A Life Worthy Of The Gospel
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The Family Tree
The Family Tree
Last year Elisabeth and I decided to get some fruit trees for our house, we went and bought a few peach trees and a cherry tree.
I wasn’t all too familiar with the best practices for planting trees and making sure they survive and thrive. So I did some research and I went for it.
I dug the whole about twice the size of the root ball, I mixed native soil with some fertilizer, I watered the tree and once it had been the right amount of time I gave the tree more nutriends through some fruit tree food.
Let’s just say I nailed it.... (We’ll never know)
But what about the rest of the tree’s life. We’ve moved away, who is going to take care of it, who’s going to prune it, keep animals and birds away from the fruit, how is it going to thrive now?
These are the types of questuons that our passage answers, but for a different tree.
In Ephesians so far, we have been shown the eternal spiritual blessings that Christ has given to us,
we’ve seen how we were dead, not able to make ourselves alive
we were hopelessly lost and yet Christ made us alive and saved us through faith by His grace
and he put us together as the church to build one another up and be an example of the Gospel to the spiritual and physical kingdoms that surround us.
Picture us the church as a Family Tree
The lower limbs are our older Godly members who have been around a while, nice and thick limbs, (spiritually speaking) strong and healthy, lots of fruit.
At the other end we have new shoots, young children, youth, other adults who are new believers, growing quickly and starting to bud.
So far in the book of Ephesians the APostle Paul has shown us how the tree was planted, he showed us the hole that God dug, the soil that Jesus mixed and the water that the Spirit poured.
He’s shown us the purpose of the tree and placed a T-bar with some wire to help hold us straight and true.
But in these last verses Paul has started to tell us more about what’s next.
He tells us what we have to do now, He’s called us to put off the self, be trnsformed in our mind and put on the new self.
And in our passage he get’s specific, he tells us exactly what it looks like to be clothed in the new self and to live in a manner that’s worthy of the Gospel!
He gives us instructions for the family tree,
he says if you want the tree to thrive, these are the characrerisitics that you must embrace.
I’ve used the tree as a metaphor for the church but Paul in Ephesians and elsewhere has used the body, so my outline will reflect that as I would rather you remember Paul’s metaphor than mine!
Our passage is made up of 5 commands, our first point includes the 1st. Command, our 2nd point includes commands 2, 3 and 4, and our 3rd point is the 5th and final command.
The first thing Paul addresses is what it is that the body needs. That’s my first Point, what does the body need?
(3 minutes)
Next Slide
1. What Does the Body Need? (Vs. 25)
1. What Does the Body Need? (Vs. 25)
Paul begins by saying therefore, reminding us that this is simply implications of what he has already said.
Since we have to be rid of the old self and put on the new,
here now are things we ought to embrace and things we ought to exclude.
All of the commands Paul has for us in these verse contain 3 parts. A Negative command or concession, a positive command and a reason to oben by.
Paul starts here with the negative. He says: “having put away falsehood.”
That is to say Lies ought to have no place in the Christian vocabulary, they ought not to be present in the kingdom of God.
One author writes:
“The opportunities to shade or hide the truth, to avoid personal consequences or advance personal gain are constant challenges and frequent causes of sin.”
(Brian Chappel)
It’s not hard for us to think of opportunites for sin in this area.
Whether it in our workplaces, our homes or in the church it is often easier and better for us in a worldly sense to misrepresent the truth in order to protect ourselves or make ourselves look better than we ought to.
Friends God has called us to put away falsehood and be people of the truth.
This is primarily speaking about our relationships with one another in the church but it certainly applies to all of life.
Students, it’s an act of rebellion against God to lie to your teacher, to lie to your parents, to lie to your friends.
Often we justify our lies and we reason with ourselves about why it’s better for the person we are lying to.
but proverbs 12:22 reminds us.
Proverbs 12:22 “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.”
Friends, Christian must be people who have put away falsehood!
Think of body that lies to itself.
The eyes say to the feet, there’s no hole there, just keep walking.
Or the ears lie to the body, that’s not a car horn you hear, just keep walking.
Or the nose tells the body, that’s not a fire you smell, just keep sleeping.
Friends, Paul reminds us we are members of one body, we depend on one another and we depend on the truth!
Brian Chappel helpfully writes:
“Relationships of trust are the wheels on which the ministry of the church progresses.”
Where falsehood and lies dwell, trust is eroded and the body suffers.
So this morning, if you haven’t left falsehood behind let me encourage you to repent, look to Christ for forgivenss knowing that he died for all your sins and He will joyfully forgive you!
