Ephesians 4:25-32 (NIV)
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
The “therefore” that begins this section is very important, as it provides the context, tying this section closely to the one immediately before it in this letter. Paul is not giving rules or regulations here, or even “standards of conduct”. He is sharing the expected results of the Ephesians’ putting off the old self, being transformed inside, and putting on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24).
First, falsehood will become a thing of the past. Lying is the native language of satan (John 8:44) and is no part of the purified God-like character of new-creation Christians. Only truth will come from their lips, always spoke in true agape love (Ephesians 4:15).
Anger will no longer control interactions within the body of Christ, since love will be in control. If someone does wrong to another, the matter will be settled quickly and in love and concern for the spiritual well-being of the one in the wrong. To do otherwise, to allow hurt to morph into irritation and then to grow into anger gives the devil a foothold, first in the individual, and then in the Church as a whole.
No one will be dishonest or idle. Instead of relying on others to sustain them, either by stealing from them or by looking for unmerited charity, each transformed Christian will look for ways to pull their own weight, not only to provide for their own needs, but to share with others who are temporarily or permanently unable to provide for themselves due to sickness or disability.
No unwholesome talk will come out of the mouths of transformed Christians who have put on the new, righteous and holy self any more than it would come out of the mouth of Jesus Himself. Instead of gossip, crude language or crass jokes, the disciple will ensure that what she or he says is effective in building up, encouraging, and helping others to grow.
And finally, the holy and righteous attitudes of these believers will do nothing to grieve the Holy Spirit and diminish His power working in and through them. There will be no bitterness, anger, fighting, slander, or malice, which are all contrary to God’s character, and thus completely out of character for His people. Instead, they will be characterized by agape love, working out as kindness, compassion, and quick and complete forgiveness.
Father, this is amazing stuff! So many times, we dismiss or downplay the negative things that go on in our congregations, figuring that they are simply “human nature”. They are human nature, but not the nature that we were created with originally, or the new nature that you have enabled us to have in Jesus. Not only do our sins, internal and external, give us a bad name among the non-Christians around us, they are strong indicators that we are as yet untransformed, still living in our old self and allowing the devil to have mastery over our lives and hearts. Forgive us, Lord, for this glaring shortcoming, which has such profound impact on our lives, our witness, our spiritual health, and even our eternal destiny. Help us all, every one of us who goes by the name of Jesus, to make that identity real in our own lives by being obedient to Your command to take off our old, sinful self, to allow ourselves to be completely transformed by Your indwelling Holy Spirit, and to put on the new, holy and righteous self that You have provided for us, so that our whole lives, every thought, word and deed, loudly and powerfully proclaim Your good news. Amen.