Ephesians 4

In this chapter of Ephesians, Paul is encouraging us to bond together as one body in Christ, to grow up together and live as children of the Light. He instructs us to throw off our old way of living and thinking and allow God to grow us into what He created us to be…THE CHURCH … THE BRIDE OF CHRIST. In order to be all that God has called us to be, we must stop acting like babies. Not sure if you’re acting like a spiritual baby?? Here are some sure fire signs. And trust me, before you get mad at me for stepping on your