Ephesians 4 is an important chapter for Christians.\u00a0 Within this chapter we are told to walk in a worthy manner that is becoming of a Christian, we are told that we are unified in our faith in Jesus, we see why God gave spiritual gifts,\u00a0 and God’s way for doing kingdom work among other things.\u00a0 Starting in verse 17 Paul contrasts our old way of life with the new life Christ has given us.\u00a0 In verses 17-32 Paul says that we should “put away” certain things while also saying we should “put on” other things.\u00a0 However, today I want to focus on the last four verses (vv .29-32).<\/p>\n
In verse 29 we are told to guard our speech.\u00a0 “Corrupt communication” here means worthless communication.\u00a0 Have you ever known someone who can talk a lot and yet say very little?\u00a0 Paul is specifically talking about communication that is not moral and not fitting for a Christian to say.\u00a0 But notice it goes past this.\u00a0 We are not to have worthless communication, but we are to have communication that builds people up (edifying) and we are to have communication that “may minister grace”, that is promote grace, unto the hearers.\u00a0 At the heart of what Paul is saying here is make sure that you make your communication count.\u00a0 It is ok to talk about other things that interest you (politics, weather, sports, etc), but make sure you have a point, in particular a spiritual point to your communication.\u00a0 Many people have commented to me that sports is a point of reference I use a lot.\u00a0 My explanation is that they are right, it is something I know, but I also see so many parallels between my faith in Jesus Christ and sports.\u00a0 Some pastors\/teachers use their kids, marriage, politics.\u00a0 Literally the list is endless.\u00a0 The point is not do you talk about these things, but do you allow God to use those things to point people back to Him?\u00a0 An example may help here.\u00a0 A memory I have of the Super Bowl is from 2000.\u00a0 It was the St. Louis Rams versus the Tennessee Titans.\u00a0 On the last play of the game a Titan player caught the ball, ran as hard as he could, looked like he was going to score a winning touchdown, but at the last second was tackled just short of the endzone.\u00a0 The game was over and the St. Louis Rams had won.\u00a0 How in the world can that be a spiritual principle?\u00a0 So many times we think if we just try a little harder we can be a better Christian, or that if we are a “good” person that God will let us into heaven.\u00a0 But try as hard as we want, on our own merit and efforts, we will never get into heaven.\u00a0 The interesting thing about the final play of that Super Bowl is this, if the player had gotten just one more block, he most likely scores.\u00a0 You see, we can’t get into heaven on our own, we need someone to block God’s justice from us by absorbing that blow of His wrath.\u00a0 That is what a blocker does, they put themselves in between the defender and the person with the ball.\u00a0 That is exactly what Jesus did for us.\u00a0 He put Himself in between us and God’s divine justice, by taking our sin and paying the price.\u00a0 Only because of what Jesus did can we get into heaven (the endzone).\u00a0 That is one reason Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, “But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”\u00a0 What we couldn’t do on our own, Jesus did on our behalf!<\/p>\n
Lord willing tomorrow we will look at verse 30.\u00a0 For today, let us concentrate on making sure our communication with people promotes the grace that can only be found in Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
By His grace and through His strength, may we live for Him!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ephesians 4 is an important chapter for Christians.\u00a0 Within this chapter we are told to walk in a worthy manner that is becoming of a Christian, we are told that we are unified in our faith in Jesus, we see … Read More