Ephesians 4
(1) Live Right
As a prisoner of the Ruler, I encourage you to live a life worthy of the invitation you received. Have a modest view of yourself, and be gentle with everyone. Be patient, and tolerate each other because of your love for them. The Spirit brings unity, so be eager about preserving that unity by bonding people together in harmony. After all, there’s one body and one Spirit—similar to how you were invited into one hope with one Boss, one confidence, one baptism, one God, and one Father. (And that Father exists over everything, in everything, and through everything.)
(7) Use Your Gifts to Make the Church Resemble Jesus
Each of us have been given favor proportionate to the Chosen One’s gift. That’s why the ancient writings say,
“When He went up to the heavens, He took lots of people captive and gave gifts to mankind.”
—Psalm 68:18
But what does it mean when it says “He went up?” In order to go up, He had to first go down into the lower parts of the earth. The One who descended is the same One who who ascended higher than the heavens so He could fill everything. He assigned some people as missionaries, some as prophets, some to spread the good news, and others to be shepherds/teachers. He assigned everyone different skills so God’s sacred family could be equipped to serve the Chosen One’s body and build it up. Keep building up the church. Don’t stop until our belief unites us all, and our relationship with Jesus matures us to match the Chosen One’s fullness. Eventually, we’ll reach the point where we aren’t children any more who get tossed around like waves and blown about by every deceptive teaching we hear. Those kinds of teachings are developed by crafty people—not God. Instead, we should be both honest and loving. In every way possible, we should grow up into Jesus, who is the head. Jesus knows each body part’s function, and fits the entire body together accordingly. He causes the body to grow so it can lovingly build itself up.
(17) Reject the Old, Embrace the New
So here’s what I’d like to tell you (and the Ruler agrees):
Don’t operate like the pagans, with futile thoughts. Their minds are darkened, alienated from God’s life because of their ignorance and calloused hearts. They’ve grown numb, and have given themselves over to sexuality. They greedily want to practice every kind of impurity. But that’s not how you learned the Chosen One. You’ve been taught to put away your old person—which is being corrupted by deceitful desires—and to have your mind be renewed. And you’ve been taught to put on the new person. The new person has been created to resemble God in perfect character and sacredness of the truth.
(25) Put Away Lies, Anger, Stealing, etc.
Put away things that are false, and share the truth with your peers, since we’re all each other’s arms and legs.
When you get mad, make sure you don’t misconduct yourself. Don’t let the sun go down while you’re still irritated. Don’t give up ground to the Accuser.
Whoever steals should stop stealing. That person needs to work instead, using his hands to bring about good. That way, he’ll have something to share with the person who’s in need.
Don’t let a single rotten word come out of your mouth. Only say things that can improve others according to whatever’s needed in the moment. Your words should impart favor to whoever hears them.
Don’t distress God’s sacred Spirit who marked you for the day when He’ll bail out His people. If you guys have any bitterness, anger, false accusations, or harmful intent, put those things away. Be good to each other and show some compassion. Forgive each other in the same way that God forgave you in the Chosen One.
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