Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Every trace of resentment, heated temper, loud quarreling, harmful talk, and ill will is to be removed from the life and put away for good. That removal reaches inward feeling and outward conduct alike, covering hatred, envy, suspicion, fault-finding, harsh and hasty words, accusations that tear down trust, and even an unkind word toward brethren or enemies. It belongs to laying aside the old corrupt self and putting on the new self made in righteousness and true holiness, with speech that builds up and gives grace instead of corrupt talk. True change of heart is proved by this break, made by coming to Christ for victory through grace by faith rather than by human strength, until love replaces hatred and self no longer rules. Kept in the heart these evils grieve the Holy Spirit and destroy unity, while putting them away with kindness, tender forgiveness, and love prepares the way for the Spirit to dwell, binds believers together in the home and the church, and makes their fellowship a witness to Christ.
Words And Command
The command is total, requiring every form of bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking to be put away with all malice and removed from the believer. It belongs with refusing to give place to the devil, with honest labor that provides for the needy, with speech that edifies and ministers grace to hearers, with refusing to grieve the Holy Spirit who seals to the day of redemption, and with being kind and tenderhearted and forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake forgave. All resentful feeling, heated anger, loud quarreling, harmful talk, and ill will are to be put away and replaced with kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiving one another exactly as God for Christ's sake has forgiven, requiring the mind of Christ and just as free forgiveness toward others as the way to expect God's forgiveness for one's own sins. Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamorous speech, evil speaking, and malice are to be removed from the Christian life as part of putting off the old person and living as the new person in Christ, and in a Christian home these behaviors are incompatible with kindness and a Christlike character.
The six evils cover inward resentment and resentful feeling, bitterness and animosity, hatred and ill will, heated wrath and anger, loud quarreling and clamoring, harsh and retaliatory words, and harmful talk. They include accusations against fellow believers and speech that reveals evil suspicion or an uncontrolled temper, accusing others, dwelling on their supposed faults, tearing down their character, and weakening trust between believers, which are forms of evil speaking unfit for Christians. Evil thoughts and speech are to be put away because they produce contention, alienation, and strife, and the tongue must be brought under God's control since harsh, passionate words grieve Jesus and hurt both speaker and hearer. Evil-speaking and a censorious spirit cause great harm in the church, where severity and fault-finding are workings of Satan, so members should refuse to listen to gossip and censure and a person with a complaint should take it directly to the one believed to be in error. Bitterness, wrath, malice, and even an unkind word must be removed from the home so its moral atmosphere remains clear for Jesus to abide there, just as angry and trifling speech has no place in heaven.
The prohibition reaches thoughts, attitudes, speech, and actions, including evil thinking, suspicion, envy, selfish ambition, passionate, rash, hasty, and unwisely spoken utterances, strife, and unkindness toward brethren and even toward worst enemies who seek harm. Envy, evil suspicions, selfish ambition, and cruel or accusing words grieve the Holy Spirit and give Satan room to harm believers' fellowship, calling for a decided change in which hatred is replaced with love and believers work in unity while the Spirit transforms character. All strife, evil speaking, and evil thinking are to be put away with the heart purified from defilement, which Christ alone can cleanse. Evil speech is driven out by the love of Christ in the heart, so believers treat one another with brotherly love, kindness, and courtesy, putting away all suspicion and hatred and every feeling of bitterness, malice, and unkindness in view of Christ's unmerited love and mercy in dying while still sinners for those who are the purchase of His blood. Passionate utterances and rash, harsh, hasty, unwisely thought or spoken words must be put away because they dishonor the divine Companion and grieve the Holy Spirit, while right speech is heavenly conversation revealing Christ abiding in the soul, with victory by kneeling in prayer wherever temptation comes, committing the soul's keeping to God, trusting the Saviour and believing His love, looking to Jesus as author and finisher of faith, searching the Scriptures with confidence and hope, and walking with Christ as present though unseen until He gives rest, celestial harmony, healing, preservation, sanctification, blessing, and right words as a humble trusting child without discouragement or fear of being forsaken.
Setting In Ephesians
Paul places the command to put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice inside the call to no longer walk as the Gentiles walk in vanity of mind and blindness of heart, but as those who have learned Christ as the truth is in Jesus. It is the putting off of the old man corrupt according to deceitful lusts and the putting on of the new man created after God in righteousness and true holiness, by being renewed in the spirit of the mind. Those who keep these evils while claiming to enjoy the privileges of the banquet of truth prove they have not eaten the flesh and drunk the blood of the Son of God, though they claim to believe the Word and teach it to others. Converted believers no longer talk as before, for the putting away is the fruit of true conversion and part of speaking the truth in love and growing up into Christ in all things.
