Words of Welcome

  Ephesians 4:25-5:2 We return this morning to the letter to the Ephesian church. Earlier we heard the author, whether it’s Paul or someone else, talk about Jesus tearing down the walls of hostility. Then we heard him call on the Ephesians to “lead a life worthy of our calling” and to “make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” This morning Paul calls on the Ephesians to imitate God by walking “in love, as Christ has loved us.”  The messages we’ve been hearing focus on what it means to be a follower of Jesus. First and foremost, that means walking in love, which involves our behavior. Last week we heard Paul call on us to live our lives “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” In speaking of these virtues, we see parallels with the fruit of the Spirit that Paul speaks of in the Galatian letter. According to Paul, the fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, ...

Ephesians 4:25-5:2 The first stanza of the gospel song “Living for Jesus”goes like this: “Living for Jesus a life that is true, striving to please him in all that I do; yielding allegiance, glad hearted and free, this is the pathway of blessing for me.” This song gives a good basic definition of what it means to be a Christian. A Christian is nothing more and nothing less than a follower of Jesus. And, if we’re going to live for Jesus, then Jesus should come first in our lives. When we say Jesus is Lord, which according to Paul we can only say by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3), then nothing, not family, not friends, not nation, not one’s job, can take first place in our lives. This isn’t an easy demand to fulfill, which is why Paul said that it takes the Holy Spirit. Singing the song is one thing, but following through is another. The text for today says rather bluntly: “Don’t live like the Gentiles.” As you hear this word, it’s helpful to remember that the reci...