Place: Salem Church of Christ, Cynthiana, KY
Date: July 22, 2018
Larry's Lines
Christian Articles to Edify Folks
Category Archives: Articles by Larry Miles
Thoughts From Ephesians #28 Our New Identity-Don’t Live Like Pagans (4:17-19)
In these verses Paul tells believers what used too mark their lives (17-19) “Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: you should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts” (verse 17). Paul calls Christians to live no longer like the surrounding pagan culture.
Since Ephesian Christians and us today have entered a new relationship with Christ we are “walk the line.” We are to walk worthy of the of our calling (4:1). We must dedicate our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are as the song James DeForrest Murch wrote, “I’ll put Jesus First in my Life.”
Snodgrass wrotem “We had no light; we were balckened out. Sin produces a malfunction of the mind.”
Thoughts From Ephesians # 27 A Healthy Church Is Marked By Spiritual Maturity Eph. 4:13-16
In this passage Paul mentions four traits of a spiritually mature person.
Maturity Involves Christlikeness. (4:13) Our goal is to be like Jesus. We should long for the qualities Paul mentions in verses 2-3. We should long for spiritual maturity both individually and as a corporate body of Christ.
Maturity Involves Doctrinal Stability (4:13-14) We need to grow in our knowledge of the truth. In verse 14 Paul says that we should no longer be “little children” thrown about with every wind of doctrine.
Children spiritually are gullible and easily deceived. False teachers prey on the gullible saying things like:
- All religions are the same.
- If you are a good person, you’ll go to heaven.
- The Bible is just one of many other religious books.
- Believe in the idea of a resurrection, not a bodily resurrection
Children must be taught as they grow up. It is the same spiritually with new believers.We are to row through the Word and become disciple-making teachers (1 Peter 2:1-3; Heb. 5:11-14)
Maturity Involves Truth Joined With Love. (4:15-16) We must present God’s truth to others with love. We must hold the truth high (1 Tim. 3:15). Maturity involves a truth-telling, truth maintaining, truth doing love. Are you and your congregation know as ones know and teach the truth with love?
Maturity Involves Contribution. Every member is to contribute, using what he or she has. We must use our talents to reach the lost and strengthen the saved.We must grow into Christ and use our gifts in love.
-Larry Miles, June 3, 2018 Anguilla
