Sunday
Morning Bible Study
June 25,
2006
Introduction
Back in Eph. 4:17-24, Paul talked about how we as believers need to learn
to “put off the old man” and “put on the new man”. We’ve seen how through
verses 25-32, Paul has been giving a clearer picture to what this means. Over
and over he contrasts the “old man” with the “new man”. We are to put off
lying, anger, stealing, and corrupt words. We are to put on truth, giving, and
words that build others up.
:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for
the day of redemption.
sealed – sphragizo –
to set a
seal upon, mark with a seal, to seal
Back in chapter 1 Paul wrote,
(Eph 1:13
NKJV) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of
your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy
Spirit of promise,
We talked back then that this was a work that happened when we opened our
heart and first trusted in Christ. The picture is that of putting a wax “seal”
on an object, and the Holy Spirit is the “seal” that God has put on our hearts
when we opened our heart to Jesus.
The “seal” was a picture of a completed transaction, that God has finished
paying for our sins. It was a picture of
ownership, that He’s left His mark on us.
It was a picture of security, everyone else keep their hands off. It was a picture of authenticity, that God’s
Spirit on your life is proof that you are the real thing, a real Christian.
The “seal” of the Holy Spirit on our lives is a wonderful thing – and Paul
reminds his readers that this seal will stay on their lives until the day that
Jesus comes back.
But some people think that this is all there is to being a Christian.
In reality, this relationship with the Holy Spirit is just beginning.
The Holy Spirit wants to develop a loving, caring, helping relationship
with you.
He wants to fill you, empower you, help you to follow Jesus. But when I
keep saying “no” to Him, He is grieved…
grieve – lupeo –
to make
sorrowful; cause grief, to make one uneasy
This
is one of the verses that hints that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal
force, but a person. You can’t “grieve” the wind. You grieve a person.
It
also shows that the Spirit isn’t just anyone, but a close friend. When you
start doing stupid things, it’s only the people who are close to you that care
enough to grieve.
How is the Holy Spirit grieved?
There is a very similar phrase found in the book of Isaiah:
(Isa 63:9-10 NKJV) In
all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved
them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and
carried them All the days of old. {10} But they
rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as
an enemy, And He fought against them.
This is talking about Israel
being led out of Egypt,
into the wilderness, and how the people rebelled in the wilderness.
The writer of Hebrews gives us a little more insight into this:
(Heb 3:7-10 NKJV) Therefore,
as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, {8} Do not
harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,
{9} Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years.
They saw God’s works.
{10} Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, 'They
always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.'
Even though they had seen God’s works, they didn’t know God’s ways.
As Christians, we also see God’s ways. We’ve seen His love at the cross. We’ve
seen His patience in our lives.
Looking at the things in our passage, we can see that God has also spoken
truth to us, given so much to us, spoken words that build us up in grace, and
He is kind, tenderhearted, and gracious.
But when our lives are filled with the “old man” instead, we cause sorrow
to the Holy Spirit.
:31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away
from you, with all malice.
Here’s some more about the “old man”.
bitterness – pikria –
a bitter
root, and so producing a bitter fruit; resentfulness, harshness; a long standing
resentment; letting something just continue to simmer inside, until it begins
to eat away at us.
Someone does something we
don’t like and we hold on to the resentment and it becomes bitterness.
Illustration
Pope visits Montana
On a
tour of Montana, the Pope took
a couple of days off to visit the mountains for some sightseeing. He was
cruising along the campground in the Pope-mobile when there was a frantic
commotion just at the edge of the woods. A helpless man, wearing sandals,
Hawaiian shorts, a save-the-whales tee shirt and a tree-hugger hat was
struggling frantically, thrashing around trying to free himself from the jaws
of a 10 foot grizzly. As the pope watched horrified, a group of loggers came
racing up. One ran up and quickly fired a 44 mag into the bear’s chest. The
other two reached out and pulled the bleeding semiconscious man from the bear.
Then using long clubs, the three loggers beat the bear to death and hauled it
to their truck. Immediately the Pope shouted and summoned them to come over. “I
give you my blessing for your brave actions!” he told them. “I heard that there
was bitter hatred between loggers and environmental activists. But now I have
seen with my own eyes that this is not true.” As the Pope drove off, one logger
asked his buddies “Who was that?” “It was the Pope,” one replied. “He is in
direct contact with God, and has access to all of God’s wisdom.” “Well,” the
logger said, “he may have access to God’s wisdom, but he sure doesn’t know anything
about bear hunting. By the way, is the bait holding up okay, or do we need to
go back and another one?”
wrath – thumos –
passion,
angry, heat, anger forthwith boiling up and soon subsiding again; outbursts of
anger like the flame that comes from dried weeds when a match has been lit to
them.
anger – orge –
temper,
indignation; settled feeling of anger
Earlier (4:26) Paul had said,
“Be angry and sin not”. There is the possibility that a person could be angry
correctly. But more often than not, man’s anger is wrong and dangerous. And
that’s why Paul says you’re better off just putting it away from you.
clamor – krauge –
a crying;
it’s the outcry of passion, the outward manifestation of anger in yelling or brawling.
evil speaking – blasphemia –
slander,
speech that hurts another’s good name
malice – kakia –
ill-will,
desire to injure; a vicious disposition
Some
have suggested there might even be a progression here: Bitterness leads to
explosions of anger, which leads to a slow settled anger, which leads to
brawling, slander, and a desire to injure the other person.
