7 and 7

We are nearing the end of Ephesians 4 (verses 25-32), where Paul lists 7 things that are central to living a Spirit-filled life ("the new self"), which he referenced in verses 20-24.

I'm going to use the New English Translation to present Ephesians 4:25-32, as well as Proverbs 6:16-19.  We are going to contrast these two passages today.  Let's start by looking at both of them.

25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26“In your anger do not sin”^d : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. 28Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

¹⁶ There are six things that the Lord hates,
even seven things that are an abomination to him:
¹⁷ haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that are swift to run to evil,
¹⁹ a false witness who pours out lies,
and a person who spreads discord among family members.

In the Proverbs passage, we see 7 things that the LORD considers an "abomination".

By contrast....

In the Ephesians passage, the opposite of some of those 7 are presented by Paul as being attributes of a Christ-filled life. 

Let's look at them in lists, side by side.

           Proverbs                                                                  Ephesians

Lying (Prov. 6:17,19)                                           Speak Truth (Eph. 4:25)

False Witness (Prov. 6:19)                                   Get Rid of Slander (Eph. 4:31)

Murdering (6:17)                                                 Handle Anger Righteously (4:26-27)

Haughtiness (6:17)                                             Work Hard; Don't Steal; Be Generous (4:28)

Scheming and Craving Wickedness (6:18)         Speak Wholesome Words that Heal (4:29)

Spreading Disunity/Discord (6:19)                     Practice Kindness, Compassion, Forgiveness  (4:32) 

                                                                             Avoid grieving the Holy Spirit (4:30)

So, when you compare these two lists, what jumps out at you?  Here are some things that are obvious to me.

1.  Lying is a "biggie" with God.  You may recall that Jesus called Satan "the Father of Lies" (John 8:44).  Lying (or slander, which is "lying to destroy someone's reputation") is mentioned TWICE in the "God hates" list!  Because he is a deceiver, Satan wants to make us believe that "little, white lies" do not matter.  Oh....but they do!  By contrast, Christians are commanded to control our words and to speak only words that are wholesome, that benefit others and that heal wounds.

2.  Anger and Murder are merely matters of differing degree.  Murder is anger, taken to an extreme.  Anger always precedes murder.  Christians are told to keep their anger short-lived and to not let Satan get his "toe in the door" of our lives, through our anger.

3.  Haughtiness has to do with thinking you are superior to someone else, that you deserve more, that you are a better person because of your circumstances.  Haughty people have a disdain for those who have more than they do; so, they think it's okay to steal what others have.  Haughty people are hard-hearted, selfish people, who would not stoop to help someone less fortunate.

4.  Instead of fostering disunity and spreading discord, we are to exhibit kindness and compassion, forgiving others for the ways they have hurt us.   Almost always, disunity and discord get whipped up because someone has had their feelings hurt.

5.  When we plot evil towards others and/or go lusting after wickedness or sin, this most assuredly grieves the Holy Spirit.  It is one thing to sin unintentionally.  But, when Christians embrace favorite sins or go running after evil, the Holy Spirit is "grieved". (In a related verse, 1 Thessalonians 5:19, the word is "quenched".)  The Holy Spirit is a Person, one of the three Persons in the Godhead, the Holy Trinity.  Only a person can be made sorrowful or can be grieved.  The Holy Spirit is often represented by a dove, (at Jesus' baptism) or as a flame of fire, (at Pentecost), which is most likely why Paul used the "quenched" reference in 1 Thessalonians.  Regardless, we refuse to follow His leading when we "act out" in a sinful manner.  All those heinous sins mentioned in Proverbs 6, and, in deed all sin, grieve the Holy Spirit who lives in the heart of every Christ-follower.

As you review today's content, does anything on the lists above prick your heart?  Is the Holy Spirit nudging you about one of these?  If so, go to Him in prayer today, in order to confess, repent and "make it right".

Father, you know which of these on the list are trouble-spots for me.  I'm so sorry for how I have grieved the Holy Spirit in these areas, and pray for strength to allow His full leading in my life today.  In Jesus' name, amen.

  

Church Snakes

I know that some of you are thinking this post will be about those sects of Protestantism that believe in actually handling live snakes.  But, you'd be mistaken.  This post is about snakes much more spiritually deadly.

