Calling
A Written compostion of the Heavenly Calling Network Study Group
Chapter
24
Verses 1 through 16 of Ephesians 4
are the positive instructions of a worthy walk. Walk worthy of the
vocation of the Calling where which you are Called. Positively. Now
verse 17 onwards it is put negatively. For God shows the other course.
We tell people what they should not do or what they should not be first
of all, and that is wrong. Lets tell them what they should be. Or lets
remind ourselves what God tells us what we should be. Then we can go to
the negative side. Now Paul say, I've told you. I've given you three
great unity's. The unity of the Spirit. The unity of the faith. The
unity of the body. Now I will tell you what not to be like.
Ephesians 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you
from now on walk not as other Gentiles ... You can omit the word other,
As Gentiles ...walk, in the vanity of their mind, ... Now he is looking
around at the pagan world that existed in his day. When ever a time was
needed for Salvation, that was a time for it. There was so much
darkness in the pagan world at that time. And it is sure that someone
today could say, oh how dark it is today.
There is was and is so much vanity and emptiness. Doesn't that word
vanity bring to mind an Old Testament book called Ecclesiastes with its
reoccurring phrases of vanity? All is vanity. Some might say, oh what a
pessimistic book that is being quoted there? Utterly pessimistic, but
not when you understand it. This is a commentary on human life apart
from Christ and God. And if you can really peal back the cover and get
to the fruit you will see exactly what it is. At the end, perhaps after
40, or 60, or even 80 years of living on this earth and there is no
touch with God or Christ. You go through it all. One generation passes
another. It goes pretty much through the same experiences and then it
all ends. And you say, so what? What is it all about?
Well says the scriptures, If there is no resurrection, if you are not
linked with the Saviour, and you no nothing of redemption it is utterly
empty. There is no point in it.
And you know there is many of a highly intelligent brains that have
never seen Christ. Knows nothing of salvation. But has come to that
conclusion apart from scriptures. It is just utterly absolutely
purposeless and empty. Oh how thankful we should be, we are who believe
in Christ. Because that is one thing that salvation has done. It has
given a purpose to life. We can see why now we have come on this
planet. Because we can see God's great plan that He is working out.
But, deny that, then the whole thing is senseless. It is meaningless.
It is vanity. It is vain. It is empty.
Those who are outside of Christ are walking in the vanity of their
minds. We should understand and have already seen that when sin came
into this world through our first parents the first tragic effect was
upon their mind. Not merely upon their body's. Not the outworking of
the external things. But in their thinking, in their brains. Their
capability of excepting the things of God. And consequently God has to
start afresh. And the first thing He does is when He saves is to work
upon the mind. That is where God starts. For repentance means a change
of mind and heart. And that He gives by the working of His Spirit. And
the renewing of the mind. We are going to have that stressed in this
section.
Be transformed, said Romans 12, by the renewing of your mind. And in
the verses that we are to come to. We are told that we should be
renewed in the spirit in our minds. And that is what God is doing. So
that our thinking, our appreciation, can be sufficient to get a grasp
of these things. We will never get it with out. That is why people who
are outside of Christ, who are not saved, can read the scriptures just
like you read it and they just don't understand a word of it. It means
nothing to them. Just because sin has darkened and they have no
understanding in spiritual things. They don't have spiritual
understanding. They can read the letter of scriptures but what it means
they have no clue. So lets thank God for this renewing of the mind.
That is what you once were, Pagans. That is the way you used to shape
your lives before you were saved. Don't walk like Gentiles.
Ephesians 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, ... That is what sin
has done. ... being alienated from the life of God ... Do you remember
the balance in chapter 2 of what we once were and what we are now. Paul
said you were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. This goes even
deeper. It was bad enough to be born in the world of Gentiles. And not
being one of the chosen race of Israel. Being Gentiles you were aliens
from Israel's commonwealth. And when they were in favor with God they
had all the blessings and the light. Everything. But to be alienated
from God's life is even worse. That is deeper. The life of God must be
immortality. And it means to say that sin has robbed us blind.
Alienated from a life of God though the ignorance that is in them. Look
at the words used. Darkening. Understanding. A vain mind. Ignorant.
This isn't very flattering to the natural mind is it.
When you think how the ordinary brain can be trained by education and
you think of how cute the human mind can be. That is to say in ordinary
human affairs.
You can find some men who have very brilliant brains. And have special
training and as far as worldly things are concerned. They are
brilliant. But we are not dealing with worldly things. We are dealing
with things of God. And the natural man, says the scripture, receiveths
not the things of the Spirit of God. No matter how cleaver he is. He
can't get to know them. Why, because they are spiritually a desert.
