January 3: Ephesians 4 25-32

Key Verse: Ephesians 4 30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Devotion:
Now we have had a gentle reminder about just how much the Lord is doing in our lives, let’s start to think about the ramifications of what we do. It is so easy to listen to a conversation between our friends and join in using the same foul language as they do... It is so easy to watch our friends and join in with the things they do... It is so easy to turn you back on God!

We are reminded in these few verses about what we should be turning away from. Once we have been reborn, once we have accepted God into our lives, we then have a responsibility to carry out His will in our lives. We have the responsibility to turn away from our former lives, from our former ways of talking, from our former ways of doing things, and to turn to Gods way of doing things.

There is no way we could ever hope to be like Christ was when He was with us on earth, but we can certainly do a lot in our lives to turn our lives round towards God. What use is it of having God's light in our lives if we are not going to let His light shine through us? What use is it to have that light if we are going to hide it under a bushel?

When we are saved, we have the Holy Spirit living within us. This does not prevent us from doing evil or from sinning. What it does mean is every time we do sin, we are letting God down; every time we do sin, we are grieving the Holy Spirit who is within us; every time we do sin, we are driving the Holy Spirit into a corner. How would you like to be held captive in a small cell which has nothing in it that you like, but instead has everything you do not like?

Points to Ponder:
Are you trying your best to do things God's way?

Is your body a living nightmare for the Holy Spirit?