1/21/18-Eph. 4:25-5:2: In Christ: Our New Behavior

The Purpose of Ephesians: forming us into a New Community, the church.

 

We must learn to read the Scriptures not simply as a rule of “do’s” and “don’t’s” but as principles for guiding and shaping us as the body of Christ. The Scriptures were written to promote what builds community and avoid what breaks community.

 

3 Points in the Sermon: 1) Type of Behavior in New Community (v. 25-29), 2) Power for Behavior in New Community (v. 30-32), and 3) Reason for Behavior in New Community (v. 5:1-2)

 

In Ephesians, Paul follows a typical New Testament pattern of writing. Ch.1-3 talk about what GOd has done for us in Christ, and now ch. 4-6 lays forth our response to his grace.

 

God makes the first move, and now we are “in Christ”. Last time we were in Ephesians we saw what it meant to think as a Christian (Creation, Fall, Redemption). Now Paul turns to acting like one, and gets down to “brass tax”

 

Yet, we also must ask ourselves, why should us Christians be good? To earn heaven? To get the praise of others? No, we are good simply because God has been good to us first.

 

-1) Type of Behavior in the New Community

 

→”Put off Falsehood and Speak Truth (Paul backs this up with Zech. 8:16 from the Old Testament)

 

Why do we lie? Is it not to justify ourselves and make ourselves look good? But who are we trying to impress? Who’s opinion really matters in the long haul?

 

Truth may sometimes be blunt, but if it is done in love, it will heal, establish trust, and create respect. Whereas lying tears down community, truth builds it.

 

→ “In your anger, do not sin” (Paul backs it up with Psalm 4:4)-We all get angry, it’s what we do with it that matters.

 

Either we lash out and destroy others, or we bottle it up and it can destroy ourselves. We all get angry, but we cannot stay there, for anger is the devil’s trojan horse because it sneaks in and can lead us to other sins and goes everywhere.

 

The Solution? Take it to God, because He can take it. If you are angry, tell Him so, and be honest. He will give you peace

 

→ “Quit Stealing”-but notice it goes from a negative to a positive

 

This is not simply saying, “work hard but keep it all for yourself”

 

Instead, “work harder so that you have more to give and share” for in Christ, the thief must become a donor, and the taker to become the giver.

 

If you cannot work? PRAY, for that is the most important work of all!

 

→ “No Foul Talk”-Unwholesome-this words means “spoiled fruit” or “rotten meat” and hey none of us like having bad breath.

 

Speak the truth in love, for just as we are saved by grace, and empowered by grace, so it must be in grace.

 

-2) Power for Behavior in the New Community

 

→ It is nothing less than The Holy Spirit, God Himself.

 

The Gospel is good news. The Gospel is not just cold rules in an old book, but God’s gracious and loving offer: to have new life in His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

This is a transformation of who we are within. The Holy Spirit re-wires us on the inside. Rules cannot really do that because rules don’t touch the core of who we are. Our nature has to change and we must be born-again.

 

Only God, the Holy Spirit, can change us because He transforms us on the inside and makes us aware that we are continually living in God’s presence, not just in church but everywhere we go.

 

The Holy Spirit is not a force, for a force cannot change us, because it is too blunt. Only a Person can change a person because only a person can know us intimately to change us.

 

Like a person, the Holy Spirit can grieve, and when we sin, we grieve the Holy Spirit, we grieve God. For He has promised us joy and gladness, peace in this world and life in the next, and we must live with that in mind always.

 

-3) Reason for Behavior in the New Community

 

→ We have the Reason: Jesus Christ.

 

When Paul writes to the Christians of his day, he writes to us too. He writes of love. Love that builds us and binds us into a community, but that love is not a lofty, unrealistic ideal, but instead a concrete reality.

 

It is a PERSON, Jesus Christ. GOd did not just command us that we love, He also gave us an example in Jesus. We love because He first loved us. Our morals are based on that!

 

God did not wait for us to grope around in darkness and ignorance. Rather, He came to us! He sought us out. Jesus Christ, God-in-the-flesh sacrificed Himself lovingly for us, you and I.

 

Remember, He became like us so that we could become like Him. And because Jesus was resurrected, it proves His death was not in vain, and that goodness and love conquers all and is the right way to live.

 

To we who have been forgiven, we need to forgive. We as Christians must break the cycle of violence in our world today and must leave vengeance to God. He will handle it because only He knows how.

 

How do I forgive? How do I tell the truth? Refuse anger? Live like Jesus? How? ASK

 

One final point: In Ephesians, Paul closes this section by saying, “be imitators of God”

 

The church is like a New Eden

 

In the Garden, God created man “in His image” and so Adam and Eve already imitated God because they were like Him. Then the lie was that man could replace God.

 

Now, in Jesus Christ, God offers mankind a chance to be re-made, better than Adam. Just as God placed man in community where he had harmony with God, each other, and all creation, so now God has re-created us and called us to be a new community, a new Eden and we are to bear His image as a new humanity in community. Love God and one another so much that the desire to hurt others is squeezed out!