Follow God's Example

Ephesians 4:22-5:2, 8-10
Related Sunday School Lesson, Family Bible Series, Oct. 30

Bruce Wilkinson has written a great book entitled First Hand Faith. He gives the analogy that everybody is sitting in one of three spiritual chairs. Each chair represents a life lived in relation to God.

The first chair is the chair of a believer totally committed to Christ. The second is the chair of compromise where the believer tries to hold on to God and the world simultaneously. The third is the chair of conflict in which the person sits who knows not God, nor His works.

Using Israel as an example, he presents biblical reasons why people live lives represented by these chairs. He also presents biblical solutions to move everyone to the first chair. The believer who is following God's example occupies the first chair.

Acknowledge Your New Life (Eph. 4:22-24)

Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, seeks to keep the believer living the life of a first chair Christian. He does so by reminding them that they have a testimony of a former life, but that is not who they are now. The old self was always corrupt and was being further corrupted by deceitful lusts (v. 22).

Since the believer is no longer that person due to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in his life, he should take personal responsibility and put off the ways and influences of the old sinful man (v.22).

The idea communicated is that of stripping off of an old garment so that no remnant of the old remains. This is difficult for some who received so much pleasure from their sin. What needs to be remembered is that there is pleasure in sin, but it only lasts for a season.

Moving to a positive challenge, Paul says that believers should put on the new man. This is made possible by the renewing of the mind (v.23). Simply put, if you don't think right you won't do right.

This new person, or new man, has been created new by God for the purpose of living a righteous and holy life before Him. The foundational basis for living such a life is truth revealed in the Word of God (v. 24).

Implement Continuing Change (Eph. 4:25-31)

Because they have been created new in Christ, they have a responsibility to live in a manner that would honor His reputation. The commands in the following verses are very personal and practical and are addressed in the present tense. Five areas of sin, viewed as rags, that belong to the old man are addressed in these verses. The Christ follower is commanded to strip his life of these.

The first is lying. Someone once said, "Truth is your friend." The antithesis of this statement is that a lie is your enemy. Lying is a heathen vice that has no place in the body of Christ. God commands the believer to stop lying and speak the truth. There are no exceptions to this in the family of God (v.25)

Anger must also be held in check. He does not say that anger is wrong, but that we should not let anger lead us into sinful behavior. We must deal with anger today, or else we will give the devil a stronghold in our lives (vs. 26, 27).

Stealing in the life of the believer should be stopped and replaced with labor. Instead of taking things from others, the Christian should be giving things to others. A believer who is able to work ought to provide for his own needs rather than live at the expense of the hard work of others (v.28).

The use of foul communication is never acceptable to God. This communication can be profane, such as cursing or taking the Lord's name in vain, risqué and perverted jesting, or communication of a kind that degrades the reputation of others.

The goal of Christian communication is to build up the lives of others with gracious conversation, not tear them down with corrupt and sinful communication (v.29).

In summary, all these vices grieve the Holy Spirit and Paul commands the believer to stop doing them (v.30). All of these vices come out of a heart not right with God.

We should deal with the heart issues that lead to fleshly vices. If we do so, we will find ourselves treating others like Jesus has treated us (vs.31, 32).

Imitate the Compassionate Father (Eph. 5:1-2, 8-10)

Believers should regularly take personal inventory of themselves. Am I imitating God?

This is a question every Christian should ask himself, or better yet, ask God (v.1). Certainly, as His children, we should be following the model He has lived before us, especially if we want to be effective witnesses for Him.

There are two special areas in which we should imitate Him. The first is love communicated in self-sacrifice, and the second is moral purity that communicates self control (v.2, 3). Jesus certainly modeled both, and we should follow in His footsteps.

For us not to follow His model, when we have been delivered from a life of darkness, would communicate ungratefulness and without question dishonor God.

Since we are children of light, we should live in a way that indicates that the light of God is in us. We can make progress in following His model by pursuing a growing knowledge of what pleases Him (vs. 8-10).