But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all (NKJV).
In our previous study, Paul spoke of where we had come from regarding the old nature and the world. We were sons of disobedience and walked in that disobedience concerning how we lived our life. Today’s study, along with the next lesson, we will focus on the “character of the New Man.”
Beginning in verse 8, Paul gives us our assignment of putting off the characteristics of the “old man” and putting on the “character of the New Man.” He speaks in the context of how all men, created in Christ, are part of this new creation of the Spirit. He clearly defines what it means to “put on Christ,” which we develop in the next lesson.
Paul gets very personal with the reader when he says, “But now you yourselves are too.” The message we have received of the gospel of the kingdom is pointed directly at us. Don’t say, “that the message was for so and so.” As I prepare these teachings, I am fully aware that I am reading and hearing for my spirit and soul. The Holy Spirit is at work in my heart, even as I prepare to share His word with others. It is the adage of the three fingers. When my index finger points at you, there are “three” other fingers pointing at me. And let me add to that thought, my “thumb” is pointing upward, signifying my need and dependence on the Heavenly Father’s help in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Okay, I think we get it. Paul is speaking to all of us. Paul’s authority to teach came, as the servant of Christ, who first learned to walk in the truth of what he is instructing the believers. Remember what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:31, I die daily. If you want an in-depth understanding of Paul’s statement, read 1 Corinthians 15:31-49.
Paul goes to the heart of the matter. “Put off all of these:” Before we look at the inventory Paul addresses, let’s talk about what it means “putting off.” In my daily practice, usually at night, I take off the clothing of the day. By the end of the day, it is somewhat soiled. My clothes had picked up oils and odors from the body, outside particles from the atmosphere, or direct contact with things rubbed up against like food or dirt. You get the point! What I described is a daily practice.
When we received the Lord Jesus Christ, we brought the world and especially our old nature with us. We learned of Christ’s love for us and the forgiveness of our sins, including the beginning process of removing the old man and the receiving of the new nature of Christ. As we learned in Colossians 1:13, we were translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. We became justified because of the blood of Jesus. We received a “right standing” before the heavenly Father. But we also began to experience the daily work in a defiled world. We were positioned “righteous before the Throne of God, but needed to put on Christ daily.” Learning the “putting off the filth of the world” and daily putting on the clothing of His righteousness every day.
With that in mind, note what Paul deals with first, anger. Anger, in varying degrees, is something all of us encounter. It is so common that Paul addresses it this way in Ephesians 4:26-27, “be angry, and do not sin do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” Look closely at Paul’s instructions, anger can lead to sin, sin will lead to wrath, and both anger and wrath will give place to the devil.
Wrath is reserved for God. Deuteronomy 32:34-35 and Romans 12:17-19. Wrath encapsulates “vengeance.” The Lord says that “vengeance is sealed up among my treasures.” Vengeance belongs to God. The Lord has a day for His recompense, a day when he will bring calamity. “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” We are to respond to our enemy with good! The New Testament command is, “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21 NKJV).
Malice is next on Paul’s list of things we are to put off. Malice is the intention or desire to do evil and to have ill will toward another. The son and daughter of God are to be redemptive in all their motives toward others. Being “evil” is of the kingdom of darkness, being redemptive is of the kingdom of God and His dear Son. My commitment to Christ is that “I bear no malice toward anybody.” Our goal is to love, even our enemies.
Blasphemy is the next word Paul mentions. Here is a good definition: “the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk.” (Oxford Dictionary). The world routinely blasphemes the name of our Father and His Son. There is no reverence in their language of God. No knowledge of His love and mercy. Yet, the Heavenly Father loves them, and He routinely brings His love to bear in their lives because He is merciful and kind.
The contrast is evident in the false religion of Islam. Wrong, in their representation of God and their rejection of God’s only begotten Son who came to redeem all of humankind. They deal with “blasphemy” by violence and murder. In modern-day times, multitudes have been beheaded because of Islam’s definition of blasphemy toward their prophet. Their God is vengeful by nature. The Christian God is good and loving, providing redemption for sinful and ignorant people. But He is also Righteous and Holy and will be vengeful toward all who reject His means of redemption through Christ, who bore God’s wrath on the cross. God’s wrath was satisfied through Christ’s sacrificial death. Through the power of Christ’s resurrection life forgiveness is given to all those who receive Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. After that, there is no more way to avoid the final judgment for sin and rebellion.
Next, Paul addresses “filthy language.” One of the most eye-opening experiences came when I was ministering to a man who had a twenty-year record of alcohol and drug abuse, which had brought havoc upon his family. As soon as I confronted the demons in the man, they threw him on the ground, and he began to beat his head on the floor. Then out of his mouth came the most horrific filthy language that I had ever heard. In the language were blasphemies, wrath, and extreme arrogance or pride from the demons.
The clincher was when the demons screamed at me through the man to “shut up.” Their words were because they could not stand what I was saying over the man by prayer and in the authority of Christ.” They called the prayers I was praying in what the Bible calls other tongues, “filthy language.” They said to me, “stop it, we cannot stand that filthy language.” How about that for insightfulness? The devil and his dominions cannot stand our prayers of deliverance over their captives! We gave up our filthy language in exchange for the language of heaven filled with love and mercy for the hurting and broken among us.
Next, Paul deals with the issue of lying to one another. There are to be “no lies” in the community of God. The standard is the TRUTH. Lying is a major essential component of the “old man nature.” Remember Ananias and Sapphira of Acts 5? Peter asked them, “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit . . . Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.” Both of them died in front of all for their lying to the Spirit of God. Their death put fear in the community, as it should have. A good question would be, how much lying in the church today brings God’s judgment through sickness and disease and other calamities in the life of believers who lie to the Holy Spirit? Could this be the reason why we are so limited in seeing God’s power manifested among us? If the Holy Spirit was moving among us the way He was through the apostles, would there be more of this kind of judgment in the Lord’s house for lying to the Spirit and the breaking of vows to the Lord. How much do we think is natural sickness and death? When, in fact, our prayers are hindered because we do not take these verses seriously enough?
The gospel of the kingdom, once we deal with the cross and enter into His resurrection life, is all about “THE NEW MAN.” Verse 10, “and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.” This is the point, a new creation of the Spirit, a new man according to the image of the creator. The new man is on earth today. He appeared in the resurrection of Christ. He began to multiply on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the 120 in the upper room and moved to the streets of Jerusalem. As Peter, anointed with the Holy Spirit, spoke of Jesus, whom God raised from the dead, David’s greater son, was made by God both Lord and Christ. Three thousand men of Israel repented and received Christ as Lord of all. They also received from God the promised Holy Spirit, just like those in the upper room. A new man emerged; a redeemed Israel began that day. The world would never be the same again. Jesus began to build His church that the gates of hell would not prevail. His church grew made up of Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free, Christ is all in all.
Next time we will address this as the community of God and how we live life together as a witness to the world around us as the “Character of the New Man” is revealed.