25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And 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, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4: 25-32
Many people complain about the Bible being irrelevant with abstract theology or outdated principles. I’d say they haven’t read the whole Bible yet. It’s not hard to find clear instructions like today’s passage if we keep on reading the Bible. On the other hand, it’s very easy for us to read today’s passage as Do’s and don’ts. It really wasn’t Paul’s interest. He wrote these instructions so that we can “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” v.13. How can a new self do old things? How can someone guided by the Holy Spirit go back to the old path? Only by practicing these new behaviors do we mature in Christ.
When we draw near to God, we are meeting God face-to-face with truth and honesty. I encourage you to review these 5 areas mentioned in today’s passage and ask yourself whether your behaviors are suggesting you are a mature Christian or not.
These 5 areas are
1. Integrity
2. Anger
3. Stealing
4. Speech
5. Forgiveness
Prayer:
Dear Lord, help us to live a life that’s pleasing to you. Amen
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