Ephesians
“Why the Christian Life can be Unnecessarily Hard”
The thing about the passage before us today – is that, in one sense, it can be what gives Christianity a “bad name”.
Christianity is reduced to a series of “do’s” and “don’t’s”.
So – with the passage today and in verses 25-32, we have just that.
A list of injunctions of how to behave.
Now – obviously and without question – the Christian life does and must be marked by such a life.
The problem, and the reason why such lists can give Christianity a “bad name” is because disciples of Jesus make a basic mistake in their approach to them.
Let me explain.
The other day I was preparing for a presentation. I wrote a paragraph but was unsure how it “read”. So I sent it to someone for a second opinion.
Their response was that they had to read it several times before they truly understood it.
The way they finally came to understand it was to read it from finish to start; to read it backwards. One sentence at a time.
Then it made sense.
On this occasion – it was a helpful strategy.
How does this relate to our Ephesians passage?
People can instinctively read such passages from finish to start – but on this occasion this is an unhelpful strategy.
“Forgive as God has forgiven you in Christ.” (v 32)
“Be kind and tender-hearted to one another.” (v 32)
“Put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, wrangling, slander, malice.” (v 31)
“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.” (v 30)
“Let no evil talk come out of your mouth.” (v 29)
“Do not steal but do something honest and useful instead.” (v 28)
“Be angry – but don’t sin in it.” (v 26)
“Do not lie.” (v 25)
In and of themselves – all of these are salutary and wonderful actions to attend to.
But with Christians reading them “backwards”; giving them attention without any reference to what comes first is fatal.
And too hard.
And a road to discouragement and failure – and in the process – really offering nothing to the world except another burden.
And an impossible one at that.
To approach discipleship in this way is to have a fruit tree and instead of the fruit naturally and organically growing on it – for us to tie on fruit and try and pass it off as the real thing.
What is missing in all of this?
All of what Paul has written in this letter leading up to this point.
It is a feature of the epistles that they start with the vision, and celebration of what God as done in Christ – and then proceed to the ethics.
One leads to another.
The ethics are not a case of white-knuckling it.
They are fruit.
They are response to the empowerment and love of God.
They are a response to the reality of God.
To get to the ethics of Eph 4 – you come from all that Ephesians have talked about in the lead up to that.
Knowing the blessing you have in the spiritual realms in Christ; that having been dead in sin you are now raised in Him; that the dividing wall has been removed; that the church contains the glory and wisdom of God; that the church explodes in prayer in response and that God can do so much more than we ask or imagine; that He gifts the church with gifts of grace as we grow into maturity living a life worthy of our calling – a calling to the one hope.
And now – now we can talk about the specifics of life.
But first – one last summary…
Verses 17-24 speak about particularly the mind.
The effect and contrast of a life, a mind, thinking which is for God or not.
You have on the one had – minds without reference to God.
It is futile; hearts are hardened.
Life is marked by greed and abandonment to aspects of sensuality and impurity.
It is the stuff of Romans 1:18-32.
A gradual and definite spiralling into a lifestyle which is increasingly depraved and godless.
An increasing process of God removing His hand and giving people “over” to the lifestyle they pursue.
As C.S. Lewis put it:
“There are two types of people in the world; those who say to God ‘Thy will be done’ and those to whom God says ‘Alright then, have it your way’”.
Here in Eph 4:20-24, there is a corrective.
A reminder.
“That is not the way you learned Christ!” (v 20).
And it continues:
“For surely you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as truth is in Jesus. You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (vv 21-24).
All of this is not an occasion to view the rest of the world with a smug, judgemental spirit – but rather to look deep within ourselves and consider if there are the fruit emerging that is a result of renewal of our mind; being clothed with the new self; being created in the likeness of God.
That tension between the power of grace from God – and the hard work of making decisions day-to-day in response and because of that.
Sometimes it comes quickly and naturally.
Other times not so.
I remember the first thing that I noted upon my conversion to Christ – I stopped swearing.
Overnight. Literally.
Other habits took much more work. Such as manipulation.
So what to do here?
How do we put on the new self?
How do we not live with minds which are darkened?
We “read” correctly!
We stop reading backwards!
We come to the ethics part by taking in the Word of God prayerfully and seriously!!
And realise that it is an organic response to the work of the Spirit in our lives.
That we come to the lists of do’s and don’t’s from the rich seedbed of the preceding chapters of Ephesians.
Then – we are inspired, empowered, compelled to live lives worthy of the calling we have received.
Worthy of lives which are enlightened by God.
And then – and only then – are we in a position to embrace and live out the call of Eph 4:25-32.
Presented By: Rev G New