II. DUTY: OUR RESPONSIBILITIES IN CHRIST chapters 4 6

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2 II. DUTY: OUR RESPONSIBILITIES IN CHRIST chapters 4 6 A. Walk in unity 4:1 16 B. Walk in purity 4:17 5:17 C. Walk in harmony 5:18 6:9 1. Husbands and wives 5: Parents and children 6: Masters and servants 6:5 9 D. Walk in victory 6:10 24

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5 1. Not Walking Like The Gentiles Ephesians 4 17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, NKJV

6 God s prohibitions for the new man are the negatives of His Word. We have had too much on the power of positive thinking today. We need a little of the power of negative thinking. Have you ever thought that in the Garden of Eden the primary command was a negative command? But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Gen. 2:17).

7 Then you come to the Ten Commandments. They are very negative but also very good. Now here in Ephesians we see some negative thinking, some prohibitions for the child of God. We are not to walk as other Gentiles walk. This is the negative side. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (Ephesians) (electronic ed., Vol. 47, pp ). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

8 1. In The Futility Of Their mind

9 Question: What is our biggest problem: ignorance or apathy? Answer: I don t know and I don t care!

10 2. 18 having their understanding darkened,

11 3. 18 being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

12 4. 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

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14 Romans 1 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

15 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

16 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. NKJV

17 This vicious cycle leads to a desire to go even deeper into sin. If you paint the town red tonight, you have to have a bigger bucket and a bigger brush for tomorrow night. The meaning here is to covet the very depths of immorality. Men in sin are never satisfied with sin. They become abandoned to sin.

18 This is what it means in chapter 1 of Romans that God gave them up to all uncleanness through their own lusts. You can reach the place, my friend, where you are an abandoned sinner. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (Ephesians) (electronic ed., Vol. 47, p. 127). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

19 WASHINGTON Americans United for Separation of Church and State announced Monday the launch of an "aggressive" initiative to combat any state or federal legislation, or court ruling seeking to protect religious objectors of same-sex marriage from government consequence for living according to their religious convictions.

20 The organization, which advocates a strict separation view of the religious freedom clauses of the First Amendment, has started the "Protect Thy Neighbor" project, which will monitor and battle all state and federal legislation and court challenges that pertain to giving individuals, business and religious institutions the right not to serve or participate in same-sex weddings on the basis that it would violate their religious beliefs.

21 In the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling on June 26 that it is unconstitutional for states to refuse issuing same-sex couples marriage licenses, the organization expects Christian conservatives to respond by introducing a plethora of bills, executive orders, regulatory and policy changes that are "designed to resist the Supreme Court's ruling."

22 "Those of us who value true equality, separation of church and state, equal treatment and government policies free of sectarian bias do not intend to be passive. We are going on the offensive," Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United, said at a press conference at the National Press Club. "We will identify dangerous legislation at the state and federal levels and work to stop it.

23 If those policies pass anyway, we will challenge them in court. "We will work to put a stop to reckless definitions of 'religious freedom' There is concern among the Christian academic community that Christian universities and Christian schools could lose their tax-exempt statuses if they don't change their policies to allow married same-sex couples to live in married housing. christianpost.com

24 Justice Jeannette Knoll led the charge, with a blistering criticism of "five lawyers" playing the "super-legislators" who imposed their "will over the solemn expression of the people." "Unilaterally," she wrote, "these five lawyers took for themselves a question the Constitution expressly leaves to the people and about which the people have been in open debate -- the true democratic process."

25 Calling it a "mockery of rights" and an "utter travesty," Knoll warns of the "horrific impact these five lawyers have made on the democratic rights of the American people to define marriage.". "Simply stated," Knoll vented, "it is a legal fiction imposed upon the entirety of this nation because these five people think it should be."

26 Her colleague, Justice Jefferson Hughes took it a step further and said that his bench should flat-out defy the Supreme Court. "Judges instruct jurors every week not to surrender their honest convictions merely to reach agreement. I cannot do so now... [Marriage's] definition cannot be changed by legalisms." In Ohio, Toledo Municipal judges take turns on "civil ceremony duty," a job that took on new meaning exactly two weeks ago today.

27 When Judge Allen McConnell went on his three-week matrimonial rotation, he came faceto-face with the consequences of the Supreme Court's decision: a same-sex "marriage" request. He apologized but said that his personal beliefs prevented him from officiating. After a brief delay, the court found another judge to marry the couple. Despite that very minor inconvenience, the Left is demanding McConnell's impeachment...

28 Judge McConnell is now being told his solemn oath on God's Word was meaningless. Religious liberty is the very foundation of our country. It's America's "first freedom" because our Founders knew that loyalty to God goes before loyalty to the state. If we lose religious liberty, we've lost America. Family Research Council: 801 G Street N.W. Washington, D.C

29 Matthew 7 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

30 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. NKJV

31 2. Learn Christ 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: NKJV

32 "So, if you want to know the Lord Jesus Christ, you must live with him. First he must himself speak to you, and afterwards you must abide in him. He must be the choice Companion of your morning hours, he must be with you throughout the day, and with him you must also close the night; and as often as you may wake during the night, you must say, 'When I awake, I am still with thee.' " C.H. Spurgeon

33 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, NKJV

34 John 11 3 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth! 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, Loose him, and let him go. NKJV

35 3. Be Renewed! 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, NKJV

36 Romans 12 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed(metamorphoō) by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. NKJV

37 John Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. NKJV

38 Proverbs 23 7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. NKJV

39 This renewal is the work of the Holy Spirit; how, then, can it be the subject of an exhortation to us? In this sense, that we are to prize, long for, encourage, watch, this work of the Holy Spirit, feeling it to be most vital and essential, not to be neglected without awful sin and danger.

40 Usually the Holy Spirit works in us by stirring up our spirit to desire and endeavour after holiness; to resist these strivings of the Spirit, or even to be indifferent to them, is a deadly and most dangerous sin. Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). Ephesians (p. 152). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.

41 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. NKJV

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