Download Former hindrances laid aside

Studies
in
Ephesians
Presentation 11
The Structure of the Book
Be what you are in Christ
Chap 4-6
Application
See what you are in Christ
Chap 1-3
Doctrine
Truth
The
Importance
of Purity
Chap 4 v17-29
Introduction
In this important section Paul brings together of 3 things;
1. Christian experience - what we are.
These three
2. Christian theology - what we believe.
must never be
separated.
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
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.
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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.
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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.
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Deterioration of Human Nature
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
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Deterioration of Human Nature
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.
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Creation of a New Nature
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.
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Creation of a New Nature
The Ephesians lives have been radically changed. What we
call conversion from a human standpoint is called a re-creation
from the divine standpoint.
“If any man is in Christ he is a new creation old things have
passed away all things have become new.” 2Cor 5.17
Christianity does not paint over the cracks of a disintegrating
humanity. It creates a gloriously new nature!
Therefore the Christian must turn his back on
his former self, his fallen humanity for he is
now a part of a new recreated humanity. His
new nature makes him a new creature. He
discovers he is not an ugly ducklings but a swan.
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Recognising our new identity
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.
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Recognising our new identity
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!
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Nurturing our new resources
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.
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Nurturing 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:
“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”.
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Changing your wardrobe.
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:
1. Truth
2. Anger
3. Stealing
4. Speech
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1. Put off falsehood
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.
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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.
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2. Anger
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?
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2. Anger
Paul’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.
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2. Anger
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.
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2. Anger
3.
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!
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3. Theft
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 .
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.
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4. Destructive speech
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.
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.
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4. Destructive speech
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.
"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.
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4. Destructive speech
“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
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.