16th May, 2021
Text: Ephesians 4: 17-31
Minister: Brother Semiloore Osanyinbi
There is a vocation into which we have been called as believers. It is a calling that is meant to make us become like Christ by imbibing His nature.
Verse 17 – Our vocation is a very practical one with specific conducts and ethics.
Verse 19 – We are not to be like the gentiles who give themselves to all greediness and lasciviousness.
Verse 22 – We are to consciously put off the “old man”, that old character that we had before we met Christ. Jesus will not come down to do this for us, it’s our responsibility. Even after being saved, the old man will still try to show forth in the way we behave and in our desires but we have to always shut it down.
Verse 23 – Our minds have a spirit. If we do not renew the spirit of our minds, we will not be able to bind that old man.
Verse 24 – If we desire to see God, we have to put on the new man. Our heart posture must always be set on being truly holy and righteous.
Verse 25 – There is no form of lying that is acceptable by God. We should always be true to our words, we should be honest always. We should not be deceitful in the way we relate with others, whether with believers or unbelievers. We should always say things the way they are and not try to twist them to our favour or comfort.
Verse 26 – People will always get us angry but we must never let our anger go beyond what is necessary. We should review our daily activities and see how we can adjust in the way we handle things.
Verse 27 – When we obey the laws of the flesh, we are actually giving place to the devil in our lives.
Verse 29 – Some of the things we as believers say today are actually corrupt communication. They might look normal, like that is what everyone says, but we are not to talk like them because we are different and have been called to a vocation that is different.
Verse 30 – Unbelief is part of the things that can grieve the Holy Spirit. We depart from the Living God when we begin to have hearts of unbelief.
Verse 31 – Bitterness produces poison. When we get too angry that we find it difficult to forgive, it leads to bitterness. We should be careful lest we allow our hearts be poisoned. We should also be careful not to speak evil about people.
Verse 32 – Forgiveness is one thing that we will keep on learning till we leave this world. There are a lot of divorce cases in our world today because many find it difficult to forgive.