If you’ve lied to people in your life, confess it to them and ask for their forgiveness!
You’ll be surprised at the joy and life that comes from living in the truth and being honest with others, don’t put it off!
Now, we’ve talked about the negative side of this first command but there are a few more unique elements to the positive side.
Paul Says: Let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbour, for we are members of one body.”
The rationale for the command is our being of one body! Paul here reminds us of what he has already said in this book.
He’s reminds us of our primary place in the world as the display of God’s infinite power and the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ!
He tells us to speak the truth because we are the very body of Christ and not only that but this is how the Body is built up!
Look back up at Ephesians4:15 Paul says: “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,”
This is the job description, the primary responsibility, the most important task of all believers! How is the church to gorw? How are we to make disciples? How are we to be build one another up?
We must speak the truth in love!
The truth’s of the gospel that Paul has been dwelling on for three chapters, these truths are to pervade our speech, we are to remind one another of these things!
In Titus 3 :8 Paul says: “The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.”
What is it were supposed to insist on Paul? What are these things?
He covers that in Titus 3:4-7 where he tells them about the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour, and how he he saved us according to his own mercy by the Holy Spirit and by His Son Jesus Christ so that we might herits of the hope of eternal life!
This is the saying Paul tells us we must insist on! so that beleiverse are careful to devote themselves to good works! These are excellent and profitable!
So Christian, let me encourage you, speak the truth of the gospel in love to someone else today!
We need to speak it, we need to hear it, so remember the mission, the central task of Christian discipleship and speak the truth in love to others this morning,.
Brothers, speak the gospel to your wives, your siblings, your coworkers, your kids and watch as the truth changes them.
Sisters, speak the truth’s of the gospel to one another and to your husbands and children and grandchildren and friends and rejoice as God uses his appointed means to save and sanctify those around you!
We all long to see fruit and change but how often do we step out of our comfort zones and remind someone that Jesus died for them, that he loves them, that he paid for all their sins, that there is no more condemnation, that the Spirit of God is in them and He will not let them fail, that God has adopted them to be his daughter or son, that we are heirs of eternal life!
Friends, we have such rich gospel truths, OH that we would not keep them to ourselves!
Paul here reminds us to speak the truth to our neighbours and in so doing reminds us of our central task in vs. 15
but he also points us back to Zechariah 8:16 which says “These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace;”
Here the word of YHWH is coming to Zechariah the prophet. He is prohpesying about the remnant of Israel. Israel of the New Jerusalem and YHWH calls them to “speak the truth to one another”
Paul quotes this phrase and applies it to the church, showing the link between the Old Testament prohpesies of a New people of God, a remanant of Israel, and the modern day jew and gentile church.
One commentator writes:
“What is predicated of the eschatological future of God’s people in terms of new Jerusalem language in the Old Testament passage is picked up by Paul in relation to the new person, God’s new community in Christ, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”
Friends, Paul reminds us of the significance of our place in the history of redemption and the significance of our unity as the body and calls us to speak the truth!
Paul turns now to the next 3 commands that I’ve put together in our 2nd point:
NEW SLIDE
2. What hurts and helps the body? (Vs. 26-30)
2. What hurts and helps the body? (Vs. 26-30)
Ephesians 4:26–30 (ESV)
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
The 2nd Command is a command to not sin in our Anger. It’s interesting here that Paul doesn’t say, “don’t be angry” Rather he says, “don’t sin in your anger”
It is a bit of a relief to me at least that the Bible assumes we will get angry, although here and in James we see strict teaching on how we act when it comes to our Anger.
One of my favourite stories of Anger that may or may not have been righteous anger was that of St. Nicolas
NEST SLIDE
St. Nicholas.
St. Nicholas.
In the year 325 the first ecumenical council of Nicea gathered and a well known heretic Arius was brought forward to defend his theology of Christ, that Jesus isn’t God.
St. Nicholas listened and his emotions were inflamed, his anger burned and eventually erupted to the place of no return.
He got up, walked across the room and Punched Arius right in the face!
Imagine a members meeting like that!!
Someone starts talking about false doctrine and one of the older brothers just can’t take it anymore so he punches him square in the nose!
You’d probably never miss a members meeting after watching that!
Now St. Nicholas may have been acting out of righteous anger and maybe it wasn’t sin, that’s not for us to know.
Paul here doesn’t address when anger is righteous or unrighteous but it does seem that he has sinful anger in view. Particularly because he puts a time limit on the anger.
NEW SLIDE
2. What Hurts and Helps the body (vs. 26-30)
2. What Hurts and Helps the body (vs. 26-30)
He says: “do not let the sun go down on your anger.”
