Ephesians 4:17-24
17 I have something from the Lord to tell you. I warn you: Don’t continue living like those who don’t believe. Their thoughts are worth nothing. 18 They have no understanding, and they know nothing because they refuse to listen. So they cannot have the life that God gives. 19 They have lost their feeling of shame and use their lives to do what is morally wrong. More and more they want to do all kinds of evil. 20 But that way of life is nothing like what you learned when you came to know Christ. 21 I know that you heard about him, and in him you were taught the truth. Yes, the truth is in Jesus. 22 You were taught to leave your old self. This means that you must stop living the evil way you lived before. That old self gets worse and worse, because people are fooled by the evil they want to do. 23 You must be made new in your hearts and in your thinking. 24 Be that new person who was made to be like God, truly good and pleasing to him.
GETTING RENOVATED
In Ephesians Paul is Identifying the ways that Christians set apart themselves from the sins of their "old self" (Eph.4:22 You were taught to leave your old self. This means that you must stop living the evil way you lived before.) Salvation and the transformation form "old self" to "new self" is only done through Jesus (Eph.2:8-9 You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.9 You are not saved by the things you have done) and when you devote yourself,mind,heart and soul to the the Lord. ( Mark 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.)
Paul speaks about being "renewed" in your thinking and how crucial it is for our new lives in the Lord. (Colossians 3:10 Now you are wearing a new life, a life that is new every day. You are growing in your understanding of the one who made you. You are becoming more and more like him.)
We know the devil will tempt us to stumble and fall in our new renovated lives (1 Peter 5:8 Control yourselves and be careful! The devil is your enemy, and he goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to attack and eat.) We are here to help each other in our spiritual and daily lives, to lift up each other, encourage each other to continue on Gods path, to pray for each other and to renovate our new lives together.
Getting involved
When you surround yourself with fellow believers they will help encourage and support you on your journey with Christ. The bible warns us what will happen if we choose not to surround ourselves with good company (Proverbs 13:20 Be friends with those who are wise, and you will become wise. Choose fools to be your friends, and you will have trouble.) We all get together as a church, as a group of men, and as a group of women to talk and help each other with anything we may be struggling with spiritually or in our personal lives so that we can help each other with encouragement and prayer.
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