THE CHURCH—GOD’S NEW SOCIETY
Maintaining
Unity in the Ranks
Ephesians 4:25-32
Jerry A Collins
SCC
v What
does it mean to ‘lay aside’ something?
v Is anger
ever a legitimate emotion?
v What are
the characteristics of constructive Christian acts?
INTRODUCTION
We all know how difficult it can
be when there is divisiveness in the ranks. That can be true whether in the
family, workplace, team, or colleagues. So much of our misery is related to
this kind of divisiveness. Sometimes it can linger for years. Others are in
fits and starts. But it hurts nonetheless. It is the root of bitterness and
hinders production. The outcome is pain, loss, ache, and hardened responses
like revenge, envy, rage, denial, and hatred. In contrast to this is
constructive behavior that takes into account everyone else and not just myself. The kind of behavior that mends and heals and
maximizes people’s potential. There is energy associated with constructive
relationships and the harmony produces an environment that encourages each
other and supports one another. Everyone is lifted up and can contribute with their strengths. We really want that. Too
often we are beaten down and left for dead. Well, God demands that His body on
earth, the church, practice and mimic constructive behavior with one another.
It is not just something we should appreciate but something we must deliver to
one another.
There are five areas of behavior
addressed and each area has something for us to put off and in it’s place to put on. We are also given the reason for this
in each case. Let me encourage you to listen personally—to take a shot just for
yourself. This is behavior your Father in heaven
demands of you. Let’s look at each in detail.
OUR BEHAVIOR MUST EXEMPLIFY TRUTH TELLING 25
1. Put off deception and lying
Get rid of lying in your life.
It only creates conflict and deception. It destroys trust and diminishes your
integrity. To practice lying is like living the old lie all over again in your
former behavior as an unbeliever. Take this behavior off. Satan, Jesus says, was a murderer from the beginning and does
not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a
lie he speaks from his own nature for he is a liar and the father of lies.
There are many reasons for lying but a major reason is fear of other people—a
child’s fear of being caught; a parent’s fear of not being accepted in the eyes
of their children. In Proverbs 27:6 ‘faithful are the wounds of a friend’.
2. Put on honesty
Speaking truth is to speak
things the way they actually are. It is opposed to falsehood because falsehood
attempts to hide the way things actually are. Truth telling comes from not
avoiding the way things actually are. The ‘neighbor’ ion context is other
believers.
3. The reason is because we are all related to one another
The unity we have in Christ is
at stake. This unity is essential to maintain. Truth telling is a bond that
keeps us united in our relationship with one another. This truth is centered in
the Word of God so we cannot compromise our unity by avoiding the truth.
OUR BEHAVIOR MUST EXEMPLIFY LEGITIMATE ANGER
1. Put off sinning in your anger
If you have been made angry then
do not sin. Sin will be very easy when you are angry. Anger can be like
pointing a loaded gin at someone. Take this off or you will pull the trigger
and be divisive and upset the unity in the body.
3. Put on reconciliation
As quickly as possible reconcile
the situation so the relationship can be intact and retrieved from a divisive
behavior. Most likely, your angry outburst will require reconciliation. Don’t
hold that back. Pursue it!
3. The reason is the Devil uses this disrupt our unity
Anger is a huge subject in the
Bible. Good anger is God’s anger and bad anger is ours. For
instance; 1. Good anger is aimed at those commercializing the worship of
God Mt 21:12. Its bad anger when it lasts more than a day Eph 4:26. 2. Good
anger because of hardness of heart of religious people. Its bad when it makes
you bitter, jealous or envy Eph 4:31. 3. Its good when about people dividing up
the church Gal 2:11-16. Its bad when it leads to
revenge Rom 12:17-21. 4. Its good when about false teachers 2 Pt 2:1; Gal 5:12.
Its bad when a sudden outburst w/o thot
or reason James
OUR BEHAVIOR MUST EXEMPLIFY HONEST WORK
1. Put off stealing
The idea is to stop the stealing
that you have been doing. It may have something to do with an unwillingness to
work to take care of your self and your family in context. So it is stealing
that is an attempt to avoid working.
2. Put on honest work
Start
doing something you have not been doing. It should be honest labor instead
of dishonest gain.
3. The reason is because supplying my needs I have something to give
So it is for sharing what I
labor for to those in need instead of taking what is not mine. It is a paradigm
shift from stealing from the product of others work to giving from the product
of my work. Poorer believers, those teaching us the Bible, those involved in
evangelism and discipleship and those in full time ministry are supported.
OUR BEHAVIOR MUST EXEMPLIFY SUITABLE SPEECH
1. Put off unwholesome speech
You can tell if the supernatural
is at work in one’s life by how well they have their mouth under control. Stop
speech that has a derogatory effect. It is the nature of the speech but also
its outcome as evil.
2. Put on suitable speech
Speech,
which contributes to harmony. Not just getting something off
of my chest but speech that contributes to the personal and spiritual
development of one another. Speech that encourages our
maturity and spiritual growth. Speech that is based in
truth and not lies. Speech for the purpose of building
us up in Christ. Speech that is appropriate for every moment.
3. The reason is to bring benefit and not grieve the HS
This kind of speech increases
unity amongst us. Words can make us or break us. Even the Holy Spirit is
emotionally impacted by the quality of my speech. We strive against Him with
our divisive speech. This is the same Spirit given as a pledge of our future.
OUR BEHAVIOR MUST EXEMPLIFY FORGIVENESS
1. Put off malicious attitudes/actions
Using 5 vices as examples, we
must put off all forms of malicious behavior. That includes things like
bitterness (Like a piercing sound or bitter taste that penetrates), wrath
(burning rage), anger (state of anger), clamor (shouting and screaming), and
slander (abusive, belittling).
2. Put on forgiveness
This may be the most difficult
yet. Forgiveness is to be delivered in the manner of kindness and tenderness.
Not a blunted or forced forgiveness. A forgiveness freely given not slowly
handed out. Forgiveness is laying aside the consequences required by someone’s
actions. It means suffering the consequences of another’s sin against God
without seeking revenge, holding a grudge or demanding justice.
3. The reason is God forgave us
The comparison is not between me
and you but me and God. That forgiveness of me is basis of my forgiveness of
you. Restoration requires repentance but forgiveness is given without it.
APPLICATION
1. God takes seriously unity
within the people of God. It must be a serious matter with us.
2. Unity is maintained by each
one of us. We all have this responsibility.
3. Unity comes in the context of
truth telling, controlled anger, giving, suitable speech, and forgiveness. Not
by tolerance but by agreement with the truth.