Living NEW - Examining Ephesians – September 20 Readings: Ephesians 4:25-32

Ephesians: A Worthy Walk 

Background: For the next month, we will be studying the Book of Ephesians, a letter Paul wrote while he was in jail in Rome, awaiting his first trial. Ephesus was one of his best churches, and he spent a lot of time there on his missionary journeys. The church likely planted the other churches of Asia Minor that Jesus referenced in Revelation 2-3. 

Ephesians is easily outlined. Chapters 1-3 speak of the great salvation we have in Christ, which comes by grace through faith alone. Then, 4:1 is the turning point, where Paul admonishes them to "walk worthy of the calling you have received." We cannot be worthy of Christ's salvation - it is a gift of grace. But having received it, we can then, by the Spirit's power, WALK worthy. Chapters 4-6 describe the worthy walk. This is a favorite template for Paul. He develops a doctrine then applies it practically. 

As often as time allows, the reader is encouraged to read the entire book - it will not take more than a few minutes. Each day we will work our way through the book passage by passage. 

Today's Reading:  Ephesians 1-6    Focus Passage - Ephesians 4:25-32   

25 Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. 26 Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and don’t give the devil an opportunity. 28 Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. 29 No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. 30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

Through the Bible Readings: Isaiah 50-51, 2 Corinthians 4, Psalm 107:1–7, Proverbs23:13–14

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional: Living NEW  

Those who would walk worthy of the calling of Christ must understand that while our salvation is secured by the grace of God and comes to us through faith and not through works, there are certain behaviors that are appropriate to those who have been saved and certain behaviors that are not. The things that are inappropriate - basically everything that comes naturally to us - needs to be put off or put away and the things of Christ, those behaviors empowered by the Holy Spirit need to be put on. 

• Recognizing that we belong to one another in the Body of Christ (this is still, essentially, a teaching on unity in the Body of Christ) the practice of lying, a reflection of Satan, not Christ, should be put away and replaced with truth. 
• The next teaching is instructive. It has been much argued and the fine points will not be settled here, but the main point is clear. Though anger is a powerful and natural human emotion, we must not allow it to have its sinful and destructive effects. "Do not let the sun go down on your wrath" means to resolve it quickly because the other option is to give Satan a foothold in your heart, your family, and your church. The most destructive force in our lives is unresolved anger. 
• Thieves are to seek honest work. Simple and direct. 
• We are to avoid "foul language" and only speak what builds one another up. This is often used to admonish people for their four-letter words, and those may be included here, but I believe the word refers to destructive words that tear down. Foul language is not necessarily dirty, but destructive. If you are vicious and unkind, if you speak harshly in anger, you violate this as much as if you fire off a salvo of words that curl a sailor's hair. Our words should build up. 
• We are not to grieve the Spirit in our rebellion or our unbelief. We must walk in his fullness and in obedience to him. 
• We must do away with bitterness, anger, wrath, shouting, and slander - these things ought not to be the stock in trade of the Christian vocabulary and behavior. Instead, we are to be kind and compassionate to each other by demonstrating Christlike forgiveness. The forgiveness of Christ ought to drive our behavior, not the behavior of others. 

This list is not exhaustive, but exemplary. The life of Christ is our standard now and since we hve been saved by God's grace we must now live in the light of it. 

Think and Pray:

In light of this passage, are you seeing progress in putting off the things of the old life and putting on the new life?