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Walk as Children of Light
Lesson 13 - August 29
Focus Text: Ephesians 5:1-4, 8-21
Central Truth: Christians must pattern their lives after Christ’s example.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to describe practical ways that we are to imitate Christ’s example.
Lesson Outline:
- Walk in Love (Ephesians 5:1-4)
- Walk in Light (Ephesians 5:8-14)
- Walk in Wisdom (Ephesians 5:15-21)
Lesson Highlight: "be ye kind" – Ephesians 4:32
"And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32)
Dr. Marsh Jones writes in "Biblical Perspective" for this week's lesson:
Kindness, generosity, and compassion are all traits that a Christian constantly displays. Christ has given us an example of this in His behavior toward those to whom He ministered and those who were His detractors: “When he was reviled, [he] reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not” (1 Peter 2:23). The apostle also reminded us that when we feel unwilling to forgive someone who has wronged us, we should remember that Christ has forgiven us for the stupid and sinful things that we have done in the past. We should therefore forgive those who are only acting as we might have acted were it not for the grace of God!
Discussion: Why do we have difficulty being kind to anyone when we will not forgive a particular someone(s)?
Source: Galatians and Ephesians, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 72.
Lesson Highlight: "put on" – Ephesians 4:24
"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:24)
In "Word Focus" for this week's lesson, William Sillings writes:
(1) Put off (apothesthai) means “to remove as one takes off clothes.” The verb is an aorist middle infinitive which indicates three things: (a) this is something we must do for ourselves, an action only we can carry out; (b) it is to be a once-and-for-all kind of action, “put off that old life once and for all, and never go back to it”; and (c) the infinitive form is used to denote the substance of what they had been taught, that which they were to put away, the old life with its old ways of thinking and acting.
(2) Put on (endusasthai) contrasts with the putting off. This word is often used of putting on a garment and is the positive side of verse 22.
Discussion: With this explanation in mind, what does it mean to put off the "old man" and to put on the "new man"?
Source: Galatians and Ephesians, Adult Teacher's Insights, page 68.
Lesson Highlight: Ephesians 4:20
"But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:20-24)
The comments in "Biblical Perspectives" notes that verses twenty-one through twenty-four show the contrast in beliefs and lifestyle of the Christian and the unbeliever.
Exercise: List the various contrasts, putting them in your own words to make the meaning clearer.
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)