It belongs with letting no corrupt communication proceed out of the mouth, but only what is good for edifying that ministers grace to the hearers. This reveals the high possibilities set before the Christian for sanctified speech, where the talent of speech ranks with the highest gifts, where words spoken under the sanctification of the Spirit are of great value, and where the improved voice as a talent cannot be measured. Speech and conduct that wound fellow believers or stir up sinful passions are to be removed, so that speech becomes sanctified, helpful and gracious.
It stands inseparably with being kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven. It stands with walking as followers of God as dear children in love, as Christ loved and gave Himself as an offering and sacrifice to God. It belongs to walking in humility, patience, love and peace with one another, to speaking the truth in love and growing up into Christ the head, and to walking circumspectly as wise, redeeming the time, filled with the Spirit, thankful, submissive, and as children of light growing together unto an holy temple in the Lord.
It belongs with refusing to give place to the devil, with honest labor that provides for the needy, and with a life that does not grieve the Holy Spirit by whom believers are sealed unto the day of redemption. It extends to servants obeying masters in singleness of heart as unto Christ and to masters forbearing threatening. These are words of inspiration that must be studied and obeyed and cannot be ignored or disregarded or treated with indifference, for it is the doers of the Word who receive the reward.
Conversion And Renewal
Putting away all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, and malice is the test and fruit of true conversion. Conversion requires hatred and malice to be put away from thoughts, attitudes, speech, and actions and replaced with love, kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness, and it is a daily reality in which Christ's power subdues self. Those converted no longer talk as before, having ceased the walk in vanity of mind, and they grow up into Christ by speaking truth in love without grieving the Holy Spirit by whom they are sealed unto the day of redemption. These defects of character are to be resisted by determined effort and prayer, for retaining them misrepresents Christ and harms those around.
The required break is humble, decided, and practical. It includes humble confessions, making wrongs right, confessing errors and sins to one another, surrendering self, and drawing near to God. Those who enjoy the privileges of the banquet of truth while still working unrighteousness and keeping these evils prove they have not eaten the flesh and drunk the blood of the Son of God, though they claim to believe the Word and teach it to others. Until that break is made the Spirit of the Lord cannot come in with free course and be glorified.
The change does not come by human strength, nor by waiting until the heart feels in harmony, but by coming to Jesus and letting His Spirit and power give the victory through grace received by faith. Christ's love corrects natural and cultivated traits of character so that self no longer dominates and small matters are no longer magnified, while the Holy Spirit reproves sin and restores God's moral image. The heart must be emptied of all bitterness, wrath, malice, and selfishness in order to find the liberty of Christ, and purified from defilement which Christ alone can cleanse. Cherishing distrust and suspicion, division and misunderstanding, and watching for failings in others while having many failings oneself is the forbidden spirit and is not of Christ, and evil speech is driven out by the love of Christ in the heart leading to brotherly love, kindness, and courtesy.
Anger is not always sinful, for indignation stirred by seeing God dishonored or innocent people oppressed can be righteous. But treating a supposed provocation as permission to indulge anger or resentment opens the heart to Satan and is incompatible with harmony with heaven. The spirit of retaliation, with harshness and harsh and retaliatory speech, must be banished as incompatible with the renewing work of Christ before the Holy Spirit can dwell within, and is replaced by forgiving love and the leniency believers desire from God. There is no sufficient excuse for bitterness, wrath, and malice even when provoked by others' unkindness, and patience, long-suffering, kindness, and love are to become part of character so that what is pure, lovely, and of good report may grow.
Unity And Witness
Ephesians 4 belongs to the plain and simple revelation of God's plan for keeping unity in His church, so that its members reveal to the world a healthy religious experience. The instruction is to be appreciated, respected, and carefully studied by comparing Scripture with Scripture in a humble, prayerful spirit, and all His children may lay hold upon its truth.
