![]() This is not how you learned Christ! (Eph 4:20). The opposite of building up others in love is to serve oneself in sensuality and greed (Eph 4:19). However, notice that the chief problem of impurity is that it makes people like those who are alienated from-not unified with-God (Eph 4:18). The first area that requires attention in pursuit of unity is purity (Eph 4:17-32). Four Areas With Potential for Divisive Behaviors ![]() We must give attention to four key areas, each marked with a renewed exhortation to walk (or, in the last case, to stand - Eph 4:17, 5:1, 5:15, 6:10-13). But sadly, it often does, so the rest of the letter tells us what to do about that. In other words, diversity shouldn’t divide the church. It assumes that there are differences among people, requiring patience and loving speech toward one another. In short, Eph 4:1-16 teaches that every church member is not required to be the same thing, do the same thing, or think the same thing. That theological truth plays out in real life as people speak the truth to one another with love and build up one another in love (Eph 4:15-16). This king cares enough about the unity of his body that he provides the church with leaders tasked with equipping members to serve one another-all so the community can grow together to maturity, according to the image of Jesus himself (Eph 4:9-14). ![]() And Paul capitalizes on the image to explain how Jesus, the true ark, has entered heaven, the true sanctuary. Psalm 68, quoted in Eph 4:8, likens the ascension of the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem to the arrival of God’s glory-cloud on Sinai. Paul roots the unity of the church, explicitly, to the unity of the Trinity (Eph 4:4-6), which includes a victorious Christ ascending to take his throne while dishing out good gifts to his people. Such character arises only from an eager commitment to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph 4:3). And what exactly is a manner of life worthy of the call to unity, in light of God’s plan to unite all things in Christ? It requires humble, gentle, and patient forbearance toward fellow church members (Eph 4:2). Paul transitions to application with the urging to walk in a manner worthy of the calling described in the first three chapters (Eph 4:1). ![]() Photo by cottonbro Diversity Shouldn’t Divide the Church Check it out!įiled Under: Check it Out Tagged With: Alan Shlemon, Application Ephesians: Uniting All Things in Christ, Part 2 Shlemon’s brief piece is well worth your time. Let us be true to his word and his commands. It would be much easier to dismiss divine commands, but in dismissing them, we dismiss him. That, however, is what we’re called to do. He explained that if we want to be his disciples, we need to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him (Matt 16:24). Jesus knew that following him would be difficult. Though it’s easy to see these erroneous approaches, we can’t be so naïve as to think we can’t also be blinded by the temptation to circumvent the Bible’s instruction. (“We know better today than they did back then…”) Pick and choose which parts of Scripture you’ll uphold.(“Other holy books get it right when they say…”) Claim the Bible is corrupted and/or add other divine revelations.Claim personal divine revelation that supersedes Scripture.Alan Shlemon lists three ways people tend to do just that: Jazak Allah Khair.The chief question we ask when we apply the Bible is “how should I change?” (Please don’t ask “what does it mean to me?” as that gives people entirely the wrong idea.) Yet even when we pursue an answer to that chief question, it is not difficult to find ways to weasel out of obeying what God has said. Note: This apps is free with advertisement. Work online and offline (First time download Required) Fast and background downloading of Quran pages Coloured with specific colour that show every Word. Prepared in accordance with the real Al-Quran Elegant Page Curl Effect gives feel like real book Suitable to use for all ages and prepared in accordance with the real Al-Quran using simple text. This app also have any interesting and useful features that every user desire to have, such as, bookmark pages, maintain bookmark list, with Page curl effect experience like the real book reading. 2 Colors Designing of Al Quran separate the words, so user can read and recite the Holy Quran very easily. Now you can read Al Quran anywhere anytime with this application with ease. *** Ramadan's perfect application for everyone, Al Quran Reader with Word by Word color coded Free App for everyone***Īl-Quran Word by Word Color Code is the App that help people in all over the world to easily use the al-quran in everywhere in their mobile handphone.
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