For three glorious chapters in this book, Paul has told you who you were and who you are now. He tells the Ephesians, and he tells you that you were chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world. He says you were predestined to be adopted through Christ as God's sons. As sons, he says, you have obtained an inheritance in heaven itself and have been given the Holy Spirit as a pledge, a down payment, an engagement ring, if you will, to assure you that the inheritance of heaven is yours.
All this has been secured on your behalf by Christ who has been raised from the dead and seated at God's right hand where he has all authority, power and dominion, not only in this age, but in the age that is to come (1:21).
With those words, Paul collapses all of history from Christ to eternity into two ages. There is the age that now is. And there is the age that is to come. There is this present evil age, and there is the age that will be brought in at the last day when Christ is revealed.
Then Paul, inspired by the Spirit of Christ, does an amazing thing. He takes that future age, that not yet time when Christ is revealed, and he gives it to you ahead of time. He marks you with it as your identity. He takes the not yet of that glorious, sinless, perfect, and eternal day, and he says this is already yours as you walk by faith in Christ.
Around you walk unbelievers who are stamped on their foreheads with the mark of the Beast, 666--the number of man, of fallen man, of sinful man, of proudly self-reliant man who does not know how to turn to God and freely receive a grace he cannot deserve and gifts he cannot merit. But being baptized to new life in Christ, you have been washed clean. You have received a new stamp on your forehead, from Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, you have been marked with the identity not of the age that now is, but already you belong to the age that in a sense is yet to come.
You were once dead in trespasses and sins, he says. But no longer! Now you have been made alive with the resurrected Christ. You have been brought up into his heavenly arena to the right hand of his power, and you have been seated there. With him! So that with all the power of heaven and Christ himself at your disposal, you might walk in good works that have already been prepared for you that you should walk in him.
We turn in today's passage to a
description of some of those works. Paul does not offer you a
dreary list of do's and don'ts for you to live up to if you can.
How anticlimactic, how ridiculous, how wrong that would be!
Paul's list bubbles with the power of the new age. He repeatedly
stamps you--again and again lest you forget--with that identity
he gave you in the first three chapters. In calling you to good
works, he also motivates and empowers you to them, reminding you
who you were and who you are; so that, forgetting what lies
behind, you will with joy and strength in the Holy Spirit press
on toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
OFF WITH THE OLD SELF, ON WITH CHRIST
No Longer Walking as Gentiles
He begins our passage by urging you not to walk "as the Gentiles walk" (17). Your New King James Version will say, "as the rest of the Gentiles walk," but don't pay attention to that. It's a bad translation.
At the same time, you can see why the New King James might make this mistake. After all, to whom is Paul writing when he writes to the Ephesians? To those who were born Jews? Not at all. He has earlier told the Ephesians they were "strangers to the covenants of promise." He's writing to those who are Gentiles according to the flesh.
But he's not writing to them as they are according to the flesh. He's writing to them according to what they have become in Christ. They … you! … who were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. You who were once Gentiles are Gentiles no longer. You who were not the chosen race are now the people of God. Paul takes this identity and gives it to you, for he judges not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Therefore, he says, since you are no longer Gentiles, since you are no longer people who are far from God and without hope … don't walk like Gentiles. Don't act like people who are far from God and have no hope! Cast off that old identity. It is useless. It isn't who you are anymore.
Don't walk as the Gentiles walk, Paul says, "in the futility of their mind" (2). The Gentiles have no hope for a future beyond the grave. They have no assurance of the resurrection and entry into heavenly glory. Their understanding is darkened and they don't know what you know: that you can lose your life for Christ and find it in him, that the greatest in the kingdom is a servant of all, that the only things of value are not found in this world. They are stored up for you in heaven, kept safe in the bosom of Christ, where you already reside, seated in heavenly places with him.
Since they don't know this, what do they do? They become lewd and greedy. All they know is what this world offers, so they reach for it with both hands. They judge success in life by how much pleasure they can attain, how much they can cram into their mouths and stuff into their pockets before their lives expire and they return to the dust. They know nothing of a final judgment of or rewards given out in that last day which are everlasting. They know nothing of the new age, the life that is to come.
But you do. You know these things. You have learned them from Christ. And Christ assures you by his Holy Spirit that these things are true and that already they belong to you.
But Putting on Christ
Therefore, Paul says, put on Christ. Take off the old man, the Gentile you used to be. Take him off like a coat that doesn't fit you anymore. Your old man is full of "deceitful lusts" (22). Those lusts lie to you. They tell you that life is here and now, that life consists of what you can see and touch and grasp and own. But that is a lie! Those lusts are deceitful! Everything your eyes can see and your hands can touch will one day pass away. Therefore to not listen to the lies of your flesh.
