“Nobody deserves to be praised for goodness unless he is strong enough to be bad, for any other goodness is usually merely inertia or lack of will-power.”
"You should be a monster. An absolute monster. And then you should learn how to control it."
"...And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."
Important things in the Bible are often repeated or rephrased throughout as a means to emphasize their importance. The latter half of Ephesians 4 is no different.
Ephesians 4:17-32 generally expresses similar sentiments and critiques as Romans 1 - describing the condition of Gentiles whilst in paganism. While Romans tends to look at it from God's perspective, Ephesians reiterates this same condition from a more man-centered perspective. We're exhorted to put off our old self (v.22) and put on our new self, washed in the blood of Christ and renewed by the grace of God (v.23-24).
I'd like to put some extra emphasis on the latter half, verses 25-32. This is a significant problem that I have had over the years, understanding the nature of this passage and how to rightly apply it even amongst the outpouring of sinfulness in my own heart. It is a good reminder to all of us that we are to be above the pettiness that we see exhibited by the world.
25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
27 and give no opportunity to the devil.
28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
In my usual, "too gung-ho for my own good", on top of everything else I've added my church's Friday morning men's study to my list of events, along with Steven J. Lawson's Thursday morning study. The cup overfloweth.
We're going through Acts in the Friday study, today's examined 1:12-26, touching on qualifications and election of church officers. We even delved into the PCA Book of Church Order and touched on lots of implications of the process. It was a pretty edifying conversation and actually bolstered my conviction that the presbyterian form of church government has a lot of good qualities that act as guard rails for everything from the local church to the top of the organizational ladder. I'm still a little iffy on the idea of covenant paedobaptism without subsequent regenerate dunking baptism - but that's not necessarily a deal breaker.
May your weekend be blessed. I just brewed some Death Wish Coffee medium roast in a french press, and it looks like motor oil, just how I like it. We'll see if it lives up to its name. Hooray for the Kroger 50% off bargain shelf!
Once I get some other situations sorted out, I hope to be able to start acquiring coffee from sources I'd prefer to support, such as Reformed Roasters: Coffee that Chooses You and Life Over Coffee (once they get their store up selling their beans).