Verses 20-24, give the contrast. “But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: (namely) your having put off according to the former conversation the old man which corrupts itself according to the deceitful lusts; and being renewed in the spirit of your mind; and (your) having put on the new man, which according to God is created in truthful righteousness and holiness” (JND). What a change now in the believer! The flesh is still unimproved in him, but now he is set free from its slavery, and he can walk according to the new life, and in the work that God ordained for him to walk (chapter 2:8-10). We have learned Christ, and the truth is in Jesus. He is the Truth. We find it only in Him. So we are to walk in His steps (1 Peter 2:21; 121For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: (1 Peter 2:21)
21Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. (1 Peter 1:21) John 2:66And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. (John 2:6)), and put on in our walk what is practically of Him (compare Col. 3:12, 1312Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (Colossians 3:12‑13)).
As we go on, we will find these contrasts between what is of the old man to be put off, and what is of the new to be put on practically, we having been quickened together with Christ.
Verse 25. “Wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.” We might notice here that the works of the flesh are always false in themselves. It is not merely saying what is not true, but it is also occupation with evil. We might speak of things that took place without a doubt, and still be occupied with evil. Speaking truth is the contrast here, and the truth is in Jesus; it is holiness of truth, and this would be helpful to all, for we are members one of another (see verse 16).
Verses 26-27. To understand these verses we need to contrast 26 with verse 31, for evidently the one is of the new man, and the other is of the old. In the one we are told to be angry, and in the other we are to put anger away. It helps us to look at the Lord Jesus in Mark 3:55And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. (Mark 3:5). He “looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts.” This was divine anger against man’s sin. So in verse 26 of our chapter we too are to “Be angry.” The sin in us would be, if we were not angry. So it reads “Be ye angry, and sin not.” It is not fleshly passion. We have heard of some in fleshly temper, when reproved for it, say, “It is righteous indignation.” What we have here is refusal to have fellowship with evil ways or evil doctrine. “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath,” is like Joshua who said, “Thou sun stand still, and thou moon in the valley of Ajalon, till the people be avenged of their enemies.” So we must be always opposed to what is evil; we must not cease being angry, in that way, for if we cease to be angry at sin, we are giving place to Satan, and it says distinctly, “Neither give place to the devil.” The contrast is between what is of God in verse 26, and what is of the flesh in verse 31. It could not mean, as some have thought, that two who had quarreled should make it up before sundown. In quarreling they were allowing the flesh a place, and sinning against the Lord, and disobeying verse 31.
Verse 28. Again, we have the contrast between the selfishness of man as fallen, and of God’s free giving as seen in Christ Jesus. Selfishness seeks to appropriate everything to his own gain. The saints are therefore warned not to steal any more, as they did before conversion, and were still in danger of doing it again, for covetousness is idolatry: it is all for self.
How different with the Lord Jesus who became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich; and God who delights to give, gave for us His only begotten Son, and with Him freely gives us all things (Rom. 8:3232He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)). This is to be the principle of our giving. Working with our hands is needful for us, all that is good for our families and necessary things, and then our privilege besides is, that we may have to give to him that needeth, but this also needs to be done with guidance from the Lord who is all wise to know when to give and when to withhold from giving, but the principle frees our motives from selfishness.
Verses 29, 30 are also, important; we need to take care what we say. If it is corrupt, as all of the flesh in us is, it is damaging to those who hear it; it hurts our own communion, and it grieves the Holy Spirit. “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” What carefulness we therefore should exercise in our talk, and in our walk, lest our fellowship be broken, though we know even as this verse reminds us, that He will never leave us. We are sealed unto the day of redemption, when our bodies will be changed or raised, and we will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, so to be forever with Him.
Verses 31-32. What a contrast is here. “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.” Thank God, we are no longer slaves of sin. We have the new creation life, and the Holy Spirit, and a new object and pattern. We are now children of obedience, so we can set aside all the foregoing, and now practice the following, “And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake (or God in Christ) hath forgiven you.”
How vast, how full, how free, His mercy has been in forgiving love! Let us follow His example in this also.
(Continued from page 155)