Ephesians 4:25-30 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be you angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needed. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption.
‘Putting away’ [Greek: apotithemi] the aorist participle has the sense of “having put away.” We have to be done with the noted sins to be Christians as commanded in Romans 6, 1Peter 2:21-23 and 1 John 3.
‘Lying’ [Greek: to pseudos] the lie. It is the lie that is put away. This has to do with putting away satan who is the father of the lie (John 8:44; 2Thess. 2:11). It was a common thing for the heathen teachers to declare that a lie is better than the truth when it is profitable and less hurtful. Having been brought up in such a loose system of morality, these converts needed this admonition. Part of this verse is quoted from Zechariah 8:16.
‘Angry’ [Greek: orgizo] to make angry, provoke to anger, irritate (4:26; Matt. 5:22; 18:34; 22:7; Luke 14:21; 15:28; Rev. 11:18; 12:17). The reference is to being provoked to sin by satan, but one must not yield to such provoking or give place to the devil (4:26-27). The words “anger” and “angry” are used 278 times in the Bible, but only 12 times in the New Testament The faculty to be angry is God-created and perfectly sinless in itself. The misuse of it and all other faculties is what God condemns. God, Himself has been angry many times because of sin (Num. 11:1, 10, 33; 12:9; 14:11; Ps. 7:11). One must have a cause if he is to be angry (Matt. 5:22; Rom. 1:18; Jas. 1:19). God never de-humanizes or uncreates one in sanctification. Anger is allowed by the gospel (Mark 3:5), but not sin because of it.
‘Corrupt’ [Greek: sapros] useless, putrid, obscene (Matt. 7:17-18; 12:33; 13:48; Luke 6:43).
‘Grieve not the holy Spirit of God.’ Grieve not by doing any of these forbidden things of Ephesians 4:17-5:18.
‘Sealed unto the day of redemption’ – Sealed: For security (Matt. 27:66; Rev. 20:3). To hide, as the contents of a letter (Rev. 10:4; 22:10; cp. Deut. 32:34). To confirm or approve by testimony (John 3:33; 6:27; Rom. 15:28). To confirm ownership (1:13; 4:30; 2Cor. 1:22; Rev. 7:3-8). The Holy Spirit of adoption is given to everyone who repents (1:13; 4:30; Rom. 8:9, 14-16; 2Cor. 1:22) and he who has this Spirit has God’s seal that he belongs to the heavenly family.
Living the Word 