Did you know that the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, has a personality? He has the ability to feel joy, sorrow, and anger just like we do. Given that God sees each Christian as His holy temple and has given them His Spirit to dwell inside them, we believers are to live our lives in a way that is pleasing and glorifying to God.
In the middle of Ephesians chapter 4, Paul provides a basic list of instructions to the church in Ephesus concerning Christian living. He begins with telling them that they are to not be like the Gentiles in Ephesus who’ve given into the darkness of idolatry, sexual immorality, and nearly every other form of sin. Ephesus was a leading city of commerce and culture in the Roman Empire, home to the pagan temple of Diana, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was not the friendliest place to be for early Christians, for it was a city overrun with evil.
Paul admonished them to speak truthfully to their neighbors; to not allow their anger cause them to sin; to not steal to get by, but to work and make good use of their hands and share their rewards with others in need. Paul warned them about unwholesome talk; do not lie, gossip, or complain about others. Instead, they were to build each other up and to help them according to their needs. He tells them to get rid of all bitterness, anger, slander, and every form of malice. He finishes chapter 4 by saying, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (v.32).
The challenge that the early Christians in Ephesus faced is the same challenge Christians face today 2000 years later: engaging the dark culture around us without compromising our Christian beliefs and becoming part of the culture ourselves.
If it seems like a daunting challenge, that’s because it most certainly is. We think of Daniel living all of his adult life as an exile living in Babylon, where the culture around him was even more pagan and wicked than that of Ephesus. But Daniel’s trust in God was so strong that there was no way he would defy what God wanted him to do, even if it might cost him his life. Oh, what we wouldn’t give to have faith like Daniel’s! And what couldn’t we do if we did!
Paul tells the Ephesians in verse 30, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” In other words, don’t bring sorrow and anger upon God’s Holy Spirit living within you. Instead, live in a way that brings Him joy. Then watch the world around you become a little less dark because of the light He has given you.
Former Blackout Artist 