Put Off Sin and Put On Righteousness

Put Off Sin And Put On Righteousness!

 

Ephesians 4:25-30

 

 

One of the most dangerous distortions of Christianity is to reduce what it means to be a Christian to being a good, moral person. Too often Christian material put out for children can do this: don't lie, be nice to people who treat you unkindly, be brave like David when he was facing Goliath.

 

The first 3 chapters of Ephesians lay a firm foundation for us that Christianity isn't a legalistic religion - not based on what we do, it's based entirely on what God has done through Jesus Christ to save us. We are not saved by being moral people (we are incapable of being truly good and moral by God's standards - we are sinners through and through), we can only be saved by grace and grace alone!

 

But while a Christian isn't saved by being moral, becoming a Christian does have moral and ethical implications for our lives. Unfortunately it's not rare to hear of churches that are riddled with sin and scandal and it is a sad testimony to a dying world that desperately needs to see the transforming, saving power of Jesus Christ at work in the church. Jesus didn't save us in our sin, he saved us from our sin - and that includes the day to day power that sin held over us.

 

Chapters 4-6 call us to live worthy of the calling we have received. God gives the power of the Spirit, but it also takes effort. This is an ongoing and life-long process, not a one time event.  Last week we saw that process includes putting off the old man of the sinful flesh and putting on the new man -the new creation that God has already made us in Christ. It's not enough to take off sin; we need to put on godly characteristics in its place.

 

Now in verses 25-32 Paul gives specific and practical examples of putting off and putting on.

 

I.                   Put off falsehood and put on truth vs. 25

 

Following Jesus means we put off falsehood - literally, "the lie" and speak the truth. The Christian is to put a high value on truth and speaking the truth. Proverbs 23:23 counsels us to Buy the truth, and sell it not... Truth is precious - don't sell it.

 

Like all sin, lying and deception promises a pay-off. If I pad my resume I'll have a better chance of getting that job. If I exaggerate the size of the fish I caught, my fishing buddies will be impressed (if I don't exaggerate, they're gonna mock me). A little child thinks "if I tell the truth, I'll get in trouble. If I lie, I can avoid getting into trouble."

 

When I was about 12 years old I remember one day drinking almost all the milk in the house in just a couple of minutes. I knew that when my dad got home and found the milk carton that had been full that morning, nearly empty (when he had told me time and again, drink water if you're thirsty), I'd be in trouble. So I got an idea: we had a box of powdered milk. If I mixed powdered milk with remaining real milk - he might not notice. If you have ever drunk powdered milk, you know that I was living on a different planet! I remember so clearly talking to my dad (trying to look casual) as he poured himself a glass of milk. I hoped he didn't notice those big chunks of powder falling into the glass. He drank a mouthful and then asked me, did I do something to the milk? "No." I lied.

I was hoping to stay out of trouble. Did I lie when I said no, or when I mixed powdered milk to deceive? Both. Deception is more than just saying something untrue. It's doing something with intent to deceive.

 

It is even possible to be false while technically telling the truth. Robert Thornton, a professor at Lehigh University, realized that in today's litigation-happy world, you can be sued for writing a negative job recommendation about someone who has used you as a job reference. To help the poor guy or gal who finds themselves in that dilemma he wrote a book full of "litigation-proof" phrases called the Lexicon of Intentionally Ambiguous Recommendations, or LIAR. Subtitled: Positive-sounding references for the person who can't manage their sock drawer. Here are some examples:

 

*To describe an inept person--"I enthusiastically recommend this candidate with no qualifications whatsoever."

 

*To describe an ex-employee who had problems getting along with fellow workers--"I am pleased to say that this candidate is a former colleague of mine."

 

*To describe an unproductive candidate--"I can assure you that no person would be better for the job."

 

*To describe an applicant not worth consideration--" I would urge you to waste no time in making this candidate an offer of employment."

 

*To describe a lazy co-worker: "You will be lucky to get him to work for you."

 

I enjoy Thornton's office humor, but it raises a more serious point: for the Christian it can never be enough to be "technically telling the truth". Clinton's answer might have satisfied attorneys but it could never satisfy the honest conscience and it couldn't satisfy God. We are to love the truth and seek to embrace it in our inner parts. Paul says in verse 21 that the truth is in Jesus and it is to be in us and growing as well. We are to be people of truth - putting away falsehood of even the most subtle kind.

 

Paul gives the reason: for we are members one of another. At first glance I didn't see the connection: how does our being members of one another relate to telling the truth?

 

First of all it's helpful to realize that Paul is quoting Zech. 8:16. Speaking to His covenant people Israel and expressing His love and commitment to care for and bless them. Then He calls upon them to protect their covenant unity in verse 16:

 

These are the things that you shall do: speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another; and love no false oath, for all these things I hate declares the Lord.

 

God loves His people and therefore He hates those things that divide and destroy His people. Falsehood and deception tear at the very heart of relationships because relationships are built on trust, and when a person lies they violate that trust. Now, as Christians we all sin in many ways, and if someone lies or misrepresents something, it's not as though all is lost - through confession and repentance there can be forgiveness and healing of the relationship, but if it's a pattern then trust is eroded and eventually destroyed.

