#1453. You must no longer live like you don’t know Jesus! (16/3/26)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (posted, at present, every weekday) as we continue our Ephesians series: Ephesians - To the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God.

From Ephesians 4:17-19, we see that our nature - our new creation - is to guide how we live in every way. 

To watch this devotional, please select the link below:

1. Live your convictions

Paul begins with ‘So I tell you this’ as returns to what he said at the beginning of the chapter:

He begins this new section by telling his readers that they are to live a new kind of life now that they are Christians.

We feel the weight of what he’s saying as he uses these three terms:

•  ‘So I tell you this’

• ‘ I insist on it’

• ‘In the Lord’

This is a matter of utmost importance - that we live as God’s holy people - those united to Christ. 

This is linked to what he said in the previous section, where he described them as Jesus’ body who are to seek unity and use their spiritual gifts to serve Him and build one another up to maturity. 

Now he presses on them that they must not live or ‘walk in’ (ESV) the old lives they had before they were united to Christ! 

This also teaches us that our lives inside the church - as Jesus’ body -  must not be detached from all other aspects of our lives! We must not be one thing on a Sunday with the church, but another kind of person at work, at home, at college…

In essence - our true identity is to define how we live our lives inside and outside the church. 

2. Our lives express our nature 

He says a number of things about how those who do not know God think and act:

• ‘Futility of their thinking’

• ‘Darkened in their understanding’

• ‘Separated from the life of God’ 

• ‘Ignorance that is in them’

• ‘The hardening of their hearts’

• ‘Lost all sensitivity’

• ‘Given themselves over to sensuality’

• ‘Indulge in every kind of impurity’

• ‘Full of greed’

This is quite a list! This is how they thought and lived before they came to accept Christ. Of course, we are not to think that everyone who is not a Christian is a terrible person - many are kinder than you or me! However, before a holy God, whose judgment is perfect, it can be said of all of us, as we read in Genesis after the flood: 

Our nature, will be seen in our lives - in essence we see that, at its heart, being ‘separated from the life of God’ - leads to poor thinking and behaviour. Without the regenerating work of the Spirit we live godless and futile lives. 

Our new nature will also be seen when we are born again -  everything changes when we are made alive by the Spirit! once we were ‘Separated from the life of God’ , but now we are connected to the life of God!

When we are united to Christ’s death and resurrection! As Paul says elsewhere,

Response

• Consistency: Do we live consistently godly lives both inside and outside the church walls?

• Conviction:  In a world that constantly promotes sensuality and greed, are you actively seeking to walk in the light, particularly be pursuing godliness in sex and relationships? 

• New creation in Christ:  Behaviour flows from our nature and identity; do you regularly remind yourself of your identity as one who is "made alive" in Christ? As connected to the life of Christ? 

Community Group Notes

1. Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News. 

2. Icebreaker

Something that builds relationships and confidence to share; it’s good to regularly use this moment to ask the group: How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you? 

3. Worship together

Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.

4. Study and pray together

Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a healthy balance between discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.

On Sunday, we continued our series in Ephesians: To the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God, focusing on Ephesians 4:17–24 and how we are to pursue the new life we have in Christ.

Please read Ephesians 4:17-24 and discuss:

1. Personal Reflection

• What stood out to you from Sunday’s message or this passage?

• Did the Spirit particularly impress anything on your heart?

Chapter 4 is taking us into application; having begun with how, as the body of Christ, we are to pursue unity and loving use our gifts to build one another up, he now insists we no longer live like those who don’t know Jesus. 

2. A new attitude to sex and relationships 

Verse 19, is about sexual sin - the reference to ‘greed’ is to be understood as having ‘an insatiable desire for more’. 

• Why is this especially important for us to hear in our culture?

• What does pursuing godliness in relationships look like in practice?

3. Be aware of deceitful desires 

• Verse 20, speaks of ‘deceitful desires’. Why must we not trust every thought or desire we experience?

• How do we learn to recognise what comes from the ‘old self’ - the flesh -  versus what comes from the Spirit?

4. Renewed minds by the Spirit

• We are  to pursue being ‘made new in the attitude (Spirit of) of your minds’;  how does dependence on the Spirit and personal effort work together for our transformation? 

SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)

• Put on the new self: How does our ‘becoming like God’ lead to our becoming a light in this world? 

• Sharing Stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing stories of how we’ve seen God at work through simple faithfulness.

• Practical Next Steps – Who might God be placing on your heart at this time? Are there any “people of peace” (see note) in your life—those who seem open, welcoming, or receptive to spiritual conversation?

Let’s Pray Together

Let’s pray for one another in light of what we’ve studied and bring any other needs before God.

• Pray for courage, wisdom, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in our Serve, Invest, and Invite opportunities.

• Pray specifically for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives - that God would open hearts and deepen relationships.

• General prayer: From our study, or from personal needs, how do people want prayer?