THE CONDUCT OF THE CHRISTIAN
(Suggested Reading: Ephesians 4-17 to 5:20)
Now we enter the practical part of the Ephesian letter. The practical part commences with the individual like the doctrinal part, but here the similarity ends. The doctrinal part tells us the privileged position of the Christian. There must, then, be a holy walk, so doctrine and practice agree. Before the Ephesians were converted they lived like other Gentiles "in the vanity of their mind" philosophical vaporings, emptiness, vacuum, nothingness. Pride of intellect went hand in hand with the most scandalous of lives. "Being darkened in understanding, estranged from the life of God by reason of the ignorance which is in them, by reason of the hardness of their hearts." The result was that they lost all sensitivity, gave themselves over to sensuality "so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more." The contrast between the opening and closing of the doctrinal part and the practical part is interesting. The doctrinal part commences with light 1:18, the will of God, holiness, and ends with love 4:16. The practical part commences with Gentile darkness, ignorance of God, unholiness, and ends with peace, love with faith and grace.
Nearly two thousand years have passed since Paul wrote the Ephesian letter, years in which society has been changed in every conceivable way. Looking backward, modern man concedes the intellect of the ancient Greeks, but remarks on the gap between their philosophically oriented society and his own materialistic one, which boasts advances in medicine, surface and air transportation, space travel, and other fruits of science and technology.
When closely scrutinized, however, the apparent progress over the ages is seen to be superficial, for man himself is unchanged. His understanding is darkened. Consequently there is the same cleavage today between the supposedly intelligent but really depraved man of the world and the enlightened Christian that there was in Paul's day. Now as then good and evil co-exist in the world, but evil tends to overwhelm the good. Swords and spears expressed the evil heart of man in Paul's time missiles with hydrogen warheads, bombers, submarines, not to speak of germ and chemical warfare, do the same thing today. Man's heart is hardened both to God and to his fellow man "am I my brother's keeper?" Gen. 4:99And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? (Genesis 4:9). Ignorant of God and His ways, abandoning the right feelings God put into the creature, they turn instead to moral degradation and debauchery. Then a shaft of light breaks through the dark clouds "but you have not thus learned the Christ, if you have heard Him, and been instructed in Him according as the truth is in Jesus.”
The Two Great Principles of Christian Walk
We will now consider the expression "the truth (as it) is in Jesus" which can be variously rendered "the truth is in Jesus" and "as truth is in Jesus." This expression is preceded by the second and last "if" in Ephesians. The first "if" was if they had heard about the Apostle's administration of the grace of God; the last "if" is if they had heard Christ and been instructed in Him. These two "ifs" are important, because Ephesian truth is unconditional and at first glance they appear to be exceptions to this principle. But this is not so. The Apostle has inserted the two "if" clauses in the text so the Ephesians would not complacently accept the truth without applying it. Had they really heard Christ and His Apostle is the question he is asking in the two "if" clauses. "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God" Rom. 10:1717So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17). "He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches" Rev. 3:2222He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (Revelation 3:22). Only those who apply the truth they heard have ears to hear the others have ears but are deaf.
So here "as truth is in Jesus" is in contrast to the Gentiles in whom was untruth. Their sins are listed in 4:17-20. Pilate stood before the Truth and asked "what is truth?" John 18:3838Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. (John 18:38) but walked away so as not to receive an answer. Such were the Gentiles. But the Ephesians had not learned Christ that way. The way they had heard Christ and been instructed in Him was that the old man was put off'-and the new man put on. How? Well, the old man Adam and his fallen race was ended by God's judgment of him at the cross. By faith they accepted God's judgment on that man the man of sin and shame so he was put off. But Christ, the new Man, who bore their judgment at the cross, has been raised from the dead by God Himself and they accept that too by faith. They are risen with Christ, the new Man. So He is put on. This explains the meaning of the expression "as truth is in Jesus" that by faith we accept God's verdict that our old man is put off and the new Man put on. "I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me" Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20).
