What Does the Bible Say About Lying?

The Bible condemns lying consistently — but then praises Rahab for lying to protect spies. Honesty is the rule, but the edge cases are worth wrestling with.

What Does the Bible Say About Anger?

The Bible doesn't say 'never be angry.' It says be angry at the right things, in the right way, and don't let it control you.

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Day 4 of 5

Living with Purpose

Back to plan

Same Team, New Wardrobe.

Q: What Does the Bible Say About Forgiveness?

The Bible commands radical forgiveness — but it also gives nuance. Forgiveness isn't pretending it didn't happen.

Q: What Are Spiritual Gifts?

Spiritual gifts are abilities given by the Holy Spirit for serving others — from teaching to healing to encouragement. Every believer has at least one.

Q: What Does the Bible Say About Toxic Relationships?

Forgiveness is commanded. But staying in a harmful relationship isn't. The Bible models both grace AND boundaries — Jesus himself walked away from people.

Q: What Does the Bible Say About Gossip?

The Bible treats gossip as genuinely destructive — not a harmless habit. Proverbs, James, and Paul all warn that your words can build up or burn down.

Q: What Is Ephesians About?

Ephesians at a glance — authorship, date, key themes, and why it's in the Bible.

Q: Who Is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity — not an impersonal force, but God himself living inside every believer.

Ephesians 4 — Seven 'ones,' a wardrobe swap, and the hardest forgiveness flex

5 min read

Key Takeaways

Paul drops seven 'ones' in a row from a prison cell — one body, one Spirit, one Lord — the hardest unity speech in the entire Bible

📢 Chapter 4 — Same Team, New Wardrobe 🧥

is writing this letter from a literal prison cell. Chains on his wrists, guards at the door — and instead of complaining about his situation, he's pouring everything into this in . The first three chapters of this letter were all about what God has done — chosen you, saved you by , brought Jews and together into one family. Heavy theology. Deep .

Inside this Chapter

Anger Growth Purpose Identity Community Integrity Forgiveness Relationships

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What Does the Bible Say About Forgiveness?

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What Are Spiritual Gifts?

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What Does the Bible Say About Toxic Relationships?

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Reflect

Paul says to 'speak the truth in love.' When is that most difficult for you?

He warns against letting anger linger overnight. Is there unresolved frustration you need to address?

Now Paul shifts gears. He's done explaining WHAT God did — now he's getting into HOW you're supposed to live because of it. This is where the goes from theology class to real life. And he starts with the thing the church struggles with most: staying unified.

Walk Worthy (Be Who You Already Are) 🚶‍♂️

opens this section with a personal plea. Remember — he's writing this from behind bars:

"I'm literally a prisoner for the Lord right now. So hear me when I say this: live a life that's worthy of what God called you to. Be humble. Be gentle. Be patient. Bear with each other in love. Do everything you can to maintain the unity the Holy Spirit gives you, held together by peace."

Then he drops one of the most powerful statements of unity in the entire Bible:

"There is one body and one Spirit — just like there's one hope you were called to. One Lord. One Faith. One Baptism. One God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all."

Seven "ones." Paul is hammering this point because the early church was already starting to fracture along every line imaginable — cultural background, spiritual gifts, personal preferences. And Paul is saying: you are on the same team, fr fr. The things that unite you are infinitely bigger than the things that divide you. 💯

Spiritual Gifts Are for the Whole Squad 🎁

shifts from what unites the church to what makes each person in it unique:

"But Grace was given to each one of us — measured out according to Christ's gift. That's why Scripture says, 'When He ascended on high, He led captives in His train and gave gifts to people.'"

Quick context: Paul is quoting 68 here and applying it to . The idea is that Jesus descended to earth, accomplished everything through His and , then ascended back to — and from that position of ultimate authority, He distributed gifts to His people.

