Word of God together today to Ephesians chapter
4, where we take up our text in verse 29. Let
no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth,
but only such a word as is good for edification,
according to the need of the moment, that it
may give grace to those who hear. and do not
grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were
sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness
and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be
put away from you, along with all malice, and
be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving
each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven
you. It is a privilege to be an American citizen.
I recognize that we may have some friends here
today from other countries, and I'm sure you
feel that same way about the country you're from.
But those of us who are citizens of the United
States have been reminded in the last few hours
of the privilege that is ours in being citizens
of such a great country. I watched the Boston
Pops last night and listened to the crowd there
sing the patriotic songs, and my heart was stirred,
and maybe yours was too, as you listened to that
particular telecast and saw people waving the
flag, giving the Pledge of Allegiance, and honoring
our nation and its history. I was mindful of
the fact that there are those who have paid a
supreme price that you and I might enjoy our
liberty. I think of those who were willing to
lay their lives, their honor, their fortunes
on the line to declare our nation independent.
I think of those who were willing to sign the
Declaration of Independence from England. And
those who fought in the war and gave their lives
so that we might begin as a nation. And then
I think as well of those who down through the
history of our country since then have given
their lives. I think of my great uncle who was
killed in World War I, of an uncle of mine who
was killed in World War II. My grandmother was
told that the last shot that was fired in that
part of France as the war was coming to a close
took the life of her second son. And his only
brother, my father, became ill in World War II,
and as a result of that illness, died at 33 years
of age, just eight years after the war ended.
Now, many of you can point to sacrifices even
greater in your family, friends of yours who
have been taken because of war, those who have
been willing to lay down their lives so that
you and I today might celebrate July 4th and
call ourselves American citizens. It's a privilege
to be an American. That doesn't mean that we're
better than others, but to be citizens of this
nation of constitutional freedom is a gift of
God, and we ought not to forget that it is his
gift. Who are we that we should be born here
and not in some totalitarian state? And I hope
that we are appreciative and good heirs of the
liberty that we have been given by our past generations.
Traveling in other countries, as some of us have
done, one can sense the curiosity about the United
States. American citizens often draw crowds,
at least of children, some of whom have never
seen white skin, or some of whom wonder what
it must be like to be from America. look at American
citizens traveling abroad with disdain, but there
are still those who respect American citizens.
And I have sensed that, particularly in the Philippines,
where we visited some missionaries this last
fall. Even the younger generation expresses appreciation
for what the United States forces have done in
preventing the communist takeover, the totalitarian
takeover of the Philippines. Sadly, however,
there are some U .S. citizens who, when traveling
abroad, have abused that feeling toward Americans
and who have acted arrogantly, leaving a bad
taste in the mouths of those foreigners. That's
why the book The Ugly American was written, I
suppose, now over 20 years ago, to speak about
that particular thing. When we hear about that
sort of behavior on the part of American citizens
in other lands, it makes us ashamed. We respond
to that unseemly behavior with sorrow. And undoubtedly,
we would like to say to those Americans, clean
up your act. Conduct yourself as one who has
the honor of being called an American. If you
claim to be a citizen of the United States, then
bring honor to our country by your behavior,
not shame. Now it seems to me that there may
be somewhere in there an application for us as
citizens of God's kingdom, as children of God.
Is it not even more tragic when one who professes
the name of Jesus Christ lives inconsistently
with that profession? Do we not feel like saying
to that person, clean up your act, Christian?
If you claim to belong to the Son of God and
you have the honor of being called a Christian,
please live that way. Bring honor to that name.
That's what the Apostle Paul's burden is in our
text. Because he was writing to Christians who
were living in a pagan world, just as you and
I are living in a pagan world. They were carrying
over some of the habits from their former way
of life. Though they claimed the name of Christ,
though they claimed to be part of his kingdom
in the world, they were living according to the
standards of the pagans around them. And that's
why he says to them literally, don't go on letting
unwholesome words proceed from your mouth. You
see, the implication was that they were allowing
that. He says, don't go on grieving the Holy
Spirit. Implication, they were grieving the Holy
Spirit by the way they were living, at least
some of them. He says, let these vices that he
names in verse 31 be put away from you decisively
and once and for all. And then make it your habit
of life, your long -term goal to be kind and
tender -hearted, forgiving. You see, the Apostle
was writing to people just like you and me, instructing
all of us that we should live in a manner worthy
of the kingdom that we claim to be citizens of.