So Here Paul gives us three principles for thinking about anger.
The first principle is an word of cuation.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO SIN
We must be weary of our anger, we ought not to trust ourselves when we are angry but rather be concerned about what we are doing and what we might do.
I remember when I was in highschool going through a bit of an angry phase in my life. Perhaps some of the youth here this morning are struggling with anger, perhaps others have been in a season of anger for a long while now.
Here then what God has called you to, Be angry and do not sin. Friends anger is not to trifled with, it isn’t innocent, it’s dangerous.
James reminds us in James:1:19-20 to be slow to anger because the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God!
The fruit of anger is usually sin, so in your anger, be careful not to sin!
The 2nd principle Paul gives is that we should
2. BE URGENT IN DEALING WITH ANGER
Although this verse is usually used as marriage advice, it is primarily directed to the church and our relations to one another.
God calls us to deal with our anger with urgnecy and in a timely manner, not to let it fester or sit or dwell or stay but rather to resolve it before the sun sets.
Friends, our unity and our love for one another are central to God’s saving work so wehn we are angry with one another we must not simply ignore it, or let it continue, we must deal with it as soon as we can so that we avoid sin.
But even more significantly we must deal with it because the Devil is prowling.
BEWARE THE DEVIL
Paul gives an extra exclamation point to resolving our anger by telling us that if we don’t we are giving an opportunity to the devil.
In April of 1917, Canadian troops, trained and fought valiantly to win the battle of Vimy Ridge.
There were many important aspects to the victory but one of them was the taking over of Hill 145, the canadian war museum refers to it as the highest and most important feature of the ridge.
Canadian troops charged maching gun nests with their bayonets, many didn’t make it, but eventually the troops won and took that the important ground.
Friends, we must view our fight against the S[iritual forces of evil with the same vigilance!
Paul says, don’t let your anger last, lest you give an opportunity to the devil, we don’t want to give the devil strategic grounds in our fight for faithfulness
Rather we want to gain ground from him by turning from sinful anger and pursuing peace.
Friends letting anger fester is no small thing for your soul and for the health of the church, you must seek out reconcilliation as soon as you can otherwise you give ground to the enemy.
We know he prowls around like a roaring lion and Ephesians 6 reminds us that we wage ware against these powers and principalities so don’t treat your anger as if there are not serious consequences.
Don’t trerat division between other members of the body as small or trite but seek them out with all diligence and be reconciled!
Oh that we woiuld lay down our anger and remind one another of the gospel truths that unite us!
There is one God, One Faith, One Spirit, One baptism, one Lord and one hope and one body!
May we as a body then be one and not be divided by sinful anger!
So for those who are struggling to love those with different viewpoints on various issues, let me encourage you.
Be merciful with other believers, be patient with them, be humble about your views, and give grace to one another that our unity would not be disrupted because we’ve given the devil opportunities to divide us.
The third command that Paul gives is for the theif to no longer steal but rather let him work and share with those in need.
Here again Paul condemns the negative action of stealing, he calls us to embrace the positive action of working with our own hands and he gives us a reason to obey, that we might be able to share with those in need.
As Christians we must not steal, it shows a distrust in God’s providence and a lust for things of this world that doesn’t befit the gospel!
So if you’re guilty of disobeying God here, let me encourage you, repent and find forgiveness in Christ and be restored to your rightful calling in working hard and being generous!
Just like with lying there are many ways we are tempted to steal, we steal possessions from others blatantly, or we steal by being slothful or negligent in our work, or we steal by embellishing our hours.
May we be people who are content with what God has given us, and a people who look to Him when we are in need and may we be a people who are zealous to share with others as the Lord blesses and provides for us!
Paul condemns these actions as all of them destroy human harmony and flourishing!
How are we to trust one another when we deceive one another by lying or we harbour anger against one another or we steal from one another.
Friends let us be diligent to do away with these practices, that our actions would rightly reflect our calling as Christ’s body and that the body would build itself up in love!
The 4th Command and final command for this point brings us back to Speech.
Paul says in Eph. 4:29 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
Paul condemns corrupting talk. He has in mind any rotten words or impure speech.
Lest we try and sneak around what he says he helpfully admonishes us to only say words that build up and give grace!
How striking of a church would this be if you only ever heard words that built up and gave grace to others!
How much of an effect would we have on our communities if we embraced this command?
Students, how different would your friend groups look if you’re words only built others up?
How different wooul your lives be if people only spoke words of grace to you?
What if your words were motivated by the gospel? By God’s grace in your life? By humility and kindess?
