Ephesians 5:1-20 lesson by Dr. Bob Utley

[@jeffreylardizabal3964]

Great Bible study. A well spoken and referenced study on the difference between a lifestyle of a Christian and those who are not following Christ. I used to be one of those who, though he knew of the Bible and knew of the cross, did not really know "...the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - spoken of in Philippians 4:7. For 30 years I worked in the secular world, as a therapist in psychiatry for seven years and, in law enforcement and the military for 23 years in special operations. I was around those filled with the world's ways of coping and dealing with a broken world and, though some I met were Christian (or professed to be) few lived lifestyles reflecting such, as pointed to in this bible study. Not even myself - for my tongue did produce much biting words, filled with rage and anger at the world and my fellow man. My heart lusted after the flesh, be it sexual and/or muscular - seeking to satisfy itself as only such things seemed to do. And though, I went to church and repented of such sins and prayed over them and did all the things but one - truly, turn away from them and turn to Christ, completely, my lifestyle of returning to such things maintained itself, as opposed to being truly, free of them. Until, when, they did not and have not, ever since. My lifestyle has changed based on one thing - BELIEVING JESUS IS WHO IS SAID HE IS in the BIBLE - AND FOLLOWING HIM. This started a couple years ago and, as an ongoing process, has turned me over from NIGHT to DAY, with the hope from Jesus of being a light unto a dark world, a spring amidst a desert of vanquished and thirsty souls - seeking the truth, but not finding it in this world. This turn began as I started to study James 4:10 - "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up." I wrote and studied 174 pages on that one verse alone and this process began a turning away from sin and a LIFESTYLE towards God which, to today, has provided miraculous love, joy, peace and all such other fruits of the spirit mentioned in Galatians 5, such as God promises such things would do. BELIEVE IN JESUS. That's all we have to do - he is sufficient to bury our former selves along with whatever sins we have committed and put them to NO ACCOUNT WHATSOEVER. As Paul said in Romans 3:38,39 - "Nothing can separate us from the love of God..." The world, Satan and his Legion of fallen angels, they will all tell you that you are unworthy to be accepted by God, this is what Islam does and any other faith following that lines you up for slaughter with good works verses your bad deeds. We are all sinners - have sinned, are sinning, will sin in the future - in this fallen sinful world; yet, Jesus saves us completely and forevermore and, to BELIEVE this is to come to Christ truly, recognizing he is the ONLY way out of our fallen state in this fallen world. Surrendering your life over to him is to recognize such things as true, and he as being the ONLY way, truth, and life - who alone saves us from sin and death, and through which there is no other way to the father, but by Jesus Christ ALONE - paraphrased from John 14:6 - "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Humbling ourselves to the creator of the universe is, by no means, a stupid, foolish act - as many atheists scientists with PhD degrees in astronomy and brain surgery, etc. charge. BY NO WAY. It is the very best thing anyone can do, for with it comes the help from ALMIGHTY GOD, to overcome ourselves and this world, leading to a promised and final end - EVERLASTING RELATIONSHIP WITH HE WHO LOVED US BEFORE THIS WORLD WAS EVER FORMED, AND KNEW US - EVEN THEN. Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the thoughts I think towards you, sayeth the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to bring you to an expected end." We were made to endure the sins of this world, through Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ, alone, and by no other means might we know such peace, that surpasses all other understanding - such as Buddhism, Scientism, all other Occultisms and ANYTHING WHICH TEACHES ANYTHING OTHER THAN - peace and love through Jesus Christ, our Savior, and he who, alone, can restore us to what we are meant to be - lights in a fallen and dying world, with sinful beings such as we are, forgiving even those who plot against us and seek to destroy such light. God be with the lost - for, having been there and suffering, and experiencing, contrary to that, such peace as I have now - I would not trade all the riches nor securities of this entire world for the love that God expresses to me daily - through a relationship with Jesus Christ, who even now , speaks to all of us, through the Holy Spirit, as is God's design, from the beginning, speaking of such days after Christ' ascending to heaven and sending all thereafter the Holy Spirit, in Hebrews 10:16-17: "16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." God Bless you all with your continued walk and service in the Lord and thanks for this Bible study, that we might not miss our mark - which is to do the will of he who loved us before this world was ever formed, and indeed, sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to ensure such things would be COMPLETELY POSSIBLE.

[@nadinehards3634]

Thank you so much for this message!!!