BellaOnline Forums Family Christian Living Ephesians 4:17-32

I'm a little behind on our Bible Study. I hope you all are patient with me. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

From Ephesianls 4:17-32
1. Do Christians live better lives than non-Christians?

2. Paul is talking about what it means to live a life "worthy of the calling." How does Paul contrast the life of the Gentile (unbeliever) with that of a believer?

3. What does it mean to "put off the old self" in 4:22?

4. Verses 25-32: What does Paul say to put off , and to put on , and what reason does he give or imply for each?

5. Other thoughts?

1. Christians aren't the only people who believe in being good. But we are the only ones who believe that Jesus died for our sins.

2. Unbelievers are given to sensuality, impurity and greediness
Believers try to live in the likeness of God, in righteousness and holiness and truth

3. To change

4.Put off -- falsehood, stealing (as in greed), bitterness
Put on -- truth, forgiveness, sharing with the needy and kindness.
Reason -- Christ has forgiven us

5. No -- I'll just wait for you and Jenna to post!! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

1. I don't think so....I'm in the middle of a big thing with my husband... he is on the fence with his faith at the moment and I am praying for him constantly. He has taken to watching Joyce Meyer with me on his days off in the evening and I've noticed that he is really struggling with the idea that being a Christian is harder and more trying than not being a Christian. He says it's easier to not have to think about whether Jesus would do what he wants to do before hand...lol...I think it's harder to walk the narrow path than the wide path. even Jesus told us that it would be and that few would actually walk it. The difference is that once we enter into relationship with Christ we are convicted of our bad habits, so no, Christians don't have "better" lives than non Christians, just holy set-apart lives that are on display and reflect Christ's nature to the world and I think it's harder than living in the shadows.

2. The beauty of The Passion movie is that it SHOWED us the sacrifice that Christ paid for us because he considered us worthy of love, even love that lead to death. You could say He loved us to death...lol... I think that's why so many were in shock at the graphic nature of the movie. Because until then crucifixion was just a "concept" we had no real idea what a cat-o-nine-tails did to an actual body, or what a 39 lashing was like.

To live a life worthy of the calling is to live a life spared. How would you feel if you suffered a terrible tragedy and SURVIVED, were spared miraculously? It would be a very different one wouldn't it? Imagine someone else taking your punishment for you, or paying your bills for you and all you had to do was enjoy all the benefits of it?

I think Paul contrasts it with someone who KNOWS what has been done FOR them to someone who either doesn't know or doesn't care....

3. "putting off the old self" to me means rising above the old habits and behaviors to act in a way that is evident of the Holy Spirit abiding in my heart. A testament to the worthiness of my life through Christ's eyes. I want to live everyday as if I am aware of the sacrifice that he paid so I might have life and have it more abundantly. It's a nice feeling, a content feeling, to know that I am loved and counted worthy BECAUSE I'M LOVED!

4. Paul says to put off the old selfishness that commanded our every waking minute before we turned to Him and to behave in a way that is a shining light to the world demonstrating the love that was shown to us to EVERYONE and ANYONE ELSE WE MAY ENCOUNTER! Because thats what Jesus did for us and still does today through us. We're His representatives.

5. I think more Christians need to realize how big their salvation really is. Just sit on it and consider it. I challenge all of us to spend one week with the crucifixion on our minds. Picture ourselves doing what Jesus did. After all, we deserve it. Start studying at the Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem. Read the Old Testament Law and find out what is called for as penance for your own sins for one day. What would we have to do to be made clean? How many of us would deserve death? Every day? We can never BE good enough or DO all the right things...no matter what. We are destined for hell without Jesus Christ. God knew it in the garden. We know it in our hearts. There is no other forgiveness of sins other than that which has been paid for by Christ. The narrow path doesn't seem all that hard after considering what Jesus went through, now does it?

1. Do Christians live better lives than non-Christians?

Do you mean ..."better" as in "I'm better than you or I do things more right than you" or "better" as in "blessed"?

