Rules for the New Life September 8th, 2024
Gracious God, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit as we hear the Scriptures read and interpreted. May we hear what you are saying to the Church, your people, and help us find the courage to follow your will. Amen.
Perhaps a better title for today’s message would have been “Guidelines for a Christian Life”, rather than “Rules for a New Life”. Most of us have been followers of Christ for quite a bit of time now, so for us it is not a “New Life”, but a continuation of the life we have been living. But as followers of Jesus, we are constantly renewing ourselves to be faithful disciples of God.
That wasn’t the case for the members of the Ephesian church whom Paul was addressing, they had only recently come to faith out of a pagan background and so were in need of direction as to what living in the light of Christ entailed. In our text today, we find Paul imploring the church to be a safe harbour where people can find shelter and solace. He wanted them to understand that it is God’s desire for the church to be a truly safe place where anyone can come and be touched by the very presence of God, in the midst of the family of God.
Paul begins his instructions with these words, “So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbours, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil.” Now when Paul says, “let all of us speak the truth to our neighbours” he is quoting a verse from the Old Testament book of Zechariah which says, “These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another, render in your gates judgements that are true and make for peace, do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate, says the Lord.” (Zechariah 8:16-17)
We need to keep in mind that in Paul’s day the New Testament did not exist. God’s word could only be found in the Tanakh, being the Hebrew Bible, which we call the Old Testament. Paul, being a Pharisee, would have been deeply immersed in the Tanakh and would have no doubt committed to memory many sections of it.
Paul calls on us to speak the truth, and not to let whatever anger we experience linger and fester, because we belong to God and one another. We may not be able to avoid anger, and indeed there may be times when anger is not only understandable but also appropriate. And while speaking the truth is a basic principle of society, whether or not you are a Christian, what is more striking are Paul’s words, “Be angry but do not sin.” It sounds like he is giving us permission, and even instructs us, to be angry. And in some cases, he is right, there are many injustices in the world over which we should feel anger. So many situations where people are treated unfairly. There are times when not being angry would be wrong but as God’s people we’re instructed not to compound anger with sinning.
Paul himself expressed anger at certain times, especially when he saw the members of the church not following God’s word and behaving incorrectly. Here’s one example found in his letter to the church in Galatia, “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so much for nothing? — if it really was for nothing.” (Galatians 3:1-4)
And Jesus, when he was here on earth as a man, also expressed anger. When he entered the temple in Jerusalem and saw the money changers profiting from the people, he was so angry that he overturned their tables and said to them, “‘…It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer”; but you are making it a den of robbers.’” (Matthew 21:13)
And the disciple Mark tells this us about Jesus in his gospel, “Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come forward.’ Then he said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.” (Mark 3:1-5) So, even Jesus expressed his anger against injustice. Indeed, God may be slow to anger but this does not mean God is never angry. God gets upset when his people turn against his wishes, when they do not follow his way.
And yet we must be careful, Paul warns the Ephesians not to “let the sun go down on your anger”. He recognizes that anger can quickly become a problem. Instead of being upset over a thoughtless word or deed, we have a tendency to make it “personal” in a hurry. Once that happens, we tend to, as Paul says, “make room for the devil.” Therefore, we must always, “be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.” Paul reminds us of the need to let forgiveness have the last word.
Some of you may remember Rev. J. Donald McKay. When Darlene and I were preparing to be married, he told us to “not let the sun go down on your anger”, which came from this morning’s reading from Ephesians. It was the best and most valuable advice he gave us.
Paul continues on to say, as part of controlling our anger, “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.” With these words Paul wants the Ephesians community to cultivate an environment where everyone is treated with dignity, encouragement is freely given, and all dealings are grounded in a positive tone. He stresses the importance of using words that build others up and provide grace, avoiding harmful or destructive language.
And that rings true for us, as well. We need to be mindful of our words. Aim to encourage and uplift others rather than criticize or gossip. Compliment someone, offer constructive feedback, or simply listen and provide support when someone needs to talk. We want to use our words to uplift and support others rather than to harm or degrade. Constructive feedback, compliments, and positive reinforcement are examples of such speech. The Bible gives us all of God’s guidelines, we just need to follow them.
And Paul’s final instructions on how to live the New Life in Christ are: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
In this verse Paul emphasizes the importance of living in a way that honours the Holy Spirit. Here are some practical ways to apply this in your daily life. Live with integrity, being honest, kind, and compassionate in your interactions. Seek spiritual growth, engage in activities that nurture your spiritual life, such as prayer, meditation, reading scripture, and participating in community worship. These activities can serve as a foundation for a flourishing spiritual journey. Show love and forgiveness, pass on the love and forgiveness you have received by extending it to others. This can help build a supportive and loving community. Be mindful of your influence, recognize that your actions and words can impact others. Aim to be a positive influence, encouraging and uplifting those around you. By focusing on these principles, you can live in a way that honours the Holy Spirit and strengthens your faith.
This morning I’m going to let Paul have the final word on how to live the New Life. These are the instructions which he gave to the members of the church in Colossae, “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. … But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.
… As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:1-17)
Let us Pray:
Heavenly Father,
We come before you with a humble heart, seeking transformation through your grace. We long to become a new creation in Christ, leaving behind our old ways and embracing the new life you offer. Your Word promises that in Christ, all things are made new, and we earnestly desire this renewal in our lives.
Help us to walk in your light, guided by your wisdom and love. Strengthen our faith and fill us with your Holy Spirit, so that we may live a new life that reflects your glory. May our actions, thoughts, and words be pleasing to you, and may we grow closer to you each day. Lead us on this journey and help us to be a beacon of your love and grace to others. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.