Welcome to another new year! One of the more
popular scripture passages welcoming us to a new beginning is Ephesians
4:22-32. This passage describes the
difference between the old life we lived prior to accepting Christ as our
Savior, in contrast with some of the changes we make as a result of following
the example Christ set before us. Although the passage contains eleven verses,
I have decided to include this text for you since it will be the foundation of
today’s blog entry.
Ephesians
4:22-32 (NIV) You were taught, with
regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being
corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your
minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness
and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully
to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not
sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the
devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work,
doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share
with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out
of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to
their needs that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy
Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of
all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of
malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as
in Christ God forgave you.
Occasionally when I study a passage of scripture, I
begin by jotting down some anecdotal notes on a slip of paper. Sometimes I look
up the definition of words—even well-known words—just to see if there is a new
angle or perspective to guide my understanding. This is the pattern I used for
studying today’s passage and I was quite humbled by what I found. Let’s begin
with a simple table of Old Self words in contrast with New Self words.
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Words used to describe our OLD SELF
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Words used to describe our NEW SELF
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deceitful desires
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new attitude
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falsehoods
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righteousness
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anger (used twice)
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holiness
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stealing
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truth
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unwholesome talk
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work
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do not grieve the Holy Spirit
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useful
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bitterness
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sharing
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rage
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helpful
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brawling
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building others up
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slander
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kind
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every form of malice
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compassionate
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forgiving
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As a former teacher, I know the value of visual
aids. Just looking through the above chart goes a long way to helping us get a
clearer picture of how our lives change once we are committed to following the
example of Christ. But this is a new year, and I want to take a new look—I want
to dig a little deeper.
Taking a cursory glance at the negative words used
to describe the Old Self might cause us to say something like: “I’m not
deceitful – I don’t steal – and maybe I get angry once in a while, but I don’t
rage or go around brawling.” I know you think these things, because I think
them, too. Or, at least I did. After taking a closer look at some of these
words I quickly see that I have room for improvement this year! Let me show you
some of the things I found.
deceitful desires: This isn’t just a matter of cheating, but it
includes other forms of dishonesty such as simply misleading others. Telling
“little white lies” are still lies, and still wrong.
falsehoods:
Yes, the focus might well be telling lies. But guess what, it also
includes any lack of accuracy. This includes repeating interesting information
about someone when you haven’t checked the facts or when you’re not sure if
it’s true.
anger:
We probably most often associate this word with hatred or extreme
dislike. But anger also includes any strong feelings of displeasure. Is it okay
for Christians to be angry? Sure! We are called to always be angered by sin—but
not the sinner. Christ is our example of how to love others, even when we are
strongly displeased and angered with their wrongful actions.
stealing:
We teach our children that it is wrong to take something that does not
belong to them. We teach them stealing is taking something dishonestly or in a
secretive manner. We don’t steal. Do we? What about stealing someone else’s
time or resources by getting them to do what we should have done?
unwholesome talk: This one is straight-forward.
It includes anything harmful to either one’s body or mind. Essentially, it
includes all forms of negativity in our speech. But here is some new
information. It doesn’t just apply toward others; it also applies to yourself.
Stop putting yourself down!
do not grieve the Holy Spirit: When we
grieve, it is usually because of the deep sorrow we feel when we lose someone
dear to us. But what does it mean to “not grieve” the Holy Spirit? If I’m the
one causing grief, I burden someone or cause them sadness. Therefore, I must
ask myself, “Do my actions burden or cause sadness?” I suppose to put it more
bluntly, “Am I always making messes that the Holy Spirit will have to follow
behind me and clean up?”
bitterness: Once we let anger get the best
of us; from there, it is a short hop to feeling sharp and disagreeable with
others. Bitterness is basically a failure to let go. It’s hanging on to old
feelings.
rage: The most common definition of rage is
having strong, uncontrolled anger. But it can also include blurting out in
haste. The old adage to “think before you speak” can be a great deterrent to
rage.
brawling: Honestly, I always figured I was
safe with this one because it had to do with people who spend too much time in
bars. Guess again. Brawling includes all forms of quarreling, arguing, or loud
bickering.
slander: Yes, slander is spreading a
falsehood that harms someone’s reputation. But for the Christian, it also
includes not coming to the defense of others whom we know are being slandered.