Lesson
Dealing with bitterness
Illustration
During World War II the U.S.
submarine Tang surfaced under the cover of darkness to fire upon a large
Japanese convoy off the coast of China.
Since previous raids had left the American vessel with only eight torpedoes,
the accuracy of every shot was absolutely essential. The first seven missiles
were right on target; but when the eighth was launched, it suddenly deviated
and headed right back at their own ship. The emergency alarm to submerge rang
out, but it was too late. Within a matter of seconds, the U.S.
sub received a direct hit and sank almost instantly.
This is what happens when we don’t resolve the anger and bitterness. We may
think that we’re looking to hurt the other person, but in reality it will
ALWAYS come back to hurt you.
Illustration
Dr. S. I. McMillen illustrates in a chapter entitled “The High Cost of
Getting Even,” from his book, None of
These Diseases, how physical maladies including ulcers, high blood
pressure, and strokes are connected to harboring resentment and hatred toward
others. He says, “It might be written on many thousands of death certificates
that the victim died of ‘grudgitis.’”
Illustration
You're watching a baseball game, your favorite team. We'll assume it's the
Angels. It's a close game. In the final minutes, the umpire makes a lousy call,
and the Angels lose. You're angry. To
make matters worse, they replay it ten times from five different angles. And
every time you see it replayed, the hair rises on the back of your neck. You
get angrier. In the post-game show, what clip do they show? That bad call. You
turn on the ten o'clock news. What do
they replay? Sports Illustrated comes in the mailbox. There's a cover story on
the game with a photo of this same lousy call.
-- Jim Nicodem,
"The Straight Scoop on Anger," Preaching Today, Tape No. 172.
That’s what happens when we don’t “put away” the bitterness and the
anger. We’re destined to “replay” it
over and over in our heads.
We need to learn to “put away” these things.
be put away – airo –
to bear
away what has been raised, carry off; to remove
Can you just “put it away”?
Have you ever been involved in an angry argument when the
phone rings, and you pick up the phone and are somehow able to answer sweetly,
“Hello?”?
Illustration
Those who say they will forgive but can't forget, bury the
hatchet, but they leave the handle out for immediate use.
Dwight Lyman Moody
(1837–1899)
Illustration
Dear Ann Landers:
I have a message for that 16-year-old boy who has a “21-year-old problem”—his
brother. My brother drowned three weeks
ago. One minute he was alive and full of
fun. The next minute he was gone,
forever. I never felt especially close
to my brother. We fought and didn’t
agree on many things. But now I realize
how much a part of my life he was. Sure,
he got on my nerves, and I’d tell him to bug off. But now I remember all the favors he did that
only a brother could. I’m just trying to
urge people to think about what their brothers and sisters mean to them and to
express their appreciation. I hope they
do it today because tomorrow may be too late.—Miss Him a Lot
Ann Landers, 8-24-92
Life is too short to waste any of it being bitter. Learn to put it away.
:32 And be kind to one another,
kind – chrestos – fit, fit for use, useful; virtuous, good;
manageable; mild, pleasant (as opp. to harsh, hard, sharp, bitter); kind,
benevolent
Lesson
Kindness
Perhaps a good working
definition of kindness is: “doing good
things for others”
Kindness is love in work
clothes.
We have an example to follow:
(Luke 6:35 NKJV) "But love
your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward
will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to
the unthankful and evil.
God does good
things for people who don’t deserve it.
(Rom 2:4 NKJV) Or do you
despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing
that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
God’s
kindness has an effect on us – it makes us turn around.
We have the Holy Spirit living
inside of us. And He is kind. Part of His work is to make us kind.
Illustration
John Barrier didn’t like the
way a bank manager in Spokane,
WA, looked at him—like he’d “crawled out
from under a rock” because of his dirty construction clothes. So Barrier, who just wanted a parking slip
validated, took his money and left -- $1 million at the time. It began when Barrier, 59, went to Old
National Bank to cash a $100 check. When
he tried to validate the slip to save 60 cents, a receptionist refused, saying
he hadn’t conducted a transaction. “She
said you have to make a deposit,” he says. “I told her I’m considered a substantial
depositor and she looked at me like... well.” He asked to see the manager, who also refused
to stamp the ticket. Barrier went to
bank headquarters vowing to withdraw his $2 million plus unless the manager
apologized. No call came. “So the next day I went over and the first
amount I took out was $1 million.” “But
if you have $100 in a bank or $1 million,” he says, “I think they owe you the
courtesy of stamping your parking ticket.”
