The Blessed Effects of God’s Saving Grace (4:1–6:20)
Examples of pure living
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
Shading the truth a bit and adjusting the facts are common weaknesses among people. They should not, however, be the Christian’s way of doing things. Dishonesty is especially damaging when it occurs among believers, “for we are all members of one body.” To deceive a fellow Christian is really to harm oneself, because just as in the human body all the members work together for the common good, so it is also in the church. Being dishonest with another Christian is like shooting oneself in the foot.
Many things stir Christians to righteous anger. They cannot stand idly by while God’s name is taken in vain or his Holy Word is taught falsely. They rightly become angry when children are neglected or abused. They feel indignation when owners are defrauded of their property. The danger, however, is that righteous anger can turn into hatred and vengeful reprisal. Satan would love to see that! It gives him a “foothold.” Quoting Psalm 4:4, Paul urges that anger not be allowed to fester. Rather, if at all possible, the matter causing the anger should be addressed that very day, before it has the opportunity to turn into something sinful (see also Luke 12:58).
Bringing home a few supplies from work in a lunch bucket is not a new problem. Paul urges the thief to give up his pilfering ways and put in an honest day’s labor. Although it is by no means his main point, it is interesting to see how Paul asserts the dignity of manual labor. In the Greek world such tasks were left largely to women and slaves. For the men, a dignified and meaningful occupation meant being out in public life. Paul doesn’t reflect that point of view. The Christian, Paul says, will engage in any kind of honest labor, including “doing something useful with his own hands.” Then he won’t have to take from others, but he’ll have enough for himself and can even “share with those in need.”