Lesson 63 September 14, 2003
Ephesians 4:25 - 5:14 Characteristics of the New Life!
Intro:
4:25 Our Relationship to the truth
God is a God of truth while Satan is the father of all lies. Jn 8:44.
The negative: - "Therefore, laying aside falsehood"
- Because of the use of the def. art. it tells us that Paul is not referring to lying in an abstract sense but to what is false in any and every form it might take.
The positive:
- we are to "speak the truth, each one [of you], with his neighbor for we are members of one another."
- With this phrase Paul does 2 things;
#1 He documents the first command with a quote from Zech 8:16.
Zech 8:16: The context is exhortation to the people of Israel as they return from exile in Babylon;
They are being charged by the Lord to live in a certain way so that they would receive blessing from God instead of His wrath as their fathers had by their consistent disobedience and therefore in the sphere of discipline.
#2 He supports this command laying aside falsehood, speak truth by appeal to our common position in Christ.
All lying, deceit in any context is an offense against God, but there is something especially inappropriate about lying and deceit among those who are fellow members of the body of Christ.
4:26-27 Our relationship to Anger
What is anger?
Its an emotional reaction to some external stimulus; a person, some situation.
Scripture is very clear on the destructive nature of uncontrolled anger.
Gal 5:20; Eccl. 7:9
If we're thinking on the basis or f/o/r of truth we should be angry at injustice, flagrant unchecked sin, and persistent blasphemy against God, the flagrant rejection of truth.
This is to be an anger that is unmixed with sin.
This is a characteristic seen of God, Many times God is said to be angry with Israel for their sin, their rebellion against Him!
Justifiable anger never justifies sinful actions in response; consequences are great.
- Good illustration Actions of Simeon and his brother Levi Gen 34
The last phrase "do not let the sun go down on your anger" instructs us that there are to be definite limitations of time on the exercise of righteous anger.
And it also says that your in control of that anger, its not a mindless rage because you are able to put it away; end it so that it no longer impacts your thinking! Your life!
* Anger that simmers overnight leads to irrationality of thought and often results in regrettable action as with Simeon and Levi.
* Anger not dealt with makes us often short of patience, and impulsive; Prov 29:22b
How does this all tie to vs:27 "and do not give the devil an opportunity." or does it?
- It really gives us the reason that we need to be very careful about dealing with anger because there is a direct link between that uncontrolled anger, righteous anger left to simmer that has become self-righteous anger, sin, with the result that a door of opportunity for Satan is opened in your life.
- The translation here is an interpretive one; word for opportunity is
Stop giving the devil a portion of territory/space;
Rom 12:19
You set aside your anger so that Satan has no place to work in you and so God has a place to work His wrath, His judgment, he will deal with it.