Be angry, and yet do not sin - Do not be overcome by evil

Ephesians 4:17-32 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, ¹⁸ being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; ¹⁹ and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. ²⁰ But you did not learn Christ in this way, ²¹ if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, ²² that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, ²³ and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

²⁵ Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. ²⁶ Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and do not give the devil an opportunity. ²⁸ 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. ²⁹ Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. ³⁰ Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus says:   “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”  There should be a distinguishable difference between believers and the world. As salt, believers should preserve goodness and righteousness. As light, believers should not be hidden in or by the darkness, they should dispel darkness. Believers should have a discernable influence on and in the world around them. Far too often today, there is little or no discernable difference between believers and the world. Because so much of the focus of the church is on grace, there is little attention paid to repentance and change; on becoming a new creation in Christ; on taking on the righteousness of Christ. In today’s text it says:  Just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,  and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,  and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.  Truth is not a concept. It is not subjective or relative, as the world claims that it is. Truth is in Jesus. In John 14:6 Jesus says: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”  Jesus is the truth and He is the way to the likeness of God; to righteousness and holiness. Those who do not know Jesus, cannot know truth.

The text says:  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. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.  Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.  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.    We see, demonstrated in our society, the difficulty that people have with not allowing their anger to result in sin. We see daily that anger results in violence, destruction and even death. When anger results in sin, the devil has an opportunity to create more chaos, anger, violence and destruction. In John 10:10 Jesus says:   The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  The devil uses the anger of people as an opportunity to steal, kill and destroy. Romans 12:21 says:  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  Righteous anger does not concern itself with the things that offend self, but rather with the things that are an offense to God. In the righteousness of Christ, as believers we need to speak the words of Christ: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) In John 16:33 Jesus says: “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Just like truth, to know peace, is to know Jesus.

Our words should be the words of Christ in and to every situation and circumstance we face. We should, Let no unwholesome word proceed from our mouths, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Still though, as Paul said previously, we should speak the truth in love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says:   Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.  Romans 8:35-39 says:  Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …  But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit, that You are light and truth and love. Thank You that You have made me new, You have given me righteousness and truth. May I be salt and light to the world and overcome the evil of the world with the truth of Your love, a love that does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rather was demonstrated in the cross, where sin and death was overcome.    Amen.