Principles of New Life

Christians are to be different you know Locke is the Gentiles of the human wall.

You don't walk in the blindness of the darkness and the hardness of heart and the insensitivity and the lasciviousness and the uncleanness you first 22-year-old man verse 23 you put on the new man child is defiant door when a politician says something that attacks Christian values.

How about when you scrape the paint on your car when the dog chews up your new shoes or when your team loses the big game. When is it right to be angry or is it never right for Christian to lose his head.

John MacArthur examines the issue of anger today as well as truthful speech to crucial elements in the portrait of a new life. So follow along. Now, won't you, 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. Verse 25 says wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Being angry and sin not let not the sun go down on your wrath. Either give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needed 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 and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. 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 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 chapters 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 gets very specific in verse 25.

This is where you need to activate your will. This is where you need to say yes this is where you need to flip the switch that turns it on the general statement. Verses 17 to 24 and now the specifics right. Beginning 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 one and he gives you five categories in which the change takes place five areas of illustration number one you exchange lying for speaking truth you exchange lying for speaking truth verse 25. Wherefore, in other words, since it is generally true that the old is gone and the new has come. Wherefore, specifically put away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Now remember, this in Revelation chapter 21 in verse eight we read this but the fearful, and unbelieving and the abominable, and murderers and fornicators and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone. Now one thing for sure liars go to hell. That's what it said. Conversely, it is true. People going to have are not what liars that is not characteristic of a believer or there may be those times when we sin and we fail, but there is no way that you can look at your life and see a constant flow of lies and and get any biblical basis for believing your Christian because hell is for life and by the way in John 844 it says you're out of your father the devil and the devil is the father of all, what lies so if you are a liar by by character. If your life is a constant lying situation.

If you can't deal rightly with the truth, you give indication of having the devil as your source. And hell is your destiny. And no matter what you claim and no matter how religious you get no matter how you go to church. You're not going to be a part of God's kingdom because liars don't go to heaven will go to heaven on liars so he says you're well has to get involved, put away, lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor. By the way, that's a quote from Zechariah 816 gives us a little insight into how Paul dealt with the Old Testament quotes the Old Testament. One of the chief characteristics of of our human lifestyle they lying you realize that we have an entire world system based on lying.

Can you imagine what would ever happen if for one day, everybody in the world told the truth. We have World War III if the truth came out about anything. If everybody all of a sudden decided to operate on our entire system would collapse were put away, lying were to be different and that since the world are not different lying is everything. The whole thing is lawyers lie doctors lie teachers lie preachers lie some preachers lie salesman lie secretaries live bosses lie advertisers live politicians lie government lies, lies, and it's what gives the thing going.

Nobody has to tell the truth doesn't work that way.

That's not how the game is played. It's all built on lies. If everybody had a told through the whole system would come down in the big collapse.

You do what's expedient and lying is expedient. It's incredible.

People lie about the little things and the big things. It's just an entire way of life is the outworking of a depraved nature.

It lies because it is of its father the devil, who is the father of lies who has developed a system of lies. The whole religious system apart from the truth of Christianity is a pile of lies lies lies and more lies. Satan lies about life. He lies about death.

He lies about God lies about Christ. He lies about the spirit he lies about the Bible.

He lies about have any lies about Hallie lies about beauty lies about bad everything the whole thing is based on lie and when he developed a religious system.

He throws a little tiny truth in it so you think it might be okay. Like the clock doesn't work. It's right twice a day and that's about it in the whole system we live in in terms of economics is based on lies. Our government lies to us all time. We only hear what what they want to stay here, that's just the way it is in our world and you going to buy something and you get a whole song that you know it isn't true, but you stand there you have no choice to sell you stuff on television, if it ever fulfill those expectations. It would be priceless and all of a sudden God comes into your life.

The Bible says God is true and every man a liar. Christ comes into your life, and he says I am the way the truth and the life of the Holy Spirit takes up residence in your life and is called the Spirit of truth who will lead you into all truth, and the word of God is called the truth John 17 thy word is truth and all of a sudden when you become a believer you stepped out of the domain of lies into an element of 20 you know the true God, redeemed by the true Messiah indwelt by the true spirit possessing the tree word and living it out in a true kind of life. When a believer opens his mouth, according to Ephesians chapter 4 verse 15 he should be speaking the truth.

We believe in truth. That means lying has to go. I need all kinds align say what you mean by line 1, lying is just telling what it so that's just the plain old timeline of the lot about shading the truth, exaggeration or exaggeration is a real problem. I can't forget who was with Tony in the day that I got used to going to give his testimony and he's everywhere he went to get his test when he speak and give us fantastic testimony. He did it everywhere he went, and so I was invited to speak somewhere and the guy said in my going to give you testimony said no I don't give my testimony anymore.

