"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
But ye have not so learned Christ;
If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another."
Ephesians 4:17-25
"Being alienated from the life of God" ... so interesting, and so true. These verses take us full circle, from how we have been, and how we are often tempted to be to "putting on the new man," which almost seems like pulling on the superhero suit... changing from fallible to bulletproof. :) When we are walking as "as other Gentiles walk," we indeed have our understandings darkened. It is easy to desensitize ourselves to the spirit, and become "past feeling" ... not even hearing or feeling reminders from God anymore, because we have ignored them and dismissed them so often. But Christ teaches us to be sensitive to the spirit, to drink in the truth. He tells us that we don't have to be ruled by our bodies, but we get to *choose* what rules us. We can dismiss thoughts from our minds that we don't want to be there and choose a different path.
I really like the admonition to put away lying and speak the truth with our neighbors. We *are* part of each other, and how can we know each other or support each other unless we're honest with each other?
Today, let's get rid of the darkness in our minds. Let's stop being alienated from God, and even from other people. Let's stop deceiving even ourselves with appetites and addictions that we don't want, but which are so hard to walk away from. Let's take off the old suit that makes us weak and unable to combat our temptations... the one that has "fallible human" stamped all over it, along with so many other half-truths and excuses. (It also has stains from breakfast. We need to let it go.) Let's put on the new freshly-laundered one that reminds us that we are children of almighty God, and that we can do *anything* and be *anything* that we choose to be. We can overcome our obstacles, we can walk away from temptation. We *can* be bulletproof in a spiritual sense, if we work at it, and seek God's help.
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
But ye have not so learned Christ;
If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another."
Ephesians 4:17-25
"Being alienated from the life of God" ... so interesting, and so true. These verses take us full circle, from how we have been, and how we are often tempted to be to "putting on the new man," which almost seems like pulling on the superhero suit... changing from fallible to bulletproof. :) When we are walking as "as other Gentiles walk," we indeed have our understandings darkened. It is easy to desensitize ourselves to the spirit, and become "past feeling" ... not even hearing or feeling reminders from God anymore, because we have ignored them and dismissed them so often. But Christ teaches us to be sensitive to the spirit, to drink in the truth. He tells us that we don't have to be ruled by our bodies, but we get to *choose* what rules us. We can dismiss thoughts from our minds that we don't want to be there and choose a different path.
I really like the admonition to put away lying and speak the truth with our neighbors. We *are* part of each other, and how can we know each other or support each other unless we're honest with each other?
Today, let's get rid of the darkness in our minds. Let's stop being alienated from God, and even from other people. Let's stop deceiving even ourselves with appetites and addictions that we don't want, but which are so hard to walk away from. Let's take off the old suit that makes us weak and unable to combat our temptations... the one that has "fallible human" stamped all over it, along with so many other half-truths and excuses. (It also has stains from breakfast. We need to let it go.) Let's put on the new freshly-laundered one that reminds us that we are children of almighty God, and that we can do *anything* and be *anything* that we choose to be. We can overcome our obstacles, we can walk away from temptation. We *can* be bulletproof in a spiritual sense, if we work at it, and seek God's help.
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