Such is the doctrine. But it must be applied. Since my old man is ended at the cross and I am risen in the new Man I must not own the flesh in my life as a Christian. True it is there, for the carnal mind is enmity against God. There is another principle warring in my members, as Paul reminds us in Rom. 7:2323But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (Romans 7:23). But I do not recognize it much like a nation breaking diplomatic ties with an unfriendly nation. Christ has died for sin, so I consider myself as a man in Adam dead too. The life that is in me now is the life of the risen Christ. This is the life which is to be seen in me as I pass through this world. This life is, first of all, created in truthful righteousness and holiness intelligent as to the difference between good and evil as God Himself is for it is patterned after God. It is not like Adam in innocence who did not understand the difference between good and evil. We do but walk in the truth. Coming between the putting off v.22 and the putting on v.24 is the renewing of the mind v. 23 which is in the present tense, unlike the other two expressions. This is because the spirit of our mind must constantly be renewed by communion with God through prayer and reading of the Scriptures to reproduce the freshness of Christ in the life. The imprint of the eternal must be displayed in time.
The next consideration is the other great principle of Christian walk "and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you have been sealed for the day of redemption" v.30. Note the unique title the life of God 4:18 the new man after God 4:24 the forgiveness of God 4:32. "Sealed for the day of redemption" takes us back to Chapter 1 and the will of God. To grieve the Holy Spirit of God would be to tolerate the flesh in a body sealed with the Spirit a denial that we are dead with Christ and risen with Him. What God purposed in the new Man was the reproduction of God in man. His counsels with respect to this will only come to fruition when we are in His presence in glory "holy and blameless before Him in love" 1:4. But God is looking for the practical application of this now. The Apostle has brought into focus the two great principles of Christian life the having put off the old man and the having put on the new Man (this is done for us) and renewing the spirit of our mind and not grieving the Holy Spirit of God (this is our part what we must do). Note that Paul does not mention the earnest (pledge) of the Spirit, for that looks on to receiving our glorified bodies in the future. He speaks of sealing only. He is concerned with us walking as Christ walked in this world at the present time. The seal is the Holy Spirit Himself, who indwells the body of the Christian. If we grieve Him we lose power. But we are not to grieve Him.
Exhortations for a Christ-Like Walk
Following each of the two great principles of Christian walk just outlined come the exhortations in 4:2-29 and 4:31 to 5:6.
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Four exhortations concerning the old and the new man
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Seven Exhortations for a Holy Walk
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LET not the sun set upon your wrath 4:26
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LET the stealer steal no more but rather
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LET him toil 4:28
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LET no corrupt word go out of your mouth 4:29
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Three exhortations about not grieving the Holy Spirit
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LET all bitterness and heat of passion and wrath
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and clamor and injurious language be removed
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from you with all malice 4:31. But fornication
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and all uncleanness or unbridled lust,
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LET it not be even named among you 5:3
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LET no one deceive you with vain words 5:6
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There are seven exhortations grouped in four and three the common grouping of seven things in Scripture. The first group commences with an action “putting away" and then what is to be put away wrath and anger. These three elements are found in the second group also 4:31 tying the two groups together. What separates the two groups is that four are located after one of the great principles of Christian walk 4:22-24 and three after the other 4:30.
The first four exhortations In the first exhortation we are told "wherefore, having put off falsehood, speak truth every one with his neighbor, because we are members one of another" v.25. This having put off falsehood should be connected in our minds with "your having put off...the old man" v.22. Since the old man has been put off and the new man has been put on, falsehood must not be spoken by us. Truth should "speak truth every one with his neighbor because we are members one of another." This exhortation is founded on the fact that the new man speaks truth as the old man speaks falsehood. If Christians lie they err from the faith and deny their standing in Christ. Paul's exhortation to us is founded on the new position out of Adam and in Christ. This is the way God sees us. Continuing, Paul writes "be angry and do not sin, let not the sun set upon your wrath, neither give room for the devil." Righteous anger is permissible as when Christ expelled the money changers from the Temple area. But it is not to be carried over another day. To do so, however righteous the anger may have been in the beginning, would change the anger to hate in short we would have let it seethe. Then the devil would come to fan the embers, reminding us of how righteous our original anger was. We have opened a door to his victory over us because we failed to drop the matter the same day it occurred. Treasured up grudges lead to ill health a present governmental judgment of God. The Christian has no immunity from this because he has acted contrary to what God has told us to do here.
Next come two sets of injunctions with a common teaching bringing good out of evil always a divine principle. The hand of the robber stole v.28 let it work instead and become a giver to the needy. The tongue of man is ready to speak filthy words which is really robbing God, apart from the defilement, for man was made for God. Now like the robber, the tongue is to be a giver too, edifying and giving a message of grace.
