The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 200

1. THE TRUE JlETHOD OF STUDYING CHRISTIANITY 11.EQUlRES TH.lT IT SHOULD DB STI'DIED IN CHRIST. "Truth . . . iu Jesus." Christianity must be looked upon all seen in Christ, I. Rot as seen. in religww professors. 'l'his would give a false view. :2.. Sot as sm1 in mig,"ous books. This would give a false view. 3. Not as seen in reJ,;.·:"o,rs i..sti:tutions. These would give a false view. There is nothing cold in truth c-~ n,.rn.1 w, as &-en in Jc:rus, but all that is brood, warm, free, sublime. II. TliE T&CE KETIIOD OF STUDYING Cm!ISTU1''ITY 'REQUIRES THAT IT SHOULD DB == tn."DEB THE T=o:s- OF Cmus-r. ,,e are "taoght by him," or, as some trans- late it," taught in him." Christ is the only effective Teacher of his own relicion. If the sun is to be seen it must show itself--all the stars and moons of the uni;erse cannot reveal it ; so with Christ. But ho,v are we to place ourselves nuder his tuition? Three things are necessary. I. We should realize our true 'llioral relation to truth as it is t"n him. Troth in him bas a special relation to us, not merely as men, but as corrupt, guilty, and ruined sinners. We must feel ourselves to be the character'to which it is specially addressed. 3. We must end,ea,vour to identify ottrselves with the :particular class ef character whu;h it indirotes. "Truth in Jesus" has reference to special classes of sinners, such as the worldling, the formalist, tbe hypocrite, the inquirer, the peni- tent. We must put ourselves in the right class. 3. We must invoke the aid of his Spirit. Christ's body is not in the world,· but bis Spirit is. The bodies and souls of other great men have left the world-Plato, Seneca, ·etc. They are· not with tho students of their works, but Christ is. He is with all his students. Ill. THE TRUE METHOD OF STUDTING CHilJBTIANITY BEQUIBES THAT WE SHOULD STUDY IT IN OBDEB TO BE )[ADE CHfilsT-LIKE. "Which after God. "-that is, God's image-"is created in righteousness and true holiness." It is not to be studied for intellectual, ecclesiastical, secular, or professional purposes, but for moral ends-studied in order to make us like God. The moral transformation is here indicated as consisting of two things. 1. The renunciation of the o1,d and corrupt character. The "old man" is put off. (1) Character is the man. It is moral character that makes the human animal o man. " .As a man thinketh ,in heart so i.s he." His character forms his world, his he.·n-en or his hell (2) A sinful, character is the old man. It is old because it is· the first character we get. This must be put off. Old principles, purposes, habits, motives, thrown away. 2. TM adoption of a new principle of character. "Be renewed in tbe spirit of your mind." Renewed in the central springs of being. 'l'he assimilation of our character to the grandest ideal which after God is created, and so on.-D. T. V ers. 25-32.-The ahjured and the enjoined in Christian life, " Wherefore," etc. In the preceding verses, as we have seen, under the head of The true method of studying Christianity, the apostle exhorted the Ephesians "to put off the old man and to put on the new man." He here proceeds to particularize and urge this the great practical work of Christianity. He abjures the elements of the old man and enjoins the elements of the new. Our subject is the ahjured and the enjoined in the Christian life. • L THE .A11JUEED IT CHRISTIAN LIFE. There are certain things here which are, alas I often fonnd in connection with nominal Christians, and which are therefore too often rezardt<l as identified with the Christian system, which are here abjured in language m(,;;., earnest and strong. What are they? L Lying speech. "Pntting away lying." A lie is a fiiliehood intended to deceive, with an immoral design; it is a misreprosenta- tic,n of that to another about which he baa a right t-0 kno1v the truth. What, then, is fiction :ind parable, say yon? There is no justifiable_ fict!on that does not agree with fact a!id Serve the cause of reality and morals. Lymg 1s one of the most prevalent sins. The ancient heathens everywhere practised it, and moderns too. All travellers and missionaries bear testimony to this. Heathens are not to be believed -0n their oaths. Alas! the vice is not confined to heathendom; it prevails throughout the civilized world. Lies fill the social atmosphere. Men in every department of life are deceiving an<i being deceived by their fellow-men, and often for selfish and immoral ends. Christianity condemns lies. "Lying lips are an abomination unto the Lord.'' And "liars at last shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone." Christianity is essentially and eternally anta;;onistic to all insincerities end unri•alitio,. Vanity, cowardice, and greed are the prolific factors of falsehoods. CH, IV, 1-82.j 'l'HE EPISTLE 'l'O THE E.1:'HESJANS. 19G