THE K I NG ' S BUS I NESS
717
“ Let him that stole (rather, that is stealing) steal no more.” There seem to have been some in the Ephesian church who had not put away all their heathen practices. And there are those in the church today who steal. You say, “Well, they ought to be put out of the church.” Wait a moment. Perhaps you are the one yourself. What is steal ing? Stealing is taking anything from another without giving just equivalent. When you buy and take advantage of another’s extremity and therefore do not pay full value for what you buy you steal. When you sell and overcharge you steal. When you underpay your servants your employees you steal. When you do not give your employer value received for the wages you receive you steal. Are you “ stealing” ? Well then, “ steal no more.” But it is not enough to quit stealing, “ but rather let him labor (work. hard. A very strong work is used in the Greek), working with his hands (with which he stole before) the thing which is good.” He that is not a worker is a thief. But why should we work hard? Merely in order that we may honestly support ourselves? No, Paul answers, not only that, but also that we “ may have whereof to give to him that hath not.” It is not enough not to steal, we must be givers, and givers of that which we have honestly obtained by work, and our giving should be to those who have not. SATURDAY, August 3. Eph. 4:29 Another thing still that belongs to the “ old man” and has no place in the new life is “ corrupt speech.” The word translated “ corrupt” means literally, “ rotten,” and “ rotten speech” exactly describes a great deal of the language of many people, alas! even of many who call themselves Christians. The com mon conversation of the heathen society of Paul’s day, as is seen from its liter ature, was morally polluted. And so is the conversation of many circles of society today. But the man who has “ put away the old man” and "put on the new man” which is created in God’s likeness, must not utter a word that has any taint of foulness in it. Not one such word must be allowed to proceed out of our mouths. That is the force of the words translated, “ Let no corrupt Speech proceed out of your mouth.” But it is not enough not to utter a foul word, we must speak every good word that lies in our power. If there is any word that is “ good for edifying, as the need may be” we must speak it. The reason why we
must speak it is “ that it may give grace to them that hear.” Are we always watchful to speak the^word that may “ give grace to them that hear” ? SUNDAY, August 4. Eph. 4:30-32 Now Paul brings in a wonderful rea son for not doing the things that are bidden not to do and for doing the things that we are bidden to do in verse 29. That reason is, “ Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.” These things which the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul has forbidden grieve the Holy Spirit. How beautifully these words bring out the personality of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, is not a mere blind influ ence or power that comes into our hearts and lives for us to use. The Holy Spirit is a person, a holy person. He takes up His dwelling place in our hearts and He sees everything we do, whether it be in the daylight or under cover of the night. He hears every word we speak, even the word which we merely whisper in the ear of others. He sees every imagina tion and desire of the heart. He sees every vagrant fancy that we allow a moment’s lodgment in our mind, and He is grieved beyond expression If there is anything impure, false, low, vile, base, selfish, censorious, harsh, bitter or unchristlike in any way in act, or worii, or thought, or desire., or fancy. How beautifully also these words bring out the sensitive purity of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit recoils from what we call the smallest sins, as we do not recoil from sin even in its most hideous, vile and repulsive forms. How these words also bring out the Holy Spirit’s watch ful and tender love for us. No holy mother ever grieved over the impure speech or actions of her beloved child as the Holy Spirit who dwells in every believer grieves over everything that is wrong in his actions, words or thoughts. He never leaves us, but He grieves over all that He sees wrong in us. We can not grieve Him away, as some misread these, words, but we can grieve Him. This -thought ought to be one of the mightiest incentives to a life that is pure in act and word and thought. How utterly unwarranted it is to translate these words. “ Grieve Him away” is evi dent from the rest of the verse where we are told that we are “ sealed” in the Holy Spirit “ unto the day of redemp tion.” By "the day of redemption” is meant the day when God’s inheritance in His saints will be fully redeemed (cf. oh. 1:14.: Rom. 8:23). Once sealed we are forever God’s. Now Paul goes on to
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