Calling Two Lists

  

Calling Two Lists

 Some of us love the reaction we get

when we provoke someone else.

God’s Word tells us to stop it!

 

We close out the 4^th chapter of Ephesians with two lists.

. Verse 31 is a list of Re-Action

.Verse 32 is a list of Pro-Action

 Reflexes - we all have them.

Some are quicker than others,

but we all have reflexes.

Our natural tendency when our knee is hit

with a pointed hammer is to kick.

And so it is when someone says or

does something to us we do not like.

It seems we quickly in life develop

a storage room of reactionary behaviors.

The Bible’s response to these

behaviors is very simple and to

the point…“Get rid of them all”

There is no room in the believer’s life for

bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, slander

or any other type of malicious behavior.

There is no 12 step program, just…“Get rid of it all”

There is one important piece of advice

and it is found in the word “instead.”

So many times we tell people to stop something,

but we don’t give them something to replace that thing.

I know a person who wanted to stop smoking;

they replace their pack of cigarettes in their shirt

pocket with a New Testament Bible.

Every time he reached, out of habit,

for a cigarette in his pocket,

he found the Bible and read some verses.

It worked - he not only quit smoking

but became a scholar of the Word of God. 

Jesus said that when a demon leaves a person,

it roams around for a while and at

some point comes back to find out

what has happened to his old house.

If the demon finds that there no new occupants,

he invites 7 of his buddies to move back in with him.

I am not saying that if you have

one of these behaviors you have a demon

but these are destructive tools of demons.

Instead of re-acting…

we should pro- act.

Become professional at responding with

acts of kindness, and tenderheartedness

So does your sensitivity want to re-act for vengeance?

Or, do you pro-act showing kindness and restoration.

Become a pro-fessional at showing kindness.

  Scripture Reading

Now that we have completed Ephesians 4,

 it would be a good idea to reread the whole chapter again.

Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT

31 Get rid of

all bitterness,

rage,

anger,

harsh words,

and slander,

as well as all types of malicious behavior.

32 Instead,

be kind to each other,

tenderhearted,

forgiving one another,

just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:31-32 THE MESSAGE

31 Make a clean break

with all cutting,

backbiting,

profane talk.

32 Be gentle with one another,

sensitive.

Forgive one another as quickly

and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

Luke 11:24-26 NIV

24 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man,

it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.

Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.'

25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.

26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself,

and they go in and live there.

And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."