STOP IT!

Ephesians 4:17-32 (KJV)

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

But ye have not so learned Christ;

If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Neither give place to the devil.

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

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, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, 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.

Many of you will remember that in my Sunday school class this morning we saw where Paul taught Timothy to teach those who name the name of Christ to depart from iniquity.

This is the same message is found here.

God’s Word is urging us to separate from sin.

There is an implied separation from sinners – but more so, separation from sin in our own lives.

I will take us through these verses noting what I see as three appeals to separate from sin.

First there is,

I. A PASTORAL APPEAL TO SEPARATION

Ephesians 4:17-19 (KJV)

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

This I say therefore…

Here is your preacher bringing his message.

But he assures the congregation that this message is “…in the Lord.”

I understand that there is no such thing as a pastor today with the same connection to the Lord that the Apostles had.

I know that none of us are infallible and without our own faults.

But when a preacher stands to speak and he is telling you what the Bible says, you can expect that the message is “…in the Lord.”

The pastor urges his congregation to walk differently than others and then – judgmentally describes those others:

A. Their minds are vain

Vs 17

The things they think about are meaningless.

Most worldly things are, if not completely meaningless, at least not eternally valuable.

B. Their understanding is darkened

Vs 18

Don’t you get frustrated when you try to explain some piece of Bible truth to people and they just can’t get it?

Their understanding is darkened.

C. Their heart is blind

Vs 18

This is an act of the god of this world.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (KJV)

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Rebellion against God is not just an act of the mind, it is an act of the affections.

They do not love God because they do love sin.

D. They have no feeling

Vs 19

This is an emotional thing. Because they do not love God, they cannot love anything or anyone else properly.

Romans 1:28-31 (KJV)

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

E. They are abandoned to wickedness

Vs 19

The passage in Romans 1 pretty well describes that, doesn’t it?

In the middle of all of that Ephesians 4:18 says they are alienated from the life of God. They are unsaved.

And notice why they are unsaved, “…through the ignorance that is in them.”

It is because they do not know Christ as their Saviour.

Don’t be like them.

·   Come to Christ

·   Get saved and

·   Separate from sin

There is the pastoral appeal to separation

Then there is,

II. A SPIRITUAL APPEAL TO SEPARATION

Ephesians 4:20-24 (KJV)

But ye have not so learned Christ;

If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

They are ignorant.

They do not know Christ.

But you do, don’t you?

·   You have heard Him call out to you to come and be saved.

·   You have been taught His Word – at least in part – and believe it to be truth

Therefore the appeals is:

A. Put off the former conversation – which is corrupt

If your relationship with the Lord is alive and real, I do not have to convince you of this, do I?

Whenever you sin,

·   It eats at you.

·   It causes pain that you are all too aware of

You might battle with it, you might wish it were not so, but you know that old worldly way is corrupt.

B. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind

Vs 23

This reminds me of Romans 12:1-2 (KJV)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

It is the Word of God that renews us.

And then

C. Put on the new man – which is truly

·   After God

·   Righteous and

·   Holy

Walking with the Lord is more than quitting certain things, it is also starting certain things.

Holiness is not just being a better person that those wicked Gentiles, it is aspiring to be the kind of person that Jesus Christ is.

Finally there is,

III. AN ECCLESIASTICAL APPEAL TO SEPARATION

Ephesians 4:25-32 (KJV)

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Neither give place to the devil.

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

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, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, 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.

Remember that the book of Ephesians is a doctrinal thesis concerning the church.

·   The most important thing to God is Christ

·   The most important thing to Christ is the church and

·   The most important thing in the church is unity

We glorify God through Jesus Christ as we live as members of this body.

This is how you honor God and bring glory to Him.

Right here.

·   Being a body

·   Each member fulfilling its place

And so the Bible appeals to us within this body:

·   Don’t lie

·   Don’t get angry

·   Don’t take advantage of one another, but be ready to give to one another

·   Don’t speak damaging words but instead encouraging words

·   Don’t let yourself be eaten up with bitterness and malice

This is Christ’s body. He died for it and then He blessed you to be a part of it

·   Be kind

·   Be tenderhearted and

·   Be forgiving