-- Elisa
Tinsley, USA
Today
It pays to be kind.
Illustration
The sun makes ice melt;
kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.
Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965)
:32 tenderhearted,
tenderhearted – eusplagchnos (“good” + “bowels”) – having strong
bowels; compassionate, tender hearted; The bowels were regarded as the seat of
the passions, by the Hebrews as the seat of the more tender affections, esp.
kindness, benevolence, compassion; hence our heart (tender mercies, affections,
etc.).
Lesson
Compassion
There
is no greater example of compassion than Jesus.
(Mat 9:35-36 NKJV) Then Jesus went about
all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel
of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
{36} But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for
them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
Sometimes we can lose patience with people who are tired and unfocused.
When Jesus
heard that John the Baptist had been executed, He felt like He needed to get
away for awhile. But instead of getting
some time away, the crowds showed up looking for Him to heal people:
(Mat 14:14 NKJV) And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved
with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
He wasn’t ticked off at the people.
He was moved with compassion. He
even went on to feed five thousand as well.
We’ve
heard the story of the Good Samaritan. A man was robbed and beaten. Nobody else
would stop to help…
(Luke 10:33-34 NKJV) "But a certain
Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.
{34} "So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine;
and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
Being tender-hearted results in kindness, doing good things for others.
John
writes,
(1 John 3:17 NKJV) But whoever has this world's
goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does
the love of God abide in him?
In the
story of the Prodigal son, the son had totally abused his inheritance, but when
he came to his senses, he realized he was better off going home …
(Luke 15:20-24 NKJV) "And he arose
and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw
him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. {21}
"And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in
your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' {22} "But the
father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and
put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. {23} 'And bring the fatted calf
here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; {24} 'for this my son was dead
and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.
Are
you tenderhearted? Are you moved with
compassion towards people? Jesus is. If you lack compassion, there is someone who
can help you. He can teach you to be
compassionate.
:32 forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
forgiving … forgave – charizomai (“grace”) – to do something
pleasant or agreeable (to one); to show one’s self gracious, kind, benevolent;
to grant forgiveness; we might say “to grace” a person.
Lesson
Gracing
The different forms of the Greek word for grace are found 16 times in the
book of Ephesians. In fourteen of those
instances, it’s all about the grace that we have received from God. The only two exceptions are about how we are
to show grace to others:
(Eph 4:29
NKJV) Let no corrupt word proceed out of
your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
(Eph 4:32
NKJV) …forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
Again, our example in forgiving, in “gracing” is Jesus.
We must forgive because He has forgiven us.
(Mat 18:21-35 NKJV) Then
Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against
me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" {22} Jesus said to him, "I
do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. {23}
"Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to
settle accounts with his servants. {24} "And when he had begun to settle
accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. {25}
"But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with
his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. {26}
"The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have
patience with me, and I will pay you all.' {27} "Then the master of that
servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. {28} "But
that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a
hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying,
'Pay me what you owe!' {29} "So his fellow servant fell down at his feet
and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' {30}
"And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay
the debt. {31} "So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they
were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. {32}
"Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked
servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. {33} 'Should you
not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on
you?' {34} "And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers
until he should pay all that was due to him. {35} "So My heavenly Father
also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his
brother his trespasses."
It’s not that we must forgive because we have a gun to our
head. It’s that we ought to forgive
because of what He’s done for us. He’s
forgiven us so much, and our bitterness is so petty.
Illustration
“I’m pregnant.” After Cori, my 21-year-old, unwed daughter, said those
words, I went through all kinds of emotions. Yes, it would be embarrassing. I
wrote the book Sanctified Sex. I had criss-crossed the country telling
thousands of young adults like my daughter to “just say no.” Yes, it broke my
heart. I stayed awake many nights listening to my wife’s muffled sobs. I came
home many days to referee a family feud. Cori has always made it clear that she
likes the wilder side of life. She has always learned her lessons the hard way.
My wife, Roberta, and I have always wanted our home to be a place where
no-strings-attached love could grow. Throughout the crisis, I have asked God, “How
do I model sensitivity and strength when my family is falling apart?” God
replied with several questions: “Will you quit, Haman? Will you quit loving
your daughter? Will you quit investing in her life? Will you quit forgiving her
as you have been forgiven?” My answer continues to be: “No, I won’t quit, Lord.
With your help, my family will make it.”
-- Haman Cross, Jr., pastor of Rosedale Park Baptist Church in Detroit. Men of Integrity, Vol. 1, no. 1.