New Self Verses Old Self
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I. INTRO
A. Where We’ve Been
B. Where We’re Going
C. Main Text
28 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.
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.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Eph 4:28-
D. Pray
II. BODY
A. The new Self verses the old Self
a. The new self works honestly not stealing or gaining unethically.
28 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.
1. The Christian is never to be ashamed or afraid of hard work
i. In fact, Hard work is our duty as Christ followers
11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,
10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.
12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.
12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
ii. We should be the hardest workers in our workplace!
-never idle!
*Illust: Navy word “skating”
~people would take up smoking just so they could leave watch
~Walk around w/a clipboard in hand to look like their busy
-never busybodies: to be meddling with, or bustling about, other people’s matters
to be meddling with, or bustling about, other people’s matters
*Constantly in2 workplace gossip/or slandering other’s work
Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 2, p. 85). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson.
-Paul Goes as far as saying no work, not food!
iii. instead, work hard & quietly mind our own business w/out complaining
iv. Why work hard?
-vs “share w/anyone in need”
*Look out for 1another
-2 thess 3:10b “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. ” and 12b “earn their own living.”
*That is to say, provide for their self & family
-We are examples of Jesus!
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.
Eph 4:
b. The New Self speaks to build up not tare down
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.
1. corrupting literally means rotten; worthless
i. Illust. have u ever eaten a meal that has turned?
-I ate @ a restaurant & a few hrs later, throwing up, etc.
ii. So corrupting talk, then, means talk that is rotten/spreads rottenness…affecting people by taring down/making them spiritually ill.
-What’s rotten talk look like?
Eph
4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
iii. This doesn’t mean we should be serious all the time, but that our conversations should promote
-fellowship & unity!
-in my sermons I tell a lot o stories o my life & fam.
*many o those stories make us all laugh
*What am I doing?
~sharing myself w/u to promote rel. & fellowship
~What I avoid is disparaging my wife, kids, etc. so that I look better
2. Instead, our conversations should be
i. the right thing (Paul says “imparting grace”)
ii. at the right time & place (Paul says “as fits the occasion”)
iii. for the right reasons (Paul says “building up”).
-Maybe Paul is pulling frm...
23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!
3. We should be asking ourselves not just ‘Am I keeping my words true & pure?’ (right thing) but ‘Are my words being used to impart grace to those who hear? (right reason)
i. meaning, r my words not only true & pure but r o benefit to the listener?
not just ‘Am I keeping my words true and pure?’ but ‘Are my words being used to impart grace to those who hear?
ii. We’re really getting to the heart o WHY we say things
-do we tell people true, uncorrupt things because
*we wanna show how much we know?
*others to know how good we are?
*or we need to “get something off our chest?
c. The new self has God’s Spirit and doesn’t grieve Him.
c. The new self has God’s Spirit and doesn’t grieve Him.
Foulkes, F. (1989). Ephesians: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 10, p. 142). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
1. 1st half o vs is the what: that is don’t grieve the H.S.
2. Grief means to cause sorrow
Grief means to cause sorrow
i. A life characterized by falsehood, anger, steeling, & rotten speech causes the Holy Spirit sorrow!
-That is to say, anything that we say or do that is contrary to the nature of God grieves (causes sorrow) for the H.S. that is in us
conversation (or any other activity) that endangers the unity of the body of Christ “grieves” the Holy Spirit.
ii. On the other hand, A person who’s Christ-like conversations & actions help build up God’s people is an instrument for the Holy Spirit.
*Lets talk a little about the 2nd half o the vs: our motivation (“you were sealed for the day of redemption”)
3. Having the proper motivation
i. Why do we follow the rules?
-fear of reprisal?
*Illust. of when I was afraid I’d get caught.
*Sometimes we act like God is a cosmic child w/a magnifying glass who’s going to torch us ants when we sin.
ii. We have insight into why we don’t want to grieve the H.S. & I really don’t think it has to do w/fear
-end o vs says “were (past tense) sealed for the day o redemption”
-Day o redemption:
*redeemed: purchased frm slavery.
*the day: when Jesus comes back and our freedom is fully realized.
~ How amazing is that!
*if that’s not enough, He’s proved it by giving u HIS Spirit as a seal (mark from God)
-It’s like Paul is asking “Why would u ever wanna do things that grieves the very mark o ur freedom?
*This freedom mark is alive & He’s guiding us and counseling us
*When we live contrary to his advise (living like the old self) we’re thumbing our noses at him
*Therefore our motivation is not out of fear, but love…look at what the Apostle John says in...
17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
1 Jn 4:17-
iii. Proper motivation is love not fear
A person who’s Christ-like conversations & actions help build up God’s people is an instrument for the Holy Spirit to use to this end.
On the other hand, conversation (or any other activity) that endangers the unity of the body of Christ “grieves” the Holy Spirit.
- These last 2 vs’s act as a summation o the whole conversation of the new self vs old self:
Bruce, Frederick Fyvie. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (Kindle Locations 5637-5639). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. Kindle Edition.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
That is to say, A life characterized by falsehood, anger, steeling, and rotten speech grieves the Holy Spirit!
c. The Summation of our New Self verses Old Self
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
The new self is kindhearted, not begrudging or wrathful.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
1. the old self is bitter, wrathful, & angry.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
i. the old self
i. is bitter, wrathful, & angry.
ii. it’s clamoring (crying, screaming, shouting), slandering, & malicious
crying, screaming, shouting
Liddell, H. G., Scott, R., Jones, H. S., & McKenzie, R. (1996). A Greek-English lexicon (p. 992). Oxford: Clarendon Press.
2. The new self is kind, compassionate, & forgiving
i. is kind, compassionate, and forgiving
3. What characteristics r found in ur relationships w/
i. family
ii. friends
:
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
iii. employer?
-r u constantly angry/bitter w/ur peers?
-talking about ‘em behind their back?
-jealous when they get a promotion?
iv. or r u kindhearted & forgiving?
-How we treat people should reflect how God responded to us “as God in Christ forgave you”
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Next Week Study: 5:1-5