The Christian's New Clothes (Pt. 2)

When I was in college, I honestly thought I knew how to dress. Most of the clothes I had were in fashion. The clothes I wore matched. However, after I got married I came to the understanding that I really didn’t have a good sense of clothes.

The reason I survived college was my mother had bought all my clothes and just told me who went together. After I got married, my wife wondered wear my sense of fashion went.

She then proceded to teach me there there were a whole range of fashion rules that I needed to learn, a whole range of fashion rules that I was constantly getting wrong. Just so you know, stripes and plades can never go together. And, just because you think that blue can go with blue and black can go with black, it actually has to be the same shade of black.

The first couple of years, I spend a lot of time taking outfits off and putting new ones on.

Last week, we started looking at a text where Paul told us that we should be putting off and putting on not new clothes on our bodies, but new behaviors on our lives. There are 6 specific behaviors that we are suppose to take off and replace with new ones.

We are suppose to change our behaviors, but God has already in Christ changed our natures. Our old behaviors matched our old natures. Our identities outside of Christ. But, God is creating a new society of people called the church. This new society made up of people with new natures in Christ.

We are suppose to look differently than we once did. The change Christ had made on the inside calls us to change on the outside. What must change?

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

I. Change the way you use your integrity.

II. Change the way you use your temper.

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

I. Change the way you use your hands. (v. 28)

Ephesians 4:28 ESV

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.

One of the first lessons that we are taught in Scripture is that God placed us here to work in his creation. God placed Adam and Eve in the garden and before sin became an issue, there job was to care for and to manage his creation.

Our work is an important part of who we are as humans. But, sin has compromised our work ethic. One way that plays out is that some ask, “How can I get the most out of as little work as possible?”

So, it might manifest itself into laziness. So maybe that means you don’t work that hard at school and would rather cheat to make the grade.

What I have seen lately is that kids don’t even cheat. Many don’t try and don’t achieve anywhere close to the potential that God has place in them. But then they get jealous because they don’t have what others have. They think they should have it.

Life Lesson: We shouldn’t have what others have if we haven’t worked like others have worked.

But, what do they do? They steal. That may mean actually stealing from others. Maybe it’s breaking in and taking a TV. Maybe it’s taking credit for someone else’s work. Maybe it’s cutting corners to get ahead. Maybe it’s getting paid for 40 hours a week, but not putting that really giving that to an employer. Or, may it’s an employer not paying employees what they are really worth.

Paul calls us to have integrity in our work. That way we don’t take from society and corrode it, but we can actually help it.

They expect to have what others have whether or not they have put the work in.

Paul tells to work this way so, “so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” (v.28)

One of the great things about the millennial generation is that they have grand visions of changing the world. We certainly applaud that. But, I don’t know if you know it, the millennial generation doesn’t have the best reputation for a work ethic.

Paul is saying, if you want to change the world, work hard and you will put yourself in the position that you can do just that.

Sure, for some it’s going to mean actually stealing what they want or need from other people who have actually worked hard and earned it.

Make an honest living, so you can give, not steal from others

II. Change the way you use your mouths. (v.29)

Speech is an incredible gift from God. It is one of the things about our humanity that reflects our likeness to God. It makes us completely different from all the rest of the animals. Cows moo, Cats meow, Dogs bark, birds sing, but only people speak.

But our speech also comes with tremendous responsibility because speech can be used for great good or great evil. And in the same way that our sin nature corrupts our work ethic, it also corrupts the way we use our words.

So Paul says,

Ephesians 4:29 ESV

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.

The word corrupting here is also used of rotten trees that produce rotten fruit. Do you know what rotten words do? Just like rotten fruit hurts the stomach. Rotten words hurt people.

That’s why he said instead use your words for building people up. The sinful default of humanity is to build ourselves us by tearing people down.

When you are gossiping that is exactly what we are doing. I feel much better about myself now by pointing out just how awful you are.

We live in a world where bullying and anti bullying campaignes get a lot of attention. Bullying is not a new phenomena, but how kids can bully today is expanded because of social media.

Children’s lives have been destroyed because of a few words or pictures sent out over social media.

Listen to something that James says about the tongue.

James 3:5–6 ESV

5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

Back in , just points out something about our words. He says that the words that we use point to what’s in our heart. Rotten words come from rotten hearts.

