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- The apostle Paul in this passage is comparing and contrasting Gentile, earthly, worldly people with God’s chosen heavenly kingdom people.
- Paul is telling his readers that there are two kinds of people in this world; the worldly and the heavenly. It seems like he is painting a picture that’s us versus them, but it’s not like that.
& It’s not like that because within us, each one of us, is that godless worldliness, the worldly “they” Paul wrote about. And within each one of us is someone who knows Christ, the heavenly “you” Paul wrote about.
- Paul was concerned about this issue in every church. As he wrote to the Colossians, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you...” (Col. 3:5, ESV).
- We are at war against our own person and Paul says, “You know that stuff inside you that’s earthly & worldly & sinful, Kill it!”
- God is serious about dealing with sin. The message of the Bible is that sin brings death. We need to get serious about dealing with our sin too.
- There are two kinds of people in this world: heavenly people & worldly people & both kinds of people are within each of us.
- At the end of our Ephesians passage Paul sums up what heavenly kingdom people need to be like: If you know Christ, forgive as you’ve been forgiven. We need to forgive; we must forgive because of what’s wrong in us & we need to forgive & we must forgive because of God’s forgiveness & the new life in us.
- You see, we have all been forgiven of a lot of sinful junk and garbage in our lives. & We have some sin-junk we still have to get rid of, that’s why Paul says we need to stop living like Gentiles who are spiritually lost trying to fill up their lives with empty things and empty pursuits.
- We all used to be worldly people, but we need to stop living like worldly people and start living like the heavenly people we are.
- Worldly people have a darkened understanding to the things of God because they don’t know Jesus & don’t know his forgiveness.
- Worldly people are ignorant of God’s gift because they are hard-hearted; they have braced & propped themselves against the knowledge of God. Like a fossil that was once flesh, their hearts are petrified, turned to stone.
- Worldly hard-hearted people have lost their sensitivity by refusing to deal with their sin & reconnect with God, in that sense they’ve lost touch with reality & are full of spiritually empty ideas.
- Because they are disconnected from God, worldly people can’t think straight & they come up with all kinds of absurd & ridiculous explanations, justifications, & excuses for not reconnecting their lives to God.
- Worldly people are naturally drawn to sensuality and are absorbed with whatever brings life pleasure. Since they are disconnected from their Maker, it’s only natural to connect with sensual desires.
- Worldly people are preoccupied with satisfying physical desires because they think there’s nothing deeper or beyond this life. Many completely worldly people gratify their desires at all costs, without thought of the consequences, living like they are perpetually addicted to one thing or another or trading one addiction for the next thing that comes along that seems better.
- Worldly people live by their impulses & urges. Their life’s philosophy is: “If it feels good, do it.”
- Is this the kind of life for a Christian, a disciple & follower of Jesus whose citizenship belongs in heaven?
- Since we have learned Christ, we are supposed to understand what life is really all about.
- Christians have not learned Christ to just keep on living the way we have always lived, oblivious to the changes that need to take place on the outside because of the change that has taken place on the inside. No, we have learned Christ.
- People who learn Christ are no longer Gentile, earthly, worldly people, no longer living after the flesh like an ever hungry, self-satisfying, earthbound caterpillar, but set free to fly in the skies like a beautiful butterfly.
- Heavenly people have no more excuses for worldly living which demonstrates a sick, godless form of self love.
- Heavenly people need to get rid of everything in their lives which reconnects them to their old worldly way of life. The old way of life is rotten & mouldy & putrid through & through and the only proper response, as we all know all too well, is to get rid of it, put it to death, kill it.
- Worldly people’s lives are in bondage to decay, but heavenly people are set free from rot & death. If we don’t get rid of our old, sinful, worldly behaviours that connect us to putrid living , then rot will set in again & our lives will not make the impact God intends for them to make.
- Heavenly people prepare themselves for honest living. They stop lying & stop pretending to be someone/something they are not.
- Heavenly people tell the truth about who they really are. Truth telling helps maintain the connections we have with our self & others, & Christ.
- Heavenly people know that anger can be used as a tool & a weapon, & know the difference. They refuse to allow their anger to get the best of them & don’t give the devil the edge he so desperately wants so he can make gains in their lives.
- Heavenly people refuse to let anger fester in their hearts, but find a healthy outlet with God’s help to get rid of resentment & bitterness that Satan can use.
- Heavenly people seek to make an honest living by finding ways of working which contribute to the greater good of society & ways to generate income which is not illegal, unethical or immoral, but God honouring.
- Heavenly people are aware that what they say can either connect them to or disconnect them from others. They strive to make their conscious thoughts & words into blessings & gifts. They know that every time they meet their neighbours is an opportunity to extend gift & blessing.
- Heavenly people are aware that God’s Spirit is always within & around them, revering & respecting him with peace & joy, looking for where he is working & working with him.
- The person of the Holy Spirit gives the grace of his gifts & the fruit of his character as an instalment of the eternal, glorious, destiny that awaits those who love God. & in God’s presence heavenly people will serve him & one another with immortal, resurrection bodies that never die: working, serving, singing, praising, planting, harvesting, in peace & joy forever.
- Bitterness & rage, brawling & slander, evil plans & intentions are at the heart of what is worldly.
- But heavenly people are gentle & kind & compassionate.
- Heavenly kingdom people know how much they have been forgiven. They know the depths of their own sins & the greatness of God’s gift & they show others the same forgiving courtesy God showed them.
- Heavenly people know how bad they’ve been & they know how badly others need the forgiveness that God makes available in Christ.
- If you know Christ, forgive as you’ve been forgiven.
- All of us were once worldly people desiring only to please ourselves, living for today, but we have learned Christ & are citizens of his heavenly kingdom with glorious eternal destinies.
- If you know Christ, forgive as you’ve been forgiven.
- As worldly Gentile people, we hurt others & hurt ourselves, but as God’s chosen citizens of the kingdom of heaven we are called to restore & heal & forgive.
- If you know Christ, forgive as you’ve been forgiven.
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