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 Exhortation from this passage (vv. 1-7): Choose Faith in God. It means choosing Love that costs something - a Love that looks like Christ’s Love - Sacrificial. You will lose your life. I promise because Jesus Promised: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” - Matthew 16:25.

Advice: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” - Romans 12:1,2; Offer self, a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.

II. Walk as Children of Light (5:8–14)

8For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:9(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)10proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.12For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.13But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.14Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

We were once darkness. We were born Dark. But when we surrendered our lives to Christ, LIGHT CAME IN. HE IS LIGHT.

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Takeaway from these verses:

Believers don’t just avoid darkness - they produce Light.

Paul reminds them: “You were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Light produces what is good, right, and true - a beautiful triad for reflection prompts.

Believers “discern (discover) what is pleasing to the Lord” - their Faith becomes active; their thoughtfulness, the responsive.

Light exposes what is harmful to us, not to shame us, but to heal and transform us. Jesus said, “But he that believeth not is condemned (to die) already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (the penalty of death is on the unbeliever; unbelief is the only sin that condemns a person to death; once you come to Christ, HE RAISES YOU FROM THE DEAD FOREVER.

[Side note: Romans 8:29, the phrase “the firstborn among many brethren” refers to Jesus Christ and describes His unique position in God’s Plan for the Church. The verse reads: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”]

19And this is the condemnation (that causes death), that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, (why?) because their deeds were evil.20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light (emotions attached

to darkness), neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (exposed).21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

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The emotions placed in man by God are Love or Hate. either one or the other from God’s Perspective. There’s no in-between… God did not provide a long-handled spoon to feed anybody, SO where do you suppose that comes from? … when it comes to God’s world, we want to find gray areas to walk or sit on the fence. God does not provide gray areas nor a fence for anyone to sit upon. It is: good or evil; love or hate; strength or weakness; types or reality. Your “will” determines your choice. God said, 15And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve (God will stop you and satan is on a leash; he can’t touch you without God’s permission); satan chose the earth as his own when Adam failed; now he is “the god of this world”] but the problem he has is, Jesus is Coming Back to Redeem it. Teaching Point: When God Covenanted with Eden, He commanded All creatures throughout all times: “28And God blessed them, and God said unto them, ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth’” - Gen. 1:28. Adam lost dominion (satan grabbed it) and the ability to control the earth (Subdue it); i.e., he lost the power and the ability to regain it. ONLY Christ Jesus can subdue it. That will be done when All of God’s enemies are cast into the Lake of Fire. At that time, The New Heaven and New earth will come down - eternity will begin - NO sin, sorrow, pain, death, not anything that can defile… Adam lost the right to the Tree of Life when he rebelled against God. “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.15For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.16I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star” Rev.22:14-16.

After the flood, God gave Noah the same Covenant, except, He did not say “Subdue it.” Only Christ can take it back.

The poetic call, “Awake, O sleeper… and Christ will shine on you,” frames Salvation as an awakening. Choosing Faith means choosing to live Awake, Aware, and Aligned with Christ’s Light.

Believers are to Reprove the Darkness

Understanding “Reproving Darkness” in Christian Teaching

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In Christian teaching, “reproving darkness” refers to the active Duty of Believers to confront and expose sin, evil, and false practices that oppose God’s Truth. It is not merely about avoiding sin, but about shining the Light of Christ to reveal wrongdoing and lead others to Repentance

III. Walk in Wisdom (Eph. 5:15–21)

15See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,16redeeming the time, because the days are evil.17Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;19speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;20giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;21 submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”

Takeaway: Wisdom is Spirit-shaped or Godly Living - Wisdom is God - this is intentional living, grateful (feeling indebted), relational (to our Father).

Paul urges careful living, not careless drifting.

Wisdom redeems time - seeing every moment as Kingdom opportunity to bring others to Christ. Instead of being controlled by substances or impulses, Believers are filled with the Spirit.

Spirit-filled Life produces:

Worship

Gratitude

Mutual Submission (“Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” becomes the hinge for the household instructions that follow.)

