Lesson 12

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Ephesians

September 21, 2015

Lesson 1

January 18, 2010

Lesson 2

January 18, 2010

RETURN TO THE SYLLABUS

EPHESIANS 4:17-32
Lesson #12
TAKING OFF THE GRAVE CLOTHES

• Memory verse: Eph 4:29 or Eph 4:32

• We talked about the Christian getting out of the graveyard in Eph 2:1-10. Now Paul will talk about taking off the grave clothes

• Read Eph 4:17-19 The Admonition
  • The believer is not to walk like the “old man”. In other words, the Christian is not to live like unsaved people. His life should show spiritual fruit.
    • Characteristics of the unsaved “old man” (17-19)
      • He has darkened understanding.
      • He is alienated from God through ignorance.
      • His heart is blind spiritually.
      • He is unable to sympathetically feel.
        • Because the non-believer has self at the center of his focus, he has no real feeling of empathy or sacrifice for other people.
        • While non-believers may seem to live good lives, their underlying motive is self.
      • He has given himself to lust, greed, and unclean living.
        • The word “lasciviousness” (19) means = to excite lust in the base animal desire of the flesh including sexual immorality and uncleanness.
        • The word greed is that which feeds man’s egocentric focus so that he does all he can to fulfill his own selfish desires.
    • Why will the Christian live differently from this?
      • The thinking of the non-believer is self-centered vanity (foolish). (Rom 1:22)
      • The non-believer has no high purpose. His purpose for life is darkened by sin because he is blinded by Satan. (2Cor 4:3-6)
      • The Christian is supposed to think differently. (17,23)

• The Christian is supposed to understand the truth about life. (18)
• The Christian has learned Christ (20) and His way.
• The characteristics of the saved “new man” who walks in the Spirit:

• The believer is born again in righteousness and holiness so that he has a new Spirit.
• The believer speaks truth because he is guided by the Spirit within.
• The believer does not sin when he is angry because he permits the Spirit to control him.
• The believer leaves no foothold for Satan because he can discern what is evil.
• The believer is honest because he can discern what is good.
• The believer gives to the needy because the Spirit moves him to love others.

• Read Eph 4:20-24 The Argument
  • The believer has come to know Christ.
    • It does not say “know about Christ”. Many people know “about” Christ but they do not “know” him. The Christian has a personal relationship with Christ and therefore, he “knows” Christ. The believer knows “about” Christ through the Word of God, but he “knows” Christ when the Word of God speaks to him personally.
    • The more you know the Word of God, the more you know about Christ.
    • The more you let the Word of God speak to your life and change you, the more you know Christ.
  • The removal of the grave clothes is a gradual process as you put on the new clothes of the Christian life. (22-24)

• The grave clothes come off when we allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds through the Word of God. (23)

• Physically we are what we eat.
• Spiritually we are what we think and the way we think is determined by the renewing of the mind through the Word of God. Therefore, we are spiritually what we eat spiritually.

• The grave clothes come off gradually as they are replaced by Christ’s righteousness becomes more and more a reality in our lives.
• This replacing of the grave clothes with Christ’s righteousness is what we call the process of becoming like Christ….Christian maturity.

• Read Eph 4:25-32 The Application of What Not To Do
  • Paul was always concerned with applying doctrine and truth of the Word of God to our lives.
  • Paul names 5 different sins to avoid:
    • =1= Lying (25)
      • A statement contrary to fact spoken with the intent to deceive.
      • The Christian will tell the truth among other believers because we belong to each other, and it will promote unity in the church. (15-16)
      • Lying was the first sin judged in the early church because it destroyed unity. (Acts 5:1-11)
    • =2= Anger (26-27)
      • An emotional arousal caused by something that displeases us.
      • Malice is buried anger that smolders.
      • Wrath is anger that suddenly bursts or explodes and destroys everything around it.
      • Anger itself is not a sin, for even God gets angry. (Num 25:4)

• It is a person’s response to anger that produces sin.
• Malice and wrath are sin.
• The believer will settle anger quickly so it will not destroy unity in the church by giving place to the devil. (Mat 5:25) (Mat 18:15) (Pro 15:1)

• =3= Stealing (28)
  • In the commandment “thou shall not steal” (Exo 20:15), God gave man the right of ownership of property.
  • Stealing was common among slaves in Paul’s day. Also, it was common in the Ephesian church. Instead of working, people were stealing.
  • They did not have a heart to give to other Christians, but a heart to steal from them. Paul wanted them to work so that they would have more to share with others.
  • Stealing, therefore, destroys unity in the church. What if I don’t steal from other Christians but from non-believers at work? God will not bless you materially because He knows you do not have an open hand that gives and receives.

• =4= Corrupt Speech (29)
  • The word “corrupt” means = rotten, worthless, or bad.
  • Because of the connection between the mouth and the heart, your speech reflects what is in your heart. (Mat 12:34)
  • The believer’s speech should always build people up and not tear them down.
  • Our speech should build faith in others.(Col 4:6) (Jam 3)
  • Corrupt speech destroys unity in the church.
• =5= Bitterness (30-32)
  • Bitterness is hostility that poisons the inner man.
  • Bitterness leads to anger and wrath.
  • Why is bitterness bad?
    • It grieves the Holy Spirit.
    • Both the Holy Spirit and bitterness live inside of a person. When one is ruling, the other can’t. It grieves Jesus, the Son of God, who died for us.
      • Bitterness grieves God, the Gather, who forgave us.

• Bitterness is Satan’s battleground which makes us treat other people the way Satan treats people.

• Bitterness is this treatment of others that destroys unity in the church.

• What is the result of doing away with these sins in your life? You will forgive others by the grace of God moving freely through your life.
• The reward of the Christian found in Jesus Christ:
  • He is “sealed” by the Holy Spirit. (30)
  • What does it mean to be “sealed”?
    • The seal is like the wax seal placed on a package in the days of Paul that contained the mark of destination.
    • The spiritual seal is the Holy Spirit that lives inside of the believer. He is the seal or guarantee that the believer will arrive at his eternal destiny.
    • Therefore, it is the presence of the Holy Spirit inside the believer that takes the believer to heaven to be with the Lord. It is not good works before salvation and it is not good works after salvation.
  • Paul says the believer is sealed until the day of redemption. (30)
    • What is the day of redemption?
    • The day of redemption began at the moment when the believer is “born again”: when he invites Jesus Christ into his heart and life.
    • The day of redemption ends when the believer is given a new body at the rapture of the church.
    • Therefore, this day of redemption is a long process of spiritual maturity becoming like Christ and ending in his eternal home.

HOMEWORK
EPHESIANS 5:1-17
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application for Eph 4:17-32
  • Which of the 5 sins to avoid, do you need to work on in your life?

• How will you do that?

• Preparation for Eph 5:1-17
  • Read Eph 5:1-17

• What are the characteristics of walking in love?

• What are the characteristics of walking in light?

Memory verse: Eph 5:2