Ephesians 4:25-5:2
25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 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. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma—Ephesians 4:25-5:2
In last week’s lesson, Paul urged us to reject the futility, or meaninglessness of our old way of thinking by renewing our minds. This is our active participation in the process of becoming more Christlike. Today, we see how renewal actually works. It begins with our mindset, which turns into actions, resulting in consequences or outcomes.
The mindset of a lost mind is futile, leading to impure actions, followed by the consequence of being excluded from the life of God.
For example, lies are a result of selfish thinking, resulting in an outcome of suspicion when trust is broken down. The Bible calls this the” old man,” which we are to “put off.” In this world, there is always a deficit.
Alternatively, a Christlike mindset aligns our thinking with His. When we focus on loving God and others, we see ourselves in the context of the body of Christ. We are members of one another, so we lay aside falsehood and speak the truth, establishing trust and building each other up. In this world, there is always a surplus.
The problems, we learned, occur when “life happens” and we react sinfully. It is always tempting to fall back into futile thinking because it feeds our old selfish ways. We renew our minds by living out God’s word and “putting on” the new man. This is nourishing to our soul, but it must be done constantly because we will never be free of selfish temptations in this world.
In last week’s lesson, Paul urged us to reject the futility, or meaninglessness of our old way of thinking by renewing our minds. This is our active participation in the process of becoming more Christlike. Today, we see how renewal actually works. It begins with our mindset, which turns into actions, resulting in consequences or outcomes.
The mindset of a lost mind is futile, leading to impure actions, followed by the consequence of being excluded from the life of God.
For example, lies are a result of selfish thinking, resulting in an outcome of suspicion when trust is broken down. The Bible calls this the” old man,” which we are to “put off.” In this world, there is always a deficit.
Alternatively, a Christlike mindset aligns our thinking with His. When we focus on loving God and others, we see ourselves in the context of the body of Christ. We are members of one another, so we lay aside falsehood and speak the truth, establishing trust and building each other up. In this world, there is always a surplus.
The problems, we learned, occur when “life happens” and we react sinfully. It is always tempting to fall back into futile thinking because it feeds our old selfish ways. We renew our minds by living out God’s word and “putting on” the new man. This is nourishing to our soul, but it must be done constantly because we will never be free of selfish temptations in this world.
Discussion Questions
- Speaking Truth in Love: The definition of lying given by Paul Cater is “Stating as fact what you know to be false, making a promise you don’t intend to keep, or intentionally misleading or exaggerating.” Ephesians 4:25 emphasizes “speaking truth each one of you with his neighbor.” Is there a difference between speaking truth and speaking the truth? How can honesty be hurtful? How does truth always build up another person?
- Lying and Deception: Verse 25 condemns falsehood. How can we identify areas where we might be tempted to lie, even subtly?
- Anger Management: Robert Jones said, “Anger is our whole-personed active response of negative moral judgment against perceived evil.” Verse 26 instructs us not to let anger lead to sin. How does our mindset make a difference here? How do you deal with this daily?
- Stealing: Colin Smith said, “Stealing is trying to get as much as possible while giving as little as possible.” Based on that, are you a thief? How so?
- Communication: We learned today that an “unwholesome word” (verse 29) tears down rather than, as the verse says, “is good for edification according to the need of the moment.” Looking back over the past week. What are some examples of ways you said the wrong thing? How about the right thing?
- Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Verse 32 encourages us to “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.” How can we cultivate a forgiving spirit and practice reconciliation within our relationships? Why is kindness key?
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