Choosing Faith in God means choosing Spirit-led rhythms of Gratitude, Worship, and Mutual Care.

IV. Spirit-Filled Relationships (5:22–33)

22Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. 24Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;26that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,27that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.28So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:30for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a

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man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church 33Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband”

Takeaway: Marriage becomes a living parable of Christ’s Love for the Church.

Paul describes marriage through the lens of Christ and the Church - not power, but Sacrificial Love.

Marriage between man and woman is designed to represent the Marriage in Heaven between Christ and the Church Revelation 19: “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” (note: Jews and Unbelievers are not invited; not even to Heaven)

Wives, the way you honor your husbands is as the Church honors Christ.

Husbands love their wives with Christlike, self-giving, sanctifying love.

The husband’s Love is protective, nourishing, cherishing - never domineering.

Marriage is a “Great Mystery” - A Living Picture of the Gospel. Choosing Faith in God means Choosing Relationships shaped by Christ’s Love, Humility, and Sacrifice.

Identity Themes for Teaching

You are Beloved Children Therefore → Imitate your Father.

You are Light in the Lord Therefore → Shine.

You are Spirit-filled Therefore → Live Wisely and Gratefully.

You are the Bride of Christ Therefore → Cherished, Cleansed, and Called.

That little triad in Ephesians 5:9 is a goldmine for reflection prompts

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9(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth

Paul says the fruit of living as Children of Light is:

Good

Right

True

From this Triad, What can discern, practice, and choose?

Here are three reflection-ready triads you can use with students, each one turning the words into something they.

1. GOOD - RIGHT - TRUE

Reflection Prompts

GOOD: What is the good thing I could do in this situation that reflects God’s heart?

RIGHT: What is the right action - the one that aligns with God’s character, not just my preference?

TRUE: What truth do I need to remember, speak, or stand on right now?

Application

Slow down and discern what is pleasing to the Lord (v.10)

2. GOODNESS — RIGHTEOUSNESS — TRUTH

Reflection Prompts

GOODNESS: Where can I actively bring kindness, generosity, or blessing today?

RIGHTEOUSNESS: How can I act with integrity even when it costs me?

TRUTH: What lie is the enemy whispering — and what truth from God replaces it?

Application

This triad helps students see that light isn’t passive — it produces something.

3. HEART — HANDS — HABITS

(A practical triad built from the text for your teaching style)

Reflection Prompts

HEART (Good): Is my heart leaning toward what is good, or toward what is convenient?

HANDS (Right): What is the right action I need to take with my hands today?

HABITS (True): What daily practice helps me walk in truth consistently?

Application

This triad turns Ephesians 5 into a daily discipleship rhythm.

Walk in light - shapes my choices

Walk in love - shapes my heart

Walk in Wisdom - shapes my steps

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a member of?” Again he got the answer, “I belong to the invisible church!” Getting a bit suspicious, my friend asked, “When does this invisible church meet? Who pastors it?” The missionary then became incensed and said, “Well, your church here isn’t the true church. I belong to the invisible church!” My friend replied, “Well, here’s some invisible money to help you minister to the invisible church!” Now, my pastor friend was not denying the existence of the One Body. Rather, he was affirming the fact that the invisible church (not a Biblical term, but I will use it) Ministers through the visible church.

Walk in Purity 4:17—5:17

¹⁷This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, ¹⁸having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: ¹⁹who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. ²⁰But ye have not so learned Christ; ²¹if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: ²²that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; ²³and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; ²⁴and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.²⁵Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. ²⁶Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: ²⁷neither give place to the devil. ²⁸Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. ²⁹Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. ³⁰And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. ³¹Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: ³²and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

¹Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; ²and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.³But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; ⁴neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. ⁵For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

⁶Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. ⁷Be not ye therefore partakers

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with them. ⁸For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: ⁹(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) ¹⁰proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. ¹¹And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. ¹²For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. ¹³But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. ¹⁴Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.¹⁵See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, ¹⁶redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Walk not as other Gentiles—4:17–32

The Gifted Leaders are supposed to “equip the Saints unto the Work of the Ministry, unto the Building up of the Body of Christ” (literal translation). The Saints do not call a Pastor and pay him to do the Work. They call him and follow his Leadership as he, through the Word, equips them to do the job (“¹³But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. ¹⁴But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; ¹⁵and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” - II Tim. 3:13–17).

