Ephesians 4, verses 25 through 32. Hear the word of God. Therefore, putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin, nor let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil, Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Let's pray and ask God to bless his word to us. Our heavenly father, we thank you for this portion of your inspired, infallible, inerrant word. We pray that by your Holy Spirit, you would bless it to our understandings and apply it to our hearts and lives for your glory. We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Well, if you've been keeping up and staying in regular attendance, you know that we are in Paul's application or practical section. It is all practical, especially since the practical section applies the theological section and sees the theological as grounding and rooting the practical. And so that's where we are and how we've come to this particular point. Now, in terms of background for understanding this passage, I want to do a little bit of reviewing some of the context ideas that are relevant to our text now. First, if we, and Chapter 1 with God's sovereignty and the prayer at the end of the chapter are certainly relevant to all of it, but I want to basically, in terms of direct, clear relevance, I want to start with verses 1 through 10 in chapter 2. In those verses, and we've referred to them numerous times, and that's a passage that I refer to and have for years with some frequency, but what we see here in these passages is, or that passage, is the importance of God-initiated change. that we were dead in trespasses and sins, and the first three verses talk about how we were, but then verse four marks a transition, but God, and it goes on for reasons, made us alive together with Christ. And so that change that goes as far as the end result or in one sense the end result in verse 10, we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good work. That idea of a change in us is relevant to this passage because it's applying that change in us. But then as a second thing that we see as a major context idea that is background for our text for tonight, the emphasis on the unity of the church, which has come to the fore really in a number of places. First in chapter 2 verse 11 through chapter 3 verse 11, where we see that unity of the church expressed in terms of maybe the hardest part of that unity to achieve, unity between and oneness between the Jews and the Gentiles. And so we saw that in that passage. And then earlier in chapter four, the first 16 verses is about walking worthy of our calling as a general thing. But then when you look at the specifics of it, you see that that is particularly walking worthy in light of the need for unity, even in a church setting where there is both unity and diversity. So again, that's a major thrust, the unity of the church in those two passages. And then in our text, we will be looking particularly at sins that undermine the unity and that undermine our performance of that which we've been called to walk worthy of. So then a third context idea that is important is the importance of understanding and having a good foundation and grounding. Certainly that's highlighted in the prayer at the end of chapter three, verses 12 through 21. Particularly if you look just for instance at 3.17, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, this is part of what he's praying, that being rooted and grounded in love, that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend And in this passage, there's the grounding in love, yes, but underneath that and undergirding that is his prayer for understanding, for comprehension, for knowing. That's an important aspect and then in chapter 4 verses 17 through 24 which we looked at last week, there again we see on the one hand the futility of mind that was ours or the Ephesians, theirs, prior to their conversion. So the idea of a futility of mine in verse 17, that they walked that way, and he's saying, don't walk that way anymore in verse 17. Verse 18, what was the problem? Their understanding was darkened further in the verse, the ignorance that is in them. And because of the blindness, not seeing, not understanding, blindness of their heart. But he says in verse 20 to the Ephesians, you have not so learned Christ, which is that they did learn him, but they learned from him something different. from that and then as I think if I've counted right a fifth important context idea is the importance of applying understanding to the way we live. For one, looking back at all of the doctrinal section, he says, I therefore beseech you to walk worthy. It's grounded upon what has gone before. And then at the beginning of verse 17, or chapter four verse 17, there's the therefore again, but in a negative sense that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk. And then particularly in terms of applying it, and particularly important for tonight's text is what we read in verses 22 through 24 of chapter four. The idea of putting off the old man, putting on the new man, and in conjunction with the importance of understanding that you do that by being renewed in the spirit of your mind. So, what we see first in the text tonight, verses 24 through 32, in one sense is more application. It's grounded in all those things, it's related to all those things, but it's application, and very practically so. So the first thing we will see, and we'll walk through some of the verses on this, is that wrong attitude and speech and action toward one another is forbidden. That's the first point here. Wrong attitude or speech or action toward one another is forbidden. And most of this is in the form of commands about things not to