QUALITIES OF A NEW SELF (PART 10)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey Him. Don’t participate in the things these people do.

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 

Ephesians 5:6-7, 11-12

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

All people are accountable to God, whether they want to admit it or not. Most people know they are accountable to God and yet so many behave as if there are no liabilities for their sinful actions. In fact, many of these people will brush off their sins as being inconsequential, adopting an “I’m human and not perfect” attitude that offers an excuse, not only for sins having been committed but also for those yet to be carried out.

Unfortunately, there are some of these people even within the Christian ranks. Feeling bulletproof because of their promised salvation in Jesus, they see no issue with continuing to dabble in transgressions while other times choosing righteousness. In other words, these Christians straddle the line that God draws between those who are in His Son and those who aren’t.

The Apostle Paul addressed this behavior when he wrote these words to the Romans:

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Romans 6:1-2

Clearly, God’s word doesn’t support any person deciding it’s fine to keep sinning after placing their belief in Christ. Instead, the Christian is to put on a new self with qualities we have been looking at over the past nine messages.

In today’s pair of verses, we find Paul commanding the Ephesian Christians to not be fooled by anyone who tries to use excuses to cover their sinfulness, those who will experience the “anger of God” that falls on “all who disobey Him”. Further, the Apostle urges the believers in Ephesus to avoid being in cahoots with Christians who choose to behave in this fashion. The NIV translation of verse 7 demands that they refuse to partner with the intentionally sinful Christ followers.

This was just one more part of putting on a new self in and through Jesus. Not only was the new Christian supposed to turn from sin themselves but they were to avoid partnering with those who were behaving as if sin was still permissible even after believing in Christ.

Anyone can fall prey to being adversely influenced by another if they’re not careful. In today’s passage, we find Paul trying to save the Ephesian Christians (and us as well) from falling into that trap.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com