The members of the Church grow by feeding on the Word and Ministering to each other. The first evidence of Spiritual Growth is Christlikeness. The second evidence is Stability. The maturing Christian is not tossed about by every religious novelty that comes along. There are religious quacks waiting to kidnap God’s Children and get them into their false cults, but the maturing Believer recognizes false doctrine and stays clear of it. The cultists do not try to win lost souls to Christ. They do not establish rescue missions in the slum areas of our cities, because they have no good news for the man on skid row. Instead, these false teachers try to capture immature Christians, and for this reason, most of the membership of the false cults comes from local churches, particularly churches that do not feed their people the Word of God. The third evidence of maturity is Truth joined with love: “Speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). It has well been said that Truth without Love is brutality, but Love without truth is hypocrisy. Little children do not know how to blend Truth and Love. They think that if you Love someone, you must shield him from the truth if knowing the truth will hurt him.

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It is a Mark of Maturity when we are able to share the Truth with our Fellow Christians, and do it in love. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Prov. 27:6).

One more Evidence of Maturity is Cooperation (¹⁶from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love” - Eph. 4:16). We realize that, as Members of the One Body and a Local Body, we belong to each other, we affect each other, and we need each other. Each Believer, no matter how insignificant he may appear, has a Ministry to other Believers. The Body grows as the individual members grow, and they grow as they feed on the Word and Minister to each other. Note once again the emphasis on Love: “forbearing one another in love” (Eph. 4:2);

speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15); “the edifying of itself in love” (4:16). Love is the Circulatory System of the Body. It has been discovered that isolated, unloved babies do not grow properly and are especially susceptible to disease, while babies who are loved and handled grow normally and are stronger. So it is with the Children of God.

An isolated Christian cannot Minister to others, nor can others Minister to him, and it is impossible for the Gifts to be Ministered either way. So, then, Spiritual Unity is not something we manufacture. It is something we already have in Christ, and we must protect and maintain it. Truth unites, but lies divide. Love unites, but selfishness divides. Therefore, “speaking the truth in love,” let us equip one another and edify one another, that all of us may grow up to be more like Christ.

TAKE OFF THE GRAVECLOTHES!

The Bible was written to be obeyed, and not simply studied, and this is why the words “therefore” and “wherefore” are repeated so often in the second half of Ephesians (4:1, 17, 25; 5:1, 7, 14, 17, 24). Paul was saying, “Here is what Christ has done for you. Now, in the light of this, here is what we ought to do for Christ.” We are to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only (James 1:22).

The fact that we have been Called in Christ (the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” - Eph. 1:18) ought to motivate us to Walk in Unity (Eph. 4:1–16).

And the fact that we have been raised from the dead (Eph. 2:1–10) should motivate us to Walk in Purity (Eph. 4:17—5:17), or, as Paul told the Romans, “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).

We are Alive in Christ, not dead in sins; therefore “put off the old man … and put on the new man (Eph. 4:22, 24).

Take off the graveclothes and put on the Grace-Clothes!

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The Admonition (4:17–19)

There are some negatives in the Christian Life, and here is one of them: “Walk not as other Gentiles walk.” The Christian is not to imitate the life of the unsaved people around him. They are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1), while he has been raised from the dead and been given eternal life in Christ. Paul explains the differences between the saved and the unsaved. To begin with, Christians think differently from unsaved people. Note the emphasis here on thinking: mind (Eph. 4:17, 23), understanding (Eph. 4:18), ignorance (Eph. 4:18), “learned Christ” (Eph. 4:20).

