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The New Life in Jesus


Ephesians 4.25-32 and 5.1-2

Good News Translation (GNT)

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25  No more lying, then! Each of you must tell
   the truth to the other believer, because we are
   all members together in the body of Christ.
26  If you become angry, do not let your anger
   lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all
   day.
27  Don't give the Devil a chance.
28  If you used to rob, you must stop robbing
   and start working, in order to earn an honest
   living for yourself and to be able to help the
   poor.
29  Do not use harmful words, but only helpful
   words, the kind that build up and provide
   what is needed, so that what you say will do
   good to those who hear you.
30  And do not make God's Holy Spirit sad;
   for the Spirit is God's mark of ownership on
   you, a guarantee that the Day will come
   when God will set you free.
31  Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger.
   No more shouting or insults, no more hateful
   feelings of any sort.
32  Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one
   another, and forgive one another, as God has
   forgiven you through Christ.

   Ephesians 5
   Living in the Light
  1  Since you are God's dear children, you must
   try to be like him.
  2  Your life must be controlled by love, just as
   Christ loved us and gave his life for us as a
   sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice that
   pleases God.


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Commentary taken from
'The Applied New Testament Commentary'
(Kingsway)

The New Life in Jesus

     Ephesians 4:25 to 5.2


Paul gives some examples of old behaviour that we must "put off," and the corresponding new behaviour that we must "put on."

First, Paul says, put off falsehood. We must speak the truth always, in every situation. It is not enough simply to refrain from lying; we must speak the whole truth. When we withhold part of the truth, we often lead others to believe a falsehood - even though we have not actually lied.

To speak truthfully has another meaning: it means to keep our word, our promises. There must be trust between us, and the foundation of trust is keeping one's word.

In your anger do not sin. This is a quotation from Psalm 4:4. When we are angry, we must make sure it is the offence we are angry with, not the offender. We must forgive the offender, not be angry with him. We must hate the sin but love the sinner. That was how Christ treated us!

Our anger should end by the time the sun goes down. Otherwise, Satan will find an opportunity to enter our heart and turn our righteous anger into sinful anger. How can we end our anger?
By completely forgiving the offender from our heart.

Satan is always looking for an opportunity to use our anger for his purposes. When we are angry, we naturally begin to speak against the person who has angered us.
Others hear us, and spread around our evil report about that person. When this happens, Satan is very happy, because soon more and more Christians will begin to talk against one another.
This is Satan's most effective method of splitting apart a church or a Christian team.

There is no place for laziness. We should work not only to provide for our families, but also to provide for others in need. From stealing one moment, to giving the next: only the power of Jesus can change a man like that!

Let everything we say be judged by this standard: does it help build others up, encourage them, or benefit them in some way?
If so, then let us say it; if not, then let us keep silence.

Whenever we sin, we grieve, trouble, disappoint and insult the Holy Spirit. Remember, we have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13).
The Holy Spirit's seal is our passport.to heaven. Let us not lose it!

God loved us when we were still sinners. Jesus warned us that if we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us (see Matthew 6:12,14-15).
Let us heed this warning.

Living as Children of Light
Just as God has acted with grace toward us, so must we, imitating God, act with grace toward others.
We likewise must give ourselves up for others, and present our lives, our bodies, as an offering and sacrifice to God.


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