At the end of Romans, his letter to a healthy church, Paul gives one last warning.

You know how it is in real life.  As you are leaving, you reiterate the most important points:
"Make sure you turn off the iron!"  (I never iron, but I did come home from class last night to find I had left the oven burner on, smh...)
"Get your chores done!"
"Be safe!"
"I love you!"

So, what does Paul say in his last words to the Roman church?
He tells them to watch out for the church snakes.

17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught;avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,[f] and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.

Romans 16:17-19

This is how snakes behave.  They see you, and immediately come up to you, extend a hand (as if they had hands!), and say, "Good to meet ya, Bro!"  HAHA, NO!  Snakes don't behave this way.  In fact, if you aren't watchful, you are upon one before you even know it, and it has bitten you on the leg.  They lie in wait, and if they perceive you to be a threat, they strike out.

The unbelieving world has this expectation (it fits their favorite narrative) that all people who go to a God-fearing, Bible-preaching church (or any other "Christian" church, for that matter) are actually Christians!  Not so.  Going to church does not make you a Christian any more than going to Burger King makes you a Whopper (paraphrased from Keith Green, among others). In most every church body, you have numerous true Christians - - the believe it and live like it.  There are also many CINOs in most every church (Christians in Name Only).  In addition, there is a "whole 'nuther" group of actual Christians, who are living in carnality, living according to the flesh, allowing themselves to be used by the Devil to carry out snake-ish maneuvers.

Here is a list of such slithery, wily ways.
They/They are:

• cause divisions (include gossipers, tale-bearers, and rumor-mongers here)
• create obstacles (thwarting the church's mission/programs, etc.)
• teach/promote false doctrine
• smooth, persuasive talkers 
• flatterers
• deceivers
• prey upon the "baby Christians" (the naive)
• evil

Keep in mind - - - Paul is not describing "the unchurched" or "the unbelieving world" or "the scoffers" here!  Frightening, isn't it?  It is to me.  Unfortunately, some of Satan's most potent tools are people who wear the garb of a Christian, then act anything but.  It's all part of the warfare, Y'all.

What should be our response to these folks in our midst?
First, as Paul admonishes us here, we should be watchful and wise in our assessment of others in the church.
So far, so good.  We can usually get this far.  After that, it breaks down.
Every situation is different, requiring discernment and a tailored approach.  But generally we really do a very poor job of getting to the root of the problem and getting it fixed.  Because of this, we see these results:

• church splits
• pastors being "run off"
• members leave ("the church dance" - - pirouetting from one church to another) 
• etc.

Ugly, Ugggggllleeee!  And, what does "the world" think then?  They think that our gospel is a bunch of hooey; that's what!

I tell you truly....if the Church would earnestly practice these next 3 verses, the world would be transformed.

31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:31-32

23So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 5:23-24

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.  

Matthew 18:15-17

Ok, so, that last one is a harsh remedy; but truly, it rarely ever gets to that last point, if we shed our pride and commit to doing the processes that come before it!

See, the obstacle to reconciliation and peace in the church is pride.  The "snakes" slither around and do what they do because they are puffed up with pride, and the faithful fail to address situations correctly, because even they are afflicted with it too.  Pride makes us "stuff things down" until an explosion is imminent.  And, when that explosion occurs, there are almost always unintended consequences.  Detritus and muck fly all over, soiling the guilty as well as the innocent..

Nobody ever said this life of walking by faith, practicing love, imitating Jesus Christ would be easy. Instead, we were promised that the very nature of the gospel would be divisive - - - to divide the believing from the unbelieving, not to divide the faithful from each other. (Matt. 10:35-38)
We serve a God of peace, not a god of discord.  This is why in Romans 16:20 Paul reminds them that the peace of God is the antidote to sinful pride and that His supernatural peace will crush Satan every single time we put it on as an offensive weapon. (Ephesians 6:15)

Lord God, I pray that Your people will march onward, pursing peace in their local church families, being ever watchful for divisions and prideful eruptions, so as to slay them with the love of Christ. Teach us how to practice forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration, Lord, in order to show the world what Your life-changing gospel can do!  In Jesus' name, amen.