The last three exhortations. The first four exhortations follow the truth that the old man has been put off and the new man put on; the last three follow the warning not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. The putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new man is viewed as an accomplished fact whereas not grieving the Holy Spirit of God is something we must be careful about. At the beginning of the first group it says "having put off falsehood" etc. (because the old man is put off) whereas at the beginning of the second group it says "let...be put away from you" that is, they must do it—it isn't done for them. This is the practical part, which concerns us we must not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. That is why the apostle's theme now changes. In the first four exhortations he had pointed out what conduct was suitable for men no longer in Adam but in Christ. In the last three exhortations our speech is paramount. The pattern of our speech is to be Christ, of whom it is written "My thought goes not beyond My word" Psa. 17:33Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. (Psalm 17:3). He was the perfect expression of the divine nature in man. Never did He grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Neither should we, Paul says. Striking this note he tells us what is pleasurable to the nature of the Holy Spirit of God and what is not. Because He is God He is love 1 John 4:88He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 John 4:8) and light 1 John 1:55This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5).
The first exhortation in the last group tells us what we are to put away, because it is offensive to the Holy Spirit of God bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking. Then Paul tells us what is pleasurable to the Holy Spirit of God "and be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake, has forgiven you. Be you therefore followers of God, as dear children, and walk in love as Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor" 4:31 to 5:2.
The second exhortation in the last group is "but fornication and all uncleanness or unbridled lust let it not be even named among you as it becomes saints; and filthiness and foolish talking, or jesting, which are not suitable, but rather thanksgiving." Then he follows this admonition with warnings that those who indulge in these sins can have no part in the inheritance he spoke of in Chapter 1. They are "the sons of disobedience" and the wrath of God is their portion. The Ephesians were therefore not to be fellow-partakers with them in time since they could never be fellow-partakers with them in eternity. But in what way could they be fellow-partakers with them in time, you ask. The answer is not in sharing their sins for Paul never had to rebuke the Ephesians about carnal sins as he did the Corinthians. The danger was in making the sins of those round about them a topic of gossip, or joking about them. The City of Ephesus boasted one of the finest open air theaters of the day, with excellent acoustics, talented actors and ample seating capacity. Even a casual acquaintance with the tastes of the Greeks would tell us what the attractions of this theater would be the unholy emotions Paul warns about here the very opposite of divine love. But unholiness in the body v.3 and unholiness in language v.4 are forbidden as topics of conversation among Christians or the center of their interests. Instead we are to use our tongue to give thanks. Giving of thanks is spoken of here and in v.20. Here we give thanks no doubt in prayer, praise, worship in v. 20 in song.
“No more the heirs of wrath
Thy sovereign love we see
And Father in confiding faith
We cast our souls on Thee.”
The last exhortation in the group is founded upon God being light. For this reason we are children of light. There are others who are of the darkness. This contrast between the light and the darkness goes on to the end in 5:20. The last exhortation commences "let no man deceive you with vain words for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." The Ephesians were once darkness too but are now light in the Lord. They are to walk now as children of light. We are partakers of the divine nature 2 Peter 1:44Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:4) which, as already pointed out, is light and love. Here we are exhorted to walk as children of light, as in the beginning of the chapter we were exhorted to walk in love (not as children of love). The distinction is that we can imitate divine love but never attain to it. The fountain of the water of life Rev. 21:66And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:6) is the Father's heart alone. But we are children of light. Verses 9-11 are parenthetical. Paul tells us what the fruit of the light is but not the unfruitful works of darkness. We can have no fellowship with them-they are to be reproved. Next we are told it is shameful even to speak of those things which they do secretly that is in the dark. This is another way of saying that they are not to be the topics of conversation among God's people, as in verse 3. "But all things having their true character exposed by the light are made manifest; for that which makes everything manifest is light.”
