Principles of New Life B

Listen people if we could be a community in the midst of this world, a community of people who never live and always speak the truth.

If we could be a people who never steal but only share if we can be those who have no bitterness, wrath and anger clamor evil speaking, but are characterized by an incessant kindness, tender hardness of my taken note of this don'ts for your class. Don't talk. Don't leave your seat. Don't write in red pen course limitations are important, but when everything seems to fall into that don't do category you might end up wondering what then I'm I supposed to do. John MacArthur helps answer that question today as he works through a biblical list of dues where your speech is concerned. This practical look at how you should speak is part of John's current series titled the portrait of a new life now. Follow along as John begins the lesson Ephesians chapter 4 verses 25 to 32 this is a very practical section.

This is one of those sections that you really don't need me for, you can just allow the spirit of God to convict you as you read it and it says much in and of itself, but I'll do my best to guide a little bit of your thinking to help you to see the impact in its fullness. Now keep in mind that in verses 17 to 24.

The apostle Paul gave a general statement and his general statement is simply this.

Christians are to be different you to be different.

If you know Locke is the Gentiles of the heathen Walker 17 you don't walk in the blindness in the darkness and the hardness of heart and the insensitivity and the lasciviousness and the uncleanness and the greediness your different your different you so learn Christ you put off verse 22. The old man. Verse 23 you put on the new man that's general you're putting the new lifestyle. You're putting a new walk, a new pattern of living so I gave that generality based on who you are in chapters 1 to 3 chapter 4 to 6 tell you how to live. You put off the old you put on the new will summary might say what you mean.

John specifically while he gets very specific in verse 25 and the first thing he does is this he says makes specific the general fact of changing from an old lifestyle to a new and he gives you five categories in which the change takes place five areas of illustration first exchange line for speaking the truth and second unrighteous fury for holy wrath third is another practical when you become a Christian.

He says your exchange stealing for sharing. Stealing is a problem for everybody is one of a nozzle kid, I had a phase in my life and I thought of sky need to steal thing I got out of that. Fortunately I went to that little time and that's something that something in that's another part of the human system. The old man steals with the new man doesn't look at verse 28 is a great verse let him that stole steal no more. Pretty simple but to be a great exegete to figure that out, but rather here's the exchange. Let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, they may have to give them the team that needed instead of stealing works and give to other people. In other words, via Robin Hood. You know, only without the stealing part, you're going to a store and an error or something any in the guy rings up your change or arrest or submit any under under doesn't know any use of the bill you know is like three dollars offer some and you say to him hey you know this.

It's more than this I thought I like to pay what it is I think you think your your under Hugo ha you know I look with a stunned look not see what's up his sleeve. Kind of a con gave his sis on how to handle honesty. Whether you're talking about grand theft or petty theft with your talking about robbing from this store. The market or whether you're talking about stealing money off your dad's dresser kids.

I don't know. It's all stealing. Stealing is taking anything on Longview finding some before it's lost.

The Bible talks about a lot of different kinds of stealing from Psalm 3721 talks about the nonpayment of debt don't pay your debt you stealing from your debtor or your creditor.

Rather, it talks about falsifying expense accounts that stealing and cheating on your taxes. Jesus said you better render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, not making note of Clark's error is another way. Another way that you can steal is by not paying fair wages to somebody whose work for you. James five says of the cry of the workers reaches the very years of God when they have been paid what they were due. So you can steal a lot away a lot away and by the way, if you are a thief. If you are somebody that steals I warn you from first Corinthians 6 know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God you not deceive neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor of Eilers nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. Thieves thieves don't inherit the kingdom of God is a good drunkards and fornicators and homosexuals set but verse 28 tells us the opposite. Rather let him labor which may be a new thing to thieves worked where the Bible has a great deal to say about work is an honorable thing, but work with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give them the needs of the whole idea is to labor and uses the word or the means of manual labor hard work. Exodus 20 verse nine. Six days shalt thou labor and do all I work crowded the six days proverb says so much about this second Thessalonians. Also, chapter 3 in verse 10 could be more strict than this for even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. Now that a lot of things in our society. You don't work you donate for we hear that there are some will walk along you disorderly working. Not at all about our busybodies, God condemns that your work.