He tells us earlier in this chapter, walk worthy
of the calling with which you have been called.
The worthy walk of a Christian is one which pleases
God. It's a lifestyle that is known for several
features, some of them described for us in our
text today. A worthy walk in the first place
will involve a disciplined tongue. Look at verse
29. It's really an extension of verse 25 where
he tells us, laying aside falsehood, speak truth.
Now he says it a different way. Let no unwholesome
word proceed from your mouth. An undisciplined
tongue uses unwholesome words. The word unwholesome
here means rotten. It means putrid, corrupt,
falling apart, defiled. The picture is of a piece
of fruit. that has become over -ripened and is
no longer fit for human consumption. The apostle
says, don't let words unfit for human consumption
proceed from your mouth. Pretty graphic, isn't
it? He says these kinds of words are injurious.
What kinds of words are these? Well, certainly
it would include profanity. Do not let profanity
proceed from your lips. Surely it would include
obscenity as well. Do not be known for obscene,
defiled, corrupt talk. It would include verbal
abuse. Don't use your tongue as a whip to attack
others, he is saying here. Corrupt talk includes
gossip and tail bearing. Do not let words escape
your mouth, he says, which will injure other
people, which will destroy them and tear them
down. But on the other hand, he says, such a
word as is good. In other words, the opposite
of the corrupt word or the unwholesome word is
the good word. The word good means beneficial,
honorable, or helpful. And he says when we use
these kinds of words, when we communicate with
people using good words, there are three results.
The first one is edification. That is, our words
will build up other people. Our words will not
drag them down. Our words will not undermine
them. Our words will not destroy them. But our
words, on the other hand, will lift them up.
Our words will strengthen them. Isn't that a
beautiful thought? How easy it is, though, for
us to use our words otherwise to destroy people,
to hurt them. to attack them. And it's sad when
we do that. The apostle sets a standard here
that's high enough that all of us have to look
up to it. There's not a one of us who's reached
it. And he says, stop allowing defiling words
to escape your mouth. But rather, he says, good
words that build up other people. That's the
kind of people I like to be around, don't you?
That's the kind of person I want to be. And then
he says the second result of good words is that
it meets the need of the moment. That's a great
thought. You and I can use our words to meet
people at the point of their need. And how blessed
it is when we do that. The people who live around
you, who work around you, are frequently communicating
to you, I have a need. Now they may not use those
words. In fact, what they say may sound just
the opposite. Sometimes they are harsh. Sometimes
they attack you. Sometimes they say things that
hurt you. But keep in mind when people do that,
what they are really saying is, I have a need.
Will you help me? And it is at that point of
their need that the apostle tells us here we're
to open our mouths and let out good words. Proverbs
has a lot to say about the tongue, about the
mouth, about words. Open your Bible to Proverbs
15, for example. And notice what the writer says.
Proverbs 15 and verse 23. He says, A man has
joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a
timely word. One of the most delightful experiences
any of us can have. is to be in conversation
with someone else who gives us a timely word,
a word that we need just at that moment. Maybe
it's a word of admonition. We've been overlooking
something and this person says, hey, what about
this? And we need that. Or maybe we're discouraged.
Perhaps we're at the point of being ready to
give up and someone comes along and with a timely
word, lifts us up and enables us to go on. That's
what he's talking about. He says, how delightful
is that timely word. There is joy when someone
gives us an appropriate answer at that moment
of our need. And then turn to chapter 25 of Proverbs
and look at verse 11. Proverbs 25 and verse 11.
Like apples of gold in settings of silver is
a word spoken in right circumstances. We're not
exactly sure what the writer is trying to communicate
to us in the first part of that verse, but the
most obvious simile seems to be a silver bowl
in which golden apples have been placed. centerpiece
is put on the table to grace it, to make it beautiful.
Now he says to you and me that our words, spoken
in right circumstances, can grace and make lovely
a situation for other people. You and I can use
our good words to cause others to see beauty.
in circumstances, instead of darkness and ugliness.
