R373 Rags and Robes, PT.2

God has an encouraging word for you and me today through the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton with Part 2 of Rags or Robes. That's right, the message is called Rags or Robes. We have a choice. As we study the word together, know that we're available for you at 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673. And now, Dr. Don Wilton. Please turn in your Bibles this morning to Ephesians chapter 4. Paul's letter to the Ephesians in chapter 4. If someone was to come to you today and say to you, could you tell me what a Christian looks like? I wonder what you would tell them.

I remember being on a mission trip in a third world country. When a group of people basically asked me that question, I had been standing there telling them about Christians and they said to me, what does a Christian look like? How would you describe a Christian, the way they look? Paul said we must be in the world but not of the world.

Are we meant to look any different? Well, here in Ephesians chapter 4, Paul tells us something rather remarkable, don't you think? He tells us that when Jesus Christ comes into our hearts, that we exchange rags for robes. In fact, in Ephesians 4 and from verse 20 through 24, and I'm not going to read those verses, that's what Paul tells us. He says we put off the old self and we put on the new self.

Listen from verse 25, because from verse 25 and in fact right through chapter 5, Paul tells us about what these robes look like. He tells us what Christians look like. He tells us how we are distinguishable from those who have yet to give their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ. Therefore, in verse 25, each one of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin or be angry and do not sin.

It's a command followed by a qualification. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs in order that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Rather be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. If someone came to you this morning and said, Could you tell me what a Christian looks like?

What would you say to them? We have some marvelous experiences here in our congregation. Children tell us a lot of things. One of the dearest men in our congregation is one of our deacons, Mr. Harold Pettit. Mr. Harold takes up the offertory, did an early service today and he stands at the end of the pews and aisles just like you see our deacons do as we receive God's gifts in the services.

Well, the Chuck Wallington family, as they are this morning here today, we're here in our service and they have the dearest little boy by the name of Parks. And Mom Wallington, Linda, turned to Parks and said to him, Now, Parks, I want you to give something to God this morning. And of course, being a dutiful little boy sitting on her lap, he wanted to do that. And so when the offertory plate came by with Mr. Harold Pettit standing at the end of the hour, he very dutifully put in his contribution for the Lord's work.

And like any little boy, he followed the plate as it went down the line. And when he did so, his daddy turned to him and said to him, Now, Parks, my son, do you understand what you've just done? And Parks looked up at his daddy and Chuck said to him, Son, you've just given some money to God.

And with that, Parks looked up and gazed into the face of Mr. Harold Pettit and said, God? I wonder what Christians look like. If you were to try and describe God, what would you say? What does God represent? One of our other families the other day said, our television commercial came on last year, and their son looked up and said, Mommy and Daddy, look, there's God.

To which daddy said, No, son, that's Dr. Wilton. You know, we all have these definitions of what God, what Jesus, what heaven looks like. But what does a Christian look like? Paul says you put off your rags and you put on the robes of God's righteousness. There are distinguishing features.

I'm going to just list the first four or five for you because we covered them. Number one, a Christian person who's put on the robes of God's righteousness, there is a hearing and a receiving of truth about them. They have received the truth of God. They are walking symbols and examples of the truth of the living God.

They wear the clothes or the robes of God's truthfulness. Verse 20 and 21. That's what Paul says. He says that that you were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Christ Jesus. Number two, a second characteristic or mark of a born again believer wearing the robes of God's righteousness. There will be an understanding of what has happened to the old self. If you want to know what a Christian looks like, what a Christian sounds like, a Christian, a person who has trusted Jesus Christ, according to verse 22, is someone who has an understanding of what happened to their rags, if you please, to their old self.

Paul puts it like this. He says in verse 22, you were taught with regard to your former way of life to put off your old self. That carries with it the implication or the understanding that something previously happened that no longer is.

Something new has begun that will be and will continue with us. There's an understanding of the old self. Number three, a third characteristic of someone who has given their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ is that there's an end to acting. Right there in verse 25, therefore, each of you must put a falsehood and speak truthfully. Paul wasn't talking about just being truthful in what you're saying.

He was saying that you as a believer are a living example of someone who no longer has a need to be hypocritical about your spiritual condition. Now, it's very easy to be untruthful in America today about our relationship with God. And church makes it very easy because we all dress up, don't we? We all put on the part.

