Ephesians 4:17 - Prayer Tents



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Ephesians 4
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To Be Mature

4In light of all this, here's what I want you to do. While I'm locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere.G1473G3767G1198G1722G2962G3870G5209G4043G516G2821G3739G2564 2And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love,G3326G3956G5012G2532G4236G3326G3115G430G240G1722G26 3alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.G4704G5083G1775G4151G1722G4886G1515 4You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly.G1520G4983G2532G1520G4151G2531G2532G2564G1722G3391G1680G5216G2821 5You have one Master, one faith, one baptism,G1520G2962G1520G4102G3391G908 6one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.G1520G2316G2532G3962G3956G3588G1909G3956G2532G1223G3956G2532G1722G5213G3956 7But that doesn't mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift.G1161G1538G1520G2257G1325G5485G2596G3358G1431G5547 8The text for this is, He climbed the high mountain, He captured the enemy and seized the booty, He handed it all out in gifts to the people.G1352G3004G305G1519G5311G162G161G2532G1325G1390G444 9It's true, is it not, that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the valley of earth?G1161G305G5101G2076G1508G3754G2597G2532G2597G4412G1519G2737G3313G1093 10And the One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts,G846G2597G2076G2532G305G5231G3956G3772G2443G4137G3956 11filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacherG2532G846G1325G3303G652G1161G4396G1161G2099G1161G4166G2532G1320 12to train Christians in skilled servant work, working within Christ's body, the church,G4314G2677G40G1519G2041G1248G1519G3619G4983G5547 13until we're all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.G3360G3956G2658G1519G1775G4102G2532G1922G5207G2316G1519G5046G435G1519G3358G2244G4138G5547 14No prolonged infancies among us, please. We'll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors.G2443G5600G3371G3516G2831G2532G4064G3956G417G1319G1722G2940G444G1722G3834G4314G3180G4106 15God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do.G1161G226G1722G26G837G1519G846G3956G3739G2076G2776G5547 16He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.G1537G3739G3956G4983G4883G2532G4822G1223G3956G860G2024G2596G1753G1722G3358G1538G1520G3313G4160G838G4983G1519G3619G1438G1722G26

The Old Way Has to Go

17And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd.G5124G3004G3767G2532G3143G1722G2962G5209G3371G4043G3371G2531G2532G3062G1484G4043G1722G3153G846G3563 18They've refused for so long to deal with God that they've lost touch not only with God but with reality itself.G1271G4654G5607G526G2222G2316G1223G52G5607G1722G846G1223G4457G846G2588 19They can't think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.G3748G524G3860G1438G3860G766G1519G2039G3956G167G1722G4124 20But that's no life for you. You learned Christ!G1161G5210G3129G3756G3779G3129G5547 21My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus.G1489G191G846G2532G1321G1722G846G2531G225G2076G1722G2424 22Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life,G5209G659G2596G4387G391G3820G444G3588G5351G2596G539G1939 23a life renewed from the insideG1161G365G4151G5216G3563 24and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.G2532G1746G2537G444G3588G2596G2316G2936G1722G1343G2532G225G3742 25What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.G1352G659G5579G2980G1538G225G3326G846G4139G3754G2070G3196G240 26Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry.G3710G2532G264G3361G1931G3361G2246G1931G1909G5216G3950 27Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.G3383G1325G5117G1228 28Did you used to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can't work.G2813G2813G2813G3371G1161G3123G2872G2038G5495G18G2443G2192G3330G5532G2192 29Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.G4550G3361G3956G4550G3056G1607G1537G5216G4750G235G1536G18G4314G5532G3619G2443G1325G5485G191 30Don't grieve God. Don't break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don't take such a gift for granted.G2532G3076G3361G40G4151G2316G1722G3739G4972G1519G2250G629 31Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk.G142G3956G4088G2532G2372G2532G3709G2532G2906G2532G988G142G575G5216G4862G3956G2549 32Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.G1161G1096G5543G1519G240G2155G5483G1438G2531G2532G2316G1722G5547G1722G5483G5213


The Message (MSG). All Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. More details.
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