Read: Psalm 1:1, Ephesians 5:1-12
Imagine the most serious, ultra-committed environmentalist. By day she works in an environmental charity, spending her working hours striving to save the environment from exploitation and destruction. After she clocks off from work she
Regardless of whether we agree with her perspective on the environment or not we expect her to live in accord with her beliefs. Because she believes in protecting the environment she tries to live in a way that protects the environment. Now imagine that to go between all of these things that she is doing she drives a massive V8 Four Wheel Drive Hummer. She puts the least environmentally friendly fuel in the car because it makes it go faster and she drives like an absolute lead foot. This isn’t living in accord with her beliefs. This just wouldn’t do.
This Psalm begins with a similar description. The wise man, the man who seeks after God and is blessed by it is one who does not walk in the way that wicked men do. He does not abide or stand in the way of sinners and he does not sit in the place of mockers and scoffers of God. He chooses to be totally separate and apart from those things because they are not in accord with his life following God. He stays totally separate and apart from those things. He is living in accord with the life that he has been given in God.
The same is true in the life of the Christian. Paul talks about this in Ephesians. Because we are dearly loved children of God through the saving work of Jesus Christ we ought to live in such a way that reflects this. We are to be ‘imitators of God.’
How does this kind of life look? Notice what Paul says in the next few verses. Among God’s people there must be no sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking. In fact Christians are not even to talk of the sinful things that people do apart from God. Just like the man in Psalm 1:1 we are to stay right away from sinful things.
We don’t stay away from these things in order to become children of God or in order to make ourselves right with God. Christ has already done that! He has bought our freedom from sin and has reconciled us with God. Because of the reconciliation and new life that God has given us we must have nothing to do with sin and we must walk in accordance with the new life that we have been given in Christ.
For the Christian to continue to indulge in sin after they have been given new life is far worse than an environmentalist driving a V8 four wheel drive Hummer. It is totally opposite to everything that we believe and everything that we are in Christ. Let us have nothing to do with sinful things but to live out of the life we have been given in Christ.
Prayer:
Use the Bible passage from today and the reading notes to write down your prayer points before you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¥ Pray that God would strengthen you and enable you by His spirit to live according to the life that you have been given.
¥ Pray for the small groups which are meeting throughout the week. Pray that God would help them to encourage one another, to grow in love for one another and to grow in understanding of His word.
As Christians any kind of sin is opposed to Christ and against everything that He has done in our lives. Don’t walk in sin any longer but walk in Christ.
1. How do you think non-Christians will respond if they see Christians who live terrible lives and do not reflect their beliefs?
2. Paul says it is shameful to even speak of these sinful things. How could you respond if someone came up to you at church to tell you a dirty joke? Remember the idea is to encourage others rather than tear them down.
Intro: When you were much littler do you remember playing a game of Simon Says? Do you remember how to play?
Share: A time that you can remember playing Simon Says. What sort of actions did you have to do?
Read: Ephesians 5:1-2. Paul tells us to be imitators of God. What does it mean to imitate someone? What is one way that we should imitate God? (hint: vs 2) It says that we should love others just as Christ loved us. How did Christ love us? How could you imitate God like that at school, at home and with your friends?
Pray Together: Thank God for His love for us through Christ. Pray that He would help you to imitate Him and help you to love others.
Intro: When you were much littler do you remember playing a game of Simon Says? Do you remember how to play?
Share: A time that you can remember playing Simon Says. What sort of actions did you have to do?
Read: Ephesians 5:1-2. Paul tells us to be imitators of God. What does it mean to imitate someone? What is one way that we should imitate God? (hint: vs 2) It says that we should love others just as Christ loved us. How did Christ love us? How could you imitate God like that at school, at home and with your friends?
Pray Together: Thank God for His love for us through Christ. Pray that He would help you to imitate Him and help you to love others.
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