do, the exception being primarily verse 32, which is a positive counter approach to this. Verse 32, and be kind to one another. tender-hearted, forgiving one another just as God in Christ forgave you. That's how we should live in relationship, especially to one another. You can apply that to basically all of your relations in life, especially your relationship with other Christians, but you can start that in the family, in the home. You can start that and apply that certainly in your own local church, but to Christians elsewhere as well. So there are these positives, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. It's really an interesting thing to note that in scripture, so much of the time that it talks about us being forgiven by God, it also talks about our need to forgive others. So, but as we look at the negative commands and go fairly briefly, I think, through them, beginning in verse 25, putting away lying. Well, that's with regard to relationships to one another, attitude, speech, or action toward one another is forbidden. Putting away lying, don't lie. Don't lie about other people. Instead, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor. Always. That's what we are to say, what is true, not what is false, but what is true. And why? For we are members So it goes back to the doctrinal foundation there, as it does in places, because that underlies it all. But we are members of one another. We are united in Christ. We have a foundation together with him. We are placed in the one church in Christ, though with differing gifts, yet a responsibility as members of one another to speak truth. with our neighbor, especially the neighbor in the church. And that's what is in view when it says we are members of one another. We have to ask, do we do that? Are we consistent about doing that? Verse 26, be angry and do not sin. And the first thing to understand about verse 26 is, is it not a command to be angry ever. So you might read it or think of it in terms as though it were translated this way, when you are angry, do not sin. I mean, Christ was angry on occasion, and very justified anger, turning over the tables of the moneylenders and such as that. But we are called to not sin in our anger. Jesus never did. It's very easy to sin out of anger, out of a self-centeredness, out of feeling hurt by someone else in which a way to get even, all sorts of ways that we get angry that are sinful ways. And the Bible says, avoid sinful anger. That would be another way to understand what is taught here. Avoid sinful anger. And basically that's going to be self-centered anger. The non-sinful anger is going to be anger at someone or some things because of ways it negatively impacts God and his kingdom. Reflects badly on Christ. In some way, teaches a wrong thing or invokes wrong thoughts about the Holy Spirit. Any of those things are justified angers, but most of the others are not. Yesterday, and I say this with great sadness, Mississippi State lost to Alabama. That was a sad thing for me, but not a right reason for me to be angry. I may even have thought that the coaches made some wrong decisions or the officials on the field made some wrong calls, but none of that would justify anger. We get angry for wrong reasons too much of the time and it's sinful. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath. Now that's a good rule to apply to marriages, for instance. Not in a legalistic sense of applying them to marriage. As though, wow. You know, I didn't get angry until after dark, so I've got almost 24 hours that I can stay angry. No, that would be legalism. But the idea and the principle is be done with it quickly. Resolve it. Probably that anger in view there is not a godly anger in the first place, and you need to get rid of it, you need to resolve it, you need to resolve it with the other person, whether it's within the marriage, within the family, within the church, in your place of employment, or whatever else. Be done with the anger. Get it resolved, be reconciled with people. So there's the idea there. It goes on next and says, nor give place to the devil. which in one sense may not seem to fit in this stretch of this listing of things not to do. In one sense it doesn't, but in another sense it does. But the sense in which it does is one to which we will return. So we will skip this one for now and be looking at attitude, speech, and action towards one another, which is what is forbidden. So we go to verse 28. Let him who stole steal no more, no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need. Rather than taking from someone, which is a wrong attitude or action, at least, however much our attitude may wish him well and riches, if we steal from him by our action, we have done that which is forbidden here. So, and done that to another person. Don't do that. but labor so instead with relationship to other people you may give, not take. Verse 29, let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. Wow. But what is good for necessary edification? There's an opposite side. What kind of words should proceed out of your mouth? Those that are good for necessary edification, for building up, it says further that it may impart grace to the hearers. It's not exactly a command to do a lot of speaking to others to build them up. But at least in contrast to saying things that are corrupt and tear people down, if you're going to talk, talk in this other way. So this isn't something that says to people who are shy and who don't talk a lot that they have to do a lot of talking to build people up. But it is saying to those who will speak not to speak corrupt things, but to speak things that build up and impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. That doesn't seem to be forbidding a wrong speech or action toward one another, just like the command, nor give place to the devil fits that. And so we'll come back to it because it does fit, but in another way, and very much in relationship to all these other things. Verse 31. