Ephesians
4:17-32
vs. 17-24 - A Comparison of Gentile (heathen)
and Christian Character
What the apostle had
presented before in the preceeding chapters was a
very high standard of Christian privilege – now
he presents an equally
high standard of Christian duty!
There was all but utter extinction of
spiritual light in the heathen mind.
There was no saving knowledge. The god of
this world had blinded their
minds, (II Corinthians 4:4) and their growing
apostasy entailed a judicial
blindness which issued in utter darkness. It
arises out of moral estrangement
from God by
“being alienated from the life of God” – v. 18
“that
ye ….walk not as other Gentiles walk” – first – what they are
not to
be - “be not conformed to this world” –
Romans 12:2
Four ways different
from Gentiles:
(1) “vanity of their
mind” v. 17 - The allusion is to their frivolous, empty aims in
life, and their unfixed, unsettled impulses.
The Gentiles were chasing shadows,
blowing bubbles, doing anything to make time pass agreeably;
not considering
or knowing either what they were, or whence they came, or whither they were going.
They looked for happiness in riches,
honors, and power. They pursued
wicked courses in an effort to attain these
objects of their desire. The end of
such a walk must always
be disappointing.
(2) “having the
understanding darkened” v. 18 - ignorant
of God, of the way
of salvation, of the love of Christ. Even at
best the natural understanding
cannot discover these things, and especially when
it is not only imperfect but
darkened — made more obscure than ever by sin. There
was all but utter
extinction of spiritual light in the heathen mind.
There was no saving knowledge.
The god of this world had blinded their
minds, (see II Corinthians 4:3-6) and
their growing apostasy entailed a judicial
blindness which issued in utter
darkness.
(3)
“alienated from the life of God” (moral
estrangement from God) v. 18 –
Two causes are given for their alienation,
viz. ignorance, and hardness of
heart, this last being the ultimate cause.
Through worldly living, their hearts
have become hard, callous, insensible to
spiritual influences, perceiving no
beauty in Divine things, no preciousness in
Divine promises, no excellence in
the Divine image; this makes them ignorant,
careless, foolish; and such being
their state of heart, they are alienated from
the life of God, can’t bear vital
religion, and hate the very idea of spiritual and
holy service.
v. 19 – “Who being past feeling” - Without
sense of shame, without conscience,
without fear of God or regard for man, without any
perception of the dignity of
human nature, the glory of the Divine image, or
the degradation of sin.
There is a PROGRESSIVE MORAL DESINTEGRATION, which is inconsistent
with the life of God
or the happiness of man. The MORAL NATURE GOES
TO
PIECES under the action of this corruption. Then it finds
its natural development in”
lusts of deceit.”
These lusts are deceitful, for they promise pleasure and bring pain;
they promise liberty
and bring bondage; they promise secrecy and bring shame;
they promise
impunity and bring retribution. Christians are well taught to put off this
old man.
(4) “have given
themselves over to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness” -
This is the climax —heathenism in its worst
and fullest development, yet by no
means rare. The sensuality of the heathen was
and is something dreadful. Many
of them gave themselves to it as a business,
worked at it as at a trade or
employment. Details, such as even the walls of
public eye.
(Compare
entertainment today – the
obsession with covetousness as one could never
be satisfied with
sinning but seek out new and perverted ways to express
their LAWLESS DESIRE)
“with greediness”
- With greediness, Pleonexi>a means the desire
of having
more, and has reference to the insatiable
character of sensual sins. Compare
the sin of
the Assyrians, because thou was unsatiable; yea thou has played the harlot
with them, and yet couldest not be
satisfied”
v. 20 – “But ye
have not so learned Christ” – this godless world is diametrically
opposite to
Christ.
v. 22 – “That ye
put off concerning the former conversation the old man”
Like
the putting of clothes off and on. The
change is very decided and very
complete. It is emphatically personal; not a
mere change of opinions or of
religious observances, but of life, habit,
character; not altering a few things,
but first putting off the man as we put
off a garment. “It is a change which
brings the mind under the government of truth,
and gives to the life a new
aspect of integrity and devoutness.”
