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Rightly Dividing
the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15)
Established November 2008 Published
Weekly on Friday AM
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior, who desires all men (and women) to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:3-4)
Ephesians (4:23-25)
(Lesson 20)
Welcome and thanks
for choosing HBS as your Bible study partner.
We’re in the midst
of our study of Ephesians chapter 4 which the Bible translators titled: The
Believer’s Walk… in love (4:1-3). Genuine love
for one another is absolutely essential if we’re to grow up (mature) in all
aspects into Him who is the head
(of God’s one Church), even Christ (Ephesians 4:15;
Galatians 5:22-26).
Babies are usually fussed
over receiving exceptional, loving attention.
However, I’ve never met a mother or father who did not set goals for the
child fully expecting them to advance
from mother’s milk to solid food, progress
from crawling to walking, develop speaking
skills, and graduate the toilet-training
process, with honors. These accomplishments
in their child’s life mark their visible growth. Babies are cute and cuddly, but no parent I
know desires that they remain a toddler.
Who wants a five year-old sucking on a pacifier and asking for a diaper
change?
In chapter 4, Paul
speaks of “living a sanctified (holy)
life.” Holy means to
be separate; set apart for the use intended by the Designer. An ink pen is sanctified when it’s used
for writing. Eyeglasses are sanctified
when used to improve one’s vision.
Biblically speaking, an individual is sanctified when striving to walk worthy or live their life according
to God’s divine purpose.
In Ephesians
3:10-11, we learn about God’s divine purpose
for each of us, His Church:
…and to bring to light what is the administration of the
mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things (including the
Church); so that the manifold wisdom
might now be made known (how) through
the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.
This was in accordance with
the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord (Deuteronomy
29:29).
God’s church (Ekklesia) is made up of
Believers; members like you and
me. When the Church is
sanctified (separate) from the world
through the faithful preaching and teaching of sound doctrine by godly men, who
speak the “whole counsel of God,” Rightly Divided, they equip all the
saints for works of service, and the
church proclaims the glory of God
through the power of the gospel in
accordance with God’s eternal purpose. No other association on earth can honestly make
this claim.
God fully expects every
Believer to change (repent) and grow up
(mature) in all aspects into Him
(related to Jesus Christ). Unity of the faith and spiritual
maturity are two goals God the
Father has determined for His one
Church; the Body of Christ (Ephesians
4:4-6, 5:30; Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27).
Last week we
learned another required goal God has determined for the body is purity:
…that, in reference to your former manner of life, you (by the Holy Spirit’s
power) lay aside the old self,
which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind (4:22-23).
********
Let’s
pick up our lesson from there. Please
open your Bible at Ephesians 4:23-25.
…and put on
the new self (or
the new man), which in the likeness of God
has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside falsehood,
“SPEAK TRUTH, EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, FOR WE ARE (what)
MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER.”
In
verse 24 Paul explains how the true Believer attains purity. The verbs “laying aside” and “put on” emphasize accomplished events in the Believer’s life,
rather than the process of present
sanctification (the reorientation of our desires) itself. So, Paul isn’t telling them to lay aside (put off) their “old
self,” their “old self” (the old man) has already been laid aside at their conversion (Romans
6:6, 8:12-13; Colossians 3:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:3). Accordingly, Paul commands them not to live (walk) like the unbelieving Gentiles,
a.k.a. their pagan, Ephesian counterparts.
This
fits the Bible context in verses 4:22-24.
Paul reminds them of what they were taught,
and that was they are presently in
Christ. This means each Believer has
laid aside their old self and put on the new man.
We
placed our trust (faith) in the gospel
(1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and are now justified,
i.e. declared “not guilty” in the eyes of God; however, this doesn’t mean
God removed the old man (our Adamic nature).
Our old self is totally
depraved, wicked beyond measure, and loves the things God deplores. Our sinful nature will be with us until the Lord
comes for His one Church at the Rapture,
which means we need to “deal with” the ever re-emergent force of the flesh, by using the Spirit’s power to overcome temptation and sin: “Many
are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him (and her) out
of them all” (Psalm 34:19, 57:1; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Thessalonians 3:3).
