In Eph 4:17-24, Paul talked about the old lives of the Ephesians that were not changed by Christ and the new life in Christ.

You are being transformed, renewed, regenerated. Your new life in Christ is nothing like your old life. Paul exhorts, put off the old life like old clothes, put on new life like new clothes.

Ephesians 4:25-5:2 V. 25. Put off falsehood. Speak the truth. There are obvious parallels between Eph 4 and Zech 8. These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another (Ze 8:16) ’emeth – Hebrew for truth occurs 5x in Zech 8. Alētheia (alAYthaya)– Greek for truth occurs 4x in this chapter, 6x in chs 4-6

Zech 8 speaks of the new Jerusalem, the place where renewed people of God live. Isaiah 2:2 says the nations will flow to the house of the Lord. Why? The integrity of God’s people will reflect God’s presence among them. And in response, peoples and nations say, “Let us go, for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zech 8:23b)

David committed adultery and conspired to have her husband killed – in secret, but God knew and sent Nathan to declare the truth publicly what David in secret. In repentance he wrote in Psalm 51:6a “You delight in truth in the inward being” “Purge me… wash me… blot out all my iniquities” “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” -Ps 51:10

God desires truth in your life, in your speech, all the way to your inner being. He can purge you, wash you, change your heart, renew your spirit.

When God changes hearts of his people & they put off falsehood and speak truth, the world takes sees and comes streaming to God, who is renewing us in his truth.

vv. 26-27 “Do not sin in your anger” God knows we will get angry. The exhortation is don’t stew in your anger. One of our problems: When other people sin against us, we sin right back - And we feel justified to sin in response. Like their sin is wrong, but ours is right

“do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Be quick to resolve your differences. Be quick to forgive. You’re going to have differences in your marriage – we want to win arguments.

Married 25 years. Figured out: There is no argument worth ruining our relationship. There is nothing that is worth allowing to separate us.

Satan whispers to you when you’re stewing in anger and unforgiveness. “You deserve better than this.” That is the voice of destruction. Relationships that last are the ones in which you are loving, but honest. Where you have differences; but can work through them. Where you don’t have to win every time. “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”- James 1:19b Be quick to resolve your differences. Be quick to forgive.

v. 28. Do not steal; work. Be honest.

v. 29 “No corrupting talk” The renewed life, that work of the Holy Spirit in us is renewing our inner being. It works out in the hard work of our hands, now the speech from our mouths. “Corrupting” is rotten, like a rotten tree makes rotten fruit. Rotten, decaying fish. Language that is harmful: abusive, vulgar, slander.

Our speech should be “good for building up”. “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life” (Prov 10:11a) “The lips of the righteous feed many” (Prov 10:21a) “The tongue of the wise brings healing” (Prov 12:18b)

v. 30. “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God” God has stamped us with his own character and guarantees his protection. The Spirit is grieved when God’s people continue in sins that divide the body. The seriousness of continuing in sin is this: you grieve the Spirit of God.

Vv. 31-32. Put away all anger; be kind and forgiving “As God in Christ forgave you.” Forgive others as you have been forgiven – completely, unconditionally