“Put on the new man,” and especially encourage and seek to have developed
these two features of the new creation — righteousness and holiness.
Righteousness, including integrity, honest, true, fair, open dealing; doing justly
out and out, in every place and in every relation — in the house, the market, the
counting-house, the shop, among neighbors, among strangers, everywhere and at
all times. Holiness of truth, including high reverence for God and all that is Divine,
sympathy and congeniality of heart with God, cleanness of nature, purity of soul,
conformity to theimage of Christ, who is the Image of the invisible God. No
professing Christian can be exempted from this rule of life. Nor should any assume
too readily that he is thoroughly conforming to it. “Let him that thinketh he
standeth take heed lest he fall.” – (I Corinthians 10:12) Christianity in its practical
relations is very searching and thorough. It demands a high standard of life and
practice.
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- (here and following):
“which is corrupt
according to the deceitful lusts”
Which is rotting according to the lusts
of deceit. The present participle,
fqeiro>menon, indicates continuance
or progress in corruption. Sin is a
disintegrating dissolving thing, causing putridity, and in all cases,
when
unchecked, tending towards it. Deceit is personified; it is an agent
of evil,
sending out lusts which seem
harmless but are really ruinous — their real
character is concealed; they come as ministers of pleasure, they end as
destructive tyrants. Lust of power, lust of money, lust of pleasure, have all
this character; they are the offspring of deceit, and always to be shunned.
v. 23 – “be renewed in the spirit of your mind”
v. 24 – “put on the new man, which after God
is created in righteousness
and
true holiness” - The idea presented
itself to the apostle in the
abstract — there has been a creation of a new man; but concretely, we have to
conform to the Divine creation, in respect of righteousness and holiness;
righteousness denoting personal uprightness and fidelity to all social duties;
holiness, the state of the spirit toward God. The last words, “of truth,” denote
the relation of righteousness and holiness to the truth. The words are opposed
to “of deceit” in ver. 22. Lust is bred of deceit, but righteousness and holiness
of truth. They never deceive, never disappoint, are solid to the end.
The “new man” is
a creation just as Adam was a creation at the beginning.
We are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus” – ch. 2:10
vs. 25-32 – The
Rags of the Old Man and the Robes of the New.
The Christian Ephesians somewhat resembled
Joshua the high priest,
(Zechariah 3:1-4) when standing before the
angel of the Lord, and when
Satan was standing at his right hand to
resist him. Joshua was clothed with
filthy garments, and the angel spake to those that stood before him, “Take
away the filthy garments from him. And unto him
he said, “Behold, I have
caused thine iniquity
to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change
of raiment.” Rags
of the old man still hang about these Ephesians, disfiguring
their persons and
giving them a very different appearance from that which
befits the
regenerated sons of God. The apostle is giving directions to take
away each filthy rag and substitute for it the
fair raiment of the new man.
The rags of the old man to be put off are
lying, anger, stealing, coarse
language, bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor,
evil-speaking, and malice.
The robes of the new man to be put on are
truthfulness, honest industry,
edifying speech, kindness, tenderness of heart,
forgiveness, imitation of
God, and the loving walk which becomes his
followers.
In this day of “designer
clothing” - to
most men rags are most repulsive. To
wear literal rags — to appear shabby, dirty,
untidy, is very unpleasant. How
much more, in the eyes of God and the saints
and angels, to wear moral rags!
Many a one clothed in purple and fine linen
wears the filthiest rags of the old
man; and some, on the other hand, in the
plainest and coarsest attire, have put
on the beautiful robes of righteousness, and
shall be crowns of glory in the hands
of the Lord and royal diadems in the hands of
their God.
