Presentation 11

Studiesin

Ephesians

Chap 1-3Chap 4-6

See what you are in ChristBe what you are in Christ

DoctrineTruthApplication

The Structure of the Book

TheImportance

of PurityChap 4 v17-29

In this important section Paul brings together of 3 things;1. Christian experience - what we are.2. Christian theology - what we believe.3. Christian ethics - how we behave.What we are governs how we think and how we think, determines how we behave. Paul’s method has been to show Christians what they are as a result of their new nature and union with Christ. He knows they need to grasp what is true about their new status and the resources that are theirs. It is on the basis of that recognition that his exhortation to Christian ethics is made, “behave in a manner consistent with your new nature”. Be what you are!

Introduction

These three must never be

separated.

This is helpfully illustrated in the story of the ugly duckling... The bird is sad not just because of its clumsy behaviour but because others make fun of it. Then one day its belief about its true identity caught up with its experience for it was indeed by nature a swan. It expressed the joy of this discovery with the words, "I'm a swan, I'm a swan". This was followed by an exhibition of graceful flight - its behaviour reflected what it really was by nature.

Introduction

The seriousness of the matter is emphasised in Paul’s manner of address, "I tell you this and insist on it in the Lord“ v17. This is not a pep talk on morality but a strategy for moral transformation. Paul’s language conjures up the picture of the classroom. “You learned” v20, “you heard” v21, and “you were taught” v21. What was the great truth they had learned? Simply this that by becoming Christians they had become entirely new men and women. The new birth, which they had experienced, had brought about the profoundest change imaginable.

Former hindrances laid aside

A Christian is not just a man who has decided to try and be better behaved; he has been born again of the Spirit of God. He is a new creation. He is entirely different to what he was before. Paul identifies this transformation in v17-19 by first reminding his readers that they once lived in the downward spiral of the pagan man. No man's life is morally static. His condition is either improving or deteriorating. The condition of man by nature is one of deterioration, as the following verses make clear.

Former hindrances laid aside

First, comes ‘hardness of heart’. It results in a wilful rejection of God's truth, a refusal to be challenged by it. This leads to ‘darkness of mind’, this has nothing to do with intelligence but being blind to spiritual truth. e.g.Pharisees ‘blind leaders of the blind’ Matt 15.14. This blindness produces ‘deadness of soul’ under the judgement of God. Man becomes so morally desensitised that he loses self-control producing recklessness of life. Cf. the religious leaders who on receiving reports of the raising of Lazarus, did what? Jn 11.45-50

Deterioration of Human NatureFormer hindrances laid aside

Man has the seeds of self-destruction within him as a result of the downward spiral of the fall. Therefore, telling man to patch up his disintegrating life cannot help. To suggest he starts a course of self-improvement is like asking him to climb a greased pole and with similar effects. A lot of friction burns!

What is needed is something entirely new, which does not contain the bacteria of disintegration. This was why Jesus came. To bring about a new creation, a new humanity.

Deterioration of Human NatureFormer hindrances laid aside

Paul reminds them that they had been taught that Christ had set them free from the inertia of this downward spiral. In conversion God is recreating. God's word brought the original creation into being. And the preached word of the gospel of Christ is used to bring about a greater miracle; a new creation which reverses the downward spiral. Spiritual light replaces spiritual darkness.

Paul draws a helpful parallel between God's two creations in 2Cor 4.6.

Creation of a New NatureFormer hindrances laid aside

The Ephesians lives have been radically changed. What we call conversion from a human standpoint is called a re-creation from the divine standpoint.

Creation of a New NatureFormer hindrances laid aside

Christianity does not paint over the cracks of a disintegrating humanity. It creates a gloriously new nature! Therefore the Christian must turn his back onhis former self, his fallen humanity for he is now a part of a new recreated humanity. Hisnew nature makes him a new creature. He discovers he is not an ugly ducklings but a swan.

“If any man is in Christ he is a new creation old things have passed away all things have become new.” 2Cor 5.17

Recognising our new identityFormer hindrances laid aside

In the light of their new identity Paul urges his readers. “Don't step out of character. Build on the facts. You have already put off your old nature in a decisive act of repentance leading to your conversion”. Because this was true, they are commanded to put away the practices that belong to their former sinful life, and put on, like a new set of clothes, new behaviour that is consistent with the new person you have become. In day to day living when we change our role we change our dress... The same is true in our spiritual lives.

The process of change involves discarding practices, which belong to your old self. How do we do that? By affirming of our new identity. When get up in the morning we look in the mirror and say:

"I'm not the man I used to be. I am a new creation. I am not going to dress in the sinful clothes of my old humanity. I'm going to put on the new clothes that Jesus brought when he came into my life. I'm not going to be moulded by the values and attitudes of this disintegrating world but by the values and attitudes of the world to come!

Former hindrances laid asideRecognising our new identity

It is not enough to discard the clothes of our old life. We need to develop Christian graces. This we can do because we are united to Christ. We have access to his life. A new nature.

