EphesiansSample

In this second half of Ephesians, we’ve been reading about practically living out this new way of life we’ve been given in Christ. Yesterday’s scripture talked about our new nature and today we read a few ways in which we now operate. Paul starts calling out specific sins: lying, sinning in our anger, stealing - ways in which we operate in our flesh. Then he tells us how our new nature operates. Life led by the Holy Spirit is truth-telling, peace-seeking, forgiving, hard-working, and generous. It takes intentionality to live this way. I love how Warren Wiersbe acknowledges this when he says “Believers are all one in Christ but we must endeavor to make that spiritual unity a practical reality in our daily lives.” Endeavor = to try hard to achieve something. I am so encouraged and thankful that we aren’t left alone to try hard to live this new way. Instead, God has given us the Holy Spirit as a constant helper!

When you read these scriptures in the New King James Version, the section has a heading that reads “Do not grieve the Spirit” meaning that even though, as believers, we have the Holy Spirit, it is still our daily choice of who we are led by. There is a connection to what we are controlled by - our flesh or the Spirit of God. Are we controlled by lies or by truth? Are we controlled by anger? Or by forgiveness and peace? Are we controlled by our selfish desires or by our generosity and desire to help others? Crazy to think about the idea that the Spirit is grieved when we won’t allow him to lead us. He wants to help us!

Prayer Points

• Pray Psalm 139:23-24 - search me, God, and know my thoughts - reveal to me if there are areas of my life that are not truth-telling, peace-seeking, forgiving, hard-working, or generous.
• Ask God for strength and conviction and for the Holy Spirit to empower you to live differently.
• Ask God what that personally looks like in your life today and pray for courage to respond in obedience.