I might just is what amazes lesson. He said I my testimony for so many years and I kept adding to it. I forgot the truth you know about that lying cheating in your school looking on some else's paper getting some exam for his will to have it cheating in your business cheating in your work cheating in your taxes. Failure to keep your promises even to God that's lying betrayal of the confidence you said you wouldn't say it but you did flattering somebody that's lying because you're telling a bunch of stuff that isn't even true about them so they'll think you're wonderful give you some excuses you know as I take an honorable man is a man who says yes I did that and I was wrong was it was a well you don't understand.

You see, and then you get this long song and dance like a bunch of excuses about a certain I think a lot of forms of lying are think sitting in silence when the truth should be spoken as line is no place for this in the Christian life goes all the back to Exodus 20 don't bear false witness tell the truth tell the truth.

God's economy is based on truth, it's gotta be. You see, I'm not talking about some sort of psychological honesty. I'm not talking about sensitivity training. You know well the best thing for you is to tell the truth, I never got a group like that one time and I however got it sitting in and everybody was supposed to tell about the other person what they didn't like summers, as I just want you know you make me sick. I hate you. It's your ears and in the way you talk or something about you I hate and you know the whole idea was Nessie don't you feel better listen was, you need to deal with honesty on that situation, you need to go back and ask God to take care of the heart of the hate in your heart you got another problem wrong verse, you gotta get to the next verse, verse 26 you have any reason for that.

When I talk about some pseudo-honesty that has psychological implications. God is in dealing with that isn't the point. If you love somebody isn't the kind of honesty. It says, tell them you hate them if you love them, you better go back and ask God to help me little because your love people. You put off any kind of lying in any relationship with that is not a license for you to exposure, hate, that's another problem I say what's the basis of this, why, why is it so important. Tell the truth will look at verse 25 for we are members one of another.

Were talking about a body and Ephesians. People were talking about the unity of the church and if we don't tell the truth with each other were in a mess up the fellowship. Illustration would happen if your brain started the lie to give you one illustration.

What if it switch the signals on hot and cold just so I'm just gonna lie a little bit here. I'll just switch the hot and cold you don't have enough time to get shot it Friday or so next time you try to get your coffee hot enough if it was reversed. It would just keep good could you just get hotter and hotter.

Not only would be coming through his coach, Debbie, and you just that little thing yesterday it would happen if your I decided to deceive you next time you got your car took a trip in your I said, I think I'll just a shade the truth a little is not really a curve in the road was no double-stranded semi passing on the hill. Goodbye you are actually depend on the honesty of your nervous system you're depend on the honesty of every organ in your body, or you'll be dead and God is his inability to obtain system that the basis of your health is a is a pain system that's honest enough to tell you we have a problem or a system of revealing diseases. That's what symptoms are God's given us a whole area of symptom so that we know when we got a problem that has to be dealt with. And that's the honesty of the body that allows the function of the body of Christ. Get ready lesson at which you negotiating the truth with each other what we can't function properly. How can we minister to each other. Barry chose birds and care for each other love each other, lift each other and teach each other and pray for each other. If we don't really know what's going on, be honest, speak the truth you exchange lying or speaking the truth when you became a new creation. That's one of the old things you put away the word put away up to the maybes to throw off like an old coat for its use and asked talk about when they through their coats at Paul's feet get rid of it. Second, you exchange unrighteous anger for righteous anger. Be angry and sin not with three Greek words for anger through mosque for Argus moss and organic through my session with a boiling fury you know where you blow a gasket.

It literally comes from to go up in smoke, you just completely lose it for Argus moss is that inside seething fuming resentment that comes out of jealousy and anger and envy and it just sort of seasoned to become an ugly, moody person with a root of bitterness and organza kind of anger basically on and there is an overlap in the struggle just giving you shades of meaning. Organ is a kind of word that has to do with a kind of a settled conviction kind of anger.

In other words, you have certain priorities in your life you have certain things are committed to and when something violates that is a natural response. For example, if you determine, with all your heart to love a child it's in your family and you give yourself to that child will hate the one who would come along and hurt that child. It's that kind of a settled commitment and these words can be good or bad you can be angry and sin or be angry and sin not, but the whole crux of the matter is your motive isn't. By the way through. Mosque doesn't seem to be a word that is tolerated for a Christian the blowing up kind of a thing is not something that's allowable for those of us her name, the name of Christ through mosque is used to speak of unregenerate man is used to speak of a man functioning in a sinful way it used to speak of Satan in Revelation 1212 and it used to speak of God in Romans two, eight and God literally blows his court in final judgment that is used to speak of God's ultimate wrath now only God can literally go to the ultimate end of anger through must be the extreme anger.

Only God can go to the extreme end of anger and still be righteous, because everything in God's mind is absolutely under control. Even his ultimate anger, but you and I can't, we can handle three months we get out of control but sometimes for Argus moss that inner resentment and sometimes or gay. That settled conviction is tolerable and it is tolerable when it is anger for other than selfish reason we can be angry over that which grieves God we can be angry over that which hinders and hurts is because after all, the Lord was angry.