Different Ways of Looking at a Christian
In Ephesians the Christian is seen in three victorious and one failing posture.*2 As the epistle opens we are seated the position of sonship in heavenly places in Christ. Then in 5:1 we are walking and this is to be in love. The epistle closes with the standing position 6:14 wearing the whole armor of God in combat with Satan's forces. But if we do not abound in love the heart will not be established in holiness before God see 1 Thess. 3:12, 1312And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: 13To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:12‑13), and this will result in practical failure the sleeping posture. Eutychus in Acts 20:99And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. (Acts 20:9) is a figure of that. We can sleep even when sitting in heavenly places in Christ because that is our standing and we can't lose that. We may be so smug about our standing that we are actually snoring away on our heavenly seat. But we can't sleep and walk or sleep and stand that is, be of practical use to the Lord. Normally we sleep at night, not in the light of day. A superficial glance at a sleeping person suggests a resemblance to death. Life is there, though, as we would quickly discover if we shook the sleeper but he is inactive. So with the backsliding Christian the man who ignores Paul's exhortations. The sleeper is told to wake up "and arise up from among the dead and Christ shall shine upon you." He is surrounded by those morally dead as the Ephesians once were 2:1. He is told to wake up because he isn't dead but actually has become a companion of those who are spiritually dead contrary to Paul's two warnings 5:7; 5:11. He has life but needs to walk in the light. His tongue is stilled for God.
The next picture is the drunkard. The Lord tells us what this figure means in Matt. 24:48-4948But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; (Matthew 24:48‑49) "that evil servant...shall begin...to eat and drink with the drunken" (that is the world). The backslider is now a full fledged man of the world. His tongue speaks folly like a drunk man. Control lost, knowledge is submerged until he is sober.
The final picture is in contrast to all this not drunk with wine but filled with the Spirit "speaking to yourselves i.e. to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, then individually singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." "In your heart" speaks of an inner joy in contrast to the false levity which the wine of this world induces. Then follows outgoing thanksgiving "giving thanks always for all things to God and the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Thanksgiving closes off the subject of how we are to regulate our speech as dear children walking in love 5:4. "In everything give thanks" 1 Thess. 5:1818In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
The View From the Mountain Tops
Having made an inroad into the practical part of the Ephesian letter, let us climb to the mountain peaks, so to speak, and examine the vista spread before us the relationship of the first practical part the inlet to the whole to the overall doctrine of the Ephesian letter. This way the detailed study we have just completed can be better kept in perspective. We will know, in a broad sense, where we have been and where we are going or at least the general direction.
It helps us greatly, in the understanding of Ephesians, to revert to God's promise to Abraham that his seed should possess the Promised Land and to their warfare later with the inhabitants of that land to turn this promise into reality. In God's purposes the land was to be given to Abraham's seed, but in His ways He made them fight for it with carnal weapons.
Now while the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, we too must experience conflict in a promised land. Our Canaan is the glory. It is more than promised God sees us there already seated in heavenly places in Christ. This is the great thought in the doctrinal part of Ephesians. But in the practical part of Ephesians we must fight Satan's hosts, who do not want us there. Our actual warfare is on earth but we will see, as we come to the sixth chapter, that God views it as taking place in the heavens because the seat of Satan's power is there for the moment he is the prince of the power of the air. Ours is a spiritual warfare against Satan's hosts who, as universal lords of darkness pervade heaven and earth. Heaven and earth is our inheritance, which they would deny us, and heaven and earth is the battlefield. It is as though I am an artilleryman whose country is occupied by a foe and who is fighting them from the territory of an adjacent nation. I fire my salvoes from the territory of the nearby country but I direct the shells at the batteries of my enemies, who are in my country for it has become the seat of the enemy's power.
But how do you carry on spiritual warfare? The answer given in the practical part of Ephesians is to obey the orders of our Commanding Officer the Lord Jesus Christ. He is experienced in warfare with Satan. When Joshua was at Jericho, the entrance to the Promised Land, he met the Captain of the Lord's armies and Joshua is a type of Christ here. The Captain had a drawn sword in his hand. Christ has met Satan, our great enemy, in every kind of conflict, long before He called us to the battle. All the exhortations in the practical part of Ephesians then, are founded on our displaying Christ. There are two great lines in these exhortations to display Christ in our lives (which we have just considered in this chapter) and to display Christ in our earthly relationships (which we will consider in the next chapter). To Satan this is outright war fare, for he has ruled this world by sin, operating in the fallen flesh of man. To be victorious over Satan we must not only be in Christ the great thought of the doctrinal part but we must live Christ the great thought of the practical part.
This gives us the overview of Ephesians we need, just as a map guides a man in unfamiliar country. The doctrinal part of Ephesians is the equivalent of God's promise of the land to Abraham (except that what has been promised to us is universal rule with Christ); the practical part corresponds to the warfare of the book of Joshua (except that our warfare is spiritual not carnal consisting of the display of Christ in our lives in a world Satan has organized to oppose Him).