This is why a matter of cleverness or education or ability has nothing
over it. This is a matter of redemption, life in Christ. Life, which He
alone can give. And the truth fashioning our thinking and our minds.
Causing us to grow up and arrive at that unity and that goal which we
have seen as the spiritual adulthood.
Then verse 19, Who being past feeling have given themselves over to
lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you
have not so learned Christ; ... Now, look at what he says. You need to
think for a moment. ...21 If so be that you have heard him, and have
been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: ... The only place, as
far as scriptures are concerned, that you will find truth, is that
which is in Christ. Pilot asked a question, what is truth? It has all
been solved. It has all been made known centuries ago with the coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no truth apart from Him. "I am the
truth", He said. "Thy word is truth", the only thing that makes Him
known. These scriptures is called the word of God. And Paul says, if
you have heard Him, this is not a word of doubt.
Paul is not saying to himself, that I am not quite sure I have, have
you? This is the word "since". This is not the "if" of doubt. This is
the "if" of argument. Since you have heard Him, and have been taught by
Him, taught by Christ, the truth in Him.
This is the extraordinary fact. Paul said to these saints living at
Ephesis that they had heard Christ. That they been taught by Christ.
But how? When did they have Christ teach them? When did they hear
Christ's voice? You may say, oh they must of heard Him when He walked
the earth a bit. This could be true, but they didn't. Christ ministry
was wholly to the People of Israel. He did not go outside the land of
Palestine. And it is highly improbable that anyone living so far away,
at Ephesis in Greece, ever came and heard Christ speaking in the flesh.
Well then, what does Paul mean? He says, you people living at Ephesis,
you heard Christ speak. And you have been taught by Him. Don't you see
that there is only one way out. The truth that was given through this
man was not Paul's truth, it was the truth of Christ. That is what he
is saying. And those who received the ministry through this man knew
that they were having the ministry of Christ. Not the ministry of Paul.
That is why they never refer to it as Paul's opinion. And we shouldn't
either.
You might have read when Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, he commended
them. Paul said, you have received his ministry and the very word of
God which worked effectual in them that believe. Now, either they were
deceived and it wasn't the word of God, it was just Paul's ideas, or it
was. You can't have any mid position in this. There isn't the slightest
doubt that his man is just merely the channel, that's all. Paul says, I
am lest than the least of all saints. I am the chief of sinners if you
look at me personally. But I have been called, been given a revelation
from the ascended Christ. By special revelation He made known to me and
I am merely passing them on. Don't forget that he was inspired by the
Holy Spirit also. That is a guarantee that he was given the truth.
Inspired all this writing given by full inspiration as 2Timothy chapter
3:16 tells us. All scripture is given by inspiration of God.
In writing this very letter they were having the teaching of Christ. If
you could only get confessing Christians to see it like that. Oh how
they would go to these epistles and not say, well lets get Paul's
ideas, but let me sit at the feet of my Saviour and listen to His
voice. When the Lord walked the earth He spoke words, didn't He? And
some will say, surely those are the words of Christ. We even have them,
in some cases, red lettered for us. But did you know that He said that
they weren't HIS words? They were words of the Father. He said, I am
not given you my doctrine. The doctrine is not mine but His whom sent
Me. And the words in which I speak are not mine. They are His that sent
Me. And the "will" isn't mine but His that sent Me. Why, He was the
emptied one. He was a servant of God. So empty that He had no will, no
words of His own. They were the words of God the Father. If you want
the words of Christ you must come here. These are the words of Christ.
His own words. Given through the meeting of the Apostle Paul. If anyone
objects to that and says, well I'd rather have the words of Jesus well
then, a word here should be said, just a moment, how do get those words
of Jesus as you call them.
Oh, I get them from the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Oh, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Christ never wrote anything. So your
really reading what Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote.
So your really coming back to the same point. That it has come through
human instrumentality. Whether you read His recorded words in the four
gospels or whether you read what He spoke in His ascension through the
Apostle Paul, it is human any way. So your still facing this fact that
you don't ever hear Christ speak literally, or audibly. You can only
hear Him through a channel. And so if anyone objects of getting Him
through the Apostle Paul, then should understand that they should
object getting it through Matthew as much as they object getting it
through the Apostle Paul. Or Mark. Or Luke. Or John. This shouldn't be
any difficulty what soever. For God has made it perfectly clear that He
has picked and laid hold of these men and used them. And spoken through
them to us and has guaranteed to us that it is His truth by the full
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Men spake, as Peter said, as they were
born along by the Holy Spirit. They didn't speak of themselves. They
weren't giving their ideas or their own conceptions. It was God's.