We ought to put on these new robes because not
only has Christ provided them
for us, but He loved us, and died for us
forgiving us our sins. He “hath given
Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweet smelling savor” –
ch. 5:2
v. 25 – “Wherefore, putting away lying, speak every man
truth with
his neighbor”
Lying or
falsehood is pre-eminently a heathen vice – it is an attribute
of humanity.
A lie is a breach
of the social contract. It tends to make society
impossible, for society
only exists through the trust that man exercises in
man. It turns that instrument of speech, which God has given
us for our
mutual comfort, into
a means of estrangement. Therefore “the
righteous
man hateth lying” (Proverbs 13:5).
God the Father, is “a God of truth” (Deuteronomy 32:4), who “is not
a man
that He should lie”
(Numbers 23:19), who gave oath and promise as “the two
immutable things, in which
it is impossible that God should lie” (Hebrews 6:18);
to that Savior who
is the Truth as well as the Life — “the
faithful and
true Witness” —having “no guile found in his mouth;”and
to that Holy Spirit
who is the Spirit of
truth (John 14:17), and has given us the Scriptures of truth.
“The wicked are
estranged from the womb: they go astray
as soon
as they be born,
speaking lies” - Psalm 58:3
Not only is it God’s will and command that
we speak the truth, but it
is peculiarly incumbent on Christians as
children of the light, as followers
of Him who is the Truth, as having renounced
the devil, who is the father
of lies.
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts
of your father ye will
do. He was a murderer
from the beginning, and abode not in the
truth, because there is
no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he
speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father
of it.” – John 8:44
“for we are
members one of another” – Falsehood is always designed to
mislead:
but to deceive our own members is emphatically wicked!
v. 26 – We are not to allow the irritations and
exasperations of life to
become the occasion of sin!
“Be ye angry and sin not” -Anger, the feeling and expression of
displeasure, is not wholly forbidden, but is guarded by two checks. Our
Lord did not make anger a breach of the sixth commandment, but being
angry with a brother without cause. The first check is to beware of sinning;
to keep your anger clear of bitterness, spite, malevolence, and all such evil
feelings. The second is, “Let not the sun go down on your wrath”; examine
yourself in the evening, and see that you are tranquil.
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To go farther, it is especially becoming in
men, when about to sleep the
sleep of death, to see that they are in peace
and charity with all men.
v. 27 – “Neither give place to the devil” –
giving the devil the opportunity
and room to work and act through you. I saw this on a church
marquee in
up wanting
to drive!
The devil is in
full sympathy with a “resentful spirit”.
Special vigilance
and self-control are needed in dealing with him. My
daily prayer is “Lord,
help me to overcome the devil and to overcome
myself” - This, of course, can only be done through
Jesus Christ, living
in me and you!
All Christians
are liable to fall under Satan’s influence.
We are taught
in I Peter 5:8 – “Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour:
Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing
that the same afflictions
are accomplished in your brethren that are in
the world.”
v. 28 – “Let
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”.
If men would heed God’s will, they would
understand that the Eighth
Commandment says “Thou shalt
not steal” – Exodus 20:15
Thievery is often the result of idle habits
and a dislike for hard work!
The world has a
great hold upon the heart that can plan this deed of
dishonesty!
Idleness
is inconsistent with Christian life and leads to many dangers.
Idleness occasions poverty, brings men to
want, increases their
necessities; and then they betake themselves to
indirect and unlawful
means to supply them.
The remedy is work! God told Adam that “in the sweat of thy face
shalt thou eat thy bread” - (Genesis 3:19) - Labor
is honorable; Christ
calls us to work, not for this reason only, but
in order that we may have
something to give away. Paganism would rob others of
what is rightfully
their own; Christianity leads me to give to
others what is rightfully my own.
We are to look out for the needy, and give for
their relief.
v. 29 - “Let no corrupt communication
proceed out of your mouth” –
not the heathen only, but many living today of whom better
things are expected!