When you hear someone speak ill of another person (and you know the truth),
what course of action do you take?
every form of malice: Perhaps this is the
“catch all” because it includes any action of ill will or spiteful intent. This
includes anything from hurting or frustrating others, carrying a grudge, being
rude, or acting in an impolite or discourteous manner.
The great news is that these negative words now
become the things which no longer have control of our lives. Now we have a new
list of words upon which to focus our lives. And to be honest, when we focus on
the next list—we will find much less time to be involved in the old list. To
me, this is the most encouraging news to improve the new me in the new year!
Let’s take a closer look together!
new attitude: I now have a new focus for my
mental state and mood—I can focus on following the examples of Christ; studying
new passages of scripture and applying them; and at any moment I can pray for
guidance and help along the way.
righteousness: My focus is on the things
that are upright and just. I once heard a camp counselor explain that
righteousness is “being in right-standing with God.”
holiness: To me, only God is truly the Holy
One. But my calling to holiness is being set apart from the worldly point of
view and striving to be dedicated to following God’s will for my life.
truth: To be truthful is to be honest.
However; there seems to be more. It is also taking the time to follow
established or verified facts. There is no “fence-sitting” or
“straddling-the-fence” with this one.
work: When I take a closer look at this word,
it isn’t just a matter of doing something that requires bodily or mental
effort. It’s doing something worthwhile that produces results. It’s not giving
up. And it is closely tied to the next word.
useful: This is something purposeful and
serviceable. The range of activities included are almost limitless and
seemingly only hindered by lack of imagination. Baking a pie or taking a
casserole to someone in need is a useful activity. Praying for others is a
useful activity. Helping a child tie a shoe is a useful activity. Studying
God’s word and putting it into practice is a useful activity!
sharing: I always thought I knew what this
meant. I always thought sharing was dividing things into equal parts. Well,
yes—but that is only part of what it means. Sharing is also joint
participation. In other words, it isn’t just simply giving away free stuff—it
includes working along beside someone to guide or help them. It includes
sharing of intangible things like time, encouragement, and God’s love.
helpful: I am helpful any time that I make
it easier for someone else to accomplish or achieve something.
building others up: Regarding my words; do
my words in any way improve the lives of others?
kind: Some great synonyms for the word kind
include sympathetic, friendly, gentle, benevolent, generous, and cordial. To
me, it’s just plain and simply being NICE!
compassionate: Perhaps this word reaches a
little deeper for most people. We show compassion when we are inwardly
sorrowful for the sufferings or troubles of someone else. How we handle
compassion may vary dependent upon our abilities. Some may show compassion by physically
lending aid. Others may show compassion by spending quality or undisturbed time
in prayer for that individual. Christ did both. It depended on what the
situation required, and we are called to follow his example.
forgiving: To forgive is to overlook or
cancel a grievance. To truly forgive someone is to give up the desire to punish
in any way. In other words, forgetting is also a part of forgiveness. When you
think about it, and when you follow the example of Christ—He didn’t just
forgive our sins and then secretly promise to “get even” with us some day. The
Bible says forgiveness is the “blotting out” of our sins and they are
remembered no more. This is the way in which we are to forgive others.
Isaiah
44:25 (NIV) I, even I, am he who
blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no
more.
Yes, another new year has arrived. My prayer for
you is that 2020 will bring you peace and the blessings of a NEW LIFE in Christ
Jesus. The old things are gone; let them go. Focus on your New Life.
Respectfully written and submitted by:
Dotty Willmon, Resurrection Christian—looking
forward to the Blessed Hope of Christ’s return!
