Ephesians 4.17-32 (6)
Pray Psalm 27.11-13.
Teach me Your way, O LORD,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
Sing Psalm 27.11-13.
(St. Denio: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise)
LORD, teach us; LORD, lead us because of our foes!
Hear, LORD, when we plead for release from their woes.
Had we not believed all Your goodness to see,
our heart sorely grieved and in turmoil would be.
Read Ephesians 4.17-32; meditate on verses 31.
Let the Lord search your soul on these matters.
Preparation
1. What are we to put away?
2. What must we do instead? Why?
Meditation
We live in an angry, resentful, hateful period. But as is clear from verse 31, that’s nothing new. People have been sinful and prone to wickedness and evil for as long as there have been people. It’s just the way of things in the world to live in wariness, distrust, antipathy, suspicion, indifference, and hatred of one’s neighbor.
But this is not the way of things in the Kingdom of God. Kindness, tender-heartedness, forgiveness—these are watchwords that guide our relationships, both with our brethren in Christ and with our lost neighbors. God holds out His love and the offer of forgiveness to all the world in Jesus Christ. That many will neither hear nor accept that offer does not relieve God of His self-imposed commitment. Even His enemies experience His lovingkindness (Matt. 5.45-48).
We can do no other.
We are the children of grace. We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of power. We set our minds on Jesus, exalted in glory, and we see the nail scars that remind us of His love for us. We must not make our journey in stride with the world. We are on the Jesus path, and we walk as Jesus did (1 Jn. 2.1-6). Thus, we show the light of truth and love to a world shrouded in the darkness of sin and self-interest (cf. 5.8-10). The world won’t always embrace or salute or even thank us for refusing to be like them; but they will notice. And as they do, some will see a hope they do not have in themselves, and they may ask us about it (1 Pet. 3.15).
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.Paul’s litany of bad characteristics, with malice tacked on at the end, reminds me of Proverbs 6.16-19:
“These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.”
And then Paul’s list—in full: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice” (Eph. 4.31).
Most certainly, in any age where evil is pervasive, if there is a group of people who are not behaving badly, they will stand out. One of the main reasons for keeping the Law, besides obedience, is to be different from the world. This is God’s plan. His idea. His desire for His people.
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed” (1 Pet. 3.15, 16).
Good behaviors solidify and assure us of our determination to follow Christ Jesus.
Therefore, following the Law is good for others; but it is also good for us.
“But whoever keeps His Word,
truly the love of God is perfected in him.
By this we know that we are in Him.
He who says he abides in Him ought himself
also to walk just as He walked” (1 Jn. 2.5, 6).
“I have inclined my heart
to perform Your statutes
forever, to the very end” (Ps. 119.112).
“We set our minds on Jesus…
We must not make our journey in stride with the world.
We are on the Jesus path, and we walk as Jesus did…
We are the children of grace.”
Meant to be a light in the darkness.
Reflection
1. What are the best ways to keep from stumbling into the darkness of sin?
2. How can prayer partners or soul friends help one another to stay in the light of God’s Word?
3. Whom will you encourage today to shine the light of Jesus into our dark and sinful world?
That those whose kindness of heart in other respects disposes them to acts of humanity, may not fail in their duty through the ingratitude of men, he exhorts them to discover a readiness to lay aside resentment. To give his exhortation the greater weight, he holds out the example of God, who has forgiven to us, through Christ, far more than any mortal man can forgive to his brethren. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Ephesians 4.31, 32
Pray Psalm 27.14.
Look ahead in prayer to the coming day. Where will you need the Lord’s strength? Call on Him to make His Presence known, to allow you to persevere in grace, and to abide in Him and His Word in all you do.
Sing Psalm 27.14.
(St. Denio: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise)
Wait, wait on the LORD; persevere in His grace.
Hold fast to His Word; seek His radiant face.
Be strong, set your heart to abide in His Word;
His grace He imparts; therefore, wait on the LORD.
T. M. and Susie MooreIf you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: In our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” we wrap-up our discussion of the Biblical teaching on justice. Our Read Moore podcast is working through The Gospel of the Kingdom, looking for the true Gospel of the Lord. The Crosfigell teaching letter continues our study of the life of Brigit, a contemporary of Brendan. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter
