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"Wherefore putting away the lie, speak you truth, each one with his neighbour,
because we are members one of another" (Eph. 4: 25).
The reference here to Zech. 8: 16 shows that mere speaking will not satisfy the
demands of love to our neighbour, for the passage continues thus: "execute the judgment
of truth and peace in your gates". "The lie" has brought in its train misery, oppression,
death. "The truth" reverses all this and manifests itself in deed as well as in word.
The verses that follow expand and apply this exhortation to the whole range of earth's
relationships. As this occupies the whole of chapter 5: and part of chapter 6:, we must
perforce conclude this present paper here.
Let us seek a tender conscience regarding these things, keeping steadily before us the
intimate and vital association that has been revealed to exist between the high calling of
the one body and the walk that is worthy.
#76.
Put on . . . . . Put off . . . . . Walk accurately
(Eph. 4: 25 5: 21)
pp. 161 172
The conflict of the ages is reflected in the epistle to the Ephesians. It is summed up in
the antagonism that is seen between the truth and the lie.
The church of the mystery has been delivered from the authority of darkness and
translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son. That is the repudiation of the lie. The
church has been lifted up from earth and earthly things, quickened, raised and seated in
the heavenlies. That is the repudiation of the lie. The members of that church, once
energized by the prince of the power of the air, is now energized by the self-same power
that raised Christ from the dead. That is the repudiation of the lie.
But what of ourselves? Do we remain passive after grace, as perforce we were
compelled to be before? Have we no walk that is worthy? Have we no old man to put
off? No new man to put on? We have, and doctrinal truth alone can no more save,
sanctify and bless than that kind of faith exercised by demons whose hair stand on end in
horror (pritto, see Job 4: 15).
The putting away of the lie.
"Wherefore putting away lying" should read "Wherefore putting away the lie". "To
put away" (apotithemi) is used of putting aside clothing (Acts 7: 58), weight
(Heb. 12: 1), and occurs in Rom. 13: 12; Eph. 4: 22, 25; Col. 3: 8; James 1: 21; and
I Pet. 2: 1. Eph. 4: 25 is the only place where we read of putting away the lie. All other