Eph. 4:32
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
It has occurred to me that until I rid myself of the' put off' behaviors, the 'put on' behaviors will always be a struggle. Preceding verse 32, the passage tells me to put away lying and replace it with truth. Lying in itself is a fairly complex entity having been categorized into many different versions, going from white to totally black. But the verse does not excuse one type of lie over another. I am to put it away and speak only the truth!
The next area is anger. The command is to make the situation right before night time. Why? Smoldering anger throughout the night gives room for the devil to take charge of my thoughts and actions. But if I truly believe the word, then I must rest in the fact that vengeance is the Lord's. He will make the injustice right in His time. He doesn't need my help no matter how I feel about it. The problem is I think it should be done in my time. But His time is the right time!
Thievery is next. Certainly, Christians don't steal, but like lying there are many different types of stealing. Some of which have become acceptable in the mind of the stealer. But the word says, stealing should be replaced with hard work. If you want something work for it. Don't just take it!
The passage deals with speech as well. How do I talk or communicate to people? Paul says my speech should be good for building up, fitting to the occasion, and giving grace to all who hear. Without these 3 components, my speech would grieve the Holy Spirit of God. This is serious! The Holy Spirit is essential in living for Jesus. I must not grieve Him at all costs. Perhaps this area is one of the hardest because the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. To be victorious in this area I would need all the help I could get, especially the Spirit.
Finally, Paul comes to the conclusion in v. 32. Certainly if I am not lying, or angry, or stealing, or speaking in an ungodly manner, I can be kind to others, tenderhearted and forgiving. The positive virtues in a believer's life come after the fleshly ones have been defeated and chopped off. Sad to say, even after some victories, these fleshly behaviors are still lurking in the background waiting for the moment that they can grab a piece of me. The road to godly virtues must be one of constant vigilance, of watching and praying, and of relying on the grace and strength of God through the power of the Spirit and the Son. So the question to me is, iam I going to grieve the Spirit of God or allow Him to control my life and grow the virtues in my heart. I choose the latter!
Father,
I confess the times when the flesh tempts me to be angry and speak harsh words that lead to an unforgiving spirit. Open my eyes to these situation immediately so that I can deal with them, confessing and repenting. Fill me with Your power and grace. Teach me that Your grace is my sufficiency.
In the name and power of the Son,
Amen
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