"And He gave some as Apostles, some as Prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers — to equip God's people for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ. The goal? Until we all reach unity in Faith and knowledge of the Son of God. Until we reach full maturity — measured by nothing less than the fullness of Christ Himself."

This is a massive reframe. The point of leadership in the church isn't to do all the ministry while everyone else watches. It's to equip everyone else to do their part. Every gift serves the whole body. Nobody's role is more important than another's — they're all needed to hit the goal, which is growing up together to look like Jesus. That's elite teamwork. 👑

Stop Getting Played 🌊

explains what maturity actually protects you from:

"The point is that we won't be infants anymore — tossed around by every wave, blown by every trendy doctrine, manipulated by people who are crafty and scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we grow up in every way into Christ, who is the head."

"From Him, the whole body is joined and held together by every supporting ligament. When each part does its work, the whole body grows and builds itself up in love."

Paul is saying: immaturity makes you gullible. When you don't know what you believe and why, you're one viral take away from getting pulled off course. But maturity isn't just about protecting yourself — it's about the whole body functioning together. You're not an isolated individual. You're a connected part. When you grow, everybody benefits. When you don't, everybody feels it. 🧠

Take Off the Old Fit, Put On the New 👕

Now gets direct. He's not being subtle anymore:

"I'm saying this and I mean it in the Lord: you cannot keep living the way the Gentiles do. Their thinking is empty. Their understanding is darkened. They're cut off from the life of God because of the ignorance and hardness in their hearts. They've gone numb — given themselves over to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity."

Then the pivot:

"But that's not what you learned when you learned Christ! You heard about Him. You were taught in Him. And the truth is this: put off your old self — the one that belonged to your former way of life, the one being destroyed by its own deceitful desires. Be renewed in the spirit of your minds. And put on the new self — created to be like God in true Righteousness and holiness."

This is one of Paul's most vivid images. He's talking about your identity like it's clothing. The old self — all the patterns, habits, and desires that defined you before — you take that off like a dirty outfit. And the new self — created by God, shaped by truth — you put that on. isn't just stopping bad behavior. It's a whole identity swap. A from the inside out. ✨

The Practical Guide to Actually Living Different 📋

Forgiveness Anger

has laid the theology. Now he gets specific. This is the "okay but what does that actually look like" section:

"Stop lying. Speak truth to each other — because we're all members of the same body. You're allowed to be angry, but don't let it become Sin. Don't let the sun go down while you're still heated. Don't give the devil a foothold."

"If you used to steal, stop. Instead, work hard with your own hands so you have something to share with people in need."

"Watch your mouth. Don't let any toxic talk come out — only words that build people up, that fit the moment, that give Grace to whoever hears them."

Then Paul hits with the heaviest line in the chapter:

"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God — the one who sealed you for the day of Redemption."

That's a real one. The isn't just some abstract force. He's a person, and He can be grieved by how you live. The way you talk to people, the bitterness you hold onto, the anger you let fester — it all grieves the Spirit who lives in you and marked you as belonging to God.

Paul closes with the full list:

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander — along with every form of malice. Instead, be kind to each other. Be tenderhearted. Forgive each other, the same way God in Christ forgave you."

That last line is the whole foundation. You don't forgive because people deserve it. You forgive because you didn't deserve it either, and God forgave you anyway. That's the standard. That's the motivation. Everything in this chapter flows from that. 🫶

Key Takeaways

📢 Chapter 4 — Same Team, New Wardrobe 🧥

Inside this Chapter

Questions about this Chapter

What Does the Bible Say About Forgiveness?

What Are Spiritual Gifts?

What Does the Bible Say About Toxic Relationships?

What Does the Bible Say About Gossip?

What Is Ephesians About?

Who Is the Holy Spirit?

My Notes

Walk Worthy (Be Who You Already Are) 🚶‍♂️

Spiritual Gifts Are for the Whole Squad 🎁

Stop Getting Played 🌊

Take Off the Old Fit, Put On the New 👕

The Practical Guide to Actually Living Different 📋