The Christian's New Clothes (Pt. 1)

When I was a kid a loved to go shopping for new clothes. Not because I liked trying on clothes, but because I liked hiding in those circle clothes racks. I don’t shop for clothes anymore. That’s one benefit of being married to someone who lists shopping for clothes as a life goal.

For the Christian, new clothes are essential. But it’s not the clothes that your thinking of. I don’t think God cares much about the fashion of the fabric we put on our bodies. But according to this passage, God cares about the behaviors we wear as believers of God.

The new clothes or behaviors that we wear identify us like a uniform. And like a fireman, policeman, or doctor, the clothes that we are called to wear say something about who we now are.

As Christians, we have become someone new. We have been reborn with a new identity. Therefore, like clothes we are to take off the old and put on the new.

Ephesians 4:21–22 ESV

21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,

that being a Christian means that we have been given a new nature. In particularly we have been given new minds. Not like the futility of the minds of lost people, minds that leads them down aimless paths. Paths that lead them down no lasting purpose or meaning in life.

Why is changing behavior from old to new so important? Because our natures and new way of thinking is meant to lead us to live new lives.

Paul says that our old minds that were without Christ thought futile thoughts and led us down aimless paths. (v.17).

Ephesians 4:17 ESV

17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.

In particularly we have been given new minds. Not like the futility of the minds of lost people, minds that leads them down aimless paths. Paths that lead them down no lasting purpose or meaning in life.

Paths that lead us to no lasting purpose of meaning.

Our new nature certainly gives us new minds that leads to new ways of thinking and new values. We are told that these new natures and new minds are “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (v.24)

But let me ask you this, “Are righteousness and holiness simply a matter of the mind?” Is our new nature only to affect our thoughts. Are holiness and righteousness merely to affect our insides, our thoughts and our intentions?

No. He tells us not to walk as the Gentiles do. So, he gives us new minds. That tells me that new minds are to lead us to a new walk. These new righteous behaviors are the new clothes. They identify us as who we are and whose we are. They reflect our the righteousness .

So what do those uniforms look like? Just like policemen are recognized by blue clothes, handcuffs, badges, guns, and tasers. And doctors are recognized by their white coats and stethascopes. What does God want his children to be recognized by?

There are behaviors we should take off and others we should put on.

In -54, Paul identifies six specific behaviors that should mark believers. Today we will look at 3 of them and next week we will look at 3 more.

There are behaviors we should take off and others we should put on.

I. Tell the truth, not lies. (v. 25)

Ephesians 4:25 ESV

25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Eph. 4:25

Christians are to value truth. We are to love the truth. As a matter of fact, Christ himself once described himself as the truth.

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Christ is truth. So, as Christians we are people of the truth.

*Stephen Hawking and John Lennox (professor of Math at Oxford) were preparing for a debate at Cambridge.  A reporter from the Times asked Hawking for a comment on religion and he responded with, "Religion is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark."  Being fair, the reporter turned to Lennox and asked him for a comment on atheism and he commented, "Atheism is a fairy story for people afraid of the light."

So, we are people that carry the truth because we carry the gospel. And because we carry the ultimate truth. Telling the truth in all things honors the truth of the gospel.

Telling the truth makes us trustworthy. It’s our trustworthiness that makes us look different and earns us a hearing for the gospel.

But, Paul highlights something else that telling the truth does. Notice that we are to tell the truth because, “for we are members of one body.” (v.25). What does being members of one body have to do with not telling lies to each other but telling the truth?

One body is a reference to unity among believers. We are made one body by the truth of the gospel. Therefore telling the truth about all things builds trust among believers in society. It shows love for each other. And, that makes us a stronger church. That makes us a unified church.

And only a unified church who trusts each other can glorify God and work together to accomplish the purpose for which we are here.

II. Get angry, but in a godly way. (v.26)

Ephesians 4:26 ESV

26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

Now this command is difficult. Paul commands us to be angry. In the sermon on the Mount Jesus tells equates anger to murder in our hearts. Not murdering is on the top 10 list.

And we also have to consider that God displayed anger at times. In , we see Paul referencing God’s anger.

Ephesians 5:6 ESV

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Jesus was clearly angry when he entered the temple and saw the people making it what he called a den of robbers. He turned over the table and ran everyone out with a whip. So there is such a thing as righteous anger and unrighteous anger. Here Paul is actually commanding us to have righteous anger.

Righteous anger is the anger that God has over unrighteousness. There are some things that we should get angry about. If it is a sin, not to do what we should do, then it is a sin not to be angry about unrighteousness and injustice.

*We can find ourselves too idle or complacent over things we should be angry about the fact that well over 600,000 abortions are performed in the United States almost every year.

*We should be angry that half of all marriages in the U.S. end in divorce.

*We should be angry over fathers that don’t stay faithful to their spouses and leave their homes. We should be angry about what that does to these children.

63% of all youth suicides come from Fatherless homes.

90% of all homeless and runaway youths come from Fatherless homes.

71% of all high school drop outs come from Fatherless homes.

70% of juveniles in state operated institutions come from state operated institutions.

75% of adolescent patients in substance abuse centers come from Fatherless homes.

(Statistics of Fatherless in America by Wayne Parker)

According to statistics done by Feeding America 40 million people in the United States struggle with hunger of which 12 million are said to be children.

It should anger us that there is so much lostness in the world that only 29% of Americans claim to be born-again believers, and based on my experience a lot of them are mistaken.

Paul is right to tell us to be angry. Because if we don’t burn with a little righteous anger, we won’t be moved to do something about it.

But, we can not be angry and sin. But, our anger can be sin. We aren’t God so our anger is often going to be misplaced.

So, Paul says, “be angry and do not sin” (v.26) So there has to be a check on our anger, which is what he points to in v.31.

Ephesians 4:31 ESV

31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Eph.

We should constantly check our hearts. And, when we realize that our anger is misplaced and sinful. He tells us, “do not let the sun go down on your anger,” (v.26)

Some people might mistakenly say, “Well I have all day to be mad at you and I’m just fine.” That’s not his point. HIs point is, as much as you would like to be mad at your wife because she did that thing again that absolutely drives you crazy, you don’t get to nurse that anger.

You don’t get to hold it over her head forever, and make her pay and pay and pay for that mistake. As a matter of fact, you don’t even get to sleep on it.

Because the longer you hold anger and unforgiveness in your heart, the more opportunity you give to the devil. The devil will use your anger to destroy your marriage, friendships, lose jobs, and ultimately leave you in isolation.

750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers 11: Anger

In Wishful Thinking, Frederick Buechner writes:

Of the seven deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back—in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.

750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers 11: Anger

In Wishful Thinking, Frederick Buechner writes:

Of the seven deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back—in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.

The devil is looking for that kind of anger to destroy every Christian he can and ultimately the church.

III. Make an honest living, so you can give not steal from others (v. 27)