Scripture
Unity in the Body
1Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
5There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.
7However, he has given each one of us a special gift[1] through the generosity of Christ. 8That is why the Scriptures say,
“When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people.”[2]
9Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.[3] 10And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.
11Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
14Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
Living as Children of Light
17With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
20But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
25So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”[4] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
28If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
30And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,[5] guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
31Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Translation notes (5)
- 4:7 Greek a grace.
- 4:8 Ps 68:18.
- 4:9 Some manuscripts read to the lower parts of the earth.
- 4:26 Ps 4:4.
- 4:30 Or has put his seal on you.
26If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.
Our tongues are responsible for much of the conflict and pain in the world. They hold much power. Many people use their words to tear down, hurt others, and cause destruction. Scripture teaches that followers of Christ are called to live differently. We are called to live differently and use our words to build others up rather than tearing them down.
James taught in James chapter 1 that if we want to be people who don't just hear God's word but also live it out, we must control our tongues. He wrote, "If you claim to be religious, but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless" (verse 26). James taught very clearly that if we claim to be followers of Christ, we are to talk and treat others differently. We are to have a grasp on our tongues and not say everything that comes to our minds. According to James, controlling our tongues is a marker of being a hearer and doer of God's word.
James is certainly not the only person who wrote about controlling our tongues. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:29, "Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." This command from Paul is a good description of what it looks like to control our tongues. We focus on building up with every word that we say.
Imagine if you spoke every word intending to build up the people around you. Imagine the impact you could have. Let's bring light and life through the words we say and speak, pointing everyone around us to Christ.
Moving toward action
Who is someone who needs encouragement today? Write them a letter or give them a phone call and encourage them. Use your words to build them up and point them to Jesus, who loves them very much.
Going Deeper
Ephesians 4:1-32
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