Eph 4:25-28 | KingComments | STEP | . The word “therefore” indicates that the admonitions that now follow arise from what has just been said. The believers in Ephesus had heard about the ‘truth in Jesus’. Paul had told them about the old and the new man. He made it clear that the new man ‘is created according to God’. You might know all that, but you only have really understood it, if that is also visible in your life. That’s why Paul now gives his teachings real substance. He demonstrates how the features of God should be reflected in the life of the believer. You have the possibility to do that. After all you ‘are created according to God’. That means that you have been renewed to look like God by reflecting His features in your daily life. The first Man on earth in Whom it was perfectly seen, is the Lord Jesus. Never has any lie come out of His mouth (cf. ); He always spoke the full truth. And that should also be the case with everyone who is created according to God. Lying is a conscious denial of the truth or a conscious twist of that. You mislead people because it brings you profit. That doesn’t always have to be financial profit. It can also help you to cover your true intentions. But that is not how God is and neither how the Lord Jesus was when He was on earth. God is perfectly transparent, as was the Lord Jesus also on earth. He only spoke truth and could say: “I am the truth” ( ). And “no lie is of the truth” ( ). Of course ‘not lying’ and ‘speaking the truth’ is something you should always do toward everybody, but here it is said especially toward your fellow believers. When you lie toward your brother, you deceive yourself. That is in fact embedded within the words “for we are members of one another”. This approach is entirely appropriate for the letter in which the unity of the church is significant. . Lying is always wrong and happens deliberately at almost all times. ‘Getting angry’ is not always wrong and that happens at almost all times spontaneously in cases of injustice. We speak of ‘holy anger’ which arises in a situation where God is being dishonored. That anger is appropriate. Here the apostle even appeals to it: “Be angry.” Getting angry is not against love. God is love, but He is angry about sin and therefore anger is not against love. The Lord Jesus was angry about the dishonor that had been done to His God and cleansed the temple in anger ( ). The point is that we are in danger that our anger becomes a sinful anger. That’s why there follows the addition immediately afterward: “And do not sin.” When we get angry in a case of a certain injustice, we can get that indignant and agitated that we lose our self-control. In such a case we may unthinkingly say or do things that are not ‘according to God’. Regarding the Lord Jesus, we see that anger and grief go perfectly together in perfect balance ( ); regarding us, there is a chance that anger goes together with being hurt personally. Once Moses’ anger burned. That happened when he got down from the mountain and saw the people dancing around the gold calf ( ). That anger was appropriate. Afterward he got angry again and struck the rock instead of speaking to it, as God commanded. There he was quick tempered and for that anger God had to punish him, because he then was sinning and gave room to the devil ( ). That the sun should not go down on our anger, means that we should not cherish wrath, but bring this to God. Psalms 4 points to that ( ). When you cherish anger, the sun will also go down on your anger spiritually. You will get sour and all light and prospect you have, will fade away. Anger can then change into hatred and resentment. It is possible that you have come to such a situation, due to an injustice done to you. You should then seek for someone you can trust to help you. Just do something to get into the light again! . “Do not give the devil an opportunity” means: do not give him any room to let you sin. When you have done that, take that away immediately from him, so that your life is not being pushed further into darkness. He has no right to it, as the Lord has conquered him. Let him no longer take advantage of you ( ). . After Paul has dealt with our speech and emotions in relation to the old and the new man, he now comes to our deeds. Stealing is enriching yourself at the expense of others; giving is to enrich others at your own expense. The law is clear about lying and stealing: “You shall not …” ( ). Paul doesn’t appeal to the law, however! The Christian, who is seated in Christ in heaven and is blessed there with all spiritual blessings, does not live in the sphere of the law anymore. Of course he should not lie and steal, but nobody who ‘is created according to God’ wants that. On the contrary, such a person wants to show the features of God. Has God stolen anything? This is a foolish question. God is a giver ( ) and He gives gently. Such will also be the case with you. You don’t have to be a former thief to learn how to reflect God in your life. Here it even goes further than what you read in Romans 13: “Owe nothing to anyone” ( ). Okay, you don’t steal; you don’t even owe anybody anything. But in the light of this letter that is not the pinnacle of being a Christian. Here you are being addressed at the highest level: by working hard, honest and good, you will be able to give to others. Paul himself has given the good example – with which he brought into practice the words of the Lord Jesus – when he said to the elders of the church in Ephesus: “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my [own] needs and to the men who were with me. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” ( ). . God neither steals anything nor says anything that is damaging or unedifying. Everything that God says, His whole Word, is good, edifies and gives grace. The world is full of filthy words and dirty expressions. Radio, television, the internet, books and magazines are mainly nothing else but channels of the old man. They pass their message to whoever wants to hear, watch and read. Listeners, viewers and readers are being provided with a jargon that is familiar to the old man. The discussions in the workplace and meeting rooms prove this. The language they use, are often not free from ‘filth’ in the sense of bad, perverse. The expression “unwholesome word” doesn’t only refer to a wrong, dirty expression, but also to the whole content, the message that is being passed on. And whether someone uses vulgar or respectable words, his language usage is unclean or dirty when his message is ‘dirty’. No, also in the language usage God would love to recognize Himself. Instead of a word that causes decay and destruction, our words should be an instrument “that will give grace to those who hear”. Of the Lord Jesus it is testified: “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks” ( ). He spoke “gracious words, comforting words” ( ). The words “as is good for edification according to the need [of the moment]” indicate that, not only what has been said is important, but also when and where it is said. I heartily hope that in your and my speech the language of God is being heard. Now read Ephesians 4:25-29 again. Reflection: How do you put off the old man and how do you put on the new man?

