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Practicing Heart Purity
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (v. 27).
Just a few years ago, the carpet in my house was new. Unfortunately, life is not easy on cheap carpet. I recently decided it was time for this mess to be replaced. Research began. What could I afford? What would work best with my life style? What would look nice?
One weekend I decided it might be a good idea to see what was under the carpet. Maybe I needed to be figuring on a more drastic undertaking than I had planned; it would not be good to be surprised. So I pushed the shoes to one side in my closet and began tugging at the carpet and padding. What a lovely surprise! There was hardwood flooring underneath. Removing the carpet became exciting. Look at this lovely floor! But it was not lovely yet. Staples had to be pulled and tack strips pried up, and plenty of cleaning, sanding, and refinishing remains to be done. Those boards have a long way to go before they will be right.
Peeling away the muck of sinful humanity is not quite enough for our hearts either. Jesus wants to purify us, to present us to His Father without even one spot. He purifies our hearts, but then our lives should shine with the finish of love towards others. (Mark Avery)
Lord, strip away whatever might defile me; let me stand pure before you.
This devotional is the Thursday, August 19, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
Our New Life in Christ
Lesson 12 - August 23
Focus Text: Ephesians 4:17-32
Central Truth: Christ calls us to a new way of life.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to list several habits, attitudes, and actions a Christian must reject or adopt.
Lesson Outline:
- The Futility of a Sinful Life (Ephesians 4:17-19)
- The Change Required (Ephesians 4:20-24)
- The Conduct Expected (Ephesians 4:25-32)
Lesson Highlight: "church membership"
In "Teaching Tips" for this coming Sunday's lesson, Greg Blake writes...
Church membership is envisioned as a call, a dynamic activity. It is not about being a part of a self-justified or self-serving institution. The church exists in the service of its members growing up, maturing into the full stature of Christ. The church, in this vision, is a true center for spiritual discipline and development. Maturing into the full stature of Christ is the call of every baptized Christian, and the church serves the fulfillment of this call.
Source: Galatians and Ephesians: Adult Teacher's Insights, page. 64.
Lesson Highlight: "unity of the faith" – Ephesians 4:13
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).
Don Calloway writes in the "Doctrinal Discussion" for this week's lesson...
Jesus prayed for unity among His disciples in His high priestly prayer found in John 17. He prayed for unity so that the world would recognize that He came from the Father. The implication seems to be that if Christ’s disciples are not in unity, the world will question the reliability of Christ’s claim to be God. Sadly, the world often has a clearer picture of the way things ought to be in the church than the church has! When we fail to demonstrate the unity existing between the Father and the Son, there is going to be a disconnect between our words and the message we send to the world.
Discussion: How should this scripture about the "unity of the faith" inform our prayers as a local church?
Source: Galatians and Ephesians: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 66.
Lesson Highlight: "walk worthy" – Ephesians 4:1
"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called" (Ephesians 4:1)
Teachers, here are a few discussion questions you could ask your students?
Discussion: What does it mean to "walk worthy"?
Discussion: What is the "vocation" to which we have been called?
Discussion: What then does it mean to walk worthy of this vocation?
Example of Unity
Read Acts 1:14-22
“These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren” (v. 14).
Much can be learned from the practices of geese while in flight. For example, as each goose flaps its wings it creates a “lift” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock achieves 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position. Geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.
If we Christians have the sense of a goose, we can also learn lessons from God’s creatures. Sharing a common purpose, we will gain encouragement from each other. Not trying to gain position at the detriment of others but working together, we will know a special camaraderie. Doing our fair share of the work, all will avoid the danger of burnout, and we will benefit from the combined resource of our gifts and talents. Standing by each other with our encouragement and assistance, we will all be able to accomplish more. It is no surprise that Paul saw this type of unity as a picture of a healthy body — the Church. (L Gayle Woods)
The children of God can learn from God’s great creation.
This devotional is the Wednesday, August 12, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.