Today is Day 316 of 2020
So, to each christian, Ephesians 4 is written:
“As a
prisoner for THE
LORD, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the
calling you have received.
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one
another in LOVE.
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the
bond of PEACE.
4 There is one body and ONE SPIRIT, just as you were
called to ONE HOPE
when you were called;
5 ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, one baptism;
6 ONE GOD and FATHER OF ALL, WHO is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us GRACE has been
given as CHRIST
apportioned it.
8 This is why it
says:
‘When HE ascended on high,
HE took many captives
and gave gifts to HIS people.’
9 (What does ‘HE ascended’ mean except that HE also descended to the
lower, earthly regions?
10 HE WHO descended is THE VERY ONE WHO ASCENDED HIGHER
THAN ALL THE HEAVENS, IN ORDER TO FILL THE WHOLE UNIVERSE.)
11 So CHRIST HIMSELF gave the
apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and
teachers,
12 to equip HIS people for works of
service, so that the body of CHRIST may be built up
13 until we all reach unity in THE FAITH and in the
knowledge of THE SON OF
GOD and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of
the fullness of CHRIST.
14 Then we will no longer be
infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there
by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their
deceitful scheming.
15 Instead, speaking THE TRUTH in LOVE, we will
grow to become in every respect the mature body of HIM WHO is THE HEAD, that
is, CHRIST.
16 From HIM the whole body, joined
and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself
up in love, as each part does its work.
17 So I tell you this, and insist on
it in THE LORD,
that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their
thinking.
18 They are darkened in their
understanding and separated from the life of GOD because of the ignorance that
is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
19 Having lost all
sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as
to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
20 That, however, is not the way of
life you learned
21 when you heard about CHRIST and were
taught in HIM in accordance with THE TRUTH that is in JESUS.
22 You were taught, with regard to
your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being
corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23 to be made new in the attitude of
your minds;
24 and to put on the new
self, created to be like GOD in TRUE
RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS.
25 Therefore each of you must put off
falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of
one body.
26 ‘In your anger do not sin’: Do
not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
27 and do not give the devil a
foothold.
28 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.
29 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.
30 And do not grieve THE HOLY
SPIRIT OF GOD, with WHOM you were sealed for the day of
redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness,
rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
32 Be kind and compassionate to one
another, forgiving each other, just as in CHRIST GOD forgave you.”
