Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
[Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths] … but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Summary: How should we use this power of the tongue? God tells us to use it for good, not evil.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:29b – Speak Well”Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths …
Summary: Words have amazing power to build up or tear down. Paul is giving us a clue as to how we can monitor what is going on in our hearts and minds by watching what comes out of our mouths.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:29a – Words Have Power”Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands that they may have something to share with those in need.
Summary: Paul’s instruction in this verse is unusually blunt. If you are stealing, stop it! Do something useful! Share what you’ve earned with those in need.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:28a – Something Useful”… and do not give the devil a foothold.
Summary: The NIV Bible uses an interesting word to describe giving the devil an opportunity to sway your thinking and actions. The word is “foothold.”
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:27 – Right and Wrong”Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry …
Summary: The danger of getting caught in sin because of anger is very real. Paul gives us a practical time limit to deal with our anger.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:26b – Deadline”“In your anger do not sin”
Summary: There is a right way to be angry and a wrong way. Most of the time, we humans end up doing it the wrong way.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:26a – Anger Checked”… and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
Summary: Speaking truth in love is not as easy as it sounds. Before we can speak truth, we have to know what truth is.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:25b – Truth Teller”Therefore each of you must put off falsehood …
Summary: The devil is the master of lies. You might say he is the father of falsehood. Paul is guiding us away from Satan’s influence.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:25a – Snakes and Doves”… put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Summary: Why does it feel like “putting on” this “new self” is a lot of work? The answer, like so many things in life, depends on how you look at it. Looked at correctly, we are not doing any work at all. Instead we are honoring our King, Jesus.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:24 – Intro to Part II: All the Work”… in true righteousness and holiness.
Summary: Today’s passage marks the end of the beginning. In the beginning of Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul lays out a seven point plan culminating in living a life that is “true righteousness and holiness.”
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:24c – The Seven Step Plan”