Salvation begins with Repentance, which is a change of mind. The whole outlook of a person changes when he trusts Christ, including his values, goals, and interpretation of life. What is wrong with the mind of the unsaved person? For one thing, his thinking is “vain” (futile). It leads to no substantial purpose. Since he does not know God, he cannot truly understand the world around him, nor can he understand himself. The sad story is told in Romans 1:21–25 “²¹because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ²²Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, ²³And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.²⁴Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:²⁵who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Our world today possesses a great deal of knowledge, but very little wisdom. They’re better off, but no better. Thoreau put it beautifully when he said that we have “improved means to unimproved ends.” The unsaved man’s thinking is futile because it is darkened. He thinks he is enlightened because he rejects the Bible and believes the latest philosophies, and worldly activities, when in reality he is in the dark. “Professing themselves to be wise, they become fools” (Rom. 1:22). But they think they are wise. Satan has blinded the minds of the unsaved (“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: ⁴in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. ⁵For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. ⁶For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” - II Cor. 4:3–6) because Satan does not want them to see the Truth in Jesus Christ. It is not simply that their eyes are blinded so they cannot see, but that their minds are darkened so that they cannot think straight about spiritual matters. Of course, the unsaved man is dead because of this Spiritual ignorance.

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 The Truth and the Life go together. If you believe God’s Truth, then you receive God’s Life. But you would think that the unbeliever would do his utmost to get out of his terrible spiritual plight. But the hardness of his heart enslaves him. He is “past feeling” because he has so given himself over to sin that sin controls him. Read Romans 1:18–32 for a vivid expansion of these three brief verses. “¹⁸For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; ¹⁹because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. ²⁰For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: ²¹because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ²²Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, ²³And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.²⁴Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: ²⁵who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. ²⁶For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: ²⁷and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. ²⁸And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; ²⁹being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, ³⁰backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: ³²who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

The Christian cannot pattern himself after the unsaved person, because the Christian has experienced a miracle of being raised from the dead. His life is not futile, but purposeful. His mind is filled with the light of God’s Word, and his heart with the fullness of God’s Life. He gives his body to God as an instrument of righteousness (Rom. 6:13), and not to sin for the satisfaction of his own selfish lusts. In every way, the Believer is different from the unbeliever, and therefore the admonition: “Walk not.”

The Argument (4:20–24)

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Paul reinforced his admonition with an argument from the Spiritual Experience of his readers. Again the emphasis is on the mind, or the outlook, of the Believer. “But ye have not so learned Christ” (Eph. 4:20). He did not say “learned about Christ,” because it is possible to learn about Christ and never be saved. To “learn Christ” means to have a personal relationship to Christ so that you get to know Him better each day. I can learn about Sir Winston Churchill because I may own many of his books and can secure books about his life. But I can never “learn him” because he is dead. Jesus Christ is alive! Therefore, I can “learn Christ” through a Personal Fellowship with Him. This Fellowship is based on the Word of God. I can be taught “the truth” as it is in Jesus Christ. The better I understand the Word of God, the better I know the Son of God, for the whole Bible is a Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ (²⁷And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:27; “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” - John 5:39). The unsaved man is Spiritually ignorant, while the Christian is intelligent in the things of the Word. And the unsaved man does not know Christ, while the Believer grows in his personal knowledge of Christ day by day. We have believed the truth; we have received the life; therefore, we will walk “in the Way” and not walk after the example of the unsaved world.

But this experience of Salvation goes much deeper than this, for it has resulted in a whole New Position before God. The old man (the former life) has been put away, and we can now walk in newness of life through Christ. Ephesians 4:22–24 is a summary of Romans 5-8, where Paul explained the Believer’s Identification with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection. He also dealt with this in Ephesians 2:4-6, as well as in Colossians 3. As Christians, we have not simply changed our minds. We have totally changed our Citizenship. We belong to God’s “New Creation” in Christ (¹⁷Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” - II Cor. 5:17), and therefore, the ideas and desires of the old creation no longer should control our lives.

