Good morning!  This morning I was reading Ephesians 4:1-15 and it really struck me that if these verses had been lived and obeyed through the years of Christianity, this world would be a vastly different place than it is now.  These verses tell us that the Lord has given gifts to his people to help them.  What is the goal of his helping us?  It is so that we will 1) become more united and more knowledgeable of him, 2) be strong and secure in the true Word of God and not get swayed by satan’s lies, and 3) become like him.  I think all of these things are important but a lot of people dismiss the last part and that is that we are to become more like him.  Other scriptures say that we are to put on Christ, that he is the first fruits of many brethren.  In other words, he didn’t come just to teach us to be nice guys but he came to show us the way to become like him, to follow in his footsteps so that we can be called his brothers and sisters. 

We are not like him if we’re still on the sinning wagon.  the first step we need to take is to get off that wagon.  He said himself, “Go and sin no more.”  So, stop it.  1 John 3:8 says that a person who commits sin is of the devil.  Well, we don’t want that.  The next step we need to take is to try to really read his life from the perspective of how can I do that.  Matthew 5 is really great for that.  How can I love my enemies?  Does that mean I have to go up to them and hug them?  Or does it mean I have to look into my heart and deliberately remove whatever is there that hates them and wouldn’t want the best for them?  Do I pray for that person?  Do I really want that person to stop whatever behavior is preventing him or her from knowing God?  Or maybe that person knows God better than I and I just don’t want to admit it.  Anyway, we need to look at ourselves seriously.  Jesus gave us the power to change and we can do it!

In the past, Christians have not lived up to the very scriptures that they says they believe.  But we can change this situation!  It starts with me and with you.  We can be honest in business or in whatever occupation we find ourselves.  We can stop gossipping and backstabbing and jockeying for power.  We can live humbly and walk with God.  It’s really a great adventure!