After Paul exhorts believers to put off sin and put on the Lord Jesus Christ, he gives practical examples of what that means in the everyday areas of our lives.
In this study, Nathan gives a broad overview of Ephesians 4:25–32 and examines the “therefore” of how we practically apply the clothing of a Christian to our lives.
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Key Passage: Ephesians 4:25–32
Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. 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. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for building up what is needed, so that it will give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Instead, be kind to one another, tender-hearted, graciously forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has graciously forgiven you.– Ephesians 4:25–32
Therefore …
- Ephesians 4:25 – Therefore …
- If I am a new creation in Christ Jesus and have “learned Christ” … what now?
Allow Christ to “renew” every aspect of your life
- Ephesians 4:25–32 – Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. 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. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for building up what is needed, so that it will give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Instead, be kind to one another, tender-hearted, graciously forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has graciously forgiven you.
- Lay Aside – (apotithēmi) – stop oneself from being in a state or condition; to take off, lay aside, or put away
- Interesting it is used 8x in NT and every time but one has to do with throwing something negative/sinful off
- One time it denotes something physical: stoning of Stephen
A Series of Contrasts
- Put off lying (Ephesians 4:25)
- Put on truth
- Put off unrighteous anger (Ephesians 4:26–27)
- Put on righteous anger
- Put off stealing (Ephesians 4:28)
- Put on work
- Put off unwholesome/corrupt speech (Ephesians 4:29)
- Put on edifying language
- Put off everything that grieves the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30-32) – specifically: Ephesians 4:31 (AMP) – Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).
- Put on Christ-likeness – specifically: Ephesians 4:32 – be kind to one another, tender-hearted, graciously forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has graciously forgiven you.
- Put off sexual immorality or any impurity or greed (Ephesians 5:3)
- Put on purity
- Put off filthiness and foolish talk or coarse jesting (Ephesians 5:4)
- Put on thanksgiving
- Put off darkness (Ephesians 5:8–13)
- Put on light
- Put off foolishness (Ephesians 5:15–16)
- Put on wisdom
- Put off drunkenness and dissipation (Ephesians 5:18)
- Be filled with the Holy Spirit
Practical
- » Is Jesus merely an “add-on” to your life … or is He your life?
- Colossians 3:4a – When Christ, who is our life …
- » Has the life of Christ changed and transformed EVERY area of your life (actions, thoughts, motives, speech, desires, etc)?
- Colossians 1:18b – … so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
- Colossians 1:18b (ESV) – … that in everything He might be preeminent.
FOOTNOTES
Photo Credit: Kevin Carden
Join the Conversation
Question: Is Jesus merely an “add-on” to your life … or is He your life??
» Leave a response below the video on YouTube (click here) …
The difficulty with podcasts is that they are typically one-sided—so I encourage you to head over to the deeperChristian YouTube page and leave a comment on the video study to join in the conversation. And don’t forget to subscribe to the channel while you’re there!
In Our Next Study Together …
I invite you to join me on this journey from the book of Ephesians to discover God’s eternal purpose, His plan for your
- The focus of our next study: Ephesians 4:25–32
- We are going to continue discussing the idea of the major contrasts throughout Ephesians 4.
- I encourage you to read through Ephesians a couple of times this week and focus specifically on Ephesians 4.
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About NRJohnson
NRJohnson (Nathan Johnson) has an overwhelming passion for Jesus, the Gospel, and Studying God’s Word. He is a writer, teacher, and communicator who helps other believers understand and apply the Bible as they grow and mature in their faith—desiring that they gain greater intimacy with Christ, experience the victorious Christian life, and transform the world through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Read more about him here.
About the Ephesians Bible Study series
This Bible Study series in Ephesians is a Christ-centered practical in-depth verse-by-verse study of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Join Nathan Johnson as he expositionally preaches from this incredible book — which will help you grow in your faith, gain greater intimacy with Jesus, and understand how to study God’s Word.
