Toni Smothers
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:18-23 (All Scripture quoted is NIV)
Scripture Quote: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:2-3)
Christians aren't controlled by our bodies because we deny immoral or indecent physical desires. We are also in a position to prevent ourselves from being greedy, which is the same as worshipping idols. God will never bless a person that still behaves inappropriately, who allows the flesh to rule over him. We all did these things before we believed in Jesus. We also allowed anger and evil to dominate us. But now we have given up our old way of life, with those old habits. Christians can choose to stop saying insulting or cruel things about others, stop lying to each other and choose love above anything else.
We are now in Christ, slowly dying to sin, as we become more and more like our Savior. It doesn't matter what we have done in the past. Christ is all that matters and He now lives in all of us. Our own understanding can’t discern the sacred, but only comprehends it by the influence of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation - Without the influence of God’s Holy Spirit, we could never become wise. Be grateful, because God loves us and has chosen us to be His own special people. We should respond with humility, forgiving each other, just as God has forgiven us.
Today’s meditation: Like Christ, be loving and kind to your neighbor.
Memory Verse: He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. (James 1:18)