If your question is, "Do Christians live a more holy life than non Christians?".. my answer is "We'd better". And to expound on that answer I would say... Without God in the mix there is no "good". God is the author of all that is good and right and holy. So if you are not a Christian...good actually becomes a truly mute point. Everything we do will have little eternal meaning if we lose our soul because we fail to accept the gift of eternal life. "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul" (paraphrasing).

If this question means "do we live a better (as in more blessed) life") Yes. But not one without troubles. We are BLESSED, set apart people. God's word tells us so. But that does NOT insulate us from trouble and hardship. Job was a man of God but he had his troubles. Joesph (old testament) was a Godly man but he had troubles. And God used those troubles (never caused them, but used them) to bring about good. Even the great apostle Paul said that he did that which he did not want to do and didn't do that which he did want to do. And Paul had a physical affliction which we have no record was ever healed. So even Paul had troubles. We can't escape troubles, but God gives us the grace sufficient to go through those troubles and God is always there with us if we are His children.

"If God brings you to it... God will bring you through it."

2. Paul is talking about what it means to live a life "worthy of the calling." How does Paul contrast the life of the Gentile (unbeliever) with that of a believer?

Have to read the particular verses again.

3. What does it mean to "put off the old self" in 4:22?

We "die" to the old, fleshly way of thinking and doing. We are "reborn" anew with Christ's spirit living within us. As we grow and mature and learn as a Christian, less fleshly nature should be evident and more Christ-like nature should be evident. We should "bear fruit" and people should be able to tell that we are of Christ (a Christian) by our actions and not just our words.

4. Verses 25-32: What does Paul say to put off , and to put on , and what reason does he give or imply for each?

Have to study the particular verses.

5. Other thoughts?

While to some it may seem that being a Christian means a life of denial of "fun" things and pleasure. Nothing is farther from the truth. While it is true that the flesh must be crucified and old desires sometimes must be nailed there and left there, When we become a Christian we are transformed and are hungry for Christ. When we go to His word seeking to find Him there and looking for what would please Him, He will begin to change our desires. No longer will we run after the things of the world. We will begin to desire Godly and holy things. That is because Christ is living in us.

My pesonal belief is that while on this earth and in this fleshly human body, we will never completely do everything perfect 365 days a year, 24/7. We will always be somewhat at war with our fleshly nature. But as a Christian we should strive toward the mark of the high calling and we should grow and mature as a Christian and allow God to do a work in us and grow us up and we should war less with the flesh as time goes on. But because we are "only human" we should never use that as an excuse for not trying to live holy acceptable lives before Christ. Christ made a way for the Christian to repent should they sin after being saved... but He never meant for sin to be something that we are ho-hum about.

So my thoughts are that while being a Christian might look to a still-yet sinner (as we all once were) to be a life of self denial and no fun..that is not true at all. There is a peace to be found in Christ that can be found nowhere else. And I can't imagine facing some of what life throws at you without God to hold your hand. There is a deep longing in the spirit of man to reconcile to the creator and nothing will fill that void except God. Many try to fill it with alcohol, or friends, or promiscuity or money or a thousand other things. But nothing will fill that void that the spirit has ...except for God. Christianity is not hard. Being without God is hard. -Jenny.

Christians are no better than anyone else. Christians do not lead a more peaceful life than anyone else. Christians do not lead better physical lives than anyone else. Christians do not live have better morals than anyone else. Christians do not have a "better" god than anyone else. Christians are not favored over anyone else in this world in the eyes of the Divine Supreme Being, no matter what Divine Supreme Being you believe in. Christian's feces does not smell like roses.

Lady Valkyie,
I hope you feel better for getting that off your chest. However it does show that you don't have any understanding of the question.

This is a Bible study and it is necessary to read the passage.

Ahhh but the peace that Christians have (at least this Christian)...now that is beyond rival. The Bible calls it a peace that passes all understanding. It is how a Christian wife can bury her Christian husband and still breathe the next day (as my mother did). It is how a Christian father can get up and go to work everyday not knowing if he will make ends meet that week or not.

There is a great peace in being a Christian. Being a Christian doesn't mean that you don't still walk through the fire here on earth...it just means that never again will you walk alone.