Obeying it means obedience to the commandments of God and unity in the faith of the Scriptures, with believers bound together as one in Christ Jesus and their lives hid with Christ in God. It means practicing the golden rule, loving one another as Christ loved and as brethren in one family with the unity that exists between the Father and the Son, and bearing a living, abiding testimony that the Father loves believers even as He loves His Son, with powerful influence upon the unbelieving world. It means appreciating the great gift of God, showing by the course of life that Christ has not died in vain, and using the provision made by heaven at infinite cost to draw souls to obedience to the law of God. It means cooperating with the great Master Worker as laborers together with God, becoming partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust, and living consistent lives that magnify the law of God and make it honorable before the gainsaying world, with courtesy and unwavering fidelity, justice and mercy demonstrating that the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. Loving God supremely and neighbor as self forms a symmetrical character in those striving for the overcomer's reward, and under the Holy Spirit's working the putting away removes selfishness, self-sufficiency, self-esteem, jealousy, and evil surmising and creates a precious bond of union, brother with brother, defining the relation members must conscientiously sustain to each other by each living before God, giving fellow laborers place to work, encouraging one another, and bringing this into practical life. Putting away sin and unrighteousness belongs to loyalty to God's law and obedience to Him, so that worshipers remove what corrupts the heart and may worship with pure, believing hearts and receive the blessings of obedience. Kindness, love, and compassion for one another are to be cherished so that Christ's prayer for His disciples' unity may be answered, and the church's harmony and unity testify to the world that Jesus is the Son of God, while genuine conversion leads to love for Jesus and for those for whom He died.
In daily conduct the instruction governs how church members treat one another so they can work together without jealousy, evil surmising, or harmful speech, and without jealousy and dissension instead of the unity Christ calls for among those working together. Workers called to different lines, such as medical missionary work and gospel ministry as shepherds feeding sheep and lambs, must not cherish fretfulness, impatience, strife, or evil speaking against fellow laborers because they do not carry their special branch of work, and putting away these evils avoids grieving the Holy Spirit by whom believers are sealed unto the day of redemption and opens the way to unity of faith, speaking truth in love, growing up into Christ the head, and being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving as God for Christ's sake forgave. Warnings against bitterness and strife among fellow believers address the root of church troubles, and heeding them prevents harm to the church's work and loss of souls. All jealousy, bitterness, wrath, malice, evil speaking, and evil thinking must cease as believers look upon Christ's unparalleled love manifested on the cross of Calvary and draw closer to Him as the divine Center, which draws them closer together in a holy alliance to exalt the Son of God before the world, so that if enemies could unite through hatred of Jesus, His followers will far more unite in Him.
Accusing others, dwelling on their supposed faults, tearing down their character, and weakening trust between believers are forms of evil speaking unfit for Christians, belonging with speaking what builds others up, avoiding grieving the Holy Spirit, and showing kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness as God has forgiven. Severity and fault-finding are workings of Satan that cause great harm in the church, so members should refuse to listen to gossip and censure, and a person with a complaint should take it directly to the one believed to be in error. Envy, evil suspicions, selfish ambition, and cruel or accusing words grieve the Holy Spirit and give Satan room to harm believers' fellowship, calling for a decided change in which hatred is replaced with love and believers work in unity, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform character. Dissension, differences, fault-finding, evil speaking, and bitterness are to be put away.
Work Of The Spirit
The putting away stands in its immediate context of not grieving the Holy Spirit by whom believers are sealed unto the day of redemption, together with letting no corrupt communication proceed from the mouth but only what edifies hearers and ministers grace, and together with being kind, tenderhearted and forgiving as God for Christ's sake forgave. It belongs with walking as followers of God as dear children in love as Christ loved and gave Himself as an offering and sacrifice for a sweet-smelling savor, and with walking circumspectly as wise redeeming the time, filled with the Spirit, thankful, submissive, and as children of light growing together unto a holy temple in the Lord. It opens the possibilities and probabilities set before the Christian for sanctified speech, for the talent of speech ranks with the highest gifts, words spoken under the sanctification of the Spirit are of great value, and the voice as an improved talent cannot be measured. It binds even one who is only a tiny light to be particular about shining, with the great value of light lying in consistent shining amid the moral darkness of the world, shining not to please and glorify self but to honor God with all there is, so that service corresponding with the ability God has given is all He expects.
Putting away every form of bitter and angry feeling, loud quarreling, injurious speech, retaliation, harshness, passionate and rash words, and malice prepares the heart for the Holy Spirit to take possession and dwell within, and harsh, passionate speech must be put away because it dishonors the divine Companion and grieves the Holy Spirit and hurts speaker and hearer. The spirit of retaliation must be banished and replaced with kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiving love and leniency such as believers desire from God, as part of doing all that is needed to withstand in the evil day. This requires the heart to be subdued by the Holy Spirit and a daily seeking of God for strength and grace, with believers standing at post on guard over self lest the evil agencies warring against them succeed in leading them to say and do what pleases the enemy, so that words and deeds are fragrant with the holiness of truth. The command applies to words and spirit in work, family life, and business dealings, because a person is responsible for the influence these exert.
