New Clothes Designed by God for US

Nor Hacovsdnyr @yvova/ Asdov/o3 go.me

(God's Magnificent Work through Christ)

Ephesians 4:25-32

Paul wrote to the Ephesians asking them to take the old clothes off and wear the new ones (last week’s sermon).

While I was thinking about the clothes, I realized that indeed clothes put us in different moods. If I wear jogging or sport clothes, I feel I am different person; I am in the mood of burning calories. However, if I wear my suite and tie and attend a formal banquet, or a wedding, I am experiencing a different joyful occasion. A Hawaiian shirt shorts gives me the pleasure of recreation.

But let us be careful with the clothing that God gives us. God gives us clothing which is permanent, not occasional and seasonal.

I should remind you that we cannot understand Ephesians 4-6 without reading chapters 1-3. The foundation of the “new clothes”, the new ethical life, is laid in chapters 1-3.

Do you remember what Paul’s prayer in chapter 3 was? “Pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (vs. 3:16-17).

In one word, allow God’s Spirit to dwell in you permanently. The word Paul uses for “dwell” is katoikeo. It means permanently dwell, not from season to season, or from crisis to crisis.

The clothes God will give us are not just to change the way we look from the outside; God wants to change our hearts and our inner beings.

Let me present you the new pieces of clothing Paul describes in the following verses:

Clothes of Truthfulness, Clothes of Controlled Emotions, Clothes of Work, Clothes of Edifying Speech, and Clothes of Compassion.

1. Clothes of Truthfulness (25)

“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” (25)

The first word comes that to our attention is “put off falsehood.” It is the same word Paul uses in the verse 22, “put off your old self.” Falsehood means lying.

Paul knew the books of the prophets and the psalms very well. Let me quote from Zechariah 8:16

“These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; ¹⁷ do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the LORD.”

Our clothing should be clothes of truth, even if it is costly.

When Samuel was little boy when he got message from God. Little Samuel was terrified to convey to his teacher Eli the priest the message he heard from God. But Samuel did not compromise speaking the truth.

Besides being the right thing to do for yourself, telling the truth is also the right thing to do for the health of the body of believers. We are members of one body. We are the body of believers; we are related with each other through Christ. God hates lies because it destroys trust and breaks relationships.

John Stott says, “Fellowship is built on trust, and trust is built on truth.”

Parent: Telling the truth must be taught from childhood. I have seen in my work when I was school principal. Children who lied often were children whose parents were expert liars.

There is another way of lying that I call the lie of silence. Often knowing the truth and keeping silent about it when others spread lies is participating in the process.

This is not a lesson of morality as such. It starts with Christ dwelling in our life. When we lie, we are destroying our relationship with God, and eventually our relationship with the “other”, the neighbor, even the enemy.

We will continue in English.