Instead of how all of your friends talk? Using words to make people laugh by saying inapproprioate things or being rude about others! You can show them a better way, the way of grace!
How many of us have become accustomed to rotten words and corrupting comments?
Oh that we should show the world a better way, both as a church and individually! Let’s show the world what Gospel Grace is in our speech, in being kind and seeking to encourage and edify others rather than belittling and being rude to others.
The motivation Paul provides us for this command is found in vs.30
Eph. 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” ‘
Paul reminds us of the Holy Spirit who indwells us and uses the Holy Spirit’s presence as motivation for us to obey God when it comes to our speech!
He uses the phrase here, the “Holy Spirit of God.” only used one othe rplace in the New Testament to emphasize the Deity of the Spirit and the urgency to take our words seriously!
Friends you have the very Holy Spirit of God in you watching and your words effect the Holy Spirit.
He is greived when you’re speech isn’t pure, when you say things you shouldn’t and when you’re words are harmfurl and not helpful.
So friends when you speak, consider the Spirit, and choose your words wisely, lest you greive the very one who assures your salvation!
It’s interesting here of all the work of the Holy Spirit Paul here reminds us that the Spirit is the one who seals us for the day of redemption.
You can imagine the Godhead having a dialogue, when you’re speech has been impure and the Spirit is greived and he’s the one who has sealed you for the kingdom, imagine the Spirit saying to the Father, why him God? or why her God? They keep hurting your people with their words and it greives me, oh that they would speak words of grace!
Paul’s pointing out this part of the Spirit’s role acts as a bit of a balance as well!
Some of us may be tempted to lay on the guilt and shame and start to think God doesn’t love us, He isn’t for us, He shouldn’t of saved us but Paul keeps us from going there.
Even though we may greive the Spirit with our sin and God may long for us to repent, our redemption is still secure. God’s love hasn’t failed or left, our salvation is sure and not depentent on our perfect obedience!
Perhaps you feel this morning like you’re simply not good enough. Well you would be in good company then, none of us are!
It’s by grace we’re first brought into the faith, it’s by grace that we cotninue and by faith that we walk.
We cannot pursue these things in our own strength or abilitles, rather we repent of our shortcomings, we turn from these sins, we look to Christ, we pray and depend on God and we keep doing all that we can to walk in righteousness.
Friend’s let me encourage you this morning, your sin may greive God but His love for you is unchanged and you have the seal of your redemption, the Holy Spirit.
So, repent of your sins and rejoice in the lavish forgiveness that we have in Christ! You are clothed in his righteousness, not your own works!
Paul turns now from practical actions that we do to attitudes of the heart that we have.
( 20 minutes)
Vs. 31 and 32 make up out third point:
DONT SAY - Just change the slide back
3. How should we think and talk about the body? (Vs. 31-32)
3. How should we think and talk about the body? (Vs. 31-32)
Eph. 4:31-32 “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Here my tree analogy falls apart.
Our first two points work out a lot better. There are certain things the tree needs, like water or sun or protection from bugs or animals and there are certainly things we can do to help or hurt a new tree, like give it fertilizer or stabilize it with a T-bar, or we can neglect to do those things and watch as it suffers.
I don’t think our tree will notice however if we have a little bit of bitterness to it or if we are tender hearted toward it.
So maybe we’ll leave that analogy behind for now.
In Vs. 31 Paul again begins with the negative commands, He lists of 5 attributes and says let them be put away from you and then he concludes the negative by saying along with all malice.
Paul takes his aim now at our attitude toward other believers and the outflow of that attitude.
If we are bitter or full of wrath then we’ll likely slander our brothers and sisters to others or
if we are busy clamoring then our words will be full of malice and anger
Friends our attitudes ought not to shaped by these traits.
If you have bitterness in your heart toward another believer Paul calls you know to put that away from you. Repent from it and return to the attitudes that are worthy of our calling, return to kindness and forgiveness.
If you feel wrath or anger toward others in the church, again Paul calls you to repent and put it away, resolve the matter and have a tender heart toward others!
Or if you’ve been clamouring or have gossipped or slandered a brother or sister, confess, repent and find forgiveness in Christ this morning.
Friend’s Paul calls us to these attitudes and actions, we must not treat these sins lightly, this is the way of the new self, this is the calling of those saved by the gospel
So the question for us this morning is will we humble ourselves, confess where we’ve fallen short, be reconciled to one another and reconciled to God through the forgiveness of Christ? Or will we continue in these actions and attitudes, harming the body, and endangering our souls?
