Put On, Put Off List

It’s Avoid Temptation Tuesday. In our carefree society where anything goes, we need to ask ourselves what a Holy God thinks of our society. Society tells us to show tolerance, be politically correct, adultery is okay except when you are a politician seeking re-election, and on and on. But what does the Bible have to say about how a Christian should walk? We have been studying Ephesians for a few weeks and this week we are looking at chapter 4. We have learned our position in heavenly places and who Christ is, but now it is time to focus on our walk. Do you walk the walk you talk?

Let’s look at the first 3 verses of chapter 4:
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” Eph 4:1-3 (NASB).

Paul tells us that we are to walk worthy of our calling. What is the calling of a believer? To be Christ like and to tell the good news or the gospel. If we live like the world and tell others to repent of their sins to accept Christ, they will call us hypocritical. The Bible says, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” Matt 7:3-5 (NKJV). If we are to preach and teach against sin, then we have to live a holy lifestyle. Ephesians 4 tells us what this lifestyle should look like.

In verse 2 above we are instructed to have humility (which means having a humble opinion of one’s self), be gentle (mildness of disposition), patient (longsuffering), showing tolerance (put up with, endure). We need to live the gospel as well as tell the gospel. No wonder Americans are so confused when it comes to religion. We preach one thing, but do another. I believe that would make many of us hypocrites.

I am not going to teach all of chapter 4 today, but this chapter ends with a list of do’s and don’ts which I will call “Put on, Put off”. Click here to download a list of sins which I will call Put on Put off.