The new nature that we now possess contains in seed form the fruit of the Holy Spirit; love, joy, peace etc. Gal 5.22-23

These seeds have to be nourished daily as we exercise faith in the resources that are ours.

Former hindrances laid asideNurturing our new resources

But how do we do that? Faith is like the conductor of an orchestra. As faith points to a particular quality, we are saying to God, “I would like to bring that quality into play in my life”. This is the idea that Peter has in mind in 2 Peter 1 4-7:

Former hindrances laid asideNurturing our new resources

“so that …you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love”.

When we examine Paul’s examples in detail we discover that they have both a positive and negative side to them. Christian behaviour involves a putting off of the rags of the old life and a putting on of the clothes of the new. The four examples given:

Former hindrances laid asideChanging your wardrobe.

1. Truth2. Anger3. Stealing4. Speech

Paul tells his readers to put off falsehood v25. Christians are to form part of a community whose word can be trusted. The reason given is interesting, "we are members one of another". Using the body metaphor Paul says a lie can harm the whole body. How? Fellowship is built on trust, and trust is built on truth. Falsehood undermines fellowship, while truth strengthens it. Christians often live behind a mask. We do so for many reasons - fear losing our reputation, fear of rejection, fear of making ourselves vulnerable.

Former hindrances laid aside1. Put off falsehood

A Christian missionary lived behind a mask. She denied she had any problems though clearly she had many. In time colleagues found out why she found it so hard to be open. Years previously, she had shared some difficulties with people from her home church. Instead of receiving encouragement she received scathing criticism – and was told that her faith was weak. As a result of that experience she began to live the rest of her life with the shutters down. Her home church, unable to cope with her honesty, had forced her to live a life of pretence.

If our church fellowship is to be strengthened and encouraged we need honesty.

Former hindrances laid aside

God's Word both permits and restricts anger. Anger can be a legitimate Christian emotion. Too few Christians express it. But by failing to do so we can deny God, damage ourselves and encourage the spread of evil.

Faced with the evils in our world, we should be indignant not apathetic, angry not tolerant. If evil arouses God's anger it should arouse ours?

Former hindrances laid aside2. Anger

Former hindrances laid aside2. AngerPaul’s approval of anger is not unqualified. Scripture recognises two types of anger, one is righteous the other is unrighteous, one was exercised by Jesus when he saw God's sanctuary abused and God's people swindled;the other was exercised by the Pharisees who seethed with anger against Jesus because he had hurt their pride, exposed their sin, and contradicted their traditions.

The former is, as seen in this verse, permissible and the latter, mentioned in v31, is to be put away. 

Paul qualifies his encouragement to anger in 3 ways.1. "do not sin". We have to make quite sure that our

anger is free of injured pride, spite, malice, animosity and the spirit of revenge

2. "do not let the sun go down on your anger". Just as milk goes sour if kept too long, so our anger can go sour and turn into resentment if nursed too long.

We need either to apologise or be reconciled to the person concerned. Never go to bed angry is a good rule and has particular application for married couples.

Former hindrances laid aside2. Anger

Former hindrances laid aside2. Anger3. There is a fine line between legitimate and

illegitimate anger and because even legitimate anger can fester and produce resentment we are told to “give no opportunity to the devil”.

Satan knows it’s hard for us to handle anger responsibly . He lurks around angry people, hoping to exploit the situation to his own advantage provoking them into hatred, violence and breach of fellowship. Watch and pray!

This command involves more than taking other peoples possessions. It applies to evading taxes, which robs the government and to laziness at work which robs our employer .

Former hindrances laid aside3. Theft

It is not enough that the thief stops stealing, let him start working. He will then not only be able to support his own family but help those in need.

Instead of being a drain on society he will be a fountain of providing for others.

It’s also possible to steal people's reputations - this may well provide continuity of thought in v29, "Don't use your mouth for evil but rather for good." People’s reputations can be stolen through gossip and slander.

Former hindrances laid aside4. Destructive speech

Destructive and critical talk aimed at pulling others down is often done to elevate the critic. The Christian should be concerned with preserving the reputations of others by seeking to quench slander.

Speech distinguishes us from the rest of the animal kingdom. The gift of communication is a result of being made in God’s image. God’s speech reveals his character. Our speech reveals ours character.

Former hindrances laid aside4. Destructive speech

"let no evil communication come out of your mouths“ v29. The word ‘evil’ was used in Paul's day to describe rotten fruit. Speech which is unkind, dishonest, or vulgar has the stench of rotten fruit about it. God wants our speech to be, a fragrant aroma that builds people up and not something that makes them feel sick.

“For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken”. Matt 12.34b-36

Former hindrances laid aside4. Destructive speech

Jesus says we will account for every careless word we utter. A young Christian gripped by this truth hardly spoke a word for weeks. Previously his speech had been light and frivolous, boastful or critical. But Jesus doesn’t want us to stop speaking but rather set a new standard in speech. Instead of hurting people with words, using them to help, encourage and comfort.