‏ Ephesians 4:25-28

The New Man

Eph 4:25. The word “therefore” indicates that the admonitions that now follow arise from what has just been said. The believers in Ephesus had heard about the ‘truth in Jesus’. Paul had told them about the old and the new man. He made it clear that the new man ‘is created according to God’. You might know all that, but you only have really understood it, if that is also visible in your life.

That’s why Paul now gives his teachings real substance. He demonstrates how the features of God should be reflected in the life of the believer. You have the possibility to do that. After all you ‘are created according to God’. That means that you have been renewed to look like God by reflecting His features in your daily life.

The first Man on earth in Whom it was perfectly seen, is the Lord Jesus. Never has any lie come out of His mouth (cf. 1Pet 2:22); He always spoke the full truth. And that should also be the case with everyone who is created according to God.

Lying is a conscious denial of the truth or a conscious twist of that. You mislead people because it brings you profit. That doesn’t always have to be financial profit. It can also help you to cover your true intentions. But that is not how God is and neither how the Lord Jesus was when He was on earth. God is perfectly transparent, as was the Lord Jesus also on earth. He only spoke truth and could say: “I am the truth” (Jn 14:6). And “no lie is of the truth” (1Jn 2:21).

Of course ‘not lying’ and ‘speaking the truth’ is something you should always do toward everybody, but here it is said especially toward your fellow believers. When you lie toward your brother, you deceive yourself. That is in fact embedded within the words “for we are members of one another”. This approach is entirely appropriate for the letter in which the unity of the church is significant.

Eph 4:26. Lying is always wrong and happens deliberately at almost all times. ‘Getting angry’ is not always wrong and that happens at almost all times spontaneously in cases of injustice. We speak of ‘holy anger’ which arises in a situation where God is being dishonored. That anger is appropriate. Here the apostle even appeals to it: “Be angry.”

Getting angry is not against love. God is love, but He is angry about sin and therefore anger is not against love. The Lord Jesus was angry about the dishonor that had been done to His God and cleansed the temple in anger (Mt 21:12).