First Timothy says if any man provides not for his household. He is worse than an infidel. And I think that's the extended household, not just your children, but those who are related to you who have a need work in your work that which is good. Your work should be unselfish and the point is that when you're all done with this you're doing it to give to him the needs. In other words, work hard not to piled higher and get more and more of what you need less and less of not just stack it on and stacking it on and getting more and more, but your work in order to give not get that's the idea. If I can only get is that I have more to give to somebody who has need or want a great way to go at it. This is radical, revolutionary natural approaches to get more in the horrid your stuff to get in the floor and stick it on the wall, given the safe put in the banks and at the Switzerland pilot New Testament principles work harder and harder and more diligently and more diligently doing good things.

So you have more and more and more and more to do more and more more and more people who have need. That's the whole biblical ethics. That's the whole base of our working verse 13 of Luke 14 says when you give a feast called the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and thou shalt be blessed, for they can't pay you in that good, they can't pay they can't buy a ticket and got a blush was Paul's manner. Next 20 he says I worked when I ministered to you, says to the Ephesian elders, verse 33 and 34 I worked and not only did I supply my own living. So you have to. But I supply the living everybody who worked with me. Now that's hard work is fourth another exchange.

He says the new man will exchange another category.

Corrupt communication will be exchanged for edifying words. This is very practical. Verse 29 let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. I'll be very frank with you, nothing, nothing is more distasteful to me than filthy communication. I just really can't tolerate that.

I don't like that I don't want to be part of that. I like to be around that.

That's not something that interests me. By the way, it says no corrupt communication corrupt the sub process means rotten and it has to do with something that is worthless and useless, that His disease did a rotten vegetable or a rotten fruit is something that is that is useless and worthless it smells.

It is offensive. It doesn't do anything for anybody. In fact, you don't want to get married, let alone needing that kind of talk has no place. Whether it's off-color jokes, profanity, dirty stories, fruit things, there is no place in the life of a Christian for that staff but to give you verse to remember Psalm 141 three market down. Psalm 141 three says saddle watch old Lord before my mouth and keep the door of my lips. Listen, if Jesus Christ is the doorkeeper of your lips. Then he'll be the water determines what comes out. There's no place for corrupt communication. I'm not interested in off-color jokes and dirty stories. I'm not interested in innuendo and double tundra. I'm not interested in outright, prudent, dirty and talk but doesn't interest me at all. Colossians talks about that.

The apostle Paul in chapter 3 talking about killing all the old things, says verse eight, put off filthy communication out of your mouth. No place for that. You know what when anybody talks like that.

It's pretty obvious what's going on because Matthew chapter 12 says, out of the abundance of the heart. What the mouth speaks. You can tell a lot about somebody's heart by what comes out of their mouth. In chapter 5 of Ephesians look over the next page. Verse three fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, let it not be once named among you, I mean once, it shouldn't even be there. Neither should filthiness, nor foolish talking. There's no place for dirty talk, filthy or foolish obscene talk and you know in Romans chapter 31 discusses the depravity of man. It shows how man's depravity starts from inside comes up through his mouth and his tongue is lips it comes out.

Get rid of all, and in its place. Here's what you do three features of the speech of the new man verse 29 first, it should be edifying, which is good for edifying good for edifying whenever you talk. If the Lord is keeping watch over your lips and you open your mouth, whatever comes out should build other people up edifying means building up. It should build them up. You should be in it should be encouraging. It should be strengthening.

It should be spiritually edifying, spiritually positive, spiritually strengthening spiritually building them up. So what happens when you talk when you pass by someone and they talk with you for a matter of a few moments I do.

They go away build up in Jesus Christ and they go away edifying to Jesus Christ. Is that what it is that happens in all around the house during the day mom when you're with your kids is what you say, that which edifies and builds up dad when you take your sons out, you spend a day with them when you talk to them is what happens edifying building and strengthening and encouraging them second, it ought to be necessary.

It says in verse 29 the little phrase to the use and literally it means as it fits the need as it fits the need less in my mind is the same as a kid I started him. Hey mom do you know what someone so it should say is that necessary that necessary it's it's interesting to know whether it's necessary. Think but is it necessary if we just said what was edifying and necessary, we would be people would flock to be near us. Third, gracious, and in verse 29, but it may serve grace to the hearers.

It's just I come out like a waiter and getting them at a feast of grace is there sweetness in what you say. The glasses and ingratiate's and every time you open your mouth. It should be building.