Now,
in 4:25-32, Paul teaches practical applications of how each Believer is to live
24/7/365 because present sanctification
requires us to be separate from the world. Beginning
in verse 4:25 and all the way through to verse 6:9, Paul names several specific
sins characterized by their old man they
are to be put off, and godly
behaviors they are to be put on. It’s not true in every instance, but he
usually mentions the sinful behavior Believers are to put off, and then the godly behavior they are to put on.
Sometimes he follows this up by giving the reason (motivating factor)
for the necessary change.
In
4:25 Paul wrote: Therefore, laying
aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.
Paul uses the word Therefore
frequently. He’s taking us all back
to the preceding context or what he had stated earlier. Because we must no longer live like the (unsaved) Gentiles, and because we have received the teachings of Christ, we
have put off the old man and put on
the new man, which means we have
also "laid aside falsehood."
"Laying aside falsehood"—the words "laying aside" are from the Koine
Greek word Apotithemi (ap-ot-eeth'-ay-mee), Verb, Strong’s Greek #659; which
means: “to put away (literally or figuratively), cast off, lay apart (aside, down), put away (put off). Here
Paul expresses the idea of “taking off a
filthy and worn out suit of clothes.”
This
term is also used at the stoning of Stephen:
And
when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the
witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul (Acts 7:58).
And Paul expresses its meaning quite well in
Galatians 3:27: For all of you who were baptized into Christ (by faith alone) have clothed yourselves with Christ.
The English Majority Text Versions correctly carries
over Paul’s metaphor of “literally, removing one’s old clothes:”
Therefore,
having put off falsehood (past tense),
"Let each one speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of
one another.
This
verse explains an accomplished or completed action that took place in their
past, specifically, at their conversion.
This is when they laid aside
the old man.
The
English Standard Bible Version is
even more enlightening. It says
they have already put aside falsehood
(speaking untruths): Therefore, having
put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his
neighbor, for we are members one of another.
"Falsehood"—is from the Koine Greek word Pseudos
(psyoo’-dos), Noun Neuter,
Strong’s Greek #5579; meaning: a
falsehood, an untruth, a lie. Paul’s
literally saying these saints “have
put off the lie."
Paul
used this same expression in Romans 1:25:
…For
they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and
served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Here
in the Greek it is "the lie." They exchange the truth of God for the lie.
So Paul uses the same expression as in
Ephesians 4:25, but in Romans it refers to idolatry. So Paul may be using "falsehood in the sense that anything
which is opposed to the truth of
scripture is “the lie.” He just said, "The New Man... has
been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Now
he says, "…having put away the lie"
which could possibly be Paul referring to anything that runs contrary to God’s
revealed truth, or God’s Word in
general. All of man’s philosophy and
wisdom apart from God’s wisdom and expressed will runs contrary to the scriptures
and could be labeled "the lie."
"SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR"—the word "speak" here implies the Ephesians
are to make a habit of speaking the
truth. But hold the horses! These folks are saved and eternally positioned in Christ Jesus, so don’t
they always speak the truth? That would
be “No.” If practical righteousness was
automatic as many church leaders teach, Paul wouldn't need to tell these folks
(and us) to speak the truth. Practical righteousness is not automatic no
more than one’s salvation is automatic. Some
churches believe and teach this untruth.
However, the N.T. is filled with God’s commands and guides for living
righteously (Zechariah 8:7-16; Romans 12:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:22; 1 Peter 2:11).
Then
Paul gives the reason why we’re to speak
truth to our neighbors: “For we are members of one another.” Although we
must follow all of Paul’s teachings re: the biblical principles of ethics at
all times and toward everyone, Paul focuses mainly on our behavior within God’s
Church family, since the context has to do with maintaining the peace and unity that the Lord Jesus Christ died to obtain: For if
we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly
also be raised to life as He was (Romans 6:5 – Berean Literal Bible).