The simplest illustration of this Great Truth is given in John 11, the resurrection of Lazarus. Our Lord’s friend, Lazarus, had been in the grave four days when Jesus and His Disciples arrived at Bethany, and even Martha admitted that, by now, the decaying body would smell (John 11:39). But Jesus spoke the Word and Lazarus came forth alive, an illustration of John 5:24 “²⁴Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.. Notice our Lord’s next words: “Loose him, and let him go” (John 11:44). 

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Take off the graveclothes! Lazarus no longer belonged to the old dominion of death, for he was now alive. Why go about wearing graveclothes? Take off the old and put on the new! This was Paul’s argument - you no longer belong to the old corruption of SIN; you belong to the New Creation in Christ. Take off the graveclothes! How do we do this? “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph. 4:23).

Conversion is a crisis that leads to a process. Through Christ, once and for all, we have been given a New Position in His New Creation, but day by day, we must by Faith appropriate what He has given us. The Word of God renews the mind as we surrender our all to Him (Rom. 12:1–2). “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy Word is truth” (John 17:17).

As the mind understands the Truth of God’s Word, it is gradually transformed by the Spirit, and this renewal leads to a changed life. Physically, you are what you eat, but Spiritually, you are what you think. “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). This is why it is important for us as Christians to spend time daily meditating on the Word, praying, and fellowshipping with Christ.

The Application (4:25–32)

²⁵Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. ²⁶Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: ²⁷neither give place to the devil. ²⁸Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. ²⁹Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. ³⁰And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. ³¹Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: ³²and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Paul was not content to explain a Principle and then leave it. He always applied it to the different areas of life that need to feel its power. Paul even dared to name sins. Five different sins are named in this section, and Paul told us to avoid them and he explained why. Lying (v. 25). A lie is a statement that is contrary to fact, spoken with the intent to deceive. If I tell you it is noon, and then discover that my watch is wrong, I did not tell a lie. But if I gave you the wrong time so you would be late to a meeting and I would benefit from it, that would be a lie. Satan is a liar (John 8:44), and he wants us to believe that God is a liar. “Yea, hath God said?” (Gen. 3:1). Whenever we speak Truth, the Spirit of God Works, but whenever we tell a lie, Satan goes to work. We like to believe that we help people by lying to them, but such is not the case. We may not see the sad consequences immediately, 

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but ultimately they will come. “Ye know that no lie is of the truth” (I John 2:21). Hell is prepared for “whosoever loveth and maketh a lie” (Rev. 22:15).

This does not mean that anybody who ever told a lie will go to hell, but rather that those whose lives are controlled by lies - they love lies and they make lies - are lost forever.

The Christian’s Life is controlled by truth. Note the reason Paul gave for telling the Truth: We belong to each other in Christ. He urged us to build the body in love (Eph. 4:16) and he urged us to build the body in truth. “Speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).

As “members one of another” we affect each other, and we cannot build each other apart from Truth.

The first sin that was judged in the Early Church was the sin of lying (Acts 5:1–11). Anger (vv. 26–27). Anger is an emotional arousal caused by something that displeases us. In itself, anger is not a sin, because even God can be angry (Deut. 9:8, 20; Ps. 2:12). Several times in the Old Testament the phrase appears, “the anger of the Lord” (Num. 25:4; Jer. 4:8; 12:13). The Holy anger of God is a part of His Judgment against SIN, as illustrated in our Lord’s anger when He cleansed the temple (Matt. 21:12–13).

The Bible often speaks of anger “being kindled” (Gen. 30:2; Deut. 6:15), as though anger can be compared to fire. Sometimes a man’s anger smolders, and this we would call malice, but this same anger can suddenly burst forth and destroy, and this we would call wrath. It is difficult for us to practice a truly holy anger or righteous indignation because our emotions are tainted by SIN, and we do not have the same knowledge that God has in all matters. God sees everything clearly and knows everything completely, and we do not.

