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performed on your behalf, you put off the former conversation of the old man;
you were renewed in the spirit of your mind; you put on the new man.
You were a new creature.
Selah, think of that!
The Selah of Goodness and of Grace (Eph. 4:28,32)
There are three other occasions in the practical section of Ephesians
where Paul calls a halt with the adversative de, namely in Ephesians 4:28,32
and 5:3.
We purpose considering Ephesians 4:28 and 32 together as the closing
number of this study, hoping that those who have profited may be stimulated
to prosecute this search in other epistles and books of the New Testament;
for on every hand grace is contrasted with law, faith with works, man with
God, and at every turn the inspired penman seems to say Selah, think of that!
Ephesians 4:28 and 32 fall together as a part of a larger section; with
the whole section we are not at the moment so much concerned, but we may as
well see how the passage immediately before us is constructed.
Ephesians 4:25 32
A
25.
Put away Lie.
Speak truth.
One another.
B
26.
Question concerning anger.
C
27.
Give no place to the Devil.
D
28.
Steal not.
Hands.
Good.
Give to him that needeth.
D
29.
No corrupt speech.
Mouth.
Good.
Build the need.
C
30.
Grieve not the Holy Spirt.
B
31.
Answer concerning anger.
A
31,32. Put away bitterness. Be kind.
One to another.
The reader will realize that this section with its admonition arises
out of the passage we have already considered. There the terrible
degeneration of the Gentiles is contrasted with the renewal of the spirit of
the mind and the putting on the new man by the grace of God. This renewal
and this new man calls loudly for expression, specially as we are in the
practical section of the epistle. Consequently the putting away of the lie,
instead of leading on here to conflict with spiritual foes, leads on to the
relationship of one member to another and shows that anger gives place to the
Devil and grieves the Holy Spirit of God whereby we are sealed unto the day
of redemption. This expression of truth, this new relationship and its
manifestation is introduced by the apostle's Selah in verse 28, followed by
references to `works' and `words', and concludes with the Selah of kindness
of verse 32, followed by the blessed admonition to forgive.
The words `Let him that stole steal no more' strike the reader almost
like a blow. We are not used to such plainness of speech. Writing to a
church, we should hesitate to use such expressions, and while readily
acknowledging that `we are all sinners', would feel that to lay a specific
charge like theft was `not done'. In this we are of course terribly at
fault. Sin is not an abstraction. It is a thought of the mind, and an act
of the body, generally both together. We need not go outside this glorious
epistle to the Ephesians, full as it is of the wonders of spiritual blessings