God's Love and the Church: Day 3

I recently told my wife that school is starting to get a lot busier this semester, and then decided to spend 30 minutes taking a free online test in order to discover my strengths and weaknesses.  I remember obtaining my results and literally saying, "That was a complete waste of time."  I guess I have a weakness for free junk.

As I think about it, though, I've taken over 20 personal inventory tests in my life.  I don't take the tests because I love learning about myself; I take the test so I can figure out what I enjoy doing.  I have a dream that one day I will be able to spend 40 hours a week "playing" instead of "working," and in all honesty, I think there are some great reasons for finding a job that you enjoy doing.  For example: 

You will probably work harder and longer; your work will be of higher quality; and the people in your life will enjoy being around you.  But at the same time, there are selfish reasons.  Such as:

You have an unhealthy focus on your wants/desires; you want to brag about your skills; you feel as though you are entitled to a life of comfort and happiness.

The book of Ephesians revealed that God gives people different gifts and abilities.  All of us have been given a gift, but we need to use that gift properly.  Instead of using our abilities to brag about how awesome we are, we should use our gifts to serve others.  More importantly, we use our gifts to help others become the people God originally intended.  But what does God's intention look like?  Let's discover that today.

Read about Christian living in Ephesians 4:17-32 (NLT):

With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Answer the following questions:

1. What does this passage say about non-believers (Gentiles)?
2. What behaviors should Christians remove from their lives and what should they do instead?
3. What does this passage reveal about the Holy Spirit?
4. Which evil behaviors do you struggle with the most? Spend time asking God to help you replace your behaviors.

Conclusion:

Although I was growing in my knowledge of God and my ability to serve His people, I was still struggling to get rid of my bad habits. Ephesians 4 ends by instructing believers to remove all types of evil behavior, but how do we do that? Even to this day I still struggle with anger and impatience at time, but I’m learning that some habits are deeper than others. Many behaviors are the result of deep sins that have corrupted our character and motives. These sins have hardened our hearts, but God restores us by convicting us of those sins and prompting us to repent by asking Him for help. Next week we will examine those deeper issues.