Ephesians 4:25-27, 29-32
25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, and forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Footnotes from the Nelson Study Bible:
Verse 25: Quoting Zech. 8:16, Paul calls for believers speak the truth to each other because all believers are united in Christ. The Proverbs identify a lying tongue as one of the six things God despises (Prov 6:17).
Verse 26: Paul uses Ps. 4:4 to illustrate that not all wrath is sinful. However, sin should not be allowed to fester or continue for long (Mark 11:25). Christians should never be consumed by this anger. Instead they should seek opportunities to express Christ's love to everyone.
Verse 29: Standards of speech for Christians are extremely high: no corrupt word is permitted.
Verse 30: The Holy Spirit should never be pushed away, ignored or rejected. If we would remember that the One who lives in us is God's own Spirit, we would be much more selective about what we think, read, watch, say, and do. Note that Paul acknowledges that evil thoughts and actions are temptations even for those who are sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Independent Commentary:
The Bible does not say that anger is wrong. See Psalms 4:4, which reads, "Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah." Anger is a natural reaction, but allowing that anger to fester gives the opportunity for the enemy to infiltrate our hearts and minds, making a manageable circumstance seemingly unmanageable because carnality (worldliness) overwhelms Godliness. To avoid this, we should pray and seek God's wisdom immediately. If ever there's an opportunity to seek God's wisdom and instruction, it's when we're angry. Why? Because UN-squelched (squelch: to put down or silence) anger can cause us to say things we do not mean, to act in ways we would not ordinarily, and to think things we should not and would not ordinarily.
This is why the Bible instructs us to never push away, ignore or reject the Holy Spirit. We must welcome the Holy Spirit when we're angry because He will calm us, guide us to eventual loving, Godly conversation and resolution. Now would be a good time to say that when we pray and our anger is calmed, we still should wait on the God's answer regarding our words, our approach and our delivery of the message to our loved ones so that it is surely "what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."
And let's be real: the truth may not always be well-received, but is nonetheless, necessary and required for believers. That said, the manner in which we dispense the truth matters. Approach matters. Truth given with a bitter, angry or malicious tongue will not only not be well-received but can also be completely ignored. Using Godly wisdom and accompanying tactful respect gives the believer who delivers the message the credibility that is so needed in the Kingdom. In this way, we not only set the examples-- we are the examples of Christ-likeness. This credibility garnered because of the Godly wisdom and accompanying tactful respect increases the likelihood that whatever the message is, it will be received-- even if it stings at first.
If the message is delivered in a manner that is conducive to loving, Godly tone and Godly approach, the messenger's job is done. Of course we should continuously pray and trust God to reach the messenger in His own way and in His own time. In other words, we should not expect situations to always remedy themselves immediately. Sometimes, it takes time. We cannot get into the habit of insisting that someone receive a message because just as we were not forced to believe, no one should feel forced to receive our message. Aside from that, we're spiritual beings on a very human journey and with that comes the stubbornness, pride, guilt, etc. that can cause the humanness of us to war with the Holy Spirit that abides in us. But be not dismayed...the carnality that surrounds us is no match for the God IN us!!!
Finally, FORGIVE. Forgiveness is freeing. Don't stay tied up. Let loose some things so you can keep it pushing. Forgiveness is not contingent upon whether or not the person who merits forgiveness ever apologizes or ever makes an effort to correct or reconcile the situation. Forgive because it's the right thing to do. Forgive because it unties your hands. Forgive because at some point, God will impact that person's life in a way that truly convicts his/her spirit (in a way that gives them a conscience about their actions).
Besides, it's not about what we do...it's about what God can and does do, be it through us or all on His own. We are just vessels. HE's the captain of the ship. Let's just do what we're supposed to do and move out the way.
© 2007-2009
Posted By: Dee Gray
Sunday, March 8th 2009 at 6:48PM
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