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BIBLE
STUDY LESSON
For
the week beginning Sunday June 14, 2020
LIVING
AS CHILDREN IN THE LIGHT
Ephesians
4:17-32
The Christian Church is the body of CHRIST, and GOD’s only
figurative representative, as a group of people, in all the world. The, members
of that body, are people who were once ungodly in their behavior, and were
hopelessly confused and void of any useful aim or goal. We were people whose
minds were full of darkness, and, we were far away from living the life that
GOD calls for us to live through HIS Word. At one time, we did not care about
right or wrong, and we had given ourselves over to immoral ways and desires. We
were people whose lives were once filled with greed and all kinds of impurities,
but now, our hearts belong wholly to GOD.
In Ephesians 4, verses 17-24, the Apostle
Paul makes an appeal to the new Believers at the Church at Ephesus to start
“living as children of the light”. Here in this passage Paul spells out some of
the characteristics of living as pagans, or unbelievers, with lifestyles that
are contrary to GOD.
Believers are taught the ways of CHRIST so
that they may be able to leave their old unacceptable lifestyles behind.
Children of GOD have to be able to cast off their old “sinful evil nature” in
order to re-capture “the nature of GOD” with which they were born, and most of
us lose, before we ever realize that we have it.
There has to be a “spiritual renewal of
thoughts and attitude”, or a “transformation of the heart” before we can
display the “nature of GOD” which we received when HE made us in HIS OWN
likeness, in the beginning. We must be righteous, holy, and true to our “GODly
nature”, that we get to uncover, because of what JESUS has done for us, through
HIS vicarious sacrifice.
In verses 25-32 Paul gives us a list of
things that we must absolutely rid ourselves of if we are to live as children
of the LIGHT:
·
“We
must put away all “falsehood”, that means both “spoken and unspoken lies”
(silently standing by letting someone believe something that is untrue),
dishonesty and deceit (v.25).
·
“Do
not sin by letting anger take control over you” (v.26a).
·
“Do
not let the sun go down while you are still angry”, because anger gives a
foothold to the devil” (v.26b-27).
·
“If
you are a thief, stop stealing”, Instead, start using your hands to give
generously to those in need (v.28).
·
“Do
not use foul or abusive language”. Let everything you say be good and
helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them
(v.29).
·
“Do
not grieve the HOLY SPIRIT by the way you live”. HE is the ONE WHO
identifies you as HIS OWN, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the “Day of
Redemption” (v.30).
Verse 31 represents a
“summation” or “recap”, as well as a “blanket statement” covering those things
that were not mentioned in verses 25-30. Here we see that we have to absolutely
“clean the house” of our former wicked ways if we are to live as children who
are walking in the light for all to see. Paul says we are to get rid of;
·
All
bitterness
·
All rage
(thymos)
·
All anger
(orge)
·
All harsh
words (krauge)
·
All
slander (blasphemia)
·
All
malicious behavior (kakia)
All these things must
be banished from the Christian life. We must shed these ungodly practices as if
they were an old garment no longer fit to wear, and no longer useful for where
we now reside.
We must, instead, be
kind to each other (v.32), by being “tenderhearted” (eusplanchnoi), “forgiving”
(charizomenoi) one another, just as GOD forgives us, because it grieves the
HOLY SPIRIT, offends JESUS, and hurts GOD whenever we are hostile towards each
other, instead of being kind to one another.
A
Sunday school lesson by,
Larry
D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
