Ephesians

Ephesians 4:30—5:2

Forgive, Love— and Live!

There is an oft-quoted prayer of an anonymous child who prayed, “Lord, make the bad people good and the good people nice.” I think we all empathize with that prayer. So often it seems that being religious has a souring effect. We all know people who are undeniably “good” in the sense that they are moral, honest, upright, and truthful—yet they are often cold, rigid, and unpleasant to be around. Such people are not nice at all!

If you are that kind of Christian, then you have not yet entered into New Testament Christianity. A holy but not-nice Christian is an incomplete Christian—he or she has not experienced all the spiritual growth and spiritual joy that God intended for us. When we put off the old self and put on Christ, we did not put on sour personality—that is not what our Lord Jesus Christ is like at all! A genuine Christian demonstrates not only the morality and truth of Christ, but also the character of Christ—His warmth, graciousness, and love.

That same character is reflected in the one who learns to put off the old self and put on Christ. Being a Christian must make a definite, definable difference in your life. Authentic conversion is evident in a changed life. Many think of this change in negative terms: A Christian does not lie, does not fly into a rage, doesn’t steal, and doesn’t indulge in unwholesome talk. But is that all there is to being a practicing Christian?

The impression that the world often gets of Christian negativism is a kind of smug, self-righteous pietism that completely misses the point of authentic biblical Christianity. The faith that Jesus came to give us is not a negative faith. It is not concerned primarily with taboos. Genuine Christianity is a joyful faith.