The New Testament Principle seems to be that the Believer should be angry at sin but loving toward people. “Ye that love the Lord, hate evil” (Ps. 97:10). It is possible to be angry and not sin, but if we do sin, we must settle the matter quickly and not let the sun go down on our wrath. “Agree with thine adversary quickly” (Matt. 5:25). “Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone” (Matt. 18:15). The fire of anger, if not quenched by loving forgiveness, will spread and defile and destroy the Work of God. According to Jesus, anger is the first step toward murder (Matt. 5:21–26), because anger gives the devil a foothold in our lives, and Satan is a murderer (John 8:44). Satan hates God and God’s People, and when he finds a Believer with the sparks of anger in his heart, he fans those sparks, adds fuel to the fire, and does a great deal of damage to God’s People and God’s Church. Both lying and anger “give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:27). When I was living in Chicago, one out of every thirty-five deaths was a murder, and most of these murders involved relatives and friends. They are what the law calls “crimes of passion.” Two friends get into an argument (often while gambling), one of them

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gets angry, pulls a gun or knife, and kills his friend. Horace was right when he said, “Anger is momentary insanity.”

A woman tried to defend her bad temper by saying, “I explode and then it’s all over with.” “Yes,” replied a friend, “just like a shotgun - but look at the damage that’s left behind.” “Anyone can become angry,” wrote Aristotle. “But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way - this is not easy.” Solomon has a good solution: “A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger” (Prov. 15:1). Stealing (v. 28). “Thou shalt not steal” is one of the Ten Commandments, and when God gave that Commandment, He instituted the right of private ownership of property. A man has the right to turn his strength into gain, and to keep that gain and use it as he sees fit. God gave numerous laws to the Jews for the protection of their property, and these principles have become a part of our law today. Stealing was particularly a sin of the slaves in Paul’s day. Usually they were not well cared for and were always in need, and the law gave them almost no protection. When he wrote to Titus, Paul urged him to admonish the slaves not to “purloin” but to be faithful to their masters (Titus 2:10). But it was not only the slaves, but citizens in general, who were addicted to thievery, for Paul wrote to people in the Ephesian Church who were gainfully employed (Eph. 4:28). Just as Satan is a liar and a murderer, he is also a thief. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10). He turned Judas into a thief (John 12:6), and he would do the same to us if he could. When he tempted Eve, he led her to become a thief, for she took the fruit that was forbidden. And she, in turn, made Adam a thief. The first Adam was a thief and was cast out of Paradise, but the Last Adam, Christ, turned to a thief and said, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Paul added motive to the admonition. We should tell the truth because we are “members one of another.” We should control our anger lest we “give place to the devil.” We should work, and not steal, so that we might be able “to give to him that needeth.” You would expect Paul to have said, “Let him work that he might take care of himself and not be tempted to steal.” Instead, he lifted human labor to a much higher level. We work that we might be able to help others. If we steal, we hurt others; therefore, we should work that we might be able to help others. Even honest labor could become a selfish thing, and this Paul seeks to avoid. Of course, it was a fundamental rule in the early Church that “if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thess. 3:10). A lazy Christian robs himself, others, and God. Of course, Paul was not writing to Believers who could not work because of handicaps, but with those who would not work. Paul himself was an example of a hard worker, for while he was establishing Local Churches, he labored as a tentmaker. Every Jewish rabbi was taught a trade, for, said the rabbis, “If you do

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not teach your son a trade, you teach him to be a thief.” The men that God called in the Scriptures were busy working when their call came. Moses was caring for sheep; Gideon was threshing wheat; David was minding his father’s flock; and the first four Disciples were either casting nets or mending them. Jesus Himself was a Carpenter.

Corrupt speech (v. 29). The mouth and heart are connected. “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh” (Matt. 12:34). We expect a change in speech when a person becomes a Christian. It is interesting to trace the word mouth through the book of Romans and see how Christ makes a difference in a man’s speech. The sinner’s mouth is “full of cursing and bitterness” (Rom. 3:14), but when he trusts Christ, he gladly confesses with his mouth “Jesus Christ is Lord” (Rom. 10:9–10 NIV). As a condemned sinner, his mouth is stopped before the Throne of God (Rom. 3:19), but as a Believer, his mouth is opened to Praise God (Rom. 15:6). Change the heart and you change the speech. Paul certainly knew the difference, for when he was an unsaved rabbi, he was “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1). But when he trusted Christ, a change took place: “Behold, he prayeth” (Acts 9:11). From “preying” to “praying” in one step of faith!