You and I can use our words to bring benefit
to other people. That's what he's saying. What
a wonderful way to exercise our tongues. What
a great thing to be known as this kind of a person
who uses his tongue or her tongue to build up
other people, and to meet them at the point of
their need. And then, don't turn back there,
but there is a third result of good words from
the tongue, and that is it imparts grace to the
hearer. In other words, our tongues can bring
healing, health, restoration to those who hear
us. Our tongues, that is, can encourage them.
can console them. God can use our tongues to
meet their genuine needs so that grace is imparted
to them. We're in Proverbs. Turn over to chapter
16 and look at verse 24. He says, Pleasant words
are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing
to the bones. Back in those days, they didn't
have. M &M's, Babe Ruth's, Butterfingers, and
those kinds of things that we enjoy eating as
candy. When they wanted something sweet to bring
vitality to them, when they wanted something
that would taste good, they would go to a honeycomb
and take a piece of that and put it in their
mouths and chew it. That sweetness would satisfy
their need at that moment. Well, he's telling
us here, That pleasant words are that way. They're
like candy bars to us. And they bring sweetness
to the soul. That's the inner part of us. In
addition to that, they bring healing to the bones.
What is suggested here is that pleasant words
actually bring health to our bodies. Why is that?
Because so many of the problems that attack our
bodies come because of stress. tension, and pressure.
And when we minister to other people with sweet
words, pleasant words, which are like candy bars
to the soul, he says that that even has benefit
for our physical bodies. How wonderful to be
known as that kind of person who imparts grace,
healing, restoration, health to those who listen
to the conversation. There was one who lived
on the earth who never once misused his tongue.
He had a perfectly disciplined tongue, and of
course that's the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn in
your Bible to the Gospel of Luke and the fourth
chapter. Of our Savior, it says in Psalm 45,
2, it says of him who is the King, the Messiah,
Grace is poured into thy lips. And here in Luke
chapter 4, we see an expression that comes from
Psalm 45 too. But it's important for us to notice
the full context here. You'll notice that Jesus
has been ministering in other parts down in Judea.
And now he comes back to Galilee, to his home
region. And there the news spreads about him,
and he began teaching in their synagogues and
was praised by all. Here is this young rabbi
who has come back now to his home area, Galilee,
and who has been received widely. And then he
came to Nazareth. This is his hometown where
he was raised. And it was his custom on the Sabbath
to go to the synagogue. And he stood up to read.
Well, the book of the prophet Isaiah was given
to him. And it says he opened the book and found
the place where it was written, The Spirit of
the Lord is upon me because he anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me
to proclaim release to the captives and recovery
of sight to the blind, to set free those who
are downtrodden. to proclaim the favorable year
of the Lord. And then he rolled up the scroll.
Now he stopped in the middle of a verse in Isaiah.
He excluded the part of the verse that spoke
of judgment, because that has to do with his
second advent, when he comes back to the earth.
He stopped at that part of the verse that spoke
of his ministry at that time in his first coming.
When he closed the book, gave it back to the
attendant, sat down, and notice it says the eyes
of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. They
wondered what he was going to say about that
text that he had read. And he said something
they didn't expect. He said, today this scripture
has been fulfilled in your hearing. They knew
exactly what he was claiming. He was saying that
that prophecy of Isaiah regarding the Messiah
was fulfilled in himself. And it says, Isn't
that a beautiful description of our Lord? They
were wondering at the gracious words falling
from his lips. But then the whole situation turned.
They were saying, Is this not Joseph's son? And
he said to them, No doubt you will quote this
proverb to me, Physician, heal yourself. Whatever
we've heard you've done at Capernaum, do here
in your hometown as well. And he said, Truly
I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown.
But I say to you in truth, There were many widows
in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky
was shut up for three years and six months, when
a great famine came over the land. And yet Elijah
was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath
in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
And there were many lepers in Israel in the time
of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed,
but only Naaman the Syrian. And all in the synagogue
were filled with rage as they heard these things.
And they rose up and cast him out of the city
and led him to the brow of the hill on which
their city had been built in order to throw him
down the cliff. But passing through their midst,
he went on his way. What an amazing turn of events.
Up to this point, everyone was applauding. They
were all speaking well of him and praising him.
