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Key Insights

Paul encourages the Ephesians to no longer walk in the selfish, pleasure-seeking lifestyle that is lived out of ignorance and a hard heart, but to a life with a mind renewed by the Holy Spirit.

He shares four indicators of where our minds need to be renewed to live this kind of new life. The strength for this doesn’t come from us trying harder or using this as a checklist, but from allowing the Holy Spirit to change how we think.

1. v 25 Speak the truth with your neighbor. This goes beyond simply being a truthful person and choosing not to lie; it is also about relationships. Paul urges people to be real with one another (not one person at church and a different person at home).

2.  vv 26-27 Be angry and do not sin – don’t let the sun go down on anger – give no opportunity to the devil.  Some feel this gives permission to be angry and an exhortation to not go to bed angry. Still, Paul’s meaning goes beyond this, indicating it is our responsibility to work through our anger and not give Satan another way to cause chaos.  Instead of an attitude of “You made me angry,” it is acknowledging the emotion and reconciling it within ourselves, not carrying bitterness, even if we can’t work through the anger with a person immediately or ever.

3.  vv26-28 – Do not steal – give an honest day’s work – Not stealing goes beyond simply not taking things that don’t belong to us.  It also means we provide an honest day’s work to our employer (i.e., not being lazy, not spending hours on personal things like our phones) – A life renewed is a life with a work ethic.

4.  v 29 – Avoid corrupting talk, gossip, and words that cut others; do not build up the body of Christ. Our words should be used for positive and uplifting purposes.

By allowing the Spirit to renew our minds, our changed thinking will lead to changed behaviors. We’ll see less bitterness, anger, wrath, slander, malice, and arguments. We’ll see more kindness, tenderheartedness, forgiveness, and joy. We’ll experience with each other the same types of spiritual blessings Christ extends to us.

When this renewal happens individually, it starts to affect our church and ripples through the church worldwide, which will better model Christ’s deep love for people.

Reflection Prompters / Suggested Homework

Read through the book of Ephesians this week and mark it on your bookmark.* We are encouraging you to read through the book 10 times during the 13-week series.  You may also wish to review the additional texts used this week.  We also suggest you read Act 19 for more context about what was happening in Ephesus then.

In what areas of your life do you find it most difficult to “speak the truth” and be consistent in your relationships—at home, work, or church? Why might that be?

How do you usually respond to anger? Are you allowing space for the Holy Spirit to help you process and resolve it without falling into sin or bitterness?

What does “giving an honest day’s work” look like for you, and are there any habits or distractions that you feel convicted to change?

When you reflect on your recent conversations, do your words build others up or tear them down? What steps can you take to ensure your speech reflects a renewed mind?

How might allowing the Holy Spirit to renew your mind influence your relationships and your role in the church community? How can you contribute to building a more unified and loving body of Christ?