Don't you think I look quite sharp this morning? We all do that. We all get up and wash our hair and brush our teeth and put on our Sunday best and we come to church and we sing songs and we smile at one another. But there are people who go to church who are living a lie. And Paul says that the mark of a believer is that a believer no longer has a need to act out something that he or she really is not. Because you've come to know the truth. You have an understanding of your old self.

Number four, there is a change in reaction. A believer has a change in the way in which he or she reacts to this world. Look at this incredible verse here in verse 26, be angry but do not sin.

We talked about it last week. It's an imperative followed by a qualification. The word for anger here is a deep seated and rooted conviction about spiritual truth. Paul is saying here, you will have a change in the way in which you respond to the world when you are a believer. A believer reacts differently. A believer is no longer willing to just allow things to rot and to die. A believer is not willing to follow a philosophy that he or she is going to get everything they can no matter who gets in the way.

You've got a different reaction. But there's a fifth area here that is a characteristic of a believer. There is a resolve against Satan. Look at verse 27. You see it's very interesting here that the apostle Paul says that the believer has a different reaction in that he or she becomes angry but sins not and in order not to sin does not allow the son to go down on their anger.

Why? Because simply this, if you allow the son to go down on righteous anger, you may be justifiably angry at the immorality or whatever it is that is contrary to the word of God. But if you allow the son to go down on your anger, it gives the devil a foothold.

Because righteous anger, my friend, is just one heartbeat away from becoming sin if Satan gets a hold of it. So what does a Christian look like? What does a Christian do?

What kind of robes does he wear? A born again believer has a resolve against Satan. I am not going to allow Satan to get a foothold in my life.

That's why and I repeat this many times and I'll never get tired of repeating it. That's why I'm so proud, brother Seth, of our young people for the stand that our young people make for righteousness and for godliness. They have a resolve in their heart.

What are they saying when they do these things like true love waits? They are saying, listen, I am making a commitment in order that I'm not going to allow Satan to get a foothold in my life. I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to go to a place. I'm not going to associate with the people. I'm not going to read this.

I'm not going to look at that. I'm not going to allow Satan to get a foothold in my life. That's what the Bible says about someone who wears the robes of God's righteousness.

But there's a sixth characteristic about a Christian he or she. There is a change of habit. There's a change of habit. Verse 28, he who has been stealing must steal no longer and the word here is klepto from which we get the word kleptomaniac. Now what is he talking about just stealing? No, what Paul is saying here, my friends, is that when Jesus Christ comes into your heart and you put off the old self and you are clothed by putting on the robes of God's righteousness, you no longer have to resort to doing things that are displeasing to God because God is with you. And what God is telling you, my friends, he is saying he is taking you as a nobody and he's making you into somebody. He's taking you out the gutter existence of your life and he's putting you on the throne of God's righteousness.

That's what Paul is saying. Please forgive the interruption. We'll be back with the rest of today's message, rags or robes, with Dr. Don Wilton in just a few moments. But Dr. Don wants me to remind you that we are available to connect with you in a participation of a conversation, not just a presentation.

Right now, friends are connecting keyboard to keyboard on our website at www.tewonline.org. There's much excitement about this unique time of praying for our country. The book resource is called 31 Days of Prayer for My Nation. If you haven't seen it, take a look at our website www.tewonline.org and discover how you can get your copy. And that and other resources, including the book Dr. Wilton just wrote about his time with Billy Graham called Saturdays with Billy, is all available on our website. That's www.tewonline.org.

We hope you'll connect today. Now let's dive back into today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton about rags or robes. And he uses as the illustration, a beautiful illustration, of using your hands.

Now I'm not very good at my hands. I've told Tom Arledge and Jess Brown that if ever, and I plan to do this one of these days, go down to Brazil to help build churches or go to Moldova. Jess, I want you to know, brother, if you would just allow me one thing, just let me preach. You know why? Because if I start hitting those nails in and the rains come and the floods come, that church is flat on its back. I promise you. You know why?