The truth, the truth that counteracts these lies, is in Jesus. Jesus put the world behind him and the cross before him. And look at him now! Jesus has been raised again to new life. Jesus has ascended into heaven and sits at God's right hand. He has entered into heavenly glory. And you have entered with him. Even as you suffer and groan in this present evil age, you already by faith know the glory of the age that is to come. That is the truth! Therefore walk in that truth, forsaking all things visible that you may gain what is invisible in the heavens, an inheritance kept safe for you by Christ Jesus.
That you may walk in this way, Paul says, be renewed in the spirit of your mind (23). Take this new mind, which is the mind of Christ. It is a mind that can turn its back on all the world has to offer to please or comfort your deceitful flesh. It is a mind that can without wavering desire the world that is to come. Such a desire is no deceitful lust. It is a true passion for the joys of heaven eternally. You will be satisfied with nothing less.
In that frame of mind, Paul says, "put on the new man" (24). And what does he tell us about the new man? The new man "WAS created in the likeness of God in righteousness and true holiness." The new man has already been created, he has already been brought forth. It is not up to you to somehow make yourself into a new person. It isn't even up to you to somehow get God to make you into a new person.
The new man has already been revealed. The new man is Christ. The new man has already been revealed. The new man is Christ.
The new man is Christ, who by his Spirit renews your mind. This is the New Age program for your sanctification, not that you should become what you are not, but that you should put on who you are. Just as you discard that old man like a coat that doesn't fit, so now put on Christ. To you who are being saved, by God's grace, he's a perfect fit! Put him on. Rest in his work, rely upon his strength, depend upon him as he leads you in paths of righteousness.
Put him on! Take for yourself his values, his loves, his single-mindedness. Love what he loves, say what he says, do what he does; for he has prepared it all for you ahead of time. Put him on!
Do you want specifics? Paul's got
them for you.
THE OLD LIFE vs. THE NEW
Not Lies but the Truth
Paul begins by telling you to put away lying. Rather, he says, "Let each one speak truth with his neighbor" (25). In using those words, Paul quotes the prophet Zechariah. He does this so you may know that the righteousness and holiness to which he calls you are in a sense no different than what God has always said in Scripture. And how could they be? God does not change. The righteousness and holiness to which he calls us are his own righteousness and holiness, unchanging from age to age.
Yet at the same time, Paul is introducing a newness to this command. He urges you to speak the truth because "we are members of one another." This is a new thing. A new inducement to obedience, a new power from which to obey. Since Christ has been raised, we have all together become his body. We are members one of another. We belong to each other, and together we belong to Christ. Because we belong to one another and are all part of the same body, let us put away lying and speak truth with our neighbor.
Why does Paul speak in this way? "Therefore, put away lying." Were the Ephesian Christians in the habit of lying to one another. But Paul wants to remind them that lying belongs to their old way of life, to a time when they might deceive one another to gain advantage for themselves. But how can they act like that now that they are members of one another. It makes no sense for me to lie to you so that I may gain and you may lose. We are one body. Any gain to you is gain to me; and any loss for you is loss for me.
As well, Paul with these words sets up the complete contrast between our former life and our new life in Christ. Put away the lying that you used to do as Gentiles, he says. But don't stop there. You've not only got an old useless life to put off. You've got a new, vibrant life to put on. Therefore speak the truth to one another.
And in this context, what then does it mean to speak the truth? Well, we've already talked about that a little, haven't we? In verse 22, Paul reminded us that our old lusts were deceitful. The old man lied to us about the satisfaction offered by this world. In contrast, we noted in verse 21, the truth is in Jesus.
Do you see? For us to speak truth to one another involves more than speaking what is technically true. It involves speaking the truth that is in Jesus!
Let's take some examples:
The truth is that this world cannot offer you lasting satisfaction. But I speak to you as though what really matters is whether you're making good money and can expect to make better. Or I speak to you as though the important things in life are where you live or what kind of car you drive. Then I cease to speak the truth to you and become a liar. For I am speaking the same language to you as your old man did in his deceitful lusts.
But if instead I speak to you as though the important thing is that you and I both have a lasting inheritance in heaven, that our prize possession is Christ and he cannot be taken away, then indeed I speak the truth to you as it is found in Jesus.
