November 13, 2007

• Bible Reading: Ephesians 4 and 5-The New Man

  At the end of Ephesians 4 and the beginning of Ephesians 5, Paul describes how we should be treat fellow believers in the Body of Christ. I have heard some say that they keep the ten commandments, but I wonder if those people could say they could keep the commandments that Paul writes here:
  
  

  25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 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 communication* proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
  
  5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
  
  3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

  If we look at this list, we would all have to admit we see ourselves somewhere in it. (I John 1:8-if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves....) Perhaps we may see ourselves in just a verse or two, perhaps in pretty much every verse. When we read these things, we might throw our hands up in despair and ask, "How could I ever live like this? How can I put on this new man?"

  And that is just the right response to have. For in our own strength we cannot do these things. In our own strength we can live a life of holiness and godliness.. Apart from Christ, apart from abiding in Christ and drawing on His life-giving power, we cannot keep these commands. For without Him, we can do nothing.

  How can we be imitators of God? How can we live in a manner that is fitting for saints? How can we no longer be partakers with the sons of disobedience?

  How can we? In our own strength, we cannot be imitators of God. In our own strength, we cannot live in a manner fitting for saints. In our own strength, we can only live as partakers with the sons of disobedience.

  To understand how we can possibly begin to be imitators of God, to live a life fitting for saints and to no longer be partakers with the sons of disobedience, to live the life Paul describes in Ephesians 4:25-5:7, first we back up and read the verses prior to the "therefore" in verse 25:
  
  

  17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

  20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
  

  
  

  25 Therefore...
  

  
  In the previous verses, Paul reminds us that we have not so learned Christ, and we should put off...the old man...and be renewed in the spirit of [our] mind[s], and that [we] put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. We are no longer in darkness and blindness, for our hearts and our understanding have been enlightened. In Christ, we are no longer alienated from the life of God, but have now been given the life of God.

  Putting on the new man, the ability to live out a Christ-like life, to exhibit Christ in our dealings with one another does not come through our own efforts but through the working of the Holy Spirit recreating Christ's life in us, the new man, a life created according to God, a life of true righteousness and holiness. As we admit we are powerless in our own flesh to live such a life, the Spirit of Christ works in us to produce such a life.

  Throughout the New Testament as you examine the practical commandments and directives for living a Godly life, you will find that they are rooted in the work of Christ on our behalf. Just as our justification was by grace through faith and so too is our sanctification. The only way we can live out the commandments Paul gives is through Christ, who is our sanctification, or our holiness (I Cor. 1:30). Christ is the one who sanctifies us (Heb. 2:11).

  We can look back to the beginning of chapter 4 and see that as Christians we are called to walk worthy of the calling with which we have been called. We have been called out of darkness, away from a life of uncleanness and impurity--we have been removed from a life of slavery to self and sin. We have been brought into the light, into a life of holiness and purity--we have been given a new nature so we might be slaves to Christ. If you return to the beginning of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, we can see that Paul lays out the doctrinal basis, the foundation as it were, for how we can live a Christ-like life [1]: through the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come (Ephesians 1:19-21).

  Paul tells us that God has made us alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which [we] once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus...(Ephesians 2:1-6).

  If we look ahead, Paul once again reminds us of these same truths (Ephesians 5:8-10):

  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), proving* what is acceptable to the Lord.

  
  
  Only through the work of Christ on our behalf through power of the Holy Spirit can we

  put away lying

  speak truth with our neighbor

  be angry and not sin

  not let the sun go down on our anger

  not give place to the devil

  steal no longer labor, working with our hands what is good,that we may have something to give him who has need

  let no corrupt communication proceed our of our mouths, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers
  
  not grieve the Holy Spirit

  let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from us, with all malice

  be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave us

  be followers of God as dear children

  walk in love

  not let fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talking, coarse jesting be named among us

  be giving thanks
  

  Father, Son and Spirit, strengthen Your Church to walk worthy of the calling with which we have been called, so we might not bring reproach to the name of Your Son, our Righteousness and our Sanctification, Jesus Christ. Let our lives be a sweet-smelling aroma to You, to one another and to the world. Let us not receive Your grace in vain. Empower Your Church to live as Your dear children, as followers of You, as a holy nation proclaiming Your praises to those yet in darkness--to proclaim Your praises for You have called us out of darkness into Your marvelous light: we who were once not a people but are now the people of God, we who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy (see I Peter 1:9-10).

  ---

  Related post: why we need a new heart (Bible reading - Matthew 5).
  
  Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  *About the NKJV, two differences between my Bible and online versions of the NKJV:

  In Ephesians 4:29, my NKJV has "let no corrupt communication," but the online versions have "let no corrupt word."  I have imprinted onto the phrase "let no corrupt communication," so I am choosing to use it here. The Greek word is logos. I'll leave to the Greek scholars out there to sort out what is the better rendering here.

  In Ephesians 5:10, my NKJV has "proving," the online versions have "finding out." The Greek word is dokimazō:  1) to test, examine, prove, scrutinise (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals; 2) to recognise as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy (Source: Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for dokimazō (Strong's 1381)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2007. 13 Nov 2007. http://cf.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1381&Version=kjv&show_strongs=0)

  This is the same word that is used in Romans 12:2: "prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." As we begin to bear fruits of holiness and righteousness, as we live a Christ-like life, we are showing our faith is genuine and proving that we are indeed His children. "By their fruits ye shall know them."

  [1] I am not doing justice to this, but my point here is that the ability to live a Christ-like life is rooted in the work of Christ on our behalf: through Christ we have been born of God of incorruptible seed and made children of God; we now are partakers of the divine nature and therefore have been given the power to live a Christ-like life.

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