I'm not very good with my hands. It's not going to stop me going. But you know what Paul was talking about? He was talking about three things. He was saying, number one, get busy yourself. The mark of a believer is someone who gets busy himself. Number two, just get busy. Do something as a believer. You're not saved to sit, you're saved to serve.

And number three, share what you have with others. That's what Paul is saying. He says you no longer have a need to borrow from others. You no longer have a need to plagiarize. You no longer have a need to steal from others.

Do you know why? Because God has taken you and yes, you may have been a nobody, which we all are outside of Jesus Christ, but he's made you some somebody. That's what he's done. He's put your marriage back together. He's healed your broken heart. That's what he's done for you.

But there's a seventh characteristic. Paul says if you are a believer, you can tell a believer because there will be a different conversation about them. Look at verse 29.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth. Now, this is interesting here because Paul uses a word supros, S-U-P-R-O-S. Do you know what supros means? Supros means corrupt or foul. That's what it means. It's often associated with rotten fruit.

That's what that word is. Paul says here, listen, there is the essence of what is good that is in you, but because you are now in Christ Jesus, you do not have license to expel rotten fruit from your being. David put it like this in Psalm 141, verse 3.

He said, set God over my mouth and keep watch over the door of my lips. How would you describe a Christian if someone asked you to describe one? One of the ways Paul says, you can tell a person's a Christian because there is no unwholesome talk that comes out of their mouths. Have you ever met somebody who goes to church on Sunday, but as soon as they get mad on Monday, things start coming out of their mouths?

Have you ever met someone who goes to church on Sunday, but when they get onto the golf course on Saturday, unwholesome talk begins to come out of their mouths? It's a challenge what Paul is talking about here. He says a foul mouth means you've got a foul heart. Matthew chapter 12 and verse 34, the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. That's what Paul is saying.

Paul is saying you want to describe a born again believer. They've got on the clothes or the robes of God's righteousness, and one of those features is what comes out of the mouth. But then number eight, there is an effort to please God. There is an effort to please God. One distinguishing feature about Christian people is that they do not want to grieve the Holy Spirit. Look at verse 30, and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Why is that a distinguishing characteristic of a believer, someone who's clothed in God's righteousness? Simply this folks, because whatever violates the will of God and the holiness of the heart will grieve the third person of the Trinity. That's what God is saying here.

He is saying that grieving can lead to quenching, and quenching leads to a forfeiture of power and blessing. Why the Holy Spirit? Because the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity.

What does the Bible say? The Holy Spirit has intellect in 1 Corinthians 2 verse 11. The Holy Spirit has feelings in Romans 8, 27. The Holy Spirit has will in 1 Corinthians 12, 11.

The Holy Spirit works in 1 Corinthians 12, 11. He searches in 1 Corinthians 2, 10. He speaks in Acts 13, 2. He testifies in John 15 and verse 26. He teaches in John 14 verse 26. He convicts in John 16, 8 through 11.

He regenerates in John 3, 5. He intercedes in Acts 8, 26. He guides in John 16, 13. He glorifies Christ in John 16, 14.

And he directs service to God in Acts 16, 6 and 7. That's the Holy Spirit. And Paul says, do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Why do not grieve the Holy Spirit? Because the Holy Spirit is God's personal mark of authenticity upon the believer. Here he says it very clearly, with whom you were sealed or stamped for the day of redemption.

If you grieve the Holy Spirit, you're not wearing the clothes of God's righteousness. But there's a final one, there's a change of character. There's going to be a change of character. You say, how can I describe a Christian? A Christian's character changes.

He talks about it in verse 31 and 32. He says you undergo a character change. Bitterness, what is bitterness? It's smouldering resentment or a brooding grudge.

Paul says it's gone. He talks about anger, not the same kind of anger he spoke previously of. This is the kind of anger that is internal and it is smouldering.

It is an angry kind of anger. He talks about clamor, a shout or an outcry of strife. It is a public outburst, Paul says, one who is clothed in God's righteousness that is gone. He talks about slander, blasphemy, which comes from the heart. Ongoing defamation rising from a bitter heart against God or the person to whom you slander.

Blasphemy, it's the same word. What does Paul say? He says you want to describe a Christian, there it is in verse 32.

