God’s purpose in a trial is maturity

DIGGING DEEP NO. 952 – September20th, 2022 TAKE OFF THE FILTHY CLOTHES Eph 4:25-32.

Lying – Ephe.4: 25. A lie is a statement that is contrary to fact, spoken with the intent to deceive. If I tell you, it is noon, and then discover that my watch is wrong, I did not tell a lie. But if I gave you the wrong time so you would be late for a meeting and I would benefit from it, that would be a lie. Satan is a liar Jh.8: 44. Whenever we speak the truth, the Spirit of God works, but whenever we tell a lie, Satan goes to work. The Christian life should be controlled by truth.

Anger – Ephe.4: 26- 27. Anger is an emotional arousal caused by something that displeases us. In itself, anger is not a sin, because even God can be angry Deut.9: 8, 20; Ps.2: 12. It is possible to be angry and not sin, but if we do sin, we must settle the matter quickly and not let the sun do down on our wrath Matt.5: 25. The fire of anger, if not quenched by loving forgiveness, will spread and defile and destroy the work of God. According to Jesus, anger is the first step toward murder Matt.5: 21- 26, because anger gives the devil a foothold in our lives, and Satan is a murderer Jh.8: 44. Both lying and anger give place to the devil Ephe.4: 27. Solomon has a good solution Prov.15: 1.

Stealing – Ephe.4: 28. Thou shall not steal is one of the ten commandments. Just as Satan is a liar and a murderer, he is also a thief Jh.10: 10. We should tell the truth because we are members of one another. We should control our anger lest we give place to the devil. We should work and not steal so that we might be able to give to him that is in need.

Corrupt speech – Ephe.4: 29. The mouth and heart are connected Matt.12: 34. We expect a change in speech when a person becomes a Christian. It is interesting to trace the word mouth through the book of Romans and see how Christ makes a difference in a man’s speech. The sinner’s mouth is full of cursing and bitterness Rom.3: 14, but when he trusts Christ, he gladly confesses with his mouth Jesus Christ is Lord Rom.10: 9- 10. As a condemned sinner, his mouth is stopped before the throne of God Rom.3: 19, but as a believer, his mouth is opened to praise God Rom.15: 6.  Change the heart and you change the speech. The remedy is to make sure the heart is full of blessings. So, fill the heart with the love of Christ so that only truth and purity can come out of the mouth Col.4: 6. And keep in mind that your words have power, either good or evil. We are to speak in such a way that will build up our hearers and not tear them down. Our words should minister grace and help to draw others closer to Christ.

Bitterness – Ephe.4: 30- 32. Bitterness refers to a settled hostility that poisons the whole inner man. Bitterness leads to wrath, which is the explosion on the outside of the feelings on the inside. An elderly man came to a pastor and asked if he could perform a wedding for him. The pastor suggested that he bring the bride to the office so that they might chat together and get better acquainted since he doesn’t marry strangers. The man said “Let me explain this wedding to you. Both of us have been married before to each other, over thirty years ago. We got into an argument and we separated. Then we did a stupid thing and got a divorce. Our bitterness has robbed us of the joys of life, and now we want to remarry and see if the LORD will give us a few years of happiness before we die. Bitterness and anger, usually over trivial things, make havoc of homes, churches, and friendships.

Reasons why we must avoid bitterness –

1. It grieves the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives within a born-again Christian; and when the heart is filled with bitterness and anger, the Spirit grieves. The Holy Spirit is happiest in an atmosphere of love, joy, and peace, for these are the fruit of the Spirit.

2. We cannot forgive people. An unforgiving spirit is the devil’s playground. If somebody hurts us, either deliberately or unintentionally, and we do not forgive him, then we begin to develop bitterness within, which hardens the heart. We should be tenderhearted and kind, but instead, we are hardhearted and bitter. Bitterness in the heart makes us treat others the way Satan treats them when we should treat others the way God has treated us. Learning how to forgive and forget is one of the secrets of a happy Christian life.

In Conclusion – We have been raised from the dead; So, why wear grave clothes?