May 20 New Self

Ephesians 4:20-25 But that is not the way you learned Christ! – 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
 
“IF you’ve heard (and I’m assuming you have) then change and tell others.” That’s what Paul Is effectively teaching here. In his love for the church in Ephesus, he is admonishing them to live into the new lives Jesus has given to them. In response to Jesus, each one in the one body of the church is to “speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.”
    I use “admonishing” for a specific purpose. When you read the word, did you think it too harsh? Were you perhaps thinking Paul’s words as loving and encouraging instructions to the one body in Christ?
    I hope you do; I believe they are loving words to encourage people in their one faith. I do not think he is scolding them. But I use the word “admonishing” to draw attention to the reason for Paul’s teaching. To admonish can mean “to rebuke or scold”. But in a different light, “admonishing” can mean “warning” or “cautioning”. Paul writes, for example, in 1 Corinthians 4:14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. He’s warning a church in trouble to live true to Jesus. Then see his words in Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. The church is to encourage and caution one another with all aspects of God’s creation. Those saved in Jesus’ blood are to use Jesus’ living gifts of teaching, preaching and evangelism. Christ’s followers are to read, speak and sing the Psalms, sing hymns and sing spiritual songs. The one church gathered in one faith must speak encouragement to know and to live in the one true Lord.
    In love, I admonish you to be one body with one faith under one hope in one God and Father.
 
Prayer: Lord, admonish us to your truth that we will live fully into your love. In Jesus’ name, amen.