Let us strive for Unity in the Spirit …
Read Ephesus 4
As a Christian, living for Jesus involves our dying to self daily and allowing Jesus to live His life through us, by daily submitting to the Holy Spirit’s leading an instruction, through God’s Word, in our life…
Living like the person you have become means incorporating a formidable list of specific actions into your daily life.
First we are to stop lying.
To be taught the truth in Jesus (v. 21) means to make truth telling a habit of life.
We cannot attempt to fool or deceive one another as pagans do.
We must create unity in the body with one truth because we are members of one another.
Sometimes a Christian may legitimately become angry.
Jesus became angry at times. In those times we must be extra careful how we act, for anger gives no excuse to sin.
Sinning in anger would include things such as saying unkind things or acting in harmful ways toward others.
We may not always be able to keep from getting angry, but we can keep from sinning when we do.
When we do get angry, we should deal with it before the day is through.
When we allow our anger to become sin or when we allow ourselves to keep our anger for more than a day, it gives the devil an opportunity to gain control over our attitudes, our actions, and our relationships.
It gives him a foothold to lead us into greater anger and more sin.
Christians are not to steal.
Stealing, in its most obvious form is, either by deception or force, taking the possession of someone else.
In all civilizations, stealing is considered wrong. It is a timeless and universal value.
Inherently, no one wants his possessions taken from him.
We have no difficulty understanding or agreeing with this command at its most obvious level.
Rather than steal, we are to work. Work has benefits.
(1) It is good. It allows a person to meet his own needs and the needs of his family.
It allows him to do something meaningful with his time and to make a contribution to society.
(2) Work allows a person to be able to give something to others who have needs.
Rather than steal from others, work allows a person to give something to others.
(3) Work allows a person to support financially the advancement of the kingdom of God.
Working is thus a sign of Christian faithfulness, maturity, and unity.
This is the Bible’s version of, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”
We are to speak only words that build up and encourage others.
This one passage, if consistently obeyed, would eliminate the overwhelming majority of life’s conflicts.
Words of a mature Christian seek to help the listener, not harm him.
Thus the ministerial gifts of Christ’s grace achieve their purposes, and the unity of the body of Christ is preserved and enhanced.
Not to limit speech to wholesome, helpful words makes the Holy Spirit feel grief because of our behavior.
We are not saying that you can never say anything negative.
Sometimes we are forced to talk about unpleasant things, particularly in solving problems in which people are involved.
Teachers, ministers, employers, coaches, lawyers, police, and so on, all find it necessary to tell the truth about someone even if it is unpleasant.
Whether you are solving a problem or not, you avoid speaking unwholesome words.
Your intent is to build up, not tear down, to unify, not divide.
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Is your attitude toward other believers marked by love, humility, patience, and gentleness?
Paul encouraged us to display unity in the body of Christ and accept one another in love.
If you’re not doing that, check your attitudes.
Your spiritual gifts and talents should help bring the body of Christ together.
Selah (let us pause and calmly think about these things)
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Monday, Nov 7
God Calling
by Two Listeners
SELF KILLS POWER
“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
— Ephesians 4:30
Dwelling with Me, desiring only My Will and to do My work,
My Spirit cannot fail to pass through the channel of your life into the lives of others.
Many think it is humility to say they do little, and are of little value to My world. To think that is pride.
What if the pipe were to say, “I do so little, I wish I could be of more use.”
The reply would be “It is not you, but the water that passes through you, that saves and blesses.
All you have to do is to see there is nothing to block the way so that the water cannot flow through.
”The only block there can be in your channel is self.
Keep that out, and know that My Spirit is flowing through.
Therefore all must be the better for coming in contact with both of you, because you are channels.
See this, and you will think it natural to know they are being helped, not by you, but by My Spirit flowing through you as a channel.
Now unto Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25
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