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. Now malice, of course, is evil intent from the heart. wanting things to turn out bad for this other person whether you do anything with regard to it or not. Certainly bitterness and wrath and anger and malice are wrong attitudes and they're forbidden here specifically in this verse. Think of the times and places where you have been bitter towards someone had wrath and anger towards someone, it's already been dealt with. This is important enough that Paul comes back to it, you will notice. And then he says, put that away, but also all malice, all evil faults, opinions, desires with regard to other people, put those things away. Don't let those things be a part of your approach to life, your life, your relationships to other people. So then we've seen that wrong attitudes, speech, and action toward one another is forbidden by God. And in a sense, the opposite in verse 32 is commanded. The next thing we need to see from the passage in general in its relationship to its context is all such things, wrong attitude, speech, and action, are hindrances to the unity of the church. How can the church have unity when those of attitude, speech, and action are present or even prevalent? so that the unity of the church, which we saw was one of the important context and concerns of the scripture, of Paul in the book of Ephesians, that's hindered by these kinds of actions. So that's one of the reasons in a practical sense that they're listed for us, that we're told in light of the unity of the church, don't do these things. And so then we will come now to verse 27. All such wrong attitude, speech and action are giving place to the devil. They're in line with the old nature that we're to put off according to verse 22. They're in line with what we were when we were dead in trespasses and sin, and they are in conflict with putting on the new nature, which we're called in verse 24 to do. You're not putting on the new nature when you are giving place to the devil. Now, it is important here to remember that that was part of the problem. In the first place, you go back to chapter two, verse one, and you he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins. So that was you. But then verse two, those things in which you once walked, but according to what? According on the one hand to the course of this world. but on the other hand, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. That's the devil. And so when he says here in the middle of this other, that we're to not give place to the devil, he's saying all those things come out of the old nature and the old inclination to follow the devil. It's built into us. It's built into you. It's built into me. It's built into all of us because that's what we once were. As we saw before in looking at that passage, there are two kinds of people in the world. Those who are dead in trespasses and sins and basically following the world and the devil. And those who were dead in trespasses and sins at that time, basically following the world and the devil. We're to be those who were, not those who are still. And every time we fall into one of these sins, we are giving place to the devil. And so Paul is calling us to understand what difference has been made in our life, to understand the importance of the unity of the church, and to understand that these kinds of practical things need to be avoided because they take us back in old directions in line with the will of the devil. Then also, All such things, all wrong attitude, speech and action toward one another grieve the Holy Spirit. That's why verse 30 appears in the midst of this section. Now it's true that all sins grieve the Holy Spirit. but it's especially true about this sort of sin, and that's the reason why Paul includes this statement, not in just some doctrinal section or a commandment section, but in the middle of a section about our attitude, speech, and actions towards one another, because those things especially grieve the Holy Spirit. God is grieved at unloving attitudes, speech, and action. It's not as though those things somehow don't matter. It's not as though we can let ourselves go into things that are natural for our old nature and think that God doesn't care. God does care about those things. He is grieved, the Holy Spirit in particular is grieved. It is the Holy Spirit that basically has changed us in our hearts. So these things, and God is grieved at these things because one, they express the old nature. which should be being put off. Now, it's a process, isn't it? None of us have achieved that yet. Paul makes it real clear in other places that he has not achieved that. even though that's true, even though there is the remnant of that old nature in all of us that sometimes is by us given sway in our lives, that didn't mean that's an excuse for falling into those sins. It is not. We don't have excuses for any of our sins. We are a new creation. And yes, we have the remnant of the sinful nature, but that remnant is not for any single sin and excuse. It may help us understand why it is that we do that. I think that's the reason for the second half of Romans chapter seven, so that we will understand why it is that we still sin when we don't want to, because there's a remnant of that sinful nature, the old man that is called there, indwelling sin in the flesh. We're told that, but not so as to give us an