Monday, August 24, 2015

Ephesians 5:25

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

Reflection

This scripture tells us that we need to be truthful in all our dealings with others.  We should not be involved in deception or in telling lies.

For today’s reflection spend time thinking about the following questions:

How does the Bible inform us about truthfulness?

Why do you think the Bible believes that we should always err on the side of truth?

August 23-29

Making Right Choices

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

How can we make the right choices for life?  As we look at this week’s passage from the book of Ephesians we discover that we can make right decisions when we know and live by the truth that is contained in God’s Word.  The Word of God informs our thinking and gives us the guidance and spiritual knowledge to choose what God would want us to choose.

Spend some time thinking and praying about how you make your decisions for life.  Do you make those decisions based on your own knowledge and judgment?  Do you make those decisions through the wisdom and knowledge contained in God’s Word?

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Ephesians 4:23-24

...to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Reflection

In these two verses the Apostle Paul brings us to the point of why we should have a new way of thinking and a new way of living.  We need this new attitude in life because Jesus has provided a way, through his death and resurrection, for the old to pass away and for all things to become new.

Paul says that the end goal of this new thinking and new living is so we can be like God intended us to be in creation.  What was God’s original intention for us in creation?  God intended that we be in full relationship with him and that we be like him in true righteousness and holiness.

Obviously, we all know that without Jesus we are not like God in righteousness and holiness. However, Jesus has paid the price for our sin on the cross.  Jesus has won a victory over sin and death.  Jesus is truly righteous and holy.  When we believe in faith that Jesus has saved us then his righteousness and holiness become our righteousness and holiness.  Through Jesus we are now right and holy before God the Father.  That is the new way of thinking and living that Jesus has provided for us.

Friday, August 21, 2015

Ephesians 4:21-22

Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.

Reflection

How do we know that we need to start thinking a new way?  When we come to know Jesus Christ we are taught the truth that Jesus has shared with us all.  The truth of Jesus shows that we need to put off the old way of thinking and living and pick up a new mind set and way to live life.

In order to fully buy into this new way of life we need to know the truth of Jesus and embrace that truth in our lives.  Think about this question:  How are you intentionally learning and growing in the truth of Jesus?

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Ephesians 4:20

“You, however, did not come to know Christ that way.”

Reflection

Paul in today’s verse tells us that carnal or fleshly thinking is not the way we came to know Christ.  To know Christ we have to surrender the old way of thinking into the hands of God.  Our minds must be cleansed and redeemed.

To know Christ we must think and live in the ways of Jesus.

Take time today to think and meditate on what are the ways of Jesus?  How can you more completely live in the ways of Jesus?

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Ephesians 4:19

Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.”

Reflection

Yesterday we looked at some of the results that Paul shared if we failed to change our thinking from a human perspective to a divine perspective.  In this verse for today Paul shares some more negative effects that can come from wrong thinking.  Yesterday’s verse said that our hearts could be hardened.  Todays’ verse says that we could lose all sensitivity.  That goes along with what happens when we harden our hears.  We lose the ability to be sensitive to the voice of God through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Then that lack of sensitivity leads us to make choices that satisfy our personal desires.  Those choices will lead us to sensuality and sensuality will lead us to choose impurity and lust.  This all comes out of an inappropriate frame of mind for a Christian.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Ephesians 4:18

“They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.”

Reflection

Paul in today’s verse tells us that carnal or fleshly thinking is not the way we came to know Christ.  To know Christ we have to surrender the old way of thinking into the hands of God.  Our minds must be cleansed and redeemed.

To know Christ we must think and live in the ways of Jesus.

Take time today to think and meditate on what are the ways of Jesus?  How can you more completely live in the ways of Jesus?