This morning the chewing seems a little harder. Arrested by a verse that normally, I think, I’d just pass over. But it’s a therefore — and trying to be clear on what it’s there for — that’s got me thinking. So, while I might quickly jot down some thoughts now, I’ll probably be noodling on this some more.

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

(Ephesians 4:25 ESV)

Each one of you speak truth with his neighbor . . . That’s a command to obey. Got it.

What am I to do? Speak truth. To whom? My neighbor. Thinking that’s more than just the guy next door but more like “the neighbor” in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). As in, I am the neighbor of whoever God brings me into contact with, for we are all members of one another.

Okay, so speak truth with whoever I get to speak with. Got it.

But here’s the thing, in this crazy culture of ours where truth is so much up for grabs, how can I know that what I am speaking is really the truth. That it’s not fake news from a fake news source? That it’s not the social media algorithmic accentuation of what I already have a bias towards wanting to believe? That it really is science and not sham science? Even if I am up to being so bold as to speak out, how can I know I am speaking truth?

And so, that’s why I’m wondering if figuring out what the “Therefore” is there for might not be helpful.

Therefore, having put away falsehood . . . So, where did we talk about putting away falsehood? I think it’s in the paragraph right before this one.

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ! — assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self . . .

(Ephesians 4:17-22a ESV)

My summation? Stop being worldly. Keep in the word. Be relentless in dealing with your old ways.

Stop being worldly. Don’t walk like the culture walks. Don’t think like it thinks. Do not concede to the concessions the world feels it needs to make. You are of the light, don’t take your cues from those darkened in their understanding. Otherwise, you run the risk of becoming callous and hard just as they have become callous. And a callous person feels no obligation towards his neighbor, much less to speak truth with his neighbor.

Keep in the word. Brother, sister, we have learned Christ. We heard about Him, we have been taught in Him. And He is the living Word. So, above all else, we must — as much as depends on us — purpose to keep in Him. Abide in Him. Abide in His words. Let His words abide in you. Only then, will the command to speak truth be less a gut it out, self-discipline obligation but more a supernatural necessitation. A person in the Word, overflowing with Word, will want to speak truth with his neighbor.

Don’t stop dealing with your old ways. Put off your old self. The sense of the verb to put off is to do it, and keep doing it, and be prepared to do it some more into the future. Dealing with the old nature isn’t a one and done thing. Every day there’s a battle. Every day we need to put off your old self and put on Christ. Your gonna serve somebody, determine — again, as much as depends on you — that that somebody will be your Savior and not your old self. And the person who does? Yeah, you guessed it, he or she is pretty likely to speak the truth with his neighbor.

Worth noodling on? I’m thinkin’ . . .

By His grace. For His glory.