Reflecting Christ!

Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31‭-‬32 MSG

When the Bible talks about change, it is not a focus first on the outer, but on the inner. With man, change is first about the external: change in habits, lifestyle, relationships and all. This is part of the inner change but the first thing that God must work on is our inner man.  When the inner man has been changed, all the external evidence of change will make sense. With man, there is a focus on effort; with God, there is a total reliance on the help of the Holy Spirit to sustain the change.

That is the thrust of today's extract. When a man claims to know God, there must be a clear difference between the former and the present life. When a man claims to know God, the world must notice a difference between its own standards and those of that man. Backbiting and profane talk are not the products of a regenerated inner man. When a man has met with God, his life experiences a total turnaround for good. A life given to inanities becomes focused on the things that God considers important.

When you read about the 'fruit' of the Spirit, do you consider the fact that all 9 attributes are seen as one fruit? You cannot know God and be choosy with the fruit that your life is expected to bear. When you are born into a family, you bear a new name and assume all the nature and features attributable to that name. It is the same with spiritual matters. When you surrender to Christ, you bear a new name and live in accordance with the dictates of that new name.

Forgiveness is mentioned, maybe because it is one of the hardest things to give as humans. We hold on to a sense of self-righteousness when others offend us, but we are quick to seek mercy when the consequences of our own evil actions come. God has laid down an example for us to follow: forgive as quickly and as thoroughly as God forgave us. He offered his life even when we didn't deserve it, and he keeps knocking on the door of our hearts, seeking to come in and prove himself mighty in us. His life is still on offer for as many as would accept him. His mercy is still available and will remain available until rapture/judgement. Take advantage of this offer now. He wants to change you to be like him. He wants to empower you to live like Him. Would you let him? Would you surrender all? His time of favour is here.