Jesus actually hit on this idea in .

Matthew 12:33–34 ESV

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Matt. 12:33-34

If you want to know the condition of your heart. Listen to what you say. And, Jesus goes on to say that we are going to have to give an account for every word.

Matthew 12:36–37 ESV

36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Matt. 12:

What does he mean that our words will justify us or condemn us. He means that they way we speak is a clear indication of our nature.

Paul says something interesting at the end of this passage.

Ephesians 4:29 ESV

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.

Save people should be using their words to impart grace.

Matthew 12:33–37 ESV

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

But our speech also comes with tremendous responsibility because speech can be used for great good or great evil. And in the same way that our sin nature corrupts our work ethic, it also corrupts the way we use our words.

So, let’s use our words to build people up. How do we know if our words our building and worthy of our calling as a Christian?

Use the acronym THINK. Ask:

1. Is it True?

2

1. Is it True?

If you don’t know it to be true, then you are about to say more than you know. You are not that smart. Be quiet.

2. Is it Helpful?

Are your words helping anyone? If it doesn’t help anyone, it’s probably just to make you look good. Be quiet.

3. Does it Improve on the silence?

Don’t talk just because you like to hear yourself speak. Not everyone does. Not all words improve upon the silence. If not, be quiet.

4. Is it necessary?

Does it add anything of value to the situation. If not, it is a waste of breath. Be quiet.

5. Is it kind?

A word may be critical and be true, helpful and necessary. But if you can’t say it in a kind way, be quiet. An unkind word, even if true, is seldom heard.

In the middle of this teaching on our responsibility to change our behavior, Paul introduces our responsibility to the Holy Spirit to us.

We need to be mindful that there invisible personalities behind our decisions and our behaviors. Paul has already told us not to use our behavior to give opportunity to the devil.

Now he tells us:

Ephesians 4:30 ESV

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

This text impresses on us just how God feels. We don’t often consider how God feels. We think about him being great and Majestic and almighty and knowing all things.

But this God who feels deeply for us sets his presence so intimately in our lives. And, I’m struck at how sensitive the heart of God is. This sensitive heart of God moves him to live intimately in the lives of his people and care for us.

*This week during the Wired worship services, I was introduced to a worship song that I hadn’t heard before. It really encouraged me and moved me in worship.

It’s title is: “Another in the Fire.” The song is about how close the presence of God is to his people, especially during times of trial and difficulty.

Listen to the Lyrics of the chorus:

“There is another in the fire standing next to me. There’s another in the waters holding back the seas. And should I ever need reminding what power set me free. There is a grave that hold no body and now that power lives in me.” -Hillsong United.

Honestly, I was moved to tears the first time I sang that song because when things have been hard, really hard in my life, when I couldn’t see anyway out. I’ve found myself standing with Moses seeing the God in the Fire with me. Or, seeing God hold back the seas for me. Even when I struggle to see it, he is always there caring for his children.

But, when I read Paul calling us to live holy lives so that we “don’t grieve the Holy Spirit,” I realize that the God who is present with us in our trials is also just as present with us in our sinning.

And so just as his feeling of our distress moves him to help. The nearness and feeling of our sin moves him to hurt. He grieves.

I think of Jesus standing outside of his friend Lazarus’ tomb after death has taken his life. Death being the result of this sinful world. says:

John 13:35 ESV

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 11:35 ESV

35 Jesus wept.

The God present with me in the fire to help me was also present with me when I sin. And my sin hurt him.

If we love God, we should feel sorrow that we hurt him. It should move us to repent, and say “I’m sorry.” And not hurting the heart of God should motivate us to live Holy.

We can live with confidence, even when we sin. This is not a matter of losing your salvation. In the same breath of calling us to to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, we are reminded that it was in the Holy Spirit that we have been “sealed for the day of redemption.”

That means God has stamped us as his own and secured us in Christ. For the believer, our salvation is not at stake. But loving God is.

When is the last time you hurt God? It is time you said, “I’m sorry.” Is it time you put off old nature behavior and put on the behaviors that match your new nature in Christ?

III. Change the way you use your heart. (4:31-32; 5:1-2)

IV. Change the way you view purity. (5:3-4)

Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit.