Replacing Don’ts with Dos

A criticism some people offer of Christianity is that it’s too negative. I think they’re due to study more. For one thing, if you’re going to be involved in a religion that calls for the purity God asks of His people, there will of necessity be some “don’ts.” The Christian has to stay away from all forms of impurity.

But a second item that weighs heavily in this equation is what Jesus said in Matt 12:44-45. Jesus tells of a man possessed with an evil spirit. The spirit is cast out and the man cleans his abode of the evil spirit, but he doesn’t replace it with anything. He leaves it empty. The evil spirit returns with seven spirits more wicked than himself and they take over the man’s life. The lesson is clear. Eliminating evil from our lives is a good start, but it is not sufficient. There is a whole lot more involved in maintaining purity than saying “don’t” to evil. Evil needs to be replaced with good, righteous behavior if there is to b a difference.

Paul weighs in on this concept in Eph 4:22-24ff, “put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Putting off the old corrupt man is where the process starts, but there is no process if you stop there. There was just an act, an unfruitful act. You will have to put on the new man, created in righteousness and true holiness if you want to experience a difference.

In the next few verses Paul goes on to show how that works. He gives the Christian several “don’ts.” Lying is a don’t. Acting out of anger is a don’t. Stealing is a don’t. Corrupt communication is a don’t. Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour and evil speaking are all don’ts. (The word, “clamour” seems to indicate a raucous disturbance.)

The first “don’t” Paul lists is in verse 25, “put away lying.” There is nothing revolutionary in this admonition. There can be no comfortable social structure in which humans may live if we lie to each other. We would never know what to believe, or even think. But Paul also gives us a “do” with which to replace the “don’t”. He says, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.” There is no way society can reasonably function if we are not up front and honest with each other. If we play games and are deceitful someone is going to get hurt, some could even be financially ruined. So while it is true that we must not lie, it is also true that we must replace that don’t with a “do” - tell the truth to each other. We are neighbors and we depend on each other.

The “don’t” in verse 26 is “do not act out of anger.” Paul says, “Be angry and sin not; do not let the sun go down on your wrath.” Notice we are not instructed not to get angry. In fact, Paul says, “Be angry.” Of course this is not a requirement put on us by God to be angry. What is being said here is, that as a human things are going to happen that are going to make you angry. That is just a fact. The question is what happens next?

Whatever you do, the “don’t” is “don’t act out of anger.” Don’t say anything out of anger, don’t do anything out of anger. Speaking for myself, I can list several unfortunate embarrassing occurrences when I let my anger lead me into action. And, yes, I have done that. I’m confident that 99 times out of 100 when we act out of anger we do or say the wrong thing, and I really suspect it is all 100. So what is the “do?”

Do get over it. “Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.” You got angry. Turn away from personal interaction for a time. Count to 10, and while your counting think about Paul’s words for the Christian. Don’t harbor it, get it out of your system before this day comes to an end. Many times when we lash out in anger it makes us feel good, because we really showed somebody what for. Paul says don’t do it. He says do calm down, get over it, and put it out of your system. In fact, acting out of anger is “giving place to the devil.”

Next up, don’t steal. Vs 28, “Let him who stole steal no longer.” A Christian who has the proper loving relationship with his neighbors and fellow Christians simply cannot take things that do not belong to him or her. So you simply don’t steal. If it’s not yours, leave it alone. But what is the “do” with which we replace taking other people’s things as though they were ours?

“Let him that stole, steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” This is a stark contrast indeed. Whereas you used to take things that belonged to other people to use them as if they were your own possession, now, as a Christian, it’s become your responsibility toward your fellow man that you get a job and work and earn your own money, but did you notice why? So that you will have something to give to people who are in need. Don’t freeload and steal off of other people. Do replace that behavior with earning an honest living so you can give to those who need your help.

In verse 29 this is the “don’t”: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth.” The Greek word translated “corrupt” here could mean, “of poor quality, bad, unfit for use” as well as corrupt. That leaves a rather broad grouping of ‘words.’ I think it is in keeping with the purity sought by Christians that we take this to mean that we don’t use anything off-color, rude, coarse, foul language, railing against others, gutter language, etc. We have a goal we are shooting for and none of those are in any way part of that goal.

But what is the do, that matches this don’t? “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Once again we have a stark contrast between the don’t and the do. We are prohibited from engaging in any conversation that is corrupt or unfit for use. Let’s not fool ourselves, we know what those are. What we are supposed to be doing is conversation that builds others up. It edifies them. It imparts grace to them. What verse 29 is telling me is that anytime I am involved in conversation with someone, they should receive a blessing from our interaction. That probably can’t happen every time because so many of our “conversations” are quick and in passing, but it should be the goal of a Christian to impart a blessing when they speak to others.

Verse 30 says,”And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Some like to think of this as holding some mysterious meaning because it invokes the name of the Holy Spirit. I’m here to disappoint you. I think we grieve the Holy Spirit when we don’t measure up regarding the “don’ts’ and “dos” that Paul is giving us in this section.

Paul finishes with a final nod to the places within us from which our “don’ts” or else our “dos” emanate. In verse 31, he gives the final don’ts of this section, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you.” Harboring these attitudes will cause us to do those things that we have been told “don’t” do. In verse 32 we are told, “and be ye kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” These attitudes will help us get rid of all of the “don’ts” and replace them with the “dos” that Christ wants to see in our lives.