Ephesians 4:17-31 ESV
The New Life
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. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 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,[a] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 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.
The New Life
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. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 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,[a] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 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.
Sermon Notes –
- Ephesians 4:26 – Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger
- You can be angry and not sin.
- Be angry at the things that makes God angry
- Man-centered anger vs God-centered anger
- Because we know if we harbor anger it will fester
- Don’t give the devil foothold in our lives.
- Don’t carry it with you from one day to the next.
What do you do with it and how to do it?
- Ephesians 4:31 – Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
- Put away anger, slander, malice
- Anger needs to be completely removed; impossible to do in our own strength
- Ephesians 4:25 – Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
- Don’t walk like those who don’t know Jesus
- Vain thinking is empty reasoning; self-focused
- We no longer have the same priorities and perspectives of the Gentiles
- Put on your new self
- Ephesians 4:24 – and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
- Put aside your old self/old priorities/corrupted in sin
- New self comes from the light
Takeaways
1. Every Christian gets angry.
2. There is a difference between man-centered anger and righteous indignation.
3. Honestly evaluate what we are angry about – need the power of the gospel to put it away
4. We need to remember the power of the gospel that lives in each one of us.
If you need any kind of help, please do not hesitate to contact the church office.
Click here to listen to the audio: https://www.bfcnewarkde.org/?post_type=sermon&p=7585
2022-09-25 12:05:16