The truth is that you and I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ. Paul said so at the beginning of this letter. If I speak to you as one who is discontent, I don't communicate that truth to you. But you may speak the truth back to me and say, "Come, brother! The life that now is is hard and full of sorrow. But that which is to come is already secured for us in heaven, and God himself shall one day wipe away your tears."
If I speak to you as though you need anything other than what you have in Christ, I become a liar. Let us rather speak the truth, that all that we need is given in Christ already.
The truth is that your sins have been forgiven in Christ. But I come to you in judgment and in harshness of language condemn you for you sin. Then I become a liar, for I do not speak the truth of Christ's love and forgiveness for you (and this means I have forgotten those truths for myself as well).
But if instead I speak to you as one whom God has forgiven, without harshness, in meekness as a fellow sinner helping you to turn from your sin because your sin does not reflect the truth that is in Jesus…. If I do this, then I become one who tells you the truth.
The truth is that God loves you with a great and abiding love. He gave you his Son! If I communicate with you by my own lack of love that God's love is not certain, I become a liar. I walk in old ways. But if I seek to love you as Christ loved you and to tell you of Gods love for you in Christ, I become not just a teller of things that are true. I become a teller of THE truth!
It is a glorious truth--this truth of Christ's love and our redemption and present and future glory in him. Let us speak these truths often.
Not Anger but Reconciliation
Having dealt with our tongues, Paul now deals with our hearts. "Be angry and do not sin," he says in verse 26, quoting Psalm 4. Now, Paul is not ordering us to be angry, of course! But he is saying when it happens that you are angry against your brother, do not let the anger become a source of sin.
And how could this happen? It happens when we "let the sun go down" on our anger. It happens when we become hardened toward one another, forgetting that we are all members of each other. That is when the devil gains a foothold and lies to us, just as the old man lied to us, saying that our wounded pride or hurt feelings or material loss is more important than the fellowship we have in Christ Jesus.
Oh brothers and sisters, do not let your hearts harden into such a condition! I must go to you. You must come to me. We must go to one another and say, "This has made me angry. Come, let us be reconciled." And you and your brother or sister, with the love you still bear each other because anger has not hardened your heart, seek the Lord together.
The body of Christ is one, but the devil loves to split it up. When we harden our hearts in anger, we open the door to that. The devil creeps in and speaks LIES. He tells us, "You are beloved of God, but that one over there, with whom you are angry is not beloved of God." What a hateful, damnable message! Let us give the devil no foothold! Let us rather let love cover a multitude of sins. And if that does not take away anger, let us speak to one another, and let us tenderly receive such messages as well.
Let us pray for one another that we will always think according to the truth, which is that the body of Christ is one. Then we will so hate the idea of the devil tearing apart that body that our fear and our pride and our selfishness will seem like nothing and reconciliation with our brother will seem like all.
Oh dear God, protect us from the evil one by granting us hearts that are always soft toward one another.
Not Theft but Charity
Having dealt with tongue and heart, Paul goes on to speak of actions. "Let him who stole, steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need" (28).
"Let him who stole, steal no longer." Were the Ephesians a bunch of thieves? No. Again, Paul speaks of what pertains to their old life, that they may consciously put it behind them as they live according to the new life that is in Christ. Don't steal like the Gentiles, who have darkened understanding, but labor so you may have enough to give to the needy.
You see how Paul motivates you to this good deed? He takes your love of the brethren and your unity with them, and he says, work so you'll have something to give them. Paul is not merely saying, "Theft is a sin, so don't do it." He's saying theft is completely inconsistent with your new life in Christ, but generosity flows from the mind of Christ which you have put on.
Do you love the body of Christ? Of course you do, for you love Christ! Then count all your labor as being done for his sake and the sake of his body. Your work, your callings in life, what you do for a living, Paul takes those labors and gives them a heavenly tinge here. He takes your ordinary, earthly employment, and stamps it with the sign of the age that is to come.
Why do you labor? So that you may have to give to brothers and sisters who are in need. To do otherwise would be to steal from them. Walk according to the new man that you have put on, Christ Jesus.
And those who stay at home are by no means excluded either. You care for the household so that others may be freed to labor on behalf of the brethren. Your demadns in life are modest and not at all extravagant. You participate in this way in freeing up funds that may be given to the people of God.
What glory, children of God, when the Lord blesses us with enough that our Christ-induced generosity becomes the means by which he blesses other.
Not Evil Talk but Gracious Words
"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth," our passage goes on to say. And again, we are back to the use of the tongue! And Paul says the same things again, only in a different way. Now he urges us to avoid corrupt words and evil talk, but rather say what is necessary for building up the body of Christ.