Until humble confessions are made and a decided break from these evils takes place, the Spirit cannot come in and have free course and be glorified. Envy, evil suspicions, selfish ambition, and cruel or accusing words grieve the Holy Spirit and give Satan room to harm fellowship, and conversion requires putting away hatred and malice expressed in thoughts, attitudes, speech, and actions by replacing hatred with love and working in unity, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform character. The heart must be emptied of all bitterness and wrath and malice and selfishness in order to find the liberty of Christ, for cherishing distrust and suspicion, division and misunderstanding, and watching for failings in others while having many failings oneself is the forbidden spirit and is not of Christ. Putting these away requires prayer for the Holy Spirit to soften every heart, diligent work for repentance today without hardening the heart when God calls, humbling before God, getting rid of differences that separate brethren from one another, and rescuing every soul tempted by the enemy through insinuations, so the outpouring of the Spirit can be received while angels of God and evil angels watch how the words of the gospel are received.
Those who have become hard-spirited because they are strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit are called to a great reformation in words and works and spiritual understanding, to catch the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts and daily to breathe the atmosphere of heaven. The instruction means much and must be read solemnly to hearers and impressed upon their minds. Victory in right speech, which is heavenly conversation revealing Christ abiding in the soul, comes by kneeling in prayer wherever temptation comes, committing the keeping of the soul to God, putting trust in the Saviour and believing His love, looking to Jesus as author and finisher of faith, searching the Scriptures with confidence and hope, and walking with Christ as present though unseen, until He gives rest, celestial harmony in the soul, healing of body and soul, preservation, sanctification, blessing, and help to speak right words as a humble, trusting child of faith, without discouragement, self-scorn, or fear of being left or forsaken.
Practice In Daily Life
In the home all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamorous speech, evil speaking, and malice are to be put away as incompatible with kindness and Christlike character. Harsh, passionate words grieve Jesus and injure both speaker and hearer, producing contention, alienation, and strife, so the tongue must be brought under God's control. Even an unkind word must be removed that the moral atmosphere may stay clear for Jesus to abide there. Hasty words are to be checked, and family members are to speak kindly and show one another tender affection. Angry and trifling speech has no place in the Christian home, just as it has no place in heaven.
In institutions and callings the same putting away requires relationships and speech marked by kindness and forgiveness rather than hostility and criticism. At the St. Helena health institution this called for complete renovation on Christlike principles, ending corrupt communication, bitter criticism, and judging of brethren, so the cloud resting there could be rolled back. God will not be trifled with and will never vindicate work where no distinction is made between the precious and the vile. Workers in different lines, such as medical missionary work and gospel ministry as shepherds feeding sheep and lambs, must not cherish fretfulness, impatience, strife, or evil speaking against fellow laborers because they do not carry their special branch. In preparation for the Sabbath the removal of bitterness, wrath, and malice from the soul means putting away differences between family members and fellow church members.
Toward others the command forbids accusations against fellow believers and speech revealing evil suspicion or an uncontrolled temper. Such attitudes and words oppose Christ's love and tenderness, and instead of healing and helping those gone astray they wound them and drive them further into darkness. Severity and fault-finding are satanic in spirit, and malice with a harsh, censorious spirit is to be put away, including dictatorial and judgmental behavior in the home which also carries into the church. In presenting the claims of God's law before people in authority, no bitterness is to be harbored or displayed even when advocating the right to worship according to conscience, but kindness, courtesy, meekness, and humility are to govern.
The instruction demands vigilant, solemn obedience while light lasts amid moral darkness. Every form of bitter and angry feeling, loud quarreling, injurious speech, and malice is to be replaced with kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness as God for Christ's sake forgave, as part of doing all that is needed to stand in the evil day. Believers are to stand at post on guard over self lest evil agencies lead them to say and do what pleases the enemy, so that words and deeds are fragrant with the holiness of truth. The words of inspiration must be studied and obeyed and cannot be ignored or treated with indifference, with no corrupt communication from the mouth but only what edifies and ministers grace, with walking in love as Christ gave himself as offering and sacrifice, with servants obeying in singleness of heart and masters forbearing threatening, for doers of the word receive the reward. The instruction means much and must be read solemnly and impressed upon minds, calling those grown hard-spirited as strangers to the Spirit's working to great reformation in words, works, and spiritual understanding to catch the inspiration of the heavenly courts and breathe heaven's atmosphere. Even one who is only a tiny light is bound to shine consistently amid moral darkness, not to please and glorify self but to honor God, since service corresponding to ability given is all that is expected. Every soul must gather every ray substantiating truth and bear aloft the third angel's message, set the churches in order and close the door of unbelief, because seducing power will increase until if possible even the elect would be deceived, and those who do not make straight paths turn the weak out of the way. Bitterness and malice must be put out of the heart by a heart subdued by the Spirit and daily seeking of God for strength and grace, for a person is responsible for the influence of words and spirit in work, family life, and business dealings.
