Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

                                                                                                           Ephesians 4:25-28 

We have already seen that Christians should be living uncommon, extraordinary lives not seen from the rest of the world. In today’s passage, Paul specifically defines three areas in which Christians are to exemplify what it means to be godly men and women.

First, we are to be honest with those around us. “Laying aside all falsehood and speaking the truth with his neighbor” is the charge for every believer. We live in a world that often questions the validity of absolute truth. Whether it is the existence of God, the power of Jesus for salvation, or just the reliability of the Bible, this world seems to prefer manufacturing its own truth rather than trust and rely on actual, spiritual fact. As believers, we are to live in the truth and that should encompass every area of our lives. So what is it about truth that it so often repels and escapes humanity? I can think of three reasons why mankind tends to avoid truth.

(1) Truth can often cause us to be exposed. We learn as children that lying can get us out of some pretty difficult predicaments. We see this anytime someone is guilty of an action yet desires to stay away from the consequence of that action. In our fallen state, our first inclination is self-preservation and that often means that we are willing to lie in order to achieve that goal.

(2) Truth can undermine our attempts to gain power or material gain. Often lying is a means by which we gain power, stay in power, or achieve some financial gain. When a business lies about their product (or the limitations of the product) they are attempting to gain financially from the falsehood. None of us are void of the understanding that politicians and those in positions of power will often lie to maintain the status quo. Avoiding truth often accompanies people in these positions.

(3) Truth can expose our false notions. Truth is a very threat to living life on our terms. I believe that many avoid the Bible because they understand (on some level) that it has the power to challenge and convict. To admit to the truth of scripture is to surrender our own notions about life and bring to ourselves under the authority of another. This simply is unacceptable to those who reject the gospel.

So there are a number of reasons why we substitute falsehood for the truth, but for the believer, we are to lay that aside and speak the truth even when it is not convenient. Honesty and integrity seem to be fading in our culture today, but that doesn’t change the reality that Christians should maintain truthfulness at all times.

Secondly, we are to avoid hostility. If you examine Paul’s words carefully you will find that he isn’t telling us never to be angry rather he instructs us to “not let the sun go down on our anger.” There’s a big difference between being angry and allowing it to ruminate. Paul equates “staying angry” with “giving the devil an opportunity.” This is how the enemy works in the lives of believers. If we can be angered and allowed to sit in that anger for some time, we can begin to produce roots of bitterness and resentment. Taken to the extreme, this can lead to hostility and rage. In our culture today, it is not uncommon to see opposing viewpoints belittle and malign each other in an attempt to gain the upper hand in a dispute. This type of behavior seldom serves to legitimize our perspective. Christians can and should hold biblical viewpoints on our culture however we should always avoid working in the arena of hostility, being aware that it is one of the devil’s playgrounds.

Lastly, we are to be hard working. “He who steals must steal no longer, but rather he must labor.” This is the instruction that Christians should be productive members of society. God has given each of us a gift and we should be looking for creative ways in which to exercise those gifts in order to benefit those around us. Yes, there is a biblical instruction that those who are unwilling to work should not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). This instruction is for those unwilling to work not those are unable to work. We should always be looking for ways to assist those who are unable to work but for those who are able, we should be contributing to our society and the kingdom.

It seems like stating the obvious. We should tell the truth, avoid living with anger, and be productive workers. But the nature of man runs contrary to these basic, biblical principles. So Paul reminds us that this is what the Christian life should look like. If we are successful in these three areas, we have moved a long way down the road to “laying aside the old self” and “putting on the new.” Let’s live lives that are set apart from the ways of the world, and when we fail, trust in the unfailing faithfulness of God that each new day brings!