How sad it is in some circles to hear
the obscene and profane talk, the allusions inferred, the
content of songs, is but to feed, as it were, on “moral garbage”?
Corrupt speech is a fearful perversion of
the noble faculty of speech
which God has endowed us. I marvel at speech! A word has changed
a character and a character has changed a
kingdom!
From Christian mouths no such talk should
ever issue. James 3:2-10
says:
“For in many
things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the
same is a perfect
man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
Behold, we put
bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us;
and we turn about
their whole body. Behold also the ships,
which
though they be so
great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they
turned about with a
very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
Even so the
tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things.
Behold, how great a
matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire,
a world of
iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth
the whole body, and
setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set
on fire
of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and
of serpents, and of
things in the sea, is
tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
But the tongue
can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly
poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and
therewith curse
we men, which are
made after the similitude of God. Out of
the same
mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought
not so to be.”
“but that which is
good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace
unto the hearers”
We are to be lights and beacons for Christ
and not stumbling blocks!
v. 30 – “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of
God” -Very solemn and
emphatic counsel. The name is given with unusual fullness, in order
to
show the magnitude of the sin — to< Pneu~ma
to< a[gion tou~ Qeou~, “The
Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God.” ……when His work is obstructed, when
sin is trifled with, when Deity is treated carelessly, when place is given to
the devil, when the spirit of the world is cherished……..When the Holy Spirit
would urge consecration, separation from the world, holy exercises, active service,
our indolent and worldly hearts are liable to rebel and vex
him. To grieve a
parent heedlessly is a great sin; HOW MUCH MORE TO GRIEVE THE
HOLY
SPIRIT OF GOD?
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“whereby ye are
sealed unto the day of redemption” – this passage
implies our perfect
security (eternal salvation) till the day of judgment.
Redemption will
be the rejoining of body and soul in their changeless
incorruptibility.
To grieve the Spirit is to help to obliterate the seal, and thus
weaken the
evidence of our redemption!
v. 31 - Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger” -not only in speech,
but in mind, disposition, habit. These five forms of evil are inconsistent
with that worthy walk which belongs to the
vocation with which we are
called – ch. 5:1 and
are opposite of the nine graces mentioned in Galatians
5:19-21 - “love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, and temperance”
“and clamor and evil
speaking be put away from you”
- “clamor
is
equivalent to the loud noise of strife, the excited
shouting down of
opponents; “evil-speaking,” the more deliberate
habit of running down
character, exciting an evil feeling against them in the minds of others.
“With
all malice” - equivalent to wishing evil, whether in a latent
and half-conscious form or more pronounced in
words and deed!
v. 32 – “And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath
forgiven you.”
Opposed
to bitterness, wrath, and anger.
Kind, sweet, amiable in
disposition, subduing all
that is harsh and hasty, encouraging all that
is gentle and good;
tender-hearted, denoting a specially compassionate
feeling, such as may arise
from the thought of the infirmities, griefs,
and miseries to
which more or less all are subject; these emotional
conditions are to bear the
practical fruit of forgiveness,
and the forgiveness
is to be mutual, as
if under the feeling that what you give today you require
to ask tomorrow, not
being too hard on the faults of others, remembering
that you have your
own.
“even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”
The example of
God revealed by Jesus Christ is “He is kind to the
unthankful and to the evil”
– Luke 6:35
“The LORD is
gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and
of great
mercy. The LORD is good to all: and His tender
mercies are over all His
works. – Psalm 145:8-9
Remember the
words of Christ:
“For if ye
forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will
also forgive
you: But if ye forgive not men their
trespasses, neither
will your Father
forgive your trespasses.” Matthew
6:14-15
“forgive and ye shall be forgiven”
– Luke 6:37
How miserable we
would be without forgiveness! God angry
with us,
hell under our feet and
the very blessings of life a curse unto us!