Every trace of resentment, heated temper, loud quarreling, harmful talk, and ill will is to be removed from the life and put away for good.
That removal reaches inward feeling and outward conduct alike, covering hatred, envy, suspicion, fault-finding, harsh and hasty words, accusations that tear down trust, and even an unkind word toward brethren or enemies.
It belongs to laying aside the old corrupt self and putting on the new self made in righteousness and true holiness, with speech that builds up and gives grace instead of corrupt talk.
True change of heart is proved by this break, made by coming to Christ for victory through grace by faith rather than by human strength, until love replaces hatred and self no longer rules.
Kept in the heart these evils grieve the Holy Spirit and destroy unity, while putting them away with kindness, tender forgiveness, and love prepares the way for the Spirit to dwell, binds believers together in the home and the church, and makes their fellowship a witness to Christ.
Words And Command
The command is total, requiring every form of bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking to be put away with all malice and removed from the believer. It belongs with refusing to give place to the devil, with honest labor that provides for the needy, with speech that edifies and ministers grace to hearers, with refusing to grieve the Holy Spirit who seals to the day of redemption, and with being kind and tenderhearted and forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake forgave. All resentful feeling, heated anger, loud quarreling, harmful talk, and ill will are to be put away and replaced with kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiving one another exactly as God for Christ's sake has forgiven, requiring the mind of Christ and just as free forgiveness toward others as the way to expect God's forgiveness for one's own sins. Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamorous speech, evil speaking, and malice are to be removed from the Christian life as part of putting off the old person and living as the new person in Christ, and in a Christian home these behaviors are incompatible with kindness and a Christlike character.
The six evils cover inward resentment and resentful feeling, bitterness and animosity, hatred and ill will, heated wrath and anger, loud quarreling and clamoring, harsh and retaliatory words, and harmful talk. They include accusations against fellow believers and speech that reveals evil suspicion or an uncontrolled temper, accusing others, dwelling on their supposed faults, tearing down their character, and weakening trust between believers, which are forms of evil speaking unfit for Christians. Evil thoughts and speech are to be put away because they produce contention, alienation, and strife, and the tongue must be brought under God's control since harsh, passionate words grieve Jesus and hurt both speaker and hearer. Evil-speaking and a censorious spirit cause great harm in the church, where severity and fault-finding are workings of Satan, so members should refuse to listen to gossip and censure and a person with a complaint should take it directly to the one believed to be in error. Bitterness, wrath, malice, and even an unkind word must be removed from the home so its moral atmosphere remains clear for Jesus to abide there, just as angry and trifling speech has no place in heaven.
The prohibition reaches thoughts, attitudes, speech, and actions, including evil thinking, suspicion, envy, selfish ambition, passionate, rash, hasty, and unwisely spoken utterances, strife, and unkindness toward brethren and even toward worst enemies who seek harm. Envy, evil suspicions, selfish ambition, and cruel or accusing words grieve the Holy Spirit and give Satan room to harm believers' fellowship, calling for a decided change in which hatred is replaced with love and believers work in unity while the Spirit transforms character. All strife, evil speaking, and evil thinking are to be put away with the heart purified from defilement, which Christ alone can cleanse. Evil speech is driven out by the love of Christ in the heart, so believers treat one another with brotherly love, kindness, and courtesy, putting away all suspicion and hatred and every feeling of bitterness, malice, and unkindness in view of Christ's unmerited love and mercy in dying while still sinners for those who are the purchase of His blood. Passionate utterances and rash, harsh, hasty, unwisely thought or spoken words must be put away because they dishonor the divine Companion and grieve the Holy Spirit, while right speech is heavenly conversation revealing Christ abiding in the soul, with victory by kneeling in prayer wherever temptation comes, committing the soul's keeping to God, trusting the Saviour and believing His love, looking to Jesus as author and finisher of faith, searching the Scriptures with confidence and hope, and walking with Christ as present though unseen until He gives rest, celestial harmony, healing, preservation, sanctification, blessing, and right words as a humble trusting child without discouragement or fear of being forsaken.
Setting In Ephesians
Paul places the command to put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice inside the call to no longer walk as the Gentiles walk in vanity of mind and blindness of heart, but as those who have learned Christ as the truth is in Jesus. It is the putting off of the old man corrupt according to deceitful lusts and the putting on of the new man created after God in righteousness and true holiness, by being renewed in the spirit of the mind. Those who keep these evils while claiming to enjoy the privileges of the banquet of truth prove they have not eaten the flesh and drunk the blood of the Son of God, though they claim to believe the Word and teach it to others. Converted believers no longer talk as before, for the putting away is the fruit of true conversion and part of speaking the truth in love and growing up into Christ in all things.
