Ephesians / 4

  • Speaking the Truth

    Ephesians 4:25

    Matthew Henry writes, “Truth is a debt we owe to one another; and, if we love one another, we shall not deceive one another.” Christians must be known for their love of the truth and the trustworthiness of their speech ...Read More

  • God’s Work Ethic

    Ephesians 4:28

    God’s people are called to be generous, not foolish. We want to provide real help to widows, orphans, and others who are in true need, first in our churches and then in the world. As we seek to help ...Read More

  • Be Angry, Do Not Sin

    Ephesians 4:25–32

    It is easy for us to think we are being righteously angry when we are really just manifesting unjust ire. It is also easy for us to get so wrapped up in a righteous cause that we forget to pray ...Read More

  • Gift-giver and Protector

    Ephesians 4:7–12

    “The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still” is the cry of the believer’s confidence in the protecting work of Christ. We may suffer in this world, but in Jesus we are kept from everlasting destruction. We ...Read More

  • Grieving the Holy Spirit

    Ephesians 4:30

    Just as we experience the joy of restoration upon repentance, so we make amends for grieving the Spirit when we turn from our sin and seek to do His will. When we sense a distance in our relationship to God ...Read More

  • Anger, Sin, and the Devil

    Ephesians 4:26-27

    If sinful anger can give the Devil a foothold in our churches and in our relationships with friends and family, then defusing anger is an essential part of spiritual warfare. Insofar as it depends on us, we must strive to ...Read More

  • Speaking the Truth

    Ephesians 4:25

    Martin Luther purportedly said, “Peace if possible, but truth at any rate.” We cannot lie to others about the depth of our sin or the sin of others even if we know lies will maintain “peace” between different parties. We ...Read More

  • What We Learned in Christ

    Ephesians 4:23-24

    Taking off our old selves — our Adamic natures that love rebellion — and putting on Christ is really a single act. We cannot live in Adam and in Christ at the same time, which means that we cannot refuse to give ...Read More

  • Learning Christ

    Ephesians 4:20-22

    John Calvin writes, “He whose life differs not from that of unbelievers, has learned nothing of Christ; for the knowledge of Christ cannot be separated from the mortification of the flesh.” Scripture never asserts that sinless perfection is attainable before ...Read More

  • Ignorance and Hardness

    Ephesians 4:17-19

    Sin affects our entire being, including our ability to love, our capacity to reason, and our physical bodies. The longer we persist in sin, the harder it is to see and do the will of God, so we must endeavor ...Read More

  • The Needfulness of Truth and Love

    Ephesians 4:15-16

    Are you conscious of the intimate way in which you are connected to all other believers? Your sins and holiness impact other Christians, for you share an inseparable link to them (Eph. 4:15–16). One of the key motivations ...Read More

  • Leaving Childhood Behind

    Ephesians 4:14

    The church’s greatest advancements in understanding doctrine have come when great heresies have threatened the church. The Arian controversy helped believers delimit the canon’s teaching on the Trinity. Crises over justification and the authority of Scripture led to ...Read More

  • Every Member Ministry

    Ephesians 4:12-13

    Do you consider yourself a minister in the church? Although you might never be ordained to a church office, your gifts are critical to the healthy functioning of Christ’s body. Determining your specific role may not be easy, but ...Read More

  • The Gift of Officers

    Ephesians 4:11

    All Christians rest upon the teaching of the apostles and prophets in sacred Scripture, but God has ordained that evangelists, pastors, and teachers are also necessary for healthy spiritual growth. The Lord does not ordinarily bring us to maturity through ...Read More

  • Gifts from the Ascended Christ

    Ephesians 4:8-10

    Christ’s ascension to the right hand of God the Father demonstrates His sovereign authority to distribute good gifts to us as He wills. Because He has conquered death and hell, Jesus can give what is best to each of ...Read More