I see the majestic indignation of Jesus as he cleanses the temple I see that it that that to me is that's where Jesus just really lashed out boy. He was in anger that got out. It came out. Maybe it's or gay. There is the idea that he just he had this conviction that God's holiness was what was at stake and boy when he saw the unrighteous was there. He moved against. I see them also in John chapter 11 and there it says that Jesus wept.

But before it says that it says he was troubled in his spirit, and I think it was like for Argus moss.

I think it was that hatreds against the consequence of sin as he sought dead Lazarus, a direct illustration and symbol of the power of sin and it brought to his mind the terrible things he would endure the cross as he bore sin in his own body was angry about sin. He was mad about sin. Yet a right to be wrathful for the Christian, there is this injunction don't be angry so that it comes to sin. Don't be anger for your own cause.

Don't get angry when people offend you. Don't let your anger degenerate into some kind of personal resentment personal bitterness personal subtleness of personal moodiness, that thing is forbidden. That is forbidden. If you have any justifiable anger. It is that anger which is designed to defend the great glorious holy nature of God is the anger of Jesus as he weeps in a troubled spirit at the grave of Lazarus is the anger of Jesus as he makes a weapon, cleans out the temple. It is the wrath of God. It is the righteous fury of God in Deuteronomy a numbers in the Old Testament the wrong kind of anger. According to Matthew five is the first step toward murder. That's wrong sometimes maybe we have to have anger. Sometimes I get angry if a right to be angry about some things. Psalm 9710 says you that love the Lord hate evil.

Psalm 69. Nine. Davis says zeal for the houses eat me up the reproaches that are follow-on, they are fallen on me to say God I can't tolerate what people do your name. It infuriates me. I admit I get angry sometimes. I hope I never get angry about what happens to John MacArthur. I hope I always get angry about what happens to God's holy name, and I hope I never stop getting angry about that. We should have a basic built-in or gay. That is a programmed anger over sin, a programmed anger over evil.

That puts us in a beatitude mentality so that whatever I see sin being you will be in me. I mourn in my spirit that kind of anger is the sinew of the soul. The anger that is selfish, passionate, undisciplined, uncontrolled is sinful, useless, hurtful must be banished from the Christian life.

But the discipline anger that seeks the rightful place of a righteous God is pure and selfless and dynamic. Some of us aren't angry we are to be B angry about a lot of stuff going on in the world. B angry about some stuff going on. The church, but not let it degenerate into a wrong kind of anger sources be angry but Sinnott don't go to bed.

Don't let the sun go down on your wrath. Don't be a resentful, angry person deal and I think that, let second part of the verse has reference to the wrong kind of anger.

The point being, if you do have the wrong kind of anger. If you've got anger that is sin and deal with it now. Don't sleep on. Don't go to bed with face and deal with it and also the New Testament we are told that when we face sin. We are to deal with it now. Rhetoric can't confess and turn from it and by the way, that kind of stuff that kind of unconfessed anger. Anger that is it really dealt with is really a bad thing if it when you have that angry unforgiving spirit for a second print gives 211 says Satan will get an advantage of you should never have any kind of anger in that manner you want to why here's the key little thing was, you know I get angry you get angry because people do things to you. You don't like the fact of the matter is, you'll deserve anything anyway, right but suffice.

The whole point. You deserve you can't do that to me. Why not.

Who are you, I have my rights, you do going to God's standards. You never going to even enter his kingdom unless your broken in spirit unless your bankrupt poverty-stricken listen if you don't have any right you can't get too mad at someone who steps on a right anger is a retaliating spirit.

Now the only time that is ever writing is when you defend God's holiness because God does have some rights to use and he says if you do this if you let yourself get angry. Verse 27 You Will Give Pl. to the devil, by the way, the Avalos is the word here means slanderer and watch this. It's a little play on words.

If you are angry. Inevitably, what happens when you get angry as you slanderer you slanderer verbally you slanderer and your thoughts in your heart and you have given a place to these slanderer is just a repeat of John 844.

Whenever you start lying your of your father the devil. Whenever you start getting mad you give more evidence of being bothered by state. So a person who never seems to have anything but an angry mood and an angry spirit and a bitter, resentful heart and an ugly kind of envious and jealous mood gives evidence, but perhaps is not a Christian role and is nothing more than one who has given the devil opportunity to display himself spirit. 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 know it begin with us. Father as we obey work. Your work by your spirit in Christ. That's John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary. He is currently looking at how you honor and glorify Christ in your daily walk. It's all part of our series titled the portrait of a new life. Now here's something important that we need to mention for the past couple of weeks. Nearly every Bible and commentary and book that grace to you cells has been available at 25% off the regular price and John that sale ends tonight so tell our listeners about a few resources that would make ideal Christmas presents things they might want to get before the sale ends tonight at first I guess I could say go to the GT Y.org website and you can see the things that are available there but I would just suggest three things that I think would make a major difference in your life.

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