Christian Life Bible Study
How to Lead a Christian Life
Christianity Oasis provides this Christian Lifestyle and Christian Life Bible study on how to live a Christian life bringing forth truth, understanding and peace within.
Christianity Oasis Ministry
presents
Daily Bread Devotional Bible Study
The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians
Chapter 4
Christian Lifestyle - Christian Life Bible Study
How to Lead a Christian Life
Welcome to our Christianity Oasis Daily Bread study program. This is our very intriguing Christian Lifestyle and very important Christian Life Bible study taking a look into how to live a Christian life according to the Bible. The absolutely awesome and thought provoking Christian Life Bible study on how to lead a Christian life message will truly bring a smile to the lips and heart and shine the LIGHT of Truth upon your be-YOU-tiful Christian walk path.
Christian Lifestyle / Christian Life Bible Study on How to Lead a Christian Life Quest
Oh, there you are! I was hoping you'd be back soon for more Daily Bread. Now that Paul has introduced us to the spiritual blessings or gifts that have been bestowed upon us by God, now he encourages us to use those blessings and gifts and walk the spiritual walk of Faith. Remember, we learned that the "works" of Faith are effortless, because they're a part of you, so they come to you naturally. Now let's learn, as Paul teaches us how to live by Faith.
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that
ye walk worthy of the vocation [divine calling] wherewith ye are
called,
2 With all lowliness [humbleness, humility] and meekness,
with longsuffering [patience], forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring [attempting] to keep the unity of the
Spirit in the bond of peace.
Paul calls himself the prisoner of the Lord. He was (it is widely believed) that he was in prison in Rome during the writing of this epistle to the Ephesians somewhere between 60 and 62 A.D. He is encouraging the recipients of this letter to live up to their calling and emulate the Spirit of God by having a demeanor of peace.
He also tirelessly (and not only in this letter) explains how important unity is. That we as Christians live as one. In harmony. Working together toward one goal.
- There is one body (the Church)
- and one Spirit (the Holy Spirit
- just as you are called in one hope of your calling (Salvation)
- there is one Lord (Jesus Christ)
- one faith (Christianity)
- one baptism (in the name of the same Father, God)
- one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Christian Lifestyle and Christian Life Bible Study on How to Lead a Christian Life Adventure
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
What does this mean? That even though we are one, Jesus gives each one of us unique and special administrations (called Spiritual gifts) that He knows in His infinite wisdom are best suited to us as individuals because we are His creation.
That's why He (the Lord) prophesied through David:
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.
Christian Lifestyle - Christian Life Bible Study on How to Lead a Christian Life Today
Now the next two verses may be a little hard to understand so let's look at them closely.
9 (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also
descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far
above all Heavens, that He might fill all things.)
Since Paul was talking about the ascension of Jesus, he finds it necessary to point out that He must have descended first. He humbled Himself first and then He was exalted so that He could fill all things, all of the members of the body of Christ, with gifts appropriate to their calling.
Christian Lifestyle / Christian Life Bible Study on How to Lead a Christian Life Path
The next several verses are paraphrased for ease of understanding.
Among the Spiritual gifts that He gave us, He provided to some apostleship and to some prophecy and to some, evangelism and others He made pastors and teachers, for the betterment of the believers, to make a complete body of Christ until we are all unified in Faith, and in the knowledge of the Son of God, so together we can as one strive to be perfect like Christ.
From now on, we should be no longer like children, believing everything we hear and being deceived by tricky men, but speaking the Truth in love, that we may mature and become as the image of Him in all things, that is, Christ, from whom the whole body working together and under His control, presents itself in love.
From now on don't live as other Gentiles live, in pride, having their understanding confused, being alienated from the life of God because of the blindness of their heart, who having no conscience, have given themselves over to unruliness, to work all indecency with no self control.
But you have not learned this from Christ, if you have truly heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the Truth is in Jesus, that you do away with the former life of your old selves, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be made new in the spirit of your mind, and that you are a new person, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Therefore, don't lie, but everyone speak Truth with your neighbor, because we are members one of another. Don't be angry, and sin not: don't let the sun go down while you're angry.
Christian Lifestyle and Christian Life Bible Study on How to Lead a Christian Life Adventure
People do that quite frequently don't they? Whether they're mad at someone in their own family or mad at someone or something else, they choose to keep their anger inside them. Paul says, don't go to sleep mad. Here's a good reason why. You cannot control your dreams. And who do you think knows that? Bingo, the adversary. When you're angry, there's a chink in your armor. What a grand opportunity for him to put deceitful ideas in your mind.
... Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
Continuing with Paul:
Don't give opportunity to the devil. If you have robbed anyone, steal no more, but rather work with your hands, to even have enough to give to him that needs. Let no evil words proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of building up others, that it may minister Grace to whoever hears you. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed [chosen] for the day of redemption.
Christian Lifestyle - Christian Life Bible Study on How to Lead a Christian Life for Our Lord
If you haven't read Spirit of Truth yet, I encourage you to do so. You will certainly understand what it means to grieve not the Holy Spirit when you are done with that program. It will help you to understand the Holy Spirit in a way that you may not have known up until now. I encourage you to introduce yourself to Him as well!
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour,
and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Christian Lifestyle as Well as Christian Life Bible Study on How to Lead a Christian Life Summary
Do you love to get mail? Whenever your mailbox is empty, there's always a letter from Paul, right there in your Bible. Come on back soon, and we'll enjoy the next part of this letter from Paul, together, right here at Daily Bread.
There is a force out there that is attempting to overtake us all; it is Satan. There is another force that is protecting us from him; it is the Holy Spirit. It is a battle for souls. This battle is called Spiritual Warfare, and like it or not, you are right in the middle of it.
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