Be kind and compassionate to one another. That's what he says, forgiving one another. That's why I'm so glad we're in God's house, aren't you? Would you bow your heads this morning? Every head bowed, we're going to give you an opportunity to respond to the Lord Jesus Christ today.

He is so wonderful. You know, when we look at some of these passages and we ask ourselves questions like, Lord, how in the world can I ever measure up to that? If someone was to come to you today and say to you, I know that you're a Christian because I see every day the robes of God's righteousness on your life.

Would people be able to say that to you? Please note, Paul doesn't say the robes of God's perfectness. He doesn't say we're perfect or we're spotless. He says we wear his robes. That's what Jesus Christ has done for us.

Steve said it best of all. He told us how that God gave his life, broken and bruised for our transgression. He allowed his body to be broken in order that we can be made whole again. What a wonderful truth. It is wonderful truth. You've been listening to the teaching of Dr. Don Wilton, our pastor here at The Encouraging Word, and it's our prayer that as we have understood the truth of God's word, we understand the way that it applies to each of us.

It's living, and it cuts our hearts and our soul to open us to new, fresh perspective. And perhaps today God has used his word from the Book of Ephesians and the teaching of his servant, Dr. Don Wilton, to prepare you for a decision, a choice you need to make. As Dr. Don has been preaching from the pulpit, I pray you'll open your heart to what he wants to share as he steps into the studio next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ?

I'm so happy to hear that. Why don't you pray this prayer with me today? Dear God, I know that you love me very, very much, and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came and died on a cross so that I might be forgiven of my sin. Today, I repent of my sin. I confess my sin to you, and I invite you to come into my heart and into my life by faith. In Jesus' name I pray. If you prayed that prayer, let me be the first one to welcome you to the family of God.

This is wonderful. I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying for you and how very important this is for me. Call us so that we can talk to you and connect you in the right place so you can begin this wonderful journey.

And in just a moment, I'm going to come back with a final word. If you just gave your life to Jesus Christ, maybe you rededicated your life, you need to share that with somebody, and we pray you'd share it with us. You can call us right now at 866-899-WORD. We'd love to rejoice with you, pray with you, and put some free resources in your hands that Dr. Don wants you to have at 866-899-WORD. Again, the number is 866-899-9673. We'd love to pray with you, pray for you, maybe help you connect with a local church.

Just know that we're here for you at 866-899-9673 and also online at www.tewonline.org, the place you'll discover great resources like this. Our nation needs prayer more than ever. Our Founding Fathers understood that everything that we have and everything that we are is rooted in all that God is, and without Him, we're on our own. God has a very serious message for America. This month, for your gift of any amount to the Encouraging Word Broadcast Ministry, you will receive Dr. Wilton's powerful message, free indeed, along with the bonus book, 31 Days of Prayer for My Nation. This resource set will provide encouragement now and for the days ahead.

You will have a renewed focus on the promise and power of prayer and for your freedom as an American. Call us at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673 to request free indeed and 31 Days of Prayer book. Thank you for supporting the Encouraging Word as we continue to proclaim the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ to a nation in desperate need of biblical truth. The number again is 866-899-WORD, not just for those great resources, but also for prayer anytime, day or night.

That's 866-899-9673. And before we get away, a closing thought from Dr. Don. Well, here I am again.

What a day this has been. You know, one of the things I want to say to you is let's stay connected. You know, we've got so many means to be able to do that.

You can write to us, e-mail us. You've got all the details right there in front of us. We are. We're a family together. We stay connected in so many ways, and your life is very important to me. I see you there, and God shows me, and I want to be able to pray with you and connect with you and be a vital part of your relationship, your growth.

Your needs are maintained. I'm walking in your shoes, and I want to pray for you. Please don't stop. Call us.

Write us. Keep praying. Keep giving. Keep connecting. Keep rejoicing. Keep celebrating. Keep striving.

God is on His throne. This is the encouraging word, and now you know why. Our time's gone for today, but oh, know this.

As pastors mentioned earlier, we're here to encourage you. 24 hours a day, keyboard to keyboard on our website at TEWonline.org. That's T-E-W online dot O-R-G or on the phone at 866-899 word. Jot the number down.

Store it in your cell. We're available 24 hours a day at 866-899-9673. And thank you so very much for your prayerful and financial support of this ministry. The encouraging word.