Look at the contrast, once again, between the old life and the new. Paul is not just saying that we ought to avoid tearing one another down and speaking ungraciously to and about one another. He's saying the new life in Christ provides an opposite activity--building one another up rather than tearing one another down. He's not just calling you to refrain from talk that is outwardly and obviously malicious, demeaning, gossipy, or self-righteous. He's saying your speech, redeemed and purified in Christ, can actually impart grace to those who hear you.
Rather than speaking with judgment and condemnation, judging people according to their works, we may speak the very grace of God which judges the brethren according to the work of Christ.
As we love one another, let us seek to say such things. Let us ask, "What can I say that will remind this brother that he is blessed and beloved of God? What can I say that will communicate to this sister that she is redeemed from sin? How may my words teach others that they are strong in Christ, and seated in heavenly places with him?" These are not just the truths that saved us; these are the truths by which we live.
Let us speak to one another, then, as God speaks to us in his word. And then--think of it!--we will be a means by which God's grace, his removal of our sin and his unmerited favor, is communicated and given to his people.
Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit
"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (30). In this way, Paul sums up what we have said so far.
If I lie to you by not telling you the truth of Christ. If I steal from you by not laboring to have enough to give to those in need. If I tear you down to others or to your face. If I do any of these things, I grieve the Holy Spirit.
Why? Because the Holy Spirit has not been given to us that we may walk in old, dead ways. He has sealed us for the day of redemption. Christ bought us, and the Holy Spirit is his proof of purchase seal. The Holy Spirit, dwelling in us, testifies that we are children of God and heirs of the kingdom.
And if my actions, my words, or the thoughts of my heart look at you differently than God does, that grieves the Holy Spirit by speaking a different message than he speaks within us.
Consider how sweetly God comes to you by his Spirit. You sometimes feel like such a failure, yet the Spirit within you assures you that God still loves you. This life at times seems oppressive and unmanageable. But the Spirit within you says, Christ has triumphed over all this and will bring you safely home.
You find yourself entangled in sin, and how gently the Spirit rebukes you. He does not say, "You fool! What you have done cannot be repaired. You are now a second-class citizen in God's kingdom." Rather, he says, "Repent. There is utter forgiveness in Christ. This sin cannot diminish God's love for you in him. I am the seal of that love."
And oh how many sins the Spirit does not draw to our attention, for he knows how that would crush us. But patiently he sanctifies us and draws us always nearer to God.
And how sweetly he challenges you in this passage and elsewhere. He does not attempt to push you into good deeds through guilt and fear. Rather, he embarrasses you with the riches you have in Christ. And he gently shows you how natural and right and wonderful it is that your behavior should conform to the mind of Christ who indwells you by this Spirit.
Let us therefore approach one another in this way, that the Spirit may not be grieved but rejoicing. For in such attitudes and words and deeds the glory of the new age peaks through into this present evil age. And we are given a foretaste of heaven.
Not Bitter Wrath but Kind Forgiveness
Therefore put away all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ has forgiven you. If God has forgiven me, then let me forgive you as well. In that way I assure you that God in Christ has forgiven you.
Shall I not forgive you? Shall I harbor resentment and bitterness and even think and act with anger and slander? God forbid! If I do that, I preach that God has not forgiven you. If I do that, I preach that God has not forgiven me! Let us therefore remember the greatness and the numerousness of our own sins before God. Let us consider how justly he might have been angry with us and condemned us in his wrath.
But he did not! He gave grace where you deserved wrath! He gave gifts where you deserved punishment! You were enemies; he made you friends. You were far off; he brought you near. Oh, let your heart melt with the knowledge of it. What could be greater than this? Only that we should share this grace with our brothers and sisters. God has forgiven us; let us forgive one another.
For then we will be imitators of God (5:1). Then we will walk in love toward one another just as Christ loved us. Then we will be able even to give preference to one another, to serve one another, to put one another's needs even ahead of our own. For that is what Christ has already done for us by offering himself as a sacrifice.
God has accepted that sacrifice. Our sins are forgiven. God is pleased with us, because of Christ. Therefore let us put on Christ, that we may love one another with his same sacrificial love, each one looking out for the needs of others. Then the dawning glory of this new age in which we live will be made evident. The abundance of our heavenly life in Christ shall constantly spill over into the life that now is as we walk by faith not by sight. Then we shall be revealed for what we are, not tired old miserable and defeated sinners, but saints in Christ Jesus who rely on his heavenly power as we walk in his heavenly ways.