- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 17,518
12 July 2007
Ephesians 4 v 17-19
In the Lord's name, I tell you this. Do not continue living like those who do not believe. Their thoughts are worth nothing. They do not understand, and they know nothing, because they refuse to listen. So they cannot have the life that God gives. They have lost all feeling of shame, and they use their lives for doing evil. They continually want to do all kinds of evil.
Feeling complacent? . . . after all, this bit is OK, it reminds us that we are not like those others who don't believe, they don't understand, (whereas of course we do!), they know nothing . . . etc etc. Yet Paul seems to take the message of this section very seriously indeed, "In the Lord's name, I tell you this" - he means business and we are not to dismiss it! We are not to continue living like those who don't believe. Our thoughts, our heart, governs what we will do, Jesus himself tells us that evil acts come from the heart (Matt 15:19) and even if we do not act on our inappropriate thoughts, he also tells us in Matt 5 that thinking about the act is as sinful as doing it.
So, if you have never had a wrong thought, then well done, you may be complacent, but the rest of us had better pay attention. And we need to listen. Spend a few moments listening to God now and ask him to show you areas where your thoughts are not all they should be.
Father, I confess that my thoughts are sometimes wrong. Please forgive me, and help me to both think and act in the right way. Amen.
Written by Rosemary Thomson
Ephesians 4 v 17-19
In the Lord's name, I tell you this. Do not continue living like those who do not believe. Their thoughts are worth nothing. They do not understand, and they know nothing, because they refuse to listen. So they cannot have the life that God gives. They have lost all feeling of shame, and they use their lives for doing evil. They continually want to do all kinds of evil.
Feeling complacent? . . . after all, this bit is OK, it reminds us that we are not like those others who don't believe, they don't understand, (whereas of course we do!), they know nothing . . . etc etc. Yet Paul seems to take the message of this section very seriously indeed, "In the Lord's name, I tell you this" - he means business and we are not to dismiss it! We are not to continue living like those who don't believe. Our thoughts, our heart, governs what we will do, Jesus himself tells us that evil acts come from the heart (Matt 15:19) and even if we do not act on our inappropriate thoughts, he also tells us in Matt 5 that thinking about the act is as sinful as doing it.
So, if you have never had a wrong thought, then well done, you may be complacent, but the rest of us had better pay attention. And we need to listen. Spend a few moments listening to God now and ask him to show you areas where your thoughts are not all they should be.
Father, I confess that my thoughts are sometimes wrong. Please forgive me, and help me to both think and act in the right way. Amen.
Written by Rosemary Thomson
