Acting As A Saved Person
Verse 14 – Doctrine is important, as is stated in I Timothy 4:1, where Satan uses false doctrine to cause people to fall into sin. Doctrine teaches us what is right and what God expects. There are some who declare that doctrine isn’t important, just everybody get along and get together, regardless of what they believe. This is Satan’s ploy. Be sure to study doctrine so you will be obedient to HIM. There are some who are waiting (on purpose) to deceive. II Tim. 3:13 – there are some who are deceiving and being deceived.
Verse 15 – Speaking the truth in love is the way to grow up into Christ, who is the head of all things. Speak the truth in love, not in anger. The truth involves doctrine, which must be rightly understood. If you don’t know the truth, you can’t speak the truth.
Verse 16 – When everybody in each local church does what they are supposed to do, this verse will be fulfilled. You can’t make anybody else obey, but it is your job to obey, thus you will fit into the body. If you feel like you aren’t a real part of the body (this church), it is probably because you don’t understand doctrine like you should, and you don’t have the love for God you ought to have. If you don’t have the love for God like you should, you won’t have the love for others you ought to have. If you are too busy in this world, you won’t have time to be busy for God. If you want to fit into the church body like you know God wants you to fit in, then take some time before you get to church services for personal study and prayer and speaking about God and His eternal goodness. Many people don’t get anything out of church services because they haven’t read their Bibles before services, or at home at all. It is possible for one member to have a revival and another member to not have a revival.
Verse 17-19 – Don’t live like lost Gentiles, in the blindness of their minds through ignorance. LEARN what true holiness is by constantly studying the Word of God.
Lasciviousness means “wantonness,” “unbridled lust,” “shamelessness,” “outrageousness”
Verse 22 – Put off the former conversation (life style, or manner of living) which leads to destruction.
Verse 23 – Spirit of the mind – or the Holy Spirit, revive the way you think so you will be thinking like God Almighty. Don’t be thinking like the flesh, or the material part of the mind, but think like the God part of the mind. In other words, don’t think fleshly thoughts, but think spiritual thoughts.
Verse 24 – Put on the new man – the allegory is like unto putting on clothes. Be on the outside (the part people see – your personality) so people can see Christ. Dress on the outside (the part people see – your body) so people can see Christ.
Verse 25 – Stop lying. Rev. 21:8 – All liars shall have their part in the Lake of Fire, which is the second death – habitual liars are lost.
Verse 26 – Don’t be angry, except to please God. Be angry at sin, not persons. You can be angry at your sins without being angry at yourself; so be angry at the sins of others without being angry at them. Even “good” angry should last no more than one day – don’t let the sun go down on your wrath. Anger is hard on your flesh. Don’t hurt yourself by being angry more than one day.
Verse 26 – Don’t give place to the devil. Simply means to not give Satan any room, or device to use against you. Don’t pay any attention to the devil – he will always lead you astray. If you know or think something is of the devil, don’t pay any attention, or give it any place in your thinking, or life.
Verse 28 – Don’t steal any more. Some people wouldn’t think of taking that which didn’t belong to them, because they will stealing from another person. II Samuel 24:24 – Araunah would have given his land to David to offer to God, so the plague would be stopped, but David wouldn’t give to God that which cost him nothing. This is what verse 28 is all about. Work with your own hands, so you will have to give to the other person who needs it. Don’t give that which you haven’t worked for. Women who work in the home, and hold no outside job can do this, by fulfilling Proverbs 31:10-31. Here is a very industrious woman who works hard at home and doesn’t spend her days watching T. V. or running to town to spend her husbands money. This woman is very happy to work with her own hands so she has to give (from herself and not another) to others. Some people wouldn’t think of taking that which didn’t belong to them, but they will steal from God. Malachi 3:8-12 – Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me by not giving tithes and offerings. This is why you are broke. You have put your money in a bag with holes and I have caused it all because you haven’t given to me the tithes and offerings first.
Verse 29 – No more gossiping, or talking about others which is not edifying.