So each day by the power of the Spirit and by our diligent effort we are to put away falsehood and speak the truth.

 

II.                Put on righteous anger and put off sinful anger (vs. 26)

 

Anger is an important subject and an issue almost every one of us needs to face. In a few verses Paul will say put away all anger, here he says to be angry and do no sin. Today we're going to consider the kind of anger Christians are allowed to have (even encouraged to have) and in two weeks we'll consider the subject of sinful anger and it's counterparts of bitterness, rage, malice and slander.

 

And do not sin...

 

Most of us know this passage - it's often quoted to newlyweds, especially the part about not letting the sun go down on your anger. That is very good advice. But we may not realize that Paul here is quoting Psalm 4:4 which speaks of enemies and calls upon God for protection.  The psalmist allows for anger but not personal vindication - instead he calls upon God to protect and vindicate him.

 

Anger in itself isn't a sinful emotion. God gets angry - even filled with wrath (terrible anger), yet God never sins. There is a time when anger is the only appropriate response - in fact it would be sin not to be angry. There isn't enough of this kind of anger in the Christian community. John Stott says,

 

I say that there is a great need in the contemporary world for more Christian anger. We human beings compromise with sin in a way in which God never does. In the face of blatant evil we should be indignant not tolerant, angry not apathetic. If God hates sin, his people should hate it too. If evil arouses his anger, it should arouse ours also.

 

There should be anger against injustice and oppression of the innocent. There should be anger against evil and sin. When the poor are exploited or a woman is raped or a child is abused it should make us very angry.

 

I read this week about a local man who poured scalding hot water on and burned his 16 month stepson, by his own confession, to "discipline" him. That should anger us. At the same time we should be filled with pity for that stepfather too - God's anger doesn't contradict His love and compassion for the wicked. We can pray that that young man repents of his sins and finds Christ, but what he did was wrong and we should not be afraid to experience and express righteous anger.

 

It is possible to be too passive. Spurgeon writes:

 

A vigorous temper is not altogether an evil. Men who are easy as an old shoe are generally of little worth.

 

We should get worked up about stuff sometimes. We should get angry sometimes. Christians should stand up when injustice is being done and say "this is wrong. It needs to stop."

 

The problem with our anger most of the time is that it isn't righteous anger - it doesn't burn over injustice or oppression or evil. It burns over injured pride. It burns over an agenda not followed by somebody else. It burns over a disagreement. It burns over a perceived slight. Burns over a sin committed against us personally.  If we aren't careful it burns with spite and malice.

So Paul warns us: evaluate your anger and watch for sin! Human anger is a hotbed for sin. Allow for anger but do not sin in your anger.

 

Don't let the sun go down on your anger. Good advice (especially for married couples). I have gone to bed with anger smoldering - only to wake up with this awful pit in my stomach.

 

We should not nurse our anger. We should not let anger burn incessantly, nor should we feed the flames of anger. When we can make peace we should do all that is in our power to make it. If we can't we still need to bring that anger to God and have His healing power cleanse us. Otherwise anger can be a foothold for the devil. Hearts are filled with rage or bitterness or malice - gives an opportunity for the devil to do great damage in our lives and in the lives of others.

 

III.             Put off stealing and put on honest, hard work and generosity (vs. 28)

 

The 8^th commandment is Thou Shall Not Steal and though it might seem obvious to us, there were no doubt new believers who really needed to hear this: put away stealing. Put on honest hard labor. Make your living honestly.

 

But this verse has a voice for all of us for here are many ways to steal. When we fudge on our income taxes, or we cheat on our expense accounts - there are many ways to steal. What if the cashier gives you back too much change - what do you do? Laziness can be a form of stealing. When we don't put in a full day's work but take a full day's wage we are stealing. It might be hard to prove, it might not even be noticed, but you know what? God sees. And so do you. You know you're stealing and your conscience sounds an alarm - listen to it!

 

In essence Paul is saying we should not take what doesn't belong to us, but rather as Christians we should have a strong work ethic - doing honest work for an honest days pay. If you are a Christian people shouldn't say they'd be lucky to get you to work for them.

 

But notice the transforming power of Christ on a life: once a thief - now honest worker, but more than that, working so that the thief can now give generously to others in need. Went from thief to benefactor, from taker to giver. Christ transforms our lives. Transforms the direction and flow of our lives. Once looked to take and grab and steal for your own consumption. Now look to give - in hard work and in generosity for those in need.

 

Conclusion:

I believe there is great power in this double-pronged truth: put off and put on. Putting off cleanses the life in preparation for the put on. When you get up in the morning, if you say, "Lord, help me not to be angry this morning" it's a good goal but you have no positive direction or goal. You've cleaned the house but you haven't filled it with anything. When you pray, "help me put off anger Lord, and put on kindness" now you have a positive direction and something for the grace of God to empower you to do.

 

Do you struggle with laziness? Don't ask God simply to remove laziness and help you work - ask Him to empower you to be the best and hardest and most conscientious worker in the place - for the glory of God!

 

Context might mean something different, but I believe it's a legitimate application of exhortation to "overcome evil with good."  This week, by the grace of almighty God, let's pick one area and let's seek to overcome some evil with good.