Ephesians 4:24-32
24 And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.
25 What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.
26-27 Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.
28 Did you use to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can’t work.
29 Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.
30 Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.
31-32 Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.
Because of the work of the Holy Spirit in believers, we have learned Christ. In other words, we do not have to guess how God feels about things, we have God’s Voice speaking to us inwardly and witnessing to his will for our lives. Our part is to listen and obey. It truly is a new way to live. Before we invited Christ to enter our lives, we did what we thought was best, made sense, or what our flesh desired to do. Now, we belong to Christ, so we live by faith and according to the Spirit’s leading. Therefore, our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors will all be examined and sometimes challenged by the will of God. The Apostle Paul reminds us in our passage today how strongly God in us—Christ—feels about reflecting his character and integrity in the world. In the God-fashioned life, there is no room for lying, angry rage or revenge, stealing, foul or profane mouths, gossiping, spreading rumors, or unforgiveness. That really gives us a lot to consider, today, doesn’t it? May the Holy Spirit help us to be containers of his presence that actually reflect his heart and integrity.
Prayer: Lord, as your daughter, I am called to allow you and your beautiful Spirit of holiness to live out of my physical being. Help me to ponder these aspects in your Word today and grant me the grace and power to apply them according to your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.