Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.  30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Here is the big picture context for these verses: The first three chapters of Ephesians lay a theological foundation for what Paul talks about in the last three chapters of Ephesians.

In chapter four Paul is reminding the Ephesians that they have been given new life in Christ and therefore their lives should look different from those who are not identified with Jesus. As well, he subtly reminds them that they are in a spiritual battle and implores them not to give the devil any kind of a foothold in their lives (verse 27). These verses reflect some ways that this might be happening.

What is “corrupting talk”? The word corrupt is likened to rotten fruit. It refers to anything that is destructive, selfish, and especially grace-less. It might be foul language, gossip, lies, slander, etc. It is language that does not nourish others, that is cancerous, and is harmful – both to the talker and the hearer.

Where does corrupting talk come from? – According to Matthew 12:34-36 it comes from a corrupt heart: “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”

How do you fix a corrupting talk problem? – If you are a believer, you need to repent and be reminded of the cross and the fact that you are beloved by the Father and seek to imitate Jesus. A good place to start is by watching how Jesus used language in the gospels to help people rather than to hurt people. If you are not a believer, you need a new heart. This is something that only the Lord can do as you come to Him as the Great Physician asking that He would take your heart of stone and replace it with a heart that beats for Him. (Ezekiel 36:26)

May the Lord use this brick to remind you that the Lord wants to use our words to build others up and that starts by having a heart that is overflowing with God and the gospel.

In order to really understand this passage it is necessary to have the context of John 9. In chapter 9 the Pharisees reveal their true colors when, instead of being excited that a man who was born blind has been miraculously healed, they use the healing (on the Sabbath) as an excuse to frame Jesus as a lawbreaker.

Jesus calls them out – without calling them out. He spins a narrative in chapter 10 about sheep and shepherds that calls to mind, for everyone listening, Ezekiel’s prophetic warning from Ezekiel 34. This would not have been missed by the religious leaders of the day. Jesus is saying that the very men who have been entrusted with caring for and providing for God’s flock have instead burdened them with a weight that was impossible to carry. They had made the Law do what it was never intended to do.

Jesus identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd that Ezekiel prophesied about in 34:22-24. He likens the Pharisees to thieves who would steal, kill, and destroy, the flock of God (John 10:10) – which they were indeed doing. They had taken all the joy out of being a child of God and had destroyed any desire to serve Him wholeheartedly because of their weighty demands that sucked all the life out of God’s people. Jesus instead offered them hope: “I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10b)

It is no wonder why people were attracted to Jesus and His teaching – He was a lifeline of hope to a people who were drowning in despair and religious frustration. 

And it is no wonder why people still flock to Jesus. We live in a culture that is also fraught with despair and frustration. Religion is just one more thing to add to an already busy schedule. But when people rightly understand that Jesus did not come to add something else to their life but instead to BE their life and to fill them with hope and to fuel them with strength and courage to face each day then following Jesus becomes a delight rather than a duty.

May this brick help you to find joy in the Good Shepherd who leads us beside still waters; who restores our soul; who leads us in paths of righteousness; and who walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death. (Psalm 23)

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

What does  “this” in verse 12 and “it” in verse 13 refer to?  A key principle for interpreting Scripture is to always look at the context of a verse or passage. In this case, Paul is referring back to verses 7-11. The thing that means more to him than anything else to knowing Christ, gaining Christ, treasuring Christ above all.

The reason this is true for Paul, and should be for us, is because of what he says at the end of verse 12: “Christ Jesus has made me His own.” Paul has never gotten over the beauty of the cross. Even after 30 years he is still overwhelmed by the wonder of the gospel and what Jesus did for him. And we should be as well.

And Paul is not content to just maintain his relationship with Jesus. He wants to keep growing and keep knowing Christ better and better. In verse 13 he talks about “one thing” that he is doing to make sure this happens. My challenge to you (and me) is to identify one thing that could help you to know Jesus better and treasure Him more. Just one thing! Never underestimate the power of making one simple change.

Here are three things that I have been pondering regarding treasuring Jesus above all else. I won’t make any further comments about them. I will just leave them here for you to mull over:

• What we treasure most we think about constantly! (Philippians 4:8)
• What we treasure most we pursue relentlessly! (Matthew 13:44)
• What we treasure most we guard jealously! (Exodus 20:4-5)

Is Jesus your greatest treasure?

May the Lord use this “brick” to spur you on to know Christ even better than you already do and to consider doing whatever it takes to make Christ your greatest treasure.

These 4 verses are the closing verses of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Like every good preacher He left His hearers with a lot to think about. Part of his closing remarks say “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Here are a few questions that I think His listeners left pondering… and scratching their heads about:

• How in the world is my righteousness ever going to exceed that of the scribes Pharisees? (5:20)
• Does Jesus really expect me to cut off my right hand when (not if) it causes me to sin? (5:30)
• Am I really supposed to let somebody slap my other cheek after they have already slapped me once? (5:39)
• What did Jesus mean by “do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth?” Am I not supposed to save and prepare for retirement? (6:19)
• Did He really mean that very few are going to find their way into heaven? What do I have to do? (7:14)

Jesus talks in these verses about making sure that our lives are built on a strong, solid foundation and warns His hearers that if this is not true then they are setting themselves up for collapse. Unfortunately many people, even spiritual people, have a foundation that is faulty. Their lives are centered around being good enough to get into heaven. Or their lives are focused around the other people in their lives – and one thing we know is that people often disappoint and let us down. Or their lives center on how they are feeling at any given time – which can make for quite a roller-coaster kind of existence.

And then there are many people who have built their lives initially on Jesus but either because of compromise or neglect have allowed cracks to form in their foundation. These folks are always surprised when their lives start to collapse around them only to realize that they refused to do anything to keep the little cracks from becoming big cracks.

So how do you maintain a foundation that will support your life when the storms of life threaten to destroy you. Three things that you hear often because they are so crucial: 

1) Stay in church and connected to other believers. Hebrews 10:24-25 says this, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
2) Stay in the Word. It has been said that sin will keep you from the Word or the Word will keep you from sin. Jesus said it this way, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them…”
3) Stay before the throne of grace. As the author to the Hebrews said, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

As you ponder this “brick” may the Lord strengthen the foundation you have built and cause you to exult in song proclaiming…

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.