Ephesians Part 27
Therefore, let us replace what is not like Him with His own attributes: truth for deceit, peace for anger, generosity for selfishness, grace for corruption and forgiveness for malice.
Paul gives us 6 practical instructions regarding how to live like Christ in this portion of Ephesians. Today we continue from yesterday’s lesson as we look at the remaining three of the six practical examples.
Paul addresses our speech in verse 29:
“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”
The words we speak reveal the condition of our hearts. If our hearts are pure, our speech will be life-giving. As Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). The Greek word sapros for “corrupt” literally means “rotten” or “decayed.” Just as a bad tree produces bad fruit (Matthew 7:17–18), so a corrupt heart produces harmful speech. It has been asked, “What comes out of an orange when you squeeze it?” The only thing that can come out is orange juice, because that is what is inside. What comes out of us when we are squeezed? What kind of thoughts do we think when we are stressed, what kind of language do we use? The answers are a good barometer for our spiritual condition.
Paul coaches us to use our God-given gift of language constructively—to build up, not tear down. Our words have creative power; they can heal or destroy. As Proverbs 10:11 says,
“The mouth of the righteous is a well of life.”
Jesus’ own words were marked by grace:
“All bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth” (Luke 4:22).
Likewise, our words should impart grace to those who hear, encouraging, uplifting and healing.
Paul then writes, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by [which] you were sealed for the day of redemption.” The Holy Spirit is God’s presence within us, His seal of ownership and His pledge of future inheritance. Through the Spirit, God begins His creative work in us now—the transformation of mind and heart into the likeness of Christ (Romans 12:1-2). To grieve the Spirit is to resist that process, to act contrary to the character God is forming in us. Just as earthly parents are grieved when their children mistreat one another, so our heavenly Father is grieved when we speak and act without love.
Hebrews 6:4–8 issues a sobering reminder: those who have tasted the goodness of God, experienced His Spirit, and then turn away cannot easily return. The soil of our hearts can grow either fruit or thorns, and unfruitfulness leads to judgment. Therefore, Paul urges us to cooperate with the Spirit’s transforming work and to cultivate fruit such as humility, kindness and love.
Finally, verses 31–32 summarize the chapter’s moral vision:
“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
These negative attitudes are all rooted in pride, the leaven of self-centeredness. Pride resists grace and breeds resentment. But humility, as James 4:6 teaches, opens the door to God’s favor:
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Pride forgets that every good thing comes from God—it says, “I did this myself.” But humility remembers that we were created, called and gifted by God’s mercy. The Beatitudes in Matthew 5 describe the antidotes to these destructive attitudes: meekness, mercy, purity and peace.
Colossians 3:8–16 echoes this same teaching—put off anger, wrath, malice and slander, and put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. This “replacement therapy” transforms us into the image of Christ, preparing the Bride for her Bridegroom. We should always be examining ourselves. What attitudes have attached to our hearts? Have pride or resentment taken root? Let us replace them with the unleavened virtues of humility and love.
This transformation is not accomplished by human effort alone. Our old nature resists these godly qualities, but God’s Spirit works within us to will and to do His good pleasure. Through prayer, study, fasting and meditation, we “stir up the Spirit” and invite God to renew our minds. When we fail in our own strength, it is a reminder that we must rely wholly on Him. The result is gratitude, not pride—for we see clearly that it is God who changes us.
As the Expositor’s Bible Commentary notes, Paul’s final exhortation, “put away all bitterness,” literally means “let it be removed.” Every trace of these corrupt emotions must be forsaken. In their place, kindness and forgiveness must reign—reflecting the very heart of God. Just as the chapter began with an appeal to “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love” so it ends with the same appeal (Ephesians 4:1-2). Children imitate their parents; we, as God’s children, are called to imitate our Father.
Therefore, let us replace what is not like Him with His own attributes: truth for deceit, peace for anger, generosity for selfishness, grace for corruption, and forgiveness for malice. Christ is our goal. To walk worthy of our calling is to walk as He walked—in truth, love and humility.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
