Conned out of a large sum of money by a business partner, who claimed to be deacon in a church, my friend’s anger and disenchantment ran deep. He said, “How can a Christian do this kind of thing? I trusted him. Now I know he’s no different from a non-Christian!”
Christ’s followers should be different. We’re to “live no longer as the [ungodly] do” in darkness of mind, deadness of life, hardness of heart, and wickedness of deed (Ephesians 4:17-19):
• Darkness of minds. As a nonbeliever, your mind was “full of darkness” (Ephesians 4:18). But with Jesus “you . . . have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12).
• Deadness of life. Previously, you were “far from the life God gives” (Ephesians 4:18). But “God made you alive with Christ” (Colossians 2:13). “The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
• Hardness of heart. You had a hardened heart (Ephesians 4:18), unable and unwilling to obey God. But God replaced it with a new heart that’s sensitive and responsive to Him (Jeremiah 24:7; Ezekiel 11:19-20).
• Wickedness of deed. Devoid of spiritual life, you were once morally calloused and insensitive, with “no sense of shame.” You lived “for lustful pleasure and eagerly [practiced] every kind of impurity” (Ephesians 4:19).
But no longer! Paul, “with the Lord’s authority,” emphatically cautioned and commanded you to “live no longer as the [ungodly] do!” (Ephesians 4:17). Instead, you are to “throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, . . . let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes [and] put on your new nature” (Ephesians 4:22-24).
You are a new person with a new heart, a new nature, and a new life. Be different. Be holy! (Ephesians 4:24).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Revelation 22:1-21
More:
Read Ephesians 4:25-32 and Colossians 3:1-11 to see how God wants us to live.
Next:
What has changed in your life since you became a believer in Jesus? How will you make further changes?
askbeloved on December 31, 2012 at 5:06 am
Be Perfect Just As Your Father In Heaven Is Perfect!
cksongbird on December 31, 2012 at 2:30 pm
I would wonder if the intent of the heart of the person received your generous offer of help had been that of “conning” you out of money. Sometimes people come on hard times and have no funds to return the money. I know. My husband and I have been in that place and ended up going bankrupt
patanderson1948 on December 31, 2012 at 7:03 am
Matthew 7:21-27 Not everyone that sayeth unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Unfortunately not everyone that claims to be a Christian actually is one! They are still in their unrepentant, unsaved state and therefore still in Adam completely and are not the New Creature [2 Cor 5:17]. Also, unfortunately, many that make these claims really believe they ARE saved but are deceived by some of the liberal evangelistic techniques that mislead the unawares into believing that all they have to do is believe in Jesus (a mental acknowlegement and not a spiritual conversion) and they will be saved. By believe [in the Bible] the definition includes putting all your faith and trust in Christ for your salvation and NOT in ANYTHING you do to be good enough to get to heaven. Eph 2:8,9
tom felten on December 31, 2012 at 9:30 am
patanderson1948, here’s a page that presents salvation and what it means through the lens of Scripture. Hope this proves helpful to you and others!
roxanne robbins on December 31, 2012 at 5:35 pm
How important it is for us to pray that we, professing followers of Christ, will display truth in our innermost being and in our words and actions, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
mike wittmer on December 31, 2012 at 7:11 pm
I like Romans 6, which tells me that I died with Christ so that I can live with him. This means I have no choice but to become a new person–now with God’s help I need to live like it!