We find the positive commands and the motivation to obey in vs. 32
Eph. 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Paul calls us to a different way, just like he called us to a distinct way iof speaking, of working, and of relating to our anger so he calls us to a unique attitude toward one another.
Unlike the world that is full of mistrust, deceit, selfish pursuits and harsh and rotten words, Paul calls us to be tenderhearted, kind, and full of forgiveness!
He reminds us that our forgiveness ought to be modelled after God’s forgiveness in Christ.
So what does that actually look like?
Well we know from Ephesians that God’s kindness toward us is completely undeserved!
God has kindness toward sinners who are dead in their trespasses, sinners who are following the prince of the power of the air.
God’s fprgiveness is also initiated by God himself!
We didn’t do anything to ask for it, we didn’t do anything to call God to redeem us or to forgive us!
No he determined in eternity past to set his love on us and so to forgive us on his own volition.
How then should we think of others?
Should we only forgive those who deserve to be forgiven? of course not!
We ought to rejoice at the chance to forgiven those who are undeserving as this shows the gospel so much more clearly than for those who deserve it.
Should we wait for people to come and apologize to us or for them to change before we forgive them? Again, the answer is of course not!
We ought to be lavish with our kindness and forgiveness, seeking out any type of sinful attitude in us and seek to reconcile with any beleiver as fast as we can.
Think of the heart of our Saviour, He looked at Jerusalem and mourned saying how often I would have gathered you as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings!
He looked at a prostitute washing his feet with her hair and had mercy.
He had mercy on lepers, disable, demon-possessed and even the theif on the cross hanging justly beside him!
Friends what does it look like to walk in a manner worth of the calling we’ve received?
It looks like the love of God displayed in the cross of Christ, Love undeserved, Love that is lavish and abounding, love that covers a multitude of sins, love that erases the guilt and shame and restore real and true unity!
Our calling is to be people of Gospel conduct and character, people with atititudes and actions shaped by Our Saviour’s death and resurrection, shaped by God’s steadfast love for sinners!
How humbling this ought to be for us!
Think of how often we have forsaken God!
He’s called us to love him with all our heart soul mind and strength! Have we for one minute obeyed this command? How about for one hour? nevermind all the time!
He’s called us to throw off sin and run the race set before us! and yet how often we’ve returned to sin and neglected God!
He’s called us to joyful communion with in His word and in prayer and yet our screen time likely shows that we love our device more than our God!
He’s called you to love others, to be kind and tenderhearted toward other beleivers and yet how often we harbour bitterness, how often we slander a brother or sister, how often we neglect to give grace, the same grace that we count on for our own salvation!!
Friends, you are not able to stand before God on your own. None of us have ever been able to and none of us ever will be able to!
The Psalmist rightly laments in Ps. 130 “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?”
But he doens’t end there. He continues:
“But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”
With God there is steadfast love, plentiful redemption, the forgiveness of all our sins!
We have spent a lot of time this morning looking at the nitty gritty of the Christian life. What it is that God is calling us to and why he’s calling us to it!
We may be tempted now to focus on our actions and say I’ll do better, or leave discouraged thinking, I’m so far from that but if we leave like that we’ve missed the point of all of Paul’s rationale!
Friends rejoice that you will not be clothed in your own deeds on that blessed day of redemption, rather you will be clothed in the righteousness of Christ!
Even amidst these commands, there is never a sense that those who fall short, those who need to grow are out of the kingdom!
The Spirit may be greived now, but when Christ takes us home the Heavens will be rejoicing as the saints are fully and finally redeemed!
So as we see need for growth in some of these areas let us fix our eyes on our example and our hope, the forgiveness of God in Christ Jesus that we might grow!
Friends,
We’ve been given a mission as beleivers, keep the tree, speak the truth in love, build up the body, wakl in a way that is worthy of our calling!
So as we go let us remember the family tree that God has planted here.
Let us remember what it needs: truth and not lies. The truth of the gospel!
Let us remember what helps it, honesty, hard work, quickly resolving our anger, and kindness.
Let us remember what harms it: Sin in our anger, rotten and impure words, stealing, bitterness and slander.
Let us remember what it needs most to flourish: The Extravagant, undeserved, steadfast love of God shown in the forgiveness brought about by the blood of our Savior Jesus Christ!
May we care more about our affects on the tree and what God has called us to than anything that might keep us from it this morning.
Friends, our church, every church needs it’s members to be devoted to these things and to speaking the truth in love to one another so as to build one another up that on that day we would be able to stand mature in Christ!
May we give ourselves to that mission now!
(10 minutes)
Would you pray with me?