It belongs with letting no corrupt communication proceed out of the mouth, but only what is good for edifying that ministers grace to the hearers. This reveals the high possibilities set before the Christian for sanctified speech, where the talent of speech ranks with the highest gifts, where words spoken under the sanctification of the Spirit are of great value, and where the improved voice as a talent cannot be measured. Speech and conduct that wound fellow believers or stir up sinful passions are to be removed, so that speech becomes sanctified, helpful and gracious.
It stands inseparably with being kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven. It stands with walking as followers of God as dear children in love, as Christ loved and gave Himself as an offering and sacrifice to God. It belongs to walking in humility, patience, love and peace with one another, to speaking the truth in love and growing up into Christ the head, and to walking circumspectly as wise, redeeming the time, filled with the Spirit, thankful, submissive, and as children of light growing together unto an holy temple in the Lord.
It belongs with refusing to give place to the devil, with honest labor that provides for the needy, and with a life that does not grieve the Holy Spirit by whom believers are sealed unto the day of redemption. It extends to servants obeying masters in singleness of heart as unto Christ and to masters forbearing threatening. These are words of inspiration that must be studied and obeyed and cannot be ignored or disregarded or treated with indifference, for it is the doers of the Word who receive the reward.
Conversion And Renewal
Putting away all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, and malice is the test and fruit of true conversion. Conversion requires hatred and malice to be put away from thoughts, attitudes, speech, and actions and replaced with love, kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness, and it is a daily reality in which Christ's power subdues self. Those converted no longer talk as before, having ceased the walk in vanity of mind, and they grow up into Christ by speaking truth in love without grieving the Holy Spirit by whom they are sealed unto the day of redemption. These defects of character are to be resisted by determined effort and prayer, for retaining them misrepresents Christ and harms those around.
The required break is humble, decided, and practical. It includes humble confessions, making wrongs right, confessing errors and sins to one another, surrendering self, and drawing near to God. Those who enjoy the privileges of the banquet of truth while still working unrighteousness and keeping these evils prove they have not eaten the flesh and drunk the blood of the Son of God, though they claim to believe the Word and teach it to others. Until that break is made the Spirit of the Lord cannot come in with free course and be glorified.
The change does not come by human strength, nor by waiting until the heart feels in harmony, but by coming to Jesus and letting His Spirit and power give the victory through grace received by faith. Christ's love corrects natural and cultivated traits of character so that self no longer dominates and small matters are no longer magnified, while the Holy Spirit reproves sin and restores God's moral image. The heart must be emptied of all bitterness, wrath, malice, and selfishness in order to find the liberty of Christ, and purified from defilement which Christ alone can cleanse. Cherishing distrust and suspicion, division and misunderstanding, and watching for failings in others while having many failings oneself is the forbidden spirit and is not of Christ, and evil speech is driven out by the love of Christ in the heart leading to brotherly love, kindness, and courtesy.
Anger is not always sinful, for indignation stirred by seeing God dishonored or innocent people oppressed can be righteous. But treating a supposed provocation as permission to indulge anger or resentment opens the heart to Satan and is incompatible with harmony with heaven. The spirit of retaliation, with harshness and harsh and retaliatory speech, must be banished as incompatible with the renewing work of Christ before the Holy Spirit can dwell within, and is replaced by forgiving love and the leniency believers desire from God. There is no sufficient excuse for bitterness, wrath, and malice even when provoked by others' unkindness, and patience, long-suffering, kindness, and love are to become part of character so that what is pure, lovely, and of good report may grow.
Unity And Witness
Ephesians 4 belongs to the plain and simple revelation of God's plan for keeping unity in His church, so that its members reveal to the world a healthy religious experience. The instruction is to be appreciated, respected, and carefully studied by comparing Scripture with Scripture in a humble, prayerful spirit, and all His children may lay hold upon its truth.
