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.

Here is another put off and put on. Put off speaking those things which are corrupting, worthless, or rotten. He says do not allow such words to proceed from our mouths.

That’s hard, isn’t it. Our mouth often speaks before our mind get in gear. God say that we should have enough control so that this does not happen.

What then should be put on in its place? We should speak those things that are good for building up, fit the need of the moment, and extend grace to those that hear.

Talk about a challenge! He says, “Only.” Those are the only kind of words that we should permit to come from our mouth. Before we speak, we must think, “Will this help build up the person, does it fit the need of this moment, and does it extend grace?

Ecclesiastes 5:2 says: Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.  

Proverbs 10:19 says: When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.  

I think the admonition is: speak less, listen more, and think before you speak.

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.

Continuing his discussion of putting off and putting on, Paul says that the thief should no longer steal. Stealing is to be discarded. what is to be put on as its replacement?

Something must always be put on to replace what has been taken off. In this case he tells us that we should labor, and do honest work with our own hands.

But there’s more to it than that. Not only should we labor, and do honest work, but we should do this so that we would have something to share with others who have needs.

When a person is needy, there are two options. Either work with ones own hands or be helped by someone who God has enabled someone to be able to share. Sometimes it’s a combination of both, isn’t it. Someone may work and still come up short and can be helped by others who have more.

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Paul continues his discussion of the things we are to put off and put on.

In verse 26, he interjects a comment about anger. We’re told to be angry and yet do not sin. To me, that means that there is a kind of anger that is not sinful. Jesus obviously displayed some anger in some circumstances where offenses were being committed against God and His glory. Most of our anger results from offenses to our glory and that kind of anger is usually not justified because it arises from selfishness and pride.

He goes on to say that we should not let the sun go down on our anger. We need to confess our anger and make things right with our family or friends before sundown. We have a tendency to hold grudges and doing so not only is sinful, but also does damage to ourselves and our relationships.

He finishes the sentence in verse 27 where he tells us to give no opportunity to the devil. Being sinfully angry and holding on to grudges for stretches of time gives the devil an opportunity to attack. Elsewhere, the Bible says that we are not ignorant of his devices. We need to be wise in our understanding of the devil’s methods so that we are not tripped up by them. Anger is one area where he seems to have his way at times.

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

Ephesians

Ephesians 4:25

Paul has given us the basic principle, which is that we need to put off the old man and put on the new. He now begins to give us some examples of how that works in practice.

He says, “Having put away falsehood.” Falsehood is part of the old person, and he assumes it has been put away. So, having put away falsehood…. What is the new characteristic that needs to be put on? …each of you speak truth to his neighbor. Falsehood is to be put off. Honesty is to be put on. And it’s not just a mental putting on. It is actively speaking truth, purposely and intentionally.

By neighbor here, I think he means a fellow believer because he says we are members one of another. This does not imply that we should not speak truthfully with people on the outside, but that especially and foremost we should speak the truth to the people who are the closest. If we can’t speak the truth to them, we will never be able to speak truth to outsiders.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:13 AM March 17, 2021.

But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians

Ephesians 4:20

Paul had been speaking of the pagan unbelievers saying that they were greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But this is not how we learned Christ. The Christian life is not like this.

There is a sort of parenthetical phrase he puts in here saying, “assuming that you heard the truth and were taught in the truth about Christ.” It’s possible for professing Christians to live in a way that does not reflect the gospel and it may be because they have not been taught the truth about Jesus. There are plenty of false gospels out there.

So, what is the truth about the transformation that has and is taking place? First, we are to put off, or lay aside the old man, the old self. Take it off and lay it aside. This is the self which belonged to the old way of life, the pagan, unbelieving way of life. It has been corrupted by deceitful lusts. Some lusts are especially adept at deceiving us. We think we are desiring something good and right, or at least something essential to our being. We are being deceived by such lusts. The old self has been corrupted by these lusts. Therefore lay aside not just the lusts, but the person we used to be.

If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away and the new has come (2 Cor 5:17).

Whenever we have to put off something, there needs to be something else that we are to put on. So, in verse 23, we are told to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. Literally to have mind-renewal in the area of our thinking. We need a new way of thinking.

In Romans 12:2, Paul urges us to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Our minds are renewed by our meditation on the Scriptures. That’s why God told Joshua to meditate in the Word day and night so that his way would be prosperous and successful (Joshua 1:8).

Be renewed in mind and put on the new self. We are to take off the old corrupted self and put on the new self. This is the self that has been created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Even after having done this, we find ourselves drifting back. what we need to do is to reaffirm this step frequently: daily, or hourly or whatever is necessary to win the battle.

It is a putting off, and a putting on. The two go together. Picture it like changing clothes. It’s something we do. God saves us by His grace and changes us, but the residual effects of sin, and even the very presence of sin itself resides in our flesh. Using our renewing minds, we are to take the conscious step of putting off the old and putting on the new.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:00 AM March 16, 2021.

They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!—

Ephesians

Ephesians 4:19

Verse 19 continues the characteristics of those outside the faith who have a darkened understanding and a hard heart.

They have become calloused. Calloused means hardened with use as in a calloused palm. Being alienated from God and living a life of rebellion and moral ignorance gradually hardens the heart. They have become calloused. It’s important to remember, though, that this callousness is not difficult for God to break through, if He chooses to.

In addition to being calloused, they have given themselves up to sensuality or licentiousness. There is a lack of legal and moral restraint, especially in the area of sexuality.

Notice that they have given themselves over to this. Romans 1 talks about God giving them over to the downward slide. God is under no obligation to stop this rebellious and immoral slide. Everyone of us has proven that we are in rebellion against God. We are all criminals and there is no just reason why God should pardon us. Such pardon comes only by the grace of God according to His sovereign pleasure.

And finally in verse 19, these people are described as greedy to practice every kind of unclean behavior. This is the way the world is. We should not be surprised by it. This is the way the natural man behaves.

Paul reminds us in verse 20, however, that this is not the way you learned Christ. The life in Christ, and the godless impure life that has just been described are mutually exclusive.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 9:34 AM March 12, 2021.

Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

In verse 12, we discussed the purpose for which the saints are equipped. It is for the building up of the body of Christ.

Verse 13 gives us the goal, the target. Until we all attain to the unity of the faith. All is a big word in this sentence. The goal is that all of the Christians in the body would attain and be a part of the unity of the faith. That is a huge goal. Unity of faith cannot mean simply being part of the body, because that is true of all real believers. There’s nothing to try to attain. Unity of the faith is a spirit of oneness as opposed to discord and fractured fellowship.

Second, to attain to unity of the knowledge of the Son of God. Knowledge here refers to an experiential knowledge. The goal is that all of us would have a real, vital, and vibrant relationship with the Son of God.

And third, to a mature manhood, which is defined as the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

I don’t know about you, but these goals make me sort of discouraged. But we need to remember that it is the Spirit of Christ that is at work within each believer as He works throughout the body gifting, and fitting each person and motivating each person as the body grows in love and unity. It is God’s work, not ours. But of course, we must cooperate and do our part.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:11 AM January 27, 2021.