"Becoming More Christlike"

Eph 4:25-32

4:25. Having put away falsehood, believers are to tell the truth (cf. v. 15). Truth is conforming one’s words to reality. The reason for this exhortation is that believers are all members of one another in Christ’s body, the church (cf. vv. 4, 16). Intent to deceive or lead in another direction.

4:26–27. While believers may at times be legitimately angry (with righteous anger against sin; cf. John 2:13–16), they are not to sin. The way to prevent such sin is to “keep short accounts,” dealing with the anger before the sun goes down. The reason is that the devil would like to intensify a Christian’s righteous anger against sin, causing it to become sin itself. This then gives the devil a foothold (lit., “a place”), an opportunity for leading that Christian into further sin. Then anger begins to control the believer rather than the believer controlling his anger.

4:28. Christians are not to steal, but are to work in order to give to the needy. A thief takes from others for his own benefit, whereas a believer is to work, doing something useful (agathon, “beneficial”; cf. v. 29) with his own hands for the purpose of sharing with those in need. This is true Christian charity. Work has many benefits: it provides for a person’s material needs, it gives him something useful to do (something that is beneficial to himself and others), and it enables him to help others materially.

Proverbs 1:10–19 “My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; And whole, as those that go down into the pit: We shall find all precious substance, We shall fill our houses with spoil: Cast in thy lot among us; Let us all have one purse: My son, walk not thou in the way with them; Refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, And make haste to shed blood. Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. And they lay wait for their own blood; They lurk privily for their own lives. So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; Which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.”

4:29–30. Believers are not to speak unwholesome (sapros, “rotten”) words (cf. 5:4), but helpful (agathos, “good, beneficial”; cf. 4:28) words for the purpose of edification. Good words benefit (lit., “give grace” or enablement to) the hearers. One’s words are to be true and pure and also are to contribute to benefiting others. Besides one’s conscience, the Holy Spirit also helps guard a believer’s speech. The fact that the Holy Spirit may be grieved points to His personality. His seal of a believer remains until the day of redemption, the time that a believer receives his new body (cf. 1:14; Phil. 3:20–21).

#1. Eliminate Falsehood

Paul notes the difference between a life wallowing under the power of sin, as opposed to a life thriving in the power of Christ. Christians are called on to ''put away'' the things which entangle unbelievers. This includes sins such as malice, slander, commotion, and bitterness.

#2 Assassinate Anger Eph 4:26-27

#3 Terminate Theft Eph 4:28

#4 Decontaminate Our Speech

Eph 4:29