It should be saying and it should be gracious. That's the way we are to talk. That's what I do come out of our mouths, not filthy communication. We have a new heart and out of the abundance of a new heart should come a new speech. I love it says in Luke 422 and everybody bore Jesus witness and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.

I love that when Jesus opened his mouth. Graciousness came out and when he spoke it was edifying, it was necessary and it was gracious and if you let the word of Christ dwell in you richly according to Colossians 316.

When you open your mouth that's will come out to and if the Lord sets a watch over your tongue and if the Lord is the one who keeps your lips years can be the same. Check your words Colossians it talks about that our speech should be seasoned with salt. You know there's a corruption in the world and saw that we are to be salt to that you know when something would corrupt it puts all on an insult would retard the corruption. What about when you talk are you a part of the corruption or do you retard the corruption.

Are you salt or are you just more the corruption when you open your mouth. Are you the salt the retards the corruption.

Are you just part of the corruption. Something about, and the result of it all. Verse 30 grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you're sealed to the day of redemption. You know the Holy Spirit can get sad. That's what grieve means you know God weeps reading in Jeremiah my eyes. So run down with tears. He said in God's heart was broken in Hosea and Jesus wept over Jerusalem and Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus and hear the spirit of God, believes, and what makes him grieve what makes them grieve is when you as a believer don't exchange the old for the new Holy Spirit is grieve what he sees when he sees lying instead of the truth when he sees anger instead of forgiveness when he sees stealing instead of sharing and when he hears corruption instead of gracious in the point that he's making in verse 30 is how could you possibly grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed to the day of redemption. The idea that I want you to see here is this when you were save the spirit of God put a stamp on you but said this is God's. This is genuine. This is authentic, and this is forever and listen if the spirit of God is been so gracious as to give you an eternal salvation if the spirit of God has been so gracious is the seal you forever if the spirit of God is so graciousness to hold you in the palm of his hand of the day of redemption. How could you willfully grieve such a gracious that's what he saying how could you do that I could you grieve the Holy Spirit by whom you're sealed. You know, your salvation is forever.

You know what he's done for you can't be changed. You know, is given you an eternal gift now would you abuse it by grieving here. How could you do that.

How could you grieve the very one who has made your body. The sanctuary of his own holy presence. How could you do that.

He is the one who is done the magnificent work of setting you apart eternally for God.

How could you grieve. So says Paul. The new man is to put away lying and take truths put away unrighteous anger for holy wrath. Put away stealing for sharing put away useless files speech for edifying gracious words and not to give place to the devil and not to grieve the Holy Spirit, then a final contrast we are to exchange natural vices for supernatural graces verse 31 and just kinda sums it up. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all evil Allison what he said he sums it up. He says lack bitterness that smoldering resentment that brooding grudging unforgiving spirit and then he says, and all wrath and all the while reaction and all that that anger that that inside idealistic kind of resentment and all clamoring northward clamor means. It means a violent outburst yelling in public, you know, I'll only have to do is you'll be around your neighborhood for a while and you hear that, especially in the summer when the windows are open, yelling publicly that's clamor or really screaming at the guy who cuts you off on the road use know what something he's saying if you have bitterness and wrath and anger, you're going to have outbursts you go to smolder on the inside you're going to yell at people in a publicly yeah the other hand, he adds evil speaking, sometimes you whisper behind their back. Slander can be public or can be very quiet, whispery, but the point here is this you got the wrong relationship to people's it's all relational here is is not talking so much about your relation to God in this whole passage is how you relate to people because the body is the concept here in this book, and when you deal with evil.

You can't be better or wrathful or angry or clamorous or slanderous evil speaking blabbering behind their back in secrecy. Get rid of that put away and long with the put away all cocky up. That means all evil generally will all of this get rid of all, know as Christians we gotta deal with each other properly, and these are all personal issues I get along your family with these things.

I get along with certain people in the fellowship in the church. 30 bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, put away in its place.

Take this 32 be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, say man you don't know me, I have a right to be angry, they never change that and I'm better now when I see that guy Armada clamor and meanwhile I'm going to evil, speak, and I got a right. Look what he did to me.

This is why verse 32 ends the way it does, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you orders on it is God was kind you and God was tenderhearted to you and God is forgiving to you and you one wasn't you didn't what deserve it. If you're going to base it on that premise. You missed the point. You don't yell at somebody because they deserve yell at somebody because your sinful you don't evil, speak about somebody because they deserve it, you will speak because your sinful you don't get angry at somebody because they deserve it. You get angry because your sinful you don't get wrathful and clamorous because somebody deserves it. You do it because your sinful because the character of God says I don't care what you've done to me.