Obeying it means obedience to the commandments of God and unity in the faith of the Scriptures, with believers bound together as one in Christ Jesus and their lives hid with Christ in God. It means practicing the golden rule, loving one another as Christ loved and as brethren in one family with the unity that exists between the Father and the Son, and bearing a living, abiding testimony that the Father loves believers even as He loves His Son, with powerful influence upon the unbelieving world. It means appreciating the great gift of God, showing by the course of life that Christ has not died in vain, and using the provision made by heaven at infinite cost to draw souls to obedience to the law of God. It means cooperating with the great Master Worker as laborers together with God, becoming partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust, and living consistent lives that magnify the law of God and make it honorable before the gainsaying world, with courtesy and unwavering fidelity, justice and mercy demonstrating that the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. Loving God supremely and neighbor as self forms a symmetrical character in those striving for the overcomer's reward, and under the Holy Spirit's working the putting away removes selfishness, self-sufficiency, self-esteem, jealousy, and evil surmising and creates a precious bond of union, brother with brother, defining the relation members must conscientiously sustain to each other by each living before God, giving fellow laborers place to work, encouraging one another, and bringing this into practical life. Putting away sin and unrighteousness belongs to loyalty to God's law and obedience to Him, so that worshipers remove what corrupts the heart and may worship with pure, believing hearts and receive the blessings of obedience. Kindness, love, and compassion for one another are to be cherished so that Christ's prayer for His disciples' unity may be answered, and the church's harmony and unity testify to the world that Jesus is the Son of God, while genuine conversion leads to love for Jesus and for those for whom He died.
In daily conduct the instruction governs how church members treat one another so they can work together without jealousy, evil surmising, or harmful speech, and without jealousy and dissension instead of the unity Christ calls for among those working together. Workers called to different lines, such as medical missionary work and gospel ministry as shepherds feeding sheep and lambs, must not cherish fretfulness, impatience, strife, or evil speaking against fellow laborers because they do not carry their special branch of work, and putting away these evils avoids grieving the Holy Spirit by whom believers are sealed unto the day of redemption and opens the way to unity of faith, speaking truth in love, growing up into Christ the head, and being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving as God for Christ's sake forgave. Warnings against bitterness and strife among fellow believers address the root of church troubles, and heeding them prevents harm to the church's work and loss of souls. All jealousy, bitterness, wrath, malice, evil speaking, and evil thinking must cease as believers look upon Christ's unparalleled love manifested on the cross of Calvary and draw closer to Him as the divine Center, which draws them closer together in a holy alliance to exalt the Son of God before the world, so that if enemies could unite through hatred of Jesus, His followers will far more unite in Him.
Accusing others, dwelling on their supposed faults, tearing down their character, and weakening trust between believers are forms of evil speaking unfit for Christians, belonging with speaking what builds others up, avoiding grieving the Holy Spirit, and showing kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness as God has forgiven. Severity and fault-finding are workings of Satan that cause great harm in the church, so members should refuse to listen to gossip and censure, and a person with a complaint should take it directly to the one believed to be in error. Envy, evil suspicions, selfish ambition, and cruel or accusing words grieve the Holy Spirit and give Satan room to harm believers' fellowship, calling for a decided change in which hatred is replaced with love and believers work in unity, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform character. Dissension, differences, fault-finding, evil speaking, and bitterness are to be put away.
Work Of The Spirit
The putting away stands in its immediate context of not grieving the Holy Spirit by whom believers are sealed unto the day of redemption, together with letting no corrupt communication proceed from the mouth but only what edifies hearers and ministers grace, and together with being kind, tenderhearted and forgiving as God for Christ's sake forgave. It belongs with walking as followers of God as dear children in love as Christ loved and gave Himself as an offering and sacrifice for a sweet-smelling savor, and with walking circumspectly as wise redeeming the time, filled with the Spirit, thankful, submissive, and as children of light growing together unto a holy temple in the Lord. It opens the possibilities and probabilities set before the Christian for sanctified speech, for the talent of speech ranks with the highest gifts, words spoken under the sanctification of the Spirit are of great value, and the voice as an improved talent cannot be measured. It binds even one who is only a tiny light to be particular about shining, with the great value of light lying in consistent shining amid the moral darkness of the world, shining not to please and glorify self but to honor God with all there is, so that service corresponding with the ability God has given is all He expects.
Putting away every form of bitter and angry feeling, loud quarreling, injurious speech, retaliation, harshness, passionate and rash words, and malice prepares the heart for the Holy Spirit to take possession and dwell within, and harsh, passionate speech must be put away because it dishonors the divine Companion and grieves the Holy Spirit and hurts speaker and hearer. The spirit of retaliation must be banished and replaced with kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiving love and leniency such as believers desire from God, as part of doing all that is needed to withstand in the evil day. This requires the heart to be subdued by the Holy Spirit and a daily seeking of God for strength and grace, with believers standing at post on guard over self lest the evil agencies warring against them succeed in leading them to say and do what pleases the enemy, so that words and deeds are fragrant with the holiness of truth. The command applies to words and spirit in work, family life, and business dealings, because a person is responsible for the influence these exert.
