In the moment of crisis we will only say what suits us in that instant, whether it is the truth or a lie. Second, there are unexpected connections to our behaviors; they can have a profound impact on our lives. When we hold on to our anger, we are most likely not going to realize that we are giving the devil a foothold in our lives. When we steal, not only do we rob from the rightful owner, we rob from ourselves the potential to be a generous person. He who loves wealth enough to steal will most likely love it too much to be generous. Paul is very clear about what it means to and how to live a holy life. The problem is not in the understanding but in the doing. So we need to end trying to write out our own escape clause.

“Lord, convict me when I try to write and escape clause for my sinful desires. AMEN”

Ephesians 4:17-24

Ephesians 4:17-24

Having called the disciples at Ephesus to maturity in Christ, Paul recalls and, by so doing, warns them of the true nature of their former pre-Christian life. It is more than a little worrisome if a Christian talks about the sinful, Christ-less life with a sort of longing nostalgia. They recalled the “good times” without considering that those were expressions of great evil and were harmful to themselves and others and were hurtful toward God. Paul, for his part, has nothing good to say about the pre-Christian pagan life.

Paul describes graphically the downwards spiral of pagan morals in very non-flattering terms: decayed understanding, exclusion from the life of God, and because of ignorance, they became hard-hearted. This downward spiral settles into three characteristics that Paul describes in verses 18-19. First Paul says in verse 19 they are “callous” (NASB) or “having lost sensitivity” (NIV). This condition comes from the hardness of the heart (v18). The word “hardness” has as a root word “stone.” This actually became a medical term for what we might call a bone spur that results in the joint stiffening. At the beginning of the bone spur or stone, the joint hurts. But as the joint hardens and becomes useless, the pain diminishes. So the conscience at first is bothered, but as the heart hardens, it gets rid of feelings of guilt, shame, or the need for repentance. I once heard a young Christian say that he wasn’t bothered if he saw pornography. He was attempting to claim he was so mature in his faith that looking at porn didn’t bother him. Rather than maturity, it was likely evidence of a hard heart.

Paul says that as a result of this callous heart, they have given themselves over to “sensuality.” This ‘giving up’ or ‘giving over’ literally means betrayal; they have betrayed themselves into slavery. The word “sensuality” has too often been portrayed as warm, soft, exciting, and/or desirable. The word used here actually carries a connotation of violence. Sensuality is to God‘s intent for sex what rape is to gentle marital intercourse. But don’t miss this point: the person giving him or herself into slavery is the one who is being abused. In sensuality we betray ourselves, become the slave, and are abused as a result.

Caught in this addictive cycle Paul says that they work at impurity with an aggressive greed v-19. They work at sensuality like a miser, trying to gain wealth. Working hard to satisfy the evil, there is almost no depth to which an evil person will not go. Parents have pimped out their children. Pedophiles have molested toddlers. Addicts have stolen from helpless and aged parents. Perverts abused and then cannibalized their victims. How deep is man’s evil when he works at it? It can spiral down to depths that we don’t want to consider. May we never make light of or speak with nostalgia for the old days before we came to Christ.

“Lord, help me to hate sin the way You hate sin. AMEN”

Ephesians 4:1-16

Ephesians 4:1-16

The transition between chapters 3 and 4 is marked by the word “therefore” and shifts the emphasis of a letter from doctrine to behavior, from orthodoxy to orthopraxy. This passage is a beautiful description of the functional unity of the body of Christ. It works toward the conclusion of the church and its individual parts, the people, maturing into a body that fits the head and lives in perpetual support and love for each other. Working backwards from there, we see that this mature body is a result of the functionality of the works the church does, which is based on unique gifts. This in turn is a result of the unity of the foundation of the church. Verses 4-6 are a powerful statement of the oneness of the church.

Sadly, unity is not what we see in the church today. Some have said that Satan’s greatest victory in his long war against God has been the divisions he has created within the church. It has hampered our effectiveness; it has compromised our maturity; and worst of all, it has broken the heart of God. My own tradition, or fellowship, began primarily as a unity movement. Ironically, it has become divided into three major parties with numerous subsets. Thankfully, God‘s grace is greater than even our disunity, and that ought to call us to pursue unity.

There’s little we can do, especially as individuals, about the great divisions between Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestant Christianity, nor even the schisms that occur within our own fellowships or denominations. However, the practical call for unity Paul gives us is not at the macro level but at the micro level. In verse three we see we are called to persevere, guard, or keep intently the unity of the Spirit. Unity is the Holy Spirit’s responsibility, not ours. Our goal is to protect it. How do we do that? Working back to verse two, we see how. Opportunities in the sphere, are guided by love, and we see four behaviors or character traits of which we are capable and for which we have a responsibility: humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearance. Space does not allow us to study each of these words in great detail, but we are capable of practicing these. We can’t change or affect the head of denominations, the pope, or even our local preacher. But we can all impact those near us by these practices.

“Lord, may my life and work always be toward godly unity.  AMEN”