I love you and I'll be trying to you and I'll be tender to you and I'll forgive me pulses. And that's exactly what God expects to see how you Christian your new creature. Gotta be there for your new in Jesus Christ at all to be there role would to God that these things were true. Listen people if we could be a community in the midst of this world, a community of people who never live and always speak the truth. A community of people who never get angry so that it's a sinful anger, but always act in love.

If we could be a people who never steal but only share if we could be a people who never speak filthy communication, but always minister grace the people are listening.

If we can be those who have no bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, but are characterized by an incessant kindness, tenderhearted, listen, forgiveness. You think the world might take a note of our message that they would.

That's the way new mannered act. Examine yourself with you in the face you speak truth. Do you have control of anger so that it only operates in righteous ways you share. You speak graciously. Do you love and kindness, tenderhearted missing forgiveness new men live it's father we are agreeing with what the Spirit of God is saying in our hearts, and we've all been convicted. We see the way we've often spoken to the ones we love the dearest our wives, husbands, children, friends, some of us have spoken evil behind someone's back gossiped some of us have been clamorous and spoken out in public and unruly way. We've all fought through the battles of anger lying evil speech. Lord help us to know the victory that only you can give so that on the one hand, we never give place to the devil and on the other hand, we don't grieve the blessed Holy Spirit was gracious enough to give us an eternal salvation. Since we have been eternally related to him help us never to violate that in a way that would grieve and Lord, we know that unless we deal this way with each other.

The body can't function if the body can't function Christ can't be manifested of Christ is manifest.

The world can't see and begin with us father as we obey work. Your work by your spirit in Christ. That's John MacArthur continuing his look at what he calls the portrait of a new life here on grace to you. Now this central theme of this series is that if you are in Christ.

You are a new creation.

And yet a point that many people miss is that even as a new Christian, even as a person with new life in Christ you still face a battle with sin, and so John for that new Christian who might be listening right now.

Talk about the challenges he can expect as he grows spiritually yeah before you become a Christian. There's really no battle because you are a slave of sin. Sin has dome minyan over you. Sin is your master you. You can't do anything but sin, even human goodness is still categorically part of your sinful life because it lacks the right motive, which is the glory of God. So what whatever good you do. If it's not done of the glory of God falls into the category of sin. So that's the that's the default position of living without God in the world. Everything is tainted by sin. When you become a believer and you are transformed and you have new loves and new desires and new longings.

All of a sudden you find yourself at war because the new man in you, the new creation in you are still incarcerated in human flesh and so the battle is on we know God's will, but we struggle to be able to do it. We long to do his will. But we find difficulty Roman seven things I want to do. I don't do the things I don't want to do a find myself doing pulses. I see some principal still in me fighting against the law of my mind which is the law of God. So all of this is the struggle that every new believer faces and as you grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ that struggled becomes less and less powerful. You will see the diminishing of that power.

But it's really important to get off to a good start so long that line. I just want to mention to you if you're a new Christian, particularly we have a booklet called welcome to the family and we would love to get one into your hand. Special offer if your new believer grace. She wants to give you a free copy of welcome to the family. Contact us now, email, phone, regular mail. If you been a Christian for a good while and would like the book is still available for a very reasonable price. Yes send this book lays out the most important crews. Young believers need to know and how they can avoid common traps that new converts fall into to get your copy of welcome to the family free if you're a new believer. Contact us today.

Call our toll-free number 855 grace or go to TTY.org welcome to the family shows you. Basically everything you need to know about spiritual growth. It can help you believers are mature believers for that matter, make biblical decisions. Discernment in honor Christ at work, school, home again. Will send you a free copy of welcome to the family. If your new Christian.

Our toll-free number 855 grace or go to TTY.org.

Also keep in mind we are grateful for letters from men and women like you who have benefited from John's verse by verse teaching. If that describes you take a moment to jot a note and send it our way. You can email us at letters@tty.org or if you prefer regular mail. You can write to Grace to you.

Box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412 now for John MacArthur on Phil Johnson. Thanks for starting your week off with grace to you and invite a friend to join you tomorrow when John looks at how the Bible defines love, the love Christian should have an demonstrate it's another half hour of unleashing God's truth set a time on grace to you