But now in his hometown, he read that key passage
from Isaiah and said, This refers to me. What
you have heard about me and what I have said
and the miracles that I have done, that refers,
that rather has been fulfilled in your hearing
in this day. And our Savior at that moment was
ministering to their need. You say, what do you
mean? You see, Jesus knew exactly what their
real heart need was. Their hearts were filled
with unbelief. It's evidenced in what they said.
Isn't this Joseph's son? We saw this kid grow
up. Who does he think he is to make this kind
of claim, is the implication. And then our Savior
began to expose to them their unbelief. And the
result was that they were filled with anger and
rage at him and attempted to kill him, but because
of his powerful presence, he merely walked through
the crowd and went on his way. Isn't it interesting
that here in the very text where it says that
grace issued forth from his lips, that what came
forth was actually a confrontation with sin?
My point is this. There are some times when we
think that if one uses good words, gracious words,
it means never confronting sin. It means never
making anyone else angry. It means if there's
something wrong, just to ignore that and, as
it were, sweep it under the rug so that there
are no problems. But here is our Lord Jesus Christ,
who never let any corrupt communication proceed
from his mouth, who is known for grace pouring
from his lips, and what does he do? He confronts
sin lovingly and graciously. Why? Because he
knew that was the point of their genuine need.
Here's what I'm saying. As you and I obey what
is said in Ephesians 4 .29, as we use good, beneficial,
gracious words toward other people, we need to
gear those words to truly meet their needs at
the moment. And sometimes that will mean confronting
their sin. Sometimes that will mean they're becoming
angry. with us. But the point is that we need
to look after their genuine good, what they really
need at that moment, and use good words that
God would give us to minister to them, that they
might be built up, that they might be ministered
to with grace, and that the need of the moment,
the true need of the moment in their lives may
be met. A disciplined tongue can confront people
with power, as did our Savior's tongue on this
occasion. A disciplined tongue. Oh, may God help
us to know the experience of a disciplined tongue.
As I said before, he set the standard high enough
that all of us have to look up to see it. And
we all need his enablement in the inner man.
that our tongues may be brought into control.
It's true in families, and it's true in Bible
study groups, and it's true in small churches,
and it's true wherever we are, that our tongues
need to be under the control of God the Holy
Spirit. That brings us to the second feature
of a life that is... pleasing the Lord in the
life that is worthy of one claiming to be a Christian.
The second feature in verse 30 I entitle a sensitive
spirit. The life that is walking in a manner
worthy of the calling with which it has been
called is a life that is known for a disciplined
tongue and secondly for a sensitive spirit. He
says do not grieve the Holy Spirit. of God. The
Holy Spirit of God is the third person of the
Blessed Trinity who indwells us according to
chapter 2, verse 22. We are being built together
into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. In other
words, God dwells in us by His Spirit. The Holy
Spirit is in us to enable us, to teach us, and
as it says here, to be our seal. He says, by
whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
What is the seal? Well, it's a seal of security.
It's a seal of protection. It is a seal that
vouches safe the object that has been placed
under the seal. Now he says, you and I have been
sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption.
That is, the day when our redemption is consummated.
When we, body, soul, and spirit, are brought
into the presence of the Lord. It's that day
of the rapture that we talked about last Sunday
night. Now he tells us here that we have been
sealed by the Spirit of God, but... He says that
same Spirit of God can be grieved. He can be
hurt. He can be cut deeply by those whom he has
sealed. How is the Holy Spirit grieved? Well,
the context here has to do with words. That's
the immediate context. Notice that it begins
with and. He talks about using our tongues rightly,
and then he says, and do not grieve the Holy
Spirit. So one way in which we grieve the Holy
Spirit is by employing our mouths in defiling
and corrupt ways, by allowing words to issue
forth from our mouths that harm and destroy other
people. That grieves the Holy Spirit. But not
only our words, He mentions earlier stealing.
He talks about lying, whether it be by lip or
by life. He mentions giving vent to sinful anger.
