EPHESIANS: LIVING IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR HIGH CALLING

Part II: Walking Worthy Of Our High Calling In Christ, Ephesians 4:1-6:20

C. Walking Worthy Of Our Calling In Contrast To Our Unsaved Past

(Ephesians 4:17-32)

I. Introduction

A. Having extensively written about the high calling we believers in Christ have in our Lord, clarifying the great extent to which God's grace in Christ has been administered in our behalf in Ephesians 1:1-3:21, Paul applied that truth to the Christian walk in Ephesians 4:1-6:20.

B. In Ephesians 4:17-32, Paul presented the third realm of walking worthy of our calling, that of living in contrast to our former unsaved past. During this COVID-19 pandemic when tensions can arouse strong passions in people that do not edify, this passage takes on great application as it addresses the issue of our behavior.

C. We then view this important and timely passage for our insight and edification (as follows):

II. Walking Worthy Of Our Calling In Contrast To Our Unsaved Past, Ephesians 4:17-32.

A. God wants us believers in Christ no longer to live like the lost world from which He saved us (Eph. 4:17a), and that ungodly way of life is described in Ephesians 4:17b-19 (as follows):

1. Lost man functions according to a futile way of thinking, Ephesians 4:17b ESV.

2. His understanding of spiritual truth is darkened, he is alienated from the life of God because of his ignorance of the Lord, what in turn is the result of the hardness of his heart, Ephesians 4:18 ESV.

3. In becoming spiritually calloused, lost man has given himself over to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity in the human experience, Ephesians 4:19 ESV.

B. Rather, God wants us believers to live renewed, upright lives (Eph. 4:20-21) described in Ephesians 4:22-24:

1. God calls us to cease living by means of the sin nature that produced our former way of life that involved the corruption of deceitful desires, Eph. 4:22. [This is achieved by relying on the Holy Spirit, Gal. 5:16!]

2. Instead, God wants us to be renewed in the spirit of our minds by living by our new nature, one created by God after His likeness in true righteousness and "holiness," i. e., separation from sin, Ephesians 4:23-24.

C. Thus, there should be marked contrasts in specific behaviors from our former way of life, Eph. 4:25-32 ESV:

1. We should function in marked contrast to our former way of life relative to our speech:

a. We should put away falsehood to speak the truth with fellow believers, for we are members of one another in the body of Christ, Ephesians 4:25.

b. We should let no corrupt speech come out of our mouths, but only speak what is good for edifying in each situation, that we might administer grace to our hearers, Ephesians 4:29.

c. We must stop grieving the Holy Spirit of God by Whom we were sealed until the day of redemption, no longer expressing hurtful bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander and malice toward others, Eph. 4:30-31. Rather, we should be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving each other as God in Christ has forgiven us, Eph. 4:32.

2. We should function in marked contrast to our former way of life relative to our anger:

a. We should be angry at sin, but not let our anger fester, entrusting the injustice to God, Ephesians 4:26.

b. This resolution to our anger is essential that we avoid Satan's use of a festering anger in us to cause us to commit acts of vengeance that are sin, Ephesians 4:27 with Romans 12:19-21.

3. We should function in marked contrast to our former way of life relative to the issue of stealing: we should no longer steal from others, but rather work to earn the income to be able to purchase the item needed or desired and even to be able to share of the bounty we have thus obtained with others in need, Eph. 4:28.

Lesson: God wants us believers in Christ to walk worthy of our calling in contrast to our unsaved past, no longer living according to a futile way of thinking couched in spiritual darkness, ignorance, hardness of heart with calloused thinking that leads to sensuality and greediness to perform every kind of impurity. Rather, we should boycott living by means of the old sin nature and live in the new nature in Christ in reliance on the Holy Spirit that produces righteous, holy lives. Marked contrasts in behavior from our former lives will then be seen in our speech that speaks truth versus falsehood, that graciously edifies versus corruptly harms and is kind, tenderhearted and forgiving instead of bitter, wrathful, angry, clamoring, slanderous and malicious. We should be angry at sin, but commit our concerns at injustice to God that Satan not tempt us to take sinful revenge, and we should stop stealing, but rather work to purchase what we need and even thus have something to give to other needy believers.

Application: May we walk worthy of our calling as believers in Christ in sharp contrast to our past unsaved lives.