June 2 2024

Frankie / General

Christian life / Conversation / Ephesians 4:29–32

Ephesians 4:29-32

1. Conversation (talking) forms the foundation of our relationships throughout our lives. It is through conversation that we understand and judge one another. Reflecting on the Reformation period, we see that doctrines were established through debates—essentially, logical conversations. In the realms of philosophy and theology, there are two primary methods of debate: apologetics and dialectics.

2. Apologetics is based on a deductive approach. It starts with a predetermined answer and defends it against other doctrines. A prime example is the debate between Creationism and evolutionism. Similarly, the theological debate between Calvinism and Arminianism follows this pattern. Calvinism, for instance, asserts that there is no room for human will in God's providence and salvation, while Arminianism argues that salvation involves human will and decision.

3. Meanwhile, dialectics relies on an inductive approach, where participants share information to collaboratively develop a better answer. This method involves establishing a thesis, considering an antithesis, and forming a synthesis. For example, they might start with the thesis that the church is the body of Christ. Then, they consider the antithesis that the church is merely a human religious organization. Through discussion, they develop a synthesis: the church is the body of Christ, composed of God's chosen people through Jesus Christ, and it functions as a human organization representing God's work.

4. In our daily lives, we constantly engage in the work of conversation. The reason I mention this at the beginning of today's sermon is because our theme today is "Conversation.” Let's begin by reading Ephesians 4:29-32.

Ephesians 4:29–30 NRSV

Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4:31–32 NRSV

Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

5. After addressing the new identity believers have in Jesus in chapters 1 to 3, Paul shifts his focus to how Christians should conduct their lives by following the Holy Spirit. It's crucial to remember that the Christian life begins with receiving a new identity from God through faith in Jesus, rather than modifying our conduct to establish our identity in Christ. Christian's new life is one of unity within the body of Christ. Our conduct, therefore, should be dedicated to fostering and maintaining this unity, as it is a gift from God through Christ.

Ephesians 4:2–3 NKJV

with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

6. In today's passage, verses 29-32, Paul addresses Christian conversation. The word I want to highlight is "evil talk" (NRSV) or "unwholesome talk" (NIV). In the Greek Bible, this word is "sapros," which primarily means "rotten" and has a derived sense of "worthless." It refers to talk that is not only "rotten" but also spreads rottenness, much like bad fruit, leading others to focus on the worthless (Foulkes, F. (1989), An Introduction and Commentary on Ephesians, p. 141).

7. Several weeks ago, Minju and Choah attended a Bible Quizzing event at Millar College of the Bible over the weekend. During that time, I bought a pack of strawberries intending to eat them, but I got distracted by preparations for Mother's Day breakfast and forgot about them. Two days later, I was disappointed to find several rotten strawberries in the pack. I hadn’t checked them carefully, and the rot had spread throughout the pack. Eventually, I removed the spoiled strawberries and ate the rest.

8. In the first century, Christians faced significant challenges in freely believing in Jesus due to their circumstances. They were persecuted by both the Jews and the Romans, leading many to abandon their faith in Christ. We know that negative thoughts can spread more easily than positive ones. Building a good habit requires much more effort than breaking it. Similarly, when someone lost their faith and began expressing negative thoughts about Christianity, these thoughts spread quickly and could devastate the Christian community, much like a spoiled fruit contaminates the entire pack.

Matthew 16:5–6 NLT

Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

1 Corinthians 5:6–7 NIV

Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

9. Therefore, when we engage in conversation, we should remember that our words are not just trivial expressions but powerful tools that can either build up or tear down our lives. Similarly, the reason we should be kind and compassionate to one another is to foster and maintain our relationships in Jesus, which is essential for building and sustaining the church. The term "edification" means helping others rebuild their lives. In this process, we must not force people to learn or change. We have seen the detrimental effects of such an approach in the history of residential schools in Canada. When the government and churches attempted to "edify" the First Nations through coercion, it resulted in failure and harm, demonstrating that true edification cannot be achieved through force.

10. The reason we often become rude when trying to edify someone is that we desire immediate results. However, the Bible teaches that God does not seek instant outcomes. Instead, God is patient and demonstrates steadfast endurance.

Psalm 145:8 (NKJV)

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy.

11. God waited patiently for 400 years until His appointed time arrived. Similarly, He waited over 2000 years to send Jesus Christ at the appointed time. God's work is not characterized by rapidity; rather, it is marked by patience and endurance. The word "Hesed" in the Old Testament poses challenges in translation to English. While it is often rendered as "love" or "charity" (KJV), this fails to fully capture its essence. Hesed encompasses the idea of demonstrating affection consistently and energetically over a prolonged period. Therefore, "steadfast endurance" aligns more closely with the original meaning of Hesed. God's love remains constant and unwavering, as He does not change. This constancy is difficult for us humans to comprehend, as our capacity for enduring love is limited. How long can we maintain our strength? Perhaps 20 or 30 minutes? Personally, I could only hold a 20 kg box for 5 minutes at most. Yet, God has demonstrated His unwavering strength and love for over 2000 years without faltering.

12. We've all experienced moments of rudeness or anger when our energy levels drop, as our bodies heavily rely on energy. Our physical and mental states are interconnected, each influencing the other. Therefore, we understand the necessity of relying on the Spirit to maintain the same level of kindness and gentleness toward one another, regardless of our energy levels.

Romans 8:26 MSG

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans.

13. Today's sermon preparation feels particularly providential as we have an Annual General Meeting (AGM) following the service, and we all know that meetings rely heavily on conversation. This reminds me of my experience attending an AGM in South Korea when I first became a youth pastor. During the meeting, tensions arose, especially when discussing the financial report. Arguments ensued, with some individuals attempting to assert their opinions forcefully into the budget. Regrettably, some elders resorted to manipulating the pastor and engaging in negative speech. This negativity became like a spoiled fruit, spreading throughout the church and ultimately leading to its division.

14. An AGM is not merely a platform to assert our own thoughts or opinions. Rather, it's an opportunity to reflect on how God has been at work in our church over the past year. It's a time for prayer, encouragement, and seeking God's guidance for the future steps of the church. So, let's cleanse ourselves of any negativity or impurity. Let's rid ourselves of any rottenness. Instead, let's humbly seek God's help to share His perspective and wisdom throughout the AGM.