You see, these are things too that grieve the
Holy Spirit. So the bottom line is this. We grieve
the Holy Spirit by our disobedience. I want you
to notice that the same Holy Spirit who seals
us, is the same Holy Spirit who can be grieved
by our sin. The point is this, that our sin does
not break the seal of the Holy Spirit. We are
kept secure and vouchsafed to God by grace. We
are sealed not until the day that we sin, not
until the day that we fail of grace, Not until
the day that we backslide, notice that, we are
sealed unto the day of redemption by the Holy
Spirit. But that same Holy Spirit can be wounded,
can be caused to sorrow, nonetheless, by our
disobedience. I do think that most of us have
not considered seriously enough How our sin affects
the Holy Spirit. We usually think in terms of
how it's going to affect us. What's going to
happen if I get caught? Or what am I going to
do to make this right? Or we may think how it
affects other people. But do we think seriously
about how our sinning grieves the Holy Spirit?
I tell you, the Holy Spirit has wept an ocean
full of tears over all of us. And it may be today
he's weeping and grieving because of what's happening
in our lives. James says of the Holy Spirit,
he yearns for us even under jealous envy. Do
you love someone? If you do, there's a certain
jealousy about that person. There's an envy you
have for that person. You want the best for that
one. You don't want anything less than that.
Sometimes children don't understand why parents
make the decisions that they do. They sometimes
don't seem reasonable. Sometimes they... They
seem like they're pretty hard. But the fact is
that parents love their children. And the reason
that they make the decisions they do is because
they are jealous for the very best for their
kids. What we learn here is that the Holy Spirit
yearns for us. There is one who lives in you
who groans deeply within, desiring the full will
of God. in our experience. He desires to see
the completion of the sanctifying work of grace.
He longs for that. And when you and I come short
of it, the Holy Spirit sorrows. He is cut to
the heart by our resistance, rebellion, independence,
coldness. A worthy walk is one which is sensitive
to the Spirit. A worthy walk is one that obeys.
When the Spirit directs here, the one who is
walking worthy says, I will go there. When the
Spirit of God prohibits, the one who is walking
worthy says, I will not do that. And when the
Spirit of God is grieved, the one who is walking
worthy weeps. and repents. He says, as did the
solo this morning that we heard sung, Lord, forgive
me. I wonder if right now you're at that point
in your life where you want to say to the Holy
Spirit, forgive me. I have pressed for my own
way. Forgive me. I have not listened to your
voice. Forgive me. In Thessalonians, the Apostle
Paul says that you and I can also quench the
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is compared to a
fire in various places in Scripture. And the
picture there is of pouring water on the Spirit.
Have you done that? O child of God, today will
you join me in saying to this one who indwells
us, Blessed Holy Spirit, make me sensitive. Peel
off the calluses that have built up on my heart.
Soften my heart. Lord, cause me to feel with
you and not to cause you pain. If you do not
know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, the
Bible tells us there is one other way you may
act toward the Holy Spirit. James spoke to an
unbelieving crowd in his day, and he said to
them, you go on resisting the Holy Spirit. And
it may be that you have heard the gospel and
you know you need to be saved, and you have felt
drawn in that direction. But there's been one
excuse after another. One reason that you've
put up after another as to why not today. I'll
do it later. I've got to get myself cleaned up
first. And the Spirit of God has pledged with
you and he's pulled you and wooed you and you
have resisted the Spirit of God. Oh, how dangerous
that is. Today I implore you to stop resisting
and allow the Spirit of God to bring you into
the family of God. Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and you will be saved. Trust him today.
Receive him as Savior. I speak mostly to Christians
in this crowd this morning. And it is to us that
this word is written. Don't go on grieving the
Holy Spirit. Don't quench the Spirit, that one
who seals you to the day of redemption. But let
your heart be sensitive. to the Spirit of God.
Let's bow together as we close the service. What
might it be, my friend, that the Spirit of God
is speaking to you about? What is it that has
caused him to weep over your soul? What is the
unfulfilled yearning that he has for your life?
In the quietness of this moment, will you say
to the Spirit of God, if you've been insensitive,
forgive me? Will you ask him to do a fresh work
to make you sensitive again to his presence?
Father in heaven, I thank you for the faithfulness
of the Holy Spirit. And for the fact that we
see here in our text today that though we may
grieve him, he never leaves us. He never stops
being our seal unto the day of redemption. To
such a faithful one as this, we ask you, Father,
to make us sensitive. And wherein the Spirit
of God is, Wounded today. And sorrowful. By grace
enable us to bring correction to our lives. So
that we might not go on grieving him. And this
we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.