The
health of our physical body depends on truthful communication between its
members through the nervous system. If
you put your finger on a hot stove and your nerves do not relay the message, “Wow,
this is hot!” to the brain, you will suffer great harm. A person with leprosy lacks this
communication ability between the nerves and the brain. They can actually cause great harm to their
body without even knowing it. When you
lie to your spouse or another member of Christ’s body, you are injuring yourself, another member, and, what’s worse, you are injuring Christ, because He is one with His body.
Believers,
as God’s children, are to always speak
the truth. Truth is an accurate
representation of the facts. The truth Paul speaks of here is compliance
to and consistency with God’s righteous standards, as revealed in His Word:
"Sanctify
them in the truth; Your word is truth (John 17:17).
As
I pointed out earlier, beginning at verse 25 Paul begins to identify those
attitudes and actions which the Ephesians are to put off. He also names those
which they are to put on” in their stead. But Paul is also dealing with their manner of life. Their fleshly behavior is
the outgrowth (the expression) of their inner fleshly nature, just as the Believer’s
conduct is the outgrowth (and expression) of the new man, created and empowered
by the Holy Spirit:
But I say, walk by
the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one
another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led
by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity,
sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger,
disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things
like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those
who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;
against such things there is no law. Now
those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified (put off) the flesh with its passions and desires
(Galatians 5:16-24).
Paul
continues to stress the connection between our conversion to Christ (past
tense) and our conduct in Christ (present tense), which should be manifested in
our worthy walk; manner of life:
What
shall we say then? Are we to continue
in sin that grace might increase? May it
never be! How shall we who died to sin
still live in it? Or do you not know
that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been
baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism
into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory
of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him
in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His
resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him,
that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer
be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe
that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from
the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin,
once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to
sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey
its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as
instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive
from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you
are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:1-14).
As you therefore have
received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, (Colossians 2:6).
In
Christ, their old man was crucified,
put to death. As this applies to the
Ephesians’ daily walk, Paul’s saying they are to crucify the flesh daily, and lay
aside the evil conduct which springs forth from those fleshly desires. In Christ we were made alive, raised from the
dead and seated with Him in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:5-6). We are therefore to walk in newness of life, manifesting the work of the Spirit of God
in and through us. It is by His power that we are enabled and motivated
to live in a way that pleases God:
There is therefore
now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit
of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was
through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh
and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the
requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to
the flesh, but according to the Spirit.… And if Christ is in you, though the
body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of
righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him
who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from
the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who
indwells you
(Romans 8:1-4, 10-11).
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it
is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live
in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered
Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).
…that, in reference
to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being
corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit (4:22).
…lusts of deceit – some people profess they
are unsure of what Paul meant by this expression. However, using the Law of First Mention, we
find ourselves in Genesis, chapter 2.
This is the biblical account of the
woman being deceived by the serpent
in God’s perfect garden. After reading
the text, we can say for certain there is a direct association between “lust” and “deceit.” Her lust for the forbidden fruit did not
bring about the desired result; she did not become like God, even though Satan
said she would. Instead, her disobedient
act caused her to become spiritually dead
to God the moment she ate of it (1 John 2:16).
Thus,
we learn there is a direct relationship between “lust” and “deceit.” Using
the woman’s fall from grace as the guiding example in scripture, it’s safe to
say “lust” is “deceitful,” and you can flip that over and also say “deceit” is “lustful.” Lust is deceitful in that it does not produce what it seems to promise. Lust
promises pleasure or complete satisfaction but ultimately it produces death (Romans
6:15-23). Deceit
is lustful in that it never seems to
be satisfied. Old Adam always wants more
(Proverbs 1:10-19).
Jesus
warned of the danger of attempting to remove evil, rather than replacing it (Luke
11:26). Paul’s words indicate our Adamic nature and its evil deeds are
not merely to be rejected, they are to be replaced. This is what Paul means by the term, “put off.” The old
man needs to go away and the new man
is to be “put on.” While the old man is continually being
corrupted by the lusts of deceit, the new man is being renewed in each one of us, in accordance with the
nature of God and His righteousness and truth.
(To
be continued)
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
All
Rights Reserved
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