So, being a small phrase is something very important. They had heard
Christ, though they have never seen Him in the flesh. And never heard
His literal voice. And they had been taught by Christ, although they
have never met Him. And so can we. That is the point. And if we sit as
His feet through the writings given through this man, we are having the
words of Christ. HE is teaching us. So with what reverence we should
approach this most wonderful part of God's word of truth.
Ephesians 4:22 That you put off concerning the former conversation ...
Which is 1611 Old English. Now we would say as the 1901 American
Standard Version says, ... that ye put away, as concerning your former
manner of life, ... Not just our manner in speaking. That you put off
the old way you lived. The Old man. That is the way you once walked.
... That you put off concerning the former conversation the old man,
which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; ... And here is the
point. ... 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that
you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and
true holiness. ... Now if you look at the verbal construction, in the
original Greek, the word "put of", in verse 22, and the word "put on",
in verse 24, is in the middle voice. Which means do it for your self.
This is something that you can do. But the words "be renewed" are
passive and we can not do anything with it. It is done for us. Do you
understand? The Holy Spirit renews our mind. You can not renew your own
mind. You might wish that you could. But you can't. That is His work.
He renews and transforms the mind. And as the result of it, you can
start to put off and to put on for your self.
You can put off the old way, with all its habits which is deceitful and
sinful, and you can put on the new man, this new life, this new
attitude of mind with all that is right. And it will be to Christ
glory. Is that clear? We must get these tense right, and these moods
right, which is grammar, but it is so very important isn't it. Yes, so
that we may get truth.
Be renewed in the spirit of you mind. That is done by the Holy Spirit.
So that you can put off and put on. These words "put off" and "put on"
are ordinary words in the Greek for "dressing". This is like when you
put on your clothes when you get up in the morning and you put them off
when you go to bed. We can even use this term in the English, for we
can say putting off a habit. There is the Old man, the old nature, it
is still there. Is it ruling? It will rule, unless we do the other
thing. Unless we do as Roman 6 says, reckon it dead. Knowing this, that
your old man was crucified with Christ. Well, count on it then. Believe
it.
And then, in its place, you put on this new nature, this new man. Which
is after God.
This reminds you of creation. He is talking about creation, for He is
creating. Think back to creation in the beginning. Was that first
creation, in Genesis 1, after God? Yes. "Let us make man in Our image."
"After Our likeness." So, Adam was made after God. Now here is a new
creation. We can be made after God. The first creation was spoiled
through sin. This second spiritual creation again has this thought of
likeness to Him. Ephesians 4:24 And that you put on the new man, which
after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Looking at the companion epistle, Colossians. Where you get a word
added that brings us back again to Genesis to the creation of Adam.
Chapter 3:9 lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old
man with his doings, ... This is the same context as Ephesians. 10 And
have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image
of him that created him: ... Ah, "Let us make man in Our image." God is
picking up the purpose that He had in Adam, which was spoiled through
satan and sin. Picking it up again so that it will not fail. This time,
instead of being a natural creation, it is a spiritual one. And
remember if you will, in Romans 8, that all the true seed is going to
be conformed to the image of His Son. That is the image of Christ.
What is that but what was just said in Colossians. "Let us make man
after Our image." "In our likeness."
So God is making a new creation. A new seed. This time a redeemed
company after His image. One you see and understand this you see that
it is very true that one day you must be, if you are redeemed, if you
belong to this calling, presented perfect. Holy. As holy as God is.
Either wise the whole plan has gone worse again and is spoiled. That is
why you just can stop and the work be true. You can not be saved to
day, and be lost tomorrow. Why? Because that brings us to hopelessness
of the plans of God. We might as well give it up altogether if that is
true. But no. This is what God is working to. He will make sure the
plan isn't spoiled. He has allowed the plan to be spoiled once. And we
may not understand the why's and what for's, but it has been spoiled
once through satan's fall and Adam's fall. You can be sure He will not
let that be spoiled again. This is the real thing.
Ephesians 4:25 Why putting away lying, ... Or "The LIE". This is
something deeper than just merely speaking lies. ... speak every man
truth with his neighbor: ... Why? Because ...we are members one of
another. ... There is a unity and what one does effects somebody else.
Ephesians 4:26 Be you angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on
your wrath: ... Here is a point that needs to be addressed.
Lets ask our self, is it possible to be angry and not to sin? Is it
possible to indulge in temper and yet not fall into sin? You say to
yourself, hmm, surely there is such a thing as righteous anger. Well,
there must be because scriptures talk about it. But the only one that
you can be sure that can be angered in righteousness is God. You read
of the anger of God. You read of the wrath of Christ. There can't be
any sin in that. That must be pure, if there is such a thing, pure
anger. Anger without any malice or spitefulness in it. That is the real
thing. But, can any, as an imperfect creature, ever indulge in anger of
righteousness, meaning not to sin?
