In reading the portion of the Epistle to the Church at Ephesus that forms our lection this morning, we might immediately think that the piece which jumps out at us is the well known “be angry and sin not; let not the sun go down on your anger”. Many of you may well have had some time considering this verse during marriage preparation. We should not let the sun go down on our anger, because somehow it always seems to still be there in the morning.
This morning I want, however to direct our thoughts to another idea contained in the Epistle lection.
The New Testament in its original language uses two words for life. The first word has to do with our natural life which is the basis of all our performance and our works. That word is "βιωσις" from which we have the words biology and biography. This word emphasizes the ‘manner of life’. It gives rise to the word "βιωτικος", which means the things of this life. If we look at all the other religions of the world they are based on "βιωσις". Generally human religions try to transform or to modify that "βιωσις" so that it becomes pleasing to God. That is why every human religion is a religion of salvation by works. Christianity, on the other hand, is not based on humans trying to modify their old life. In Christianity we receive a new life in exchange for the old. This was achieved through the cross.
Two things were accomplished on the cross. (1) Our "biosis" came to an end. (2) In exchange, God gave us the life of His Son. In fact, this is God's supreme gift to mankind through the cross. If we look at 1 John 5:11, we are told that this is the record that God has given us life and this life is in His Son. He who has Christ has this life. The Greek word that is used here is "ζωη", which has about it the meaning of to enthral or to take alive rather than kill. We read about this in the gospel of John. In John 1, as John introduces Christ, the Word of God, he makes this statement in verse 4: "In him (Christ) was life ("ζωη") and this life was the light of men." Then in John 10, Jesus says that the thief does not come except to kill and to steal and to destroy. "I," says Jesus, "have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly." This is what a Christian receives.
The "βιωσις" life is a life of individuality. In other words, the "βιωσις" life lives for self, what is best for me, what is good for me, what is most interesting to me, that is what the "βιωσις" life aims for. But there is no self in the life of Jesus Christ which we have received through the new birth experience. The new life is "ζωη"; a life dominated or controlled by this wonderful, self-emptying love of God. In 1 Corinthians 13:5, Paul tells us: "God's unconditional love seeketh not her own." There is no self in God's unconditional love. When this life controls us, we will put away lying; we will speak the truth.
But there is one more thing. Because there is no self in this new life, the Christian church is described as the human body. The human body is a perfect unit. We have different members; we have hands, we have legs; we have eyes; we have ears, each doing its own function but our human body is in perfect unity. When the stomach is hungry it speaks to the head saying, "I am hungry." Then the head speaks to the legs saying, "Go to the fridge and get some food for the stomach." The legs do not say, "I am not hungry. Let the stomach go and get food if it wants some." There is perfect submission to the head. Likewise, when Christians are controlled by the love of God and self is crucified, we will be of one heart and one mind because we have been bonded together by the life of Christ. We have become one body. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul talks about the love of God but in 1 Corinthians 12, he talks about the unity of the body through the Spirit. When one suffers, all suffer; when one grieves, all grieve because we feel for each other. The love of Christ controls us.
So the question we need to ask ourselves is: “What kind of life are we living? Is it "βιωσις" or "ζωη"? Each one of us can only answer for ourselves.
May God bless you in the life that Christ gives.