The point is that we are in danger that our anger becomes a sinful anger. That’s why there follows the addition immediately afterward: “And do not sin.” When we get angry in a case of a certain injustice, we can get that indignant and agitated that we lose our self-control. In such a case we may unthinkingly say or do things that are not ‘according to God’. Regarding the Lord Jesus, we see that anger and grief go perfectly together in perfect balance (Mk 3:5); regarding us, there is a chance that anger goes together with being hurt personally.

Once Moses’ anger burned. That happened when he got down from the mountain and saw the people dancing around the gold calf (Exo 32:19). That anger was appropriate. Afterward he got angry again and struck the rock instead of speaking to it, as God commanded. There he was quick tempered and for that anger God had to punish him, because he then was sinning and gave room to the devil (Num 20:7-12).

That the sun should not go down on our anger, means that we should not cherish wrath, but bring this to God. Psalms 4 points to that (Psa 4:4). When you cherish anger, the sun will also go down on your anger spiritually. You will get sour and all light and prospect you have, will fade away. Anger can then change into hatred and resentment.

It is possible that you have come to such a situation, due to an injustice done to you. You should then seek for someone you can trust to help you. Just do something to get into the light again!

Eph 4:27. “Do not give the devil an opportunity” means: do not give him any room to let you sin. When you have done that, take that away immediately from him, so that your life is not being pushed further into darkness. He has no right to it, as the Lord has conquered him. Let him no longer take advantage of you (2Cor 2:11).

Eph 4:28. After Paul has dealt with our speech and emotions in relation to the old and the new man, he now comes to our deeds. Stealing is enriching yourself at the expense of others; giving is to enrich others at your own expense. The law is clear about lying and stealing: “You shall not …” (Exo 20:15-16). Paul doesn’t appeal to the law, however! The Christian, who is seated in Christ in heaven and is blessed there with all spiritual blessings, does not live in the sphere of the law anymore.

Of course he should not lie and steal, but nobody who ‘is created according to God’ wants that. On the contrary, such a person wants to show the features of God. Has God stolen anything? This is a foolish question. God is a giver (Jn 4:10) and He gives gently. Such will also be the case with you.

You don’t have to be a former thief to learn how to reflect God in your life. Here it even goes further than what you read in Romans 13: “Owe nothing to anyone” (Rom 13:8). Okay, you don’t steal; you don’t even owe anybody anything. But in the light of this letter that is not the pinnacle of being a Christian. Here you are being addressed at the highest level: by working hard, honest and good, you will be able to give to others.

Paul himself has given the good example – with which he brought into practice the words of the Lord Jesus – when he said to the elders of the church in Ephesus: “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my [own] needs and to the men who were with me. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:33-35).

Eph 4:29. God neither steals anything nor says anything that is damaging or unedifying. Everything that God says, His whole Word, is good, edifies and gives grace. The world is full of filthy words and dirty expressions. Radio, television, the internet, books and magazines are mainly nothing else but channels of the old man. They pass their message to whoever wants to hear, watch and read. Listeners, viewers and readers are being provided with a jargon that is familiar to the old man. The discussions in the workplace and meeting rooms prove this. The language they use, are often not free from ‘filth’ in the sense of bad, perverse.

The expression “unwholesome word” doesn’t only refer to a wrong, dirty expression, but also to the whole content, the message that is being passed on. And whether someone uses vulgar or respectable words, his language usage is unclean or dirty when his message is ‘dirty’. No, also in the language usage God would love to recognize Himself.

Instead of a word that causes decay and destruction, our words should be an instrument “that will give grace to those who hear”. Of the Lord Jesus it is testified: “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks” (Jn 7:46). He spoke “gracious words, comforting words” (Zec 1:13). The words “as is good for edification according to the need [of the moment]” indicate that, not only what has been said is important, but also when and where it is said.

I heartily hope that in your and my speech the language of God is being heard.

Now read Ephesians 4:25-29 again.

Reflection: How do you put off the old man and how do you put on the new man?