Read: Ephesians 4:25-32
Watch: The Choice (BibleProject)
The Great Exchange: Clothes Make the Man
Today’s passage gives us a striking list of “don’ts.” On the surface, it looks like a catalog of moral failures we should avoid:
- Stop lying.
- Don’t let anger control you (it’s a foothold for the enemy).
- Quit stealing.
- Avoid foul or abusive language.
- Stop bringing sorrow to the Holy Spirit by the way you live.
- Get rid of bitterness, rage, harsh words, and slander.
Honestly, ask yourself: Do you really want to be the kind of person characterized by those things? Of course not. But Paul doesn’t leave us with an empty closet. He gives us the “Do’s”—the beautiful opposites of the list above:
- Tell the truth.
- Work hard so you can give generously.
- Speak only what is good and helpful.
- Bring joy to the Holy Spirit.
- Be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving.
Focus on the Person, Not the List
Is following Christ just a game of “Do’s and Don’ts”? Not at all! If you focus only on avoiding the wrong things, you’ll likely end up a legalist—weary and frustrated. If you only try harder to do the right things, you’ll eventually run out of willpower.
The key is found in verses 22–24: Put off your old self and be clothed with the new. As the late Dallas Willard used to say, discipleship is “… learning from Jesus, how to live my life as if He were I.” It is learning to live in the Kingdom of God exactly as Jesus lived in the Kingdom.
The Partnership of Transformation
If you want to be the kind of person who naturally and easily does the right thing, you must shift your focus from the “behavior” to the “Teacher.”
How are you doing in that apprenticeship? Are you partnering with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to be transformed into the image of Christ? We don’t just “try harder”; we “train” with Him. We take off the rags of the old self and allow Him to clothe us in His likeness.
Pray: Jesus, I want to be more like You. I surrender my “old clothes”—the bitterness, the anger, and the harsh words. Mold me and make me according to Your will. Help me to walk today in a way that brings joy to Your Spirit. Amen.
Discussion Questions:
The “Spiritual Wardrobe” Audit
1. The “Old Rags” Identification As you head into your day, pay attention to your “internal climate.” Is there a specific “old garment” you find yourself reaching for when you feel stressed or overlooked?
- Is it the cloak of harsh words to protect yourself? * Is it the heavy coat of bitterness toward a colleague or family member? Take a moment to name it, then pray: “Lord, I choose to take this off. It doesn’t fit who I am in You anymore.”
2. The “New Clothing” Choice Paul says we are to be “clothed with Christ.” Think about one specific interaction you have scheduled for today (a meeting, a dinner, a phone call).
What would it look like to walk into that room wearing gentleness or truth-in-love? Before you enter, visualize yourself “putting on” that trait, remembering that it is Christ’s own life being lived out through you.