Ephesians (W8D4) Foothold
Week 8. Thursday: Foothold
PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word.
READ: Ephesians 4:25-28
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your 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 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words
Put Off Falsehood (Greek: apotithēmi pseudos): to lay aside deceitful ideas or ways
Falsehood refers to conscious and intentional lies.
The source of falsehood is ultimately the devil (John 8:44).
Speak Truthfully (Greek: laleō alētheia): to articulate objective truth
Speaking truth to each other leads to maturity in our faith (Ephesians 4:15).
The source of our truth is the Holy Spirit (John 16:13).
Neighbor (Greek: plēsion): a friend, acquaintance
We usually think of a neighbor in a literal sense, but it’s more than that.
According to Christ, every person is our neighbor (see Luke 10:25-37).
Anger (Greek: orgizō): provoked to a wrathful attitude
It is not sin to be angry, because even God gets angry.
It becomes sin when act wrathfully or bury our anger over time.
Also see Proverbs 15:1; 22:24; 29:8 and Romans 12:19.
Foothold (Greek: topos): opportunity, a portion of space and power
Unresolved anger gives the devil space and power in your life.
Anger can become a foothold that holds you back from true life.
Useful (Greek: agathos): something good, upright, and honorable
Believers must be productive members of society.
We should be disciplined, hard working, and an example employee.
Something to Share (Greek: metadidōmi): to impart to another
Paul gives us insight here into the purpose of our work.
The purpose of our work is provision for ourselves and others.
APPLY: What is this passage calling me to do?
Paul tells us that our new self in Christ should live in the truth, deal with anger properly, never steal, work hard, and share with others. That’s a tall order but that’s the job description. If we follow these instructions we will live a much better life.
Which of these instructions do you most struggle with? Why?
Do you have an unresolved anger? What do you need to do to resolve it?
PRAY: Ask God to give you the power to live out His Word.