excuse, but just simply so we know why that happened. So that we might repent, so that we might go to God for aid and help in doing those things. But also God is grieved, and the Spirit especially is grieved because those things undermine the unity of the church. God cares about the unity of the church. Christ died to bring that about, as we see in the passage from Ephesians chapter two, verse 11 through 3.11. Christ died to bring that about. So yes, it grieves him when we do those things and undermine the unity of the church. The Holy Spirit works to maintain, we're told, the unity of the church. So of course the Holy Spirit is grieved when we sin those sins, when we have those attitudes, speak those words, take those actions that are hurtful to one another. The Father also is grieved with such actions. And then this, if this is true, if these things are so bad, and they are, listen, what's not mentioned here? Murder, adultery, they're not listed here. Things that we consider smaller sins. Less significant sins, more insignificant sins. And yet it is about these sins that we're told the Holy Spirit's grieved. So then those guilty of these things should repent. Where in your life has this ugliness appeared? Where in your life recently? Where in life further back but still unrepented of? Are there relationships where you are still holding bitterness and wrath and anger? It's wrong when we do that. It's wrong when you do it, when I do it, when any Christian does that, it's wrong. It's out of line with the change that God has made in us. It is out of line with our call to put off the old man and to put off the new. It grieves God. And we should, if guilty of any of these things, we should be repenting. We should, repenting in the sense of recognizing, being sorry for it, and seeking to change, seeking to have restoration and where necessary, and sometimes it is reconciliation with people. The Bible gives us all sorts of principles for personal relationships. Forgiveness is one of those mentioned in verse 32, but also reconciliation, the actual addressing of it, the saying sometimes, I'm sorry, and meaning it. And then, of course, the change of the action. What if some of these things have actually hurt somebody? You know, what if you're failing to speak truth with your neighbor has entailed gossip and the gossip's gotten around and it's undermined somebody. What do you do about that? You can't always change that. You can't always make that right. But still we're called to repent of it, to make the effort to make those things right, to make the effort then in every way to have our attitudes be Christian attitudes, to have our speech be Christian speech, Go to the book of James. I think it's in chapter four where James talks at such length about the tongue, about the dangers of it, the problems caused by it. Actually, there's chapter three and there is that in chapter four. Verse 11 in chapter four says, do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge. But elsewhere in the chapter, and especially in chapter three, where it talks about the tongue. being a great danger, and being something that causes great damage. No man can tame the tongue. We can do that only with God's help. In all of these things, attitude, speech, and if they're there, and wrong, and sinful, and in line with the devil and our old nature, and grieving to the Spirit of God, then we should repent of those things. We're called to repentance for all sorts of things, and this is not really different from that. And the call to repentance is always one of acknowledging the sinfulness and turning away, yes, but turning away in faith to Christ, a recognition that there's not a sin that you've done that is not already forgiven in Jesus Christ as you trust in him. So it's not a matter of repentance being a work that we do to somehow be rightly related to God. We exercise faith in Christ who's already satisfied God's wrath against all of our sins. And really, isn't that behind all of this? that Christ came to die for sinners, not only to redeem them, but to change them. We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Those things glorify him. We don't repent because we need to do it to get to heaven, we repent. as Christians after exercising faith in Christ, because we really want to do what God wants us to do and calls us to do. It's our calling. It's the foundation of our new nature. It's what Christ died for. It's what the Holy Spirit works for. And so we're called to avoid these things and instead to exercise kindness to one another, being tenderhearted and forgiving one another. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, how much all of us fail in these areas, and especially in the areas of our thoughts. We feel like we're not sinning when we just think these angry thoughts and bitter thoughts, but Lord, here we're told to avoid those kinds of thoughts as well. Too often we let those thoughts bubble over into words that we never should have said. Forgive us for those things too in Christ, and help us to repent truly and fully of them. And Lord, where our actions toward other people have been hurtful and damaging, especially out of malice in our hearts, Help us to recognize it, repent of it, and seek reconciliation and restoration of the relationship with those people. Lord, we want your church to be a glorious church. We understand that the unity of the church is one of the things by which the world may judge as to whether Christ is sent by the Father. Lord, we pray that we would hear at this church, in Providence Presbyterian Church, so display love and unity that people are attracted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray in his name. Amen.