Until humble confessions are made and a decided break from these evils takes place, the Spirit cannot come in and have free course and be glorified. Envy, evil suspicions, selfish ambition, and cruel or accusing words grieve the Holy Spirit and give Satan room to harm fellowship, and conversion requires putting away hatred and malice expressed in thoughts, attitudes, speech, and actions by replacing hatred with love and working in unity, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform character. The heart must be emptied of all bitterness and wrath and malice and selfishness in order to find the liberty of Christ, for cherishing distrust and suspicion, division and misunderstanding, and watching for failings in others while having many failings oneself is the forbidden spirit and is not of Christ. Putting these away requires prayer for the Holy Spirit to soften every heart, diligent work for repentance today without hardening the heart when God calls, humbling before God, getting rid of differences that separate brethren from one another, and rescuing every soul tempted by the enemy through insinuations, so the outpouring of the Spirit can be received while angels of God and evil angels watch how the words of the gospel are received.
Those who have become hard-spirited because they are strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit are called to a great reformation in words and works and spiritual understanding, to catch the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts and daily to breathe the atmosphere of heaven. The instruction means much and must be read solemnly to hearers and impressed upon their minds. Victory in right speech, which is heavenly conversation revealing Christ abiding in the soul, comes by kneeling in prayer wherever temptation comes, committing the keeping of the soul to God, putting trust in the Saviour and believing His love, looking to Jesus as author and finisher of faith, searching the Scriptures with confidence and hope, and walking with Christ as present though unseen, until He gives rest, celestial harmony in the soul, healing of body and soul, preservation, sanctification, blessing, and help to speak right words as a humble, trusting child of faith, without discouragement, self-scorn, or fear of being left or forsaken.
Practice In Daily Life
In the home all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamorous speech, evil speaking, and malice are to be put away as incompatible with kindness and Christlike character. Harsh, passionate words grieve Jesus and injure both speaker and hearer, producing contention, alienation, and strife, so the tongue must be brought under God's control. Even an unkind word must be removed that the moral atmosphere may stay clear for Jesus to abide there. Hasty words are to be checked, and family members are to speak kindly and show one another tender affection. Angry and trifling speech has no place in the Christian home, just as it has no place in heaven.
In institutions and callings the same putting away requires relationships and speech marked by kindness and forgiveness rather than hostility and criticism. At the St. Helena health institution this called for complete renovation on Christlike principles, ending corrupt communication, bitter criticism, and judging of brethren, so the cloud resting there could be rolled back. God will not be trifled with and will never vindicate work where no distinction is made between the precious and the vile. Workers in different lines, such as medical missionary work and gospel ministry as shepherds feeding sheep and lambs, must not cherish fretfulness, impatience, strife, or evil speaking against fellow laborers because they do not carry their special branch. In preparation for the Sabbath the removal of bitterness, wrath, and malice from the soul means putting away differences between family members and fellow church members.
Toward others the command forbids accusations against fellow believers and speech revealing evil suspicion or an uncontrolled temper. Such attitudes and words oppose Christ's love and tenderness, and instead of healing and helping those gone astray they wound them and drive them further into darkness. Severity and fault-finding are satanic in spirit, and malice with a harsh, censorious spirit is to be put away, including dictatorial and judgmental behavior in the home which also carries into the church. In presenting the claims of God's law before people in authority, no bitterness is to be harbored or displayed even when advocating the right to worship according to conscience, but kindness, courtesy, meekness, and humility are to govern.
The instruction demands vigilant, solemn obedience while light lasts amid moral darkness. Every form of bitter and angry feeling, loud quarreling, injurious speech, and malice is to be replaced with kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness as God for Christ's sake forgave, as part of doing all that is needed to stand in the evil day. Believers are to stand at post on guard over self lest evil agencies lead them to say and do what pleases the enemy, so that words and deeds are fragrant with the holiness of truth. The words of inspiration must be studied and obeyed and cannot be ignored or treated with indifference, with no corrupt communication from the mouth but only what edifies and ministers grace, with walking in love as Christ gave himself as offering and sacrifice, with servants obeying in singleness of heart and masters forbearing threatening, for doers of the word receive the reward. The instruction means much and must be read solemnly and impressed upon minds, calling those grown hard-spirited as strangers to the Spirit's working to great reformation in words, works, and spiritual understanding to catch the inspiration of the heavenly courts and breathe heaven's atmosphere. Even one who is only a tiny light is bound to shine consistently amid moral darkness, not to please and glorify self but to honor God, since service corresponding to ability given is all that is expected. Every soul must gather every ray substantiating truth and bear aloft the third angel's message, set the churches in order and close the door of unbelief, because seducing power will increase until if possible even the elect would be deceived, and those who do not make straight paths turn the weak out of the way. Bitterness and malice must be put out of the heart by a heart subdued by the Spirit and daily seeking of God for strength and grace, for a person is responsible for the influence of words and spirit in work, family life, and business dealings.