The word corrupt, used in Matthew 7:17–18, refers to rotten fruit. It means “that which is worthless, bad, or rotten.” Our words do not have to be “dirty” to be worthless. Sometimes we go along with the crowd and try to impress people with the fact that we are not as puritanical as they think. Peter may have had this motive in mind when he was accused by the girl of being one of Christ’s Disciples. “Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, ‘I know not the man’” (Matt. 26:74). The appetites of the old life sometimes show up when we permit “filthy communication” out of the mouth (Col. 3:8). Remember, before we were saved, we lived in spiritual death (Eph. 2:1–3), and, like Lazarus, our personal corruption produced an odor that was not pleasing to God. No wonder Paul wrote, “Their throat is an open sepulchre” (Rom. 3:13). The remedy is to make sure the heart is full of blessing. So fill the heart with the Love of Christ so that only Truth and Purity can come out of the mouth. Never have to say, “Now, take this with a grain of salt.” Paul told us to put the salt of God’s Grace in everything we say. “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt” (Col. 4:6). And keep in mind that your words have power, either for good or evil. Paul told us to speak in such a way that what we say will build up our hearers, and not tear them down. Our words should Minister Grace and help to draw others closer to Christ. Satan, of course, encourages speech that will tear people down and destroy the work of Christ. If you need to be reminded of the power of the tongue, read the third chapter of James. 

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not teach your son a trade, you teach him to be a thief.” The men that God called in the Scriptures were busy working when their call came. Moses was caring for sheep; Gideon was threshing wheat; David was minding his father’s flock; and the first four Disciples were either casting nets or mending them. Jesus Himself was a Carpenter.

Corrupt speech (v. 29). The mouth and heart are connected. “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh” (Matt. 12:34). We expect a change in speech when a person becomes a Christian. It is interesting to trace the word mouth through the book of Romans and see how Christ makes a difference in a man’s speech. The sinner’s mouth is “full of cursing and bitterness” (Rom. 3:14), but when he trusts Christ, he gladly confesses with his mouth “Jesus Christ is Lord” (Rom. 10:9–10 NIV). As a condemned sinner, his mouth is stopped before the Throne of God (Rom. 3:19), but as a Believer, his mouth is opened to Praise God (Rom. 15:6). Change the heart and you change the speech. Paul certainly knew the difference, for when he was an unsaved rabbi, he was “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1). But when he trusted Christ, a change took place: “Behold, he prayeth” (Acts 9:11). From “preying” to “praying” in one step of faith!

The word corrupt, used in Matthew 7:17–18, refers to rotten fruit. It means “that which is worthless, bad, or rotten.” Our words do not have to be “dirty” to be worthless. Sometimes we go along with the crowd and try to impress people with the fact that we are not as puritanical as they think. Peter may have had this motive in mind when he was accused by the girl of being one of Christ’s Disciples. “Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, ‘I know not the man’” (Matt. 26:74). The appetites of the old life sometimes show up when we permit “filthy communication” out of the mouth (Col. 3:8). Remember, before we were saved, we lived in spiritual death (Eph. 2:1–3), and, like Lazarus, our personal corruption produced an odor that was not pleasing to God. No wonder Paul wrote, “Their throat is an open sepulchre” (Rom. 3:13). The remedy is to make sure the heart is full of blessing. So fill the heart with the Love of Christ so that only Truth and Purity can come out of the mouth. Never have to say, “Now, take this with a grain of salt.” Paul told us to put the salt of God’s Grace in everything we say. “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt” (Col. 4:6). And keep in mind that your words have power, either for good or evil. Paul told us to speak in such a way that what we say will build up our hearers, and not tear them down. Our words should Minister Grace and help to draw others closer to Christ. Satan, of course, encourages speech that will tear people down and destroy the work of Christ. If you need to be reminded of the power of the tongue, read the third chapter of James. 

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