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Those who nurse their grievances do not realize that they are "giving place to the
devil" (verse 27). They are giving him room to operate in their lives, which he will not
be slow to use with deadly effect.
"Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands
the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need" (4: 28
R.V.).
Stealing was not regarded as being a particularly bad sin in N.T. times, but however
lightly the Ephesians had regarded this in their pre-conversion days, such sin could no
longer hold now they were believers. Rather were they to work and earn an honest
living, not only to maintain their own homes and families, but to have a surplus to pass
on to any who were in real need. Paul himself worked at his trade, so that he was not a
burden to his converts (Acts 20: 33, 34; I Thess. 2: 9), so he, as always, was practicing
what he preached to others.
"Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as
the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear" (4: 29 R.V.).
In Col. 4: 6 the Apostle wrote that the speech of believers should be always
"seasoned with salt". Salt is a preservative against putrefaction, and Christian speech
should always partake of this quality. This does not mean that the language of believers
must be dry or dull. There is a proper place for wholesome humour, but anything that
tends to corruption must be avoided at all costs. In these manifestations of the sinful old
nature, Paul has stressed the bad effect that indulgence will have on the relationship
between believers. Now he reminds us that such actions will affect our relationship with
God:
"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in Whom ye were sealed unto the day of
redemption" (4: 30 R.V.).
This is one of the verses that clearly teaches the personality of the Holy Spirit. Some
who deny this, teach that the Holy Spirit is but a manifestation of God's power. But one
cannot grieve a force. One can only grieve a person, and indulgence in the works of the
flesh grieves God and spoils the consciousness of our close relationship to Him.
The Holy Spirit has put His divine seal upon our redemption (1: 13), showing that
Calvary's work is indeed finished and we belong now to the Lord for eternity. How
careful then we should be not to bring grief upon the One Who has made all this possible
at such tremendous cost! Indeed, as verse 31 states, all manifestations of the old nature
must be renounced, and in their place must be the Christian graces of kindness,
tenderheartedness, and full forgiveness, remembering constantly how great is the debt
that the Lord has forgiven us. We do not now forgive in order to be forgiven
(Matt. 6: 12, 14, 15; 18: 35). Rather we freely forgive because we have been forgiven
(Eph. 4: 32) and the word `forgive' means "to graciously forgive", not the ordinary word
for remission. Let us constantly keep this before our minds in our dealings with each
other, and so glorify the Lord.