Live the Truth
Notes
Transcript
Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thoughts. They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts. They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.
But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.
Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity. 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. 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. And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
We Live the Truth because of Christ!
We Live the Truth because of Christ!
Eph 4:17 “Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thoughts.”
Therefore - When looking in retrospect - Because of all that!
Because of all of God’s rich blessings which He pours out uon you, for you, for the church, for His people.
Because you should have spiritual insight - eyes open by the Holy Spirit who lives inside you.
Because you have been saved by Christ, whom God put over everything - everything in the heavens, the spiritual realms, and the earth.
Because you were dead in your sins, but have been brought to life - by the grace and mercy of our wonderful Savior Jesus.
Because we are to be unified - you and Christ, the church and Christ, all with one purpose, one mission - individual and unique yet united as the Body of Christ.
Because Christ dwells in yoru heart and gives you the power to overcome the troubles of this world. SO that you can walk according to the power that is within you - given to you - by the great Savior.
Because we are precious creations, remarkably made - special - each with our own experiences, backgrounds, thoughts, ideas - and yet part of this beautiful new reality that is the church - the body of CHrist.
Because of all of that - THEREFORE - Eph 4:17 “Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thoughts.”
Because of all that Christ has done, and done for you despite the reality that you were sinners dead in your traspasses and lost - You should no longer walk as those without Christ walk: in the futility of their thoughts.
It is time to walk different.
Not in the futility of their thoughts.
Futility - Those without Christ are tossed by the whims of their thoughts, searching for truth and bouncing with their thoughts.
This is where we get horrible lies: your truth.
Hedonism - if it makes you happy.
Eph 4:18-19 “They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts. They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.”
Boy doesn’t that sound like the America right now.
harness of hearts.
promiscuity
giving themselves to every kind of impurity
desiring more and more
Never enough - must have more! More possessions, more money, more fame, more popularity, More recognition!
more followers, more likes, more subscribers!
But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.
You didn’t come to know Christ through worldly ways. You heard about him - you have been taught about Him.
You know that Jesus is truth!
So take off your former life - The You that follows Jesus should not look like the you that didn’t!
You shouldn’t look like your former life!
You shouldn’t be giving into deceitful desires! You shouldn’t be going to filthy websites.
You shouldn’t be chasing what makes you happy, if what makes you happy goes against the Word of God!
Instead you should be renewed in the spirit -
You mind should be made new!
You should PUT ON the new self. It is an action. Paul says you must DO IT. It does not happen by accident. It is intentionality.
and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.
Put on the New self - the one created according to God’s likeness righteousness
and the purity of the truth.
By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.
Oh what a beautiful thing - to have the spirit of God within us for a purpose - But having the free will to either put on the new self and receive the wonderful rewards that GOd has given, or to not.
But why would you not!
You are the righteousenss of GOd!
He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Paul writes so much so that we might understand the magnitude of the reality of what it means that Jesus came, lived a perfect sinless life, went to the cross for you and me, to pay the price we could not pay, to bear the sin that he did not commit, and die a sinners death -
Romans 5:8 “But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
While we were still sinners - and then 3 days later He conquers death and is resurrected
1 cor 15:55-57 “Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”
Oh how great a price and how wonderful our Savior!
SO LIVE THE TRUTH!
We Live the Truth by how we Speak
We Live the Truth by how we Speak
Eph 4:25 “Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.”
These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another; make true and sound decisions within your city gates.
Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Zec 8:16.
We Live the Truth by our THOUGHTS
We Live the Truth by our THOUGHTS
17 Do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love perjury, for I hate all this”—this is the Lord’s declaration.
Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Zec 8:17.
We live the Truth by our Obedience
We live the Truth by our Obedience
Eph 4:26 “Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger,”
Ps 4:3-4 “Know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him. Be angry and do not sin; reflect in your heart while on your bed and be silent. Selah”
Lord, I remember your name in the night,
and I obey your instruction.
This is my practice:
I obey your precepts.
We Live the Truth by how we treat our neighbor.
We Live the Truth by how we treat our neighbor.
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.
Notice the contrasts. Theives take what is not theirs. They take what they have not earned. The covet their neighbors possessions, and their heart is set on their own needs.
But Paul writes that we are to do honest work. Dirty hands, clean money is a popular thought. Honest work isn’t always fun, itsn’t always easy, isn’t always clean - but it is honest.
Before sin came into the world, work was painless. There was still work. God told Adam to tend to the garden - that means work the garden. Once sin came into the world, the work became by the sweat of his brow. The work became hard. New words entered - labor. The word of hard work. sweaty work.
We are to work so that we have something to share with anyone in need.
Work so we can take care of others. What a contrast between a theif and a generous neighbor. One takes what is not theirs - One gives what is theirs. Take vs give.
We work to share - not loan.
But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
We Live the Truth by how we Speak
We Live the Truth by how we Speak
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.
Now I want to start by saying that foul language is somewhat subjective. It honestly depends on culture and location. So is the word of GOd saying that you should not say those 4 letter words.
The answer to that, again, depends on your culture and the community you are in. Here in our community - you betcha.
Bcause we are to have a good standing in the community.
BUT it goes beyond those 4 letter words. Because yes those are offensive - but there is language that is far more foul than that comes out of mouths.
Foul Language
expressions such as swear words that are regarded as coarse, obscene, or otherwise unacceptable in polite or formal speech.
Gossip.
casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.
Breaking confidentiality.
Slander.
Making flase or damaging stataments about someone.
Malice.
the intention or desire to do evil; ill will.
Hate speech.
any form of expression through which speakers intend to vilify, humiliate, or incite hatred against someone
None of that foolishness should come from your mouth.
How can you praise the Lord with the same mouth that tears down His image bearers.
Speak Only what is GOOD for building up someone in need.
The tongue can tear down, or it can build up!
Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
So that it gives grace to those who hear.
There is always an audience. And little ears always hear!
What is it that we teach those little ears? I don’t just mean little children physically, but little children spiritually.
There is enough filth in the world!
What the world needs is GRACE. ANd to see you give Grace. Because you were given Grace.
And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.
When we, deliberately or inadvertently, behave in a way that is hostile to our spiritual improvement it grieves the Holy Spirit; in the same way that a loving parent is grieved when his or her child behaves in a self-destructive manner.
Instead of greiveing the Holy Spirit, we should keep in step with the Holy Spirit.
Gal 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
We keep in step with the Spirit by obedience. Study. Prayer.
Working on ourselves. ANd I don’t mean in that self-help book style. I mean by working to be better today than yestuday. I mean that the moment you relaize that you stumbled, you stop, stand up, and say - oh I just messed up, i need to fix this - and then DO IT!
Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice.
Notice the contrast again between 31 and 32!
And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
Don’t be bitter, be kind.
Don’t be angry and full of wrath - be compassionte!
Don’t shout, slander, or have malice - lose the foul language - get rid of the grudge - FORGIVE!
“Well I don’t want to” - I don’t have to
NO - YOU FORGIVE!
JUST AS GOD FORGAVE YOU IN CHRIST!
How forgiven are you?
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed
our transgressions from us.
You kow the crazy thing about the compass is this:
If you travel north long enough, eventually you will travel south. That’s the way it works.
But if you head east - you will always be going east.
If you head west - you will always be going west.
So how far is the east from the west?
When GOd forgives, HE forgives completely!
We live truth! Live the truth!