So, hmm, where do we find the answer to this.
Ah, yes, you read just a bit further. Verse 31 Let all bitterness, and
wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you,
... Let all. If all anger is put away in practice, how much is left for
righteous anger? Can't be very much can it. This is something that need
to be carefully handled. We can say, I have a right to be angry because
this is righteous anger. And we think to our self and put it all right
in our mind. But can you be sure? It maybe that the English should read
as a question instead of a statement. It could be without effecting the
Greek at all. As much as to say, Can you be angry and not sin? And we
say, we can. Be careful.
4:26 ... let not the sun go down on your wrath: ... This is a word of
wisdom. Whether it can be indulged or not, or whether we have it
settled in our minds or not that it is right in the sight of God to
have anger or not, here is something that we have got to watch.
Here is the word of wisdom. Don't let the day go past before it is put
right. If only Christians have put this in to practice, all the trouble
that it would have saved in chapels and churches and in Christian
communities and even in homes. All this could have been put right if
when there has been disagreements, and exhibitions of temper, the whole
thing could have been straightened before the day is finished. If you
look around today and you see the awful condition in our divorce
courts, it would have saved a very many marriages. If husband and wives
had their differences settled before the day was out. What a wise God.
Don't let the sun go down on your wrath. Don't do it. This thing if it
get nourished just grows and grows. It can be a tiny thing to begin
with and yet if you keep it in your heart it will magnify and get worse
and worse the longer you keep it.
That is why God says nip it in the bud.
And if you don't, the next verse says you that your just giving satan
his chance. That is what he wants. Hoping Christians will do that.
Knowing quite well if we stay in the sight of the Lord then he has no
opportunity. And so, these things are serious.
Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: ... Could a member of
the body of Christ, who has arrived at such a state as Ephesians talks
about, the fullness of Him that fills all in all, could they steel?
Well, some of them were common thieves. So God hasn't picked the best
has He. No one can ever turn to Him in the day of glory and say, oh
Lord, you have picked the best. God is going to show that He often
picked the worse.
What a God of grace. And there is many ways of steeling, so we have to
watch it very carefully.
Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him
labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have
to give ... Not to have a big bank. But to distribute, to give away.
... to him that needs. ... That is quite a different out look isn't it.
It is not anymore, work to pay a tithe to give to the temple for God.
It is work to give to him that needs. You work hard not to accumulate
for yourself but so that you may have something to give to other people
in need. All these things are intensely practical.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,
... If you look at Colossians it says, Let your speech be with grace
seasoned with salt. That is parallel. We season our food with salt to
preserve it. Now he says, let your speech be like that. Let your speech
be a preservative. So Christians have two things in front of him when
he talks. His speech can not make neither the corruption worse or we
can arrest it and be like salt.
The Lord said to His disciples, your the salt of the earth. Your a
prevention of corruption. And that is where every Christian should be.
Both in word and in deed. ... but that which is good to the use of
edifying, ... Building Up. Constructive. ... that it may minister grace
to the hearers.
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby you are
sealed to the day of redemption. ... Chapter One tells us that the Holy
Spirit of God has sealed us, 1:13 In whom you also trusted, after that
you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also
after... Or when. ... that you believed, you were sealed with that holy
Spirit of promise, ... He has put His seal on the transaction showing
us that it is secure eternally. He has put the seal on it. Not any of
us has done it. It means to say that we are secure. Now it is don't
grieve Him. The Holy Spirit is not just a power. You can only grieve a
person.
Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor,
and evil speaking, ... The Greek is the word "blasphemy." That is a
terrible word isn't it. (blasphemia) ... be put away from you, with all
malice: 32 And be you kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. ... Have you
noticed this is exactly the opposite to the Lord's prayer? "Forgive us
as we forgive those who trespass against us." Many people use that
prayer. But they don't really understand what they are asking God to
do. Lord, forgive me only if I forgive somebody else.
That is what is being said.
Don't believe it? Look at Matthew, for the next verse says this, If ye
forgive not men their trespasses neither will my Heavenly Father
forgive your trespasses. That is plain enough then. Your saying, Only
forgive me if I forgive all those around me. Completely forgiving other
people. But Lord if I harbor one thought, just one, of unforgiving then
don't forgive me. Oh, but this is just the other way. It says, you
forgive because you have been forgiven. That is a very different thing.
If God has forgiven all your trespasses can't you do the same thing to
everybody else. Even though you might have a perfect excuse. He is
saying, what He has forgiven you, He has forgiven you all that day on
Calvary. Can't you forgive graciously. Forgive, because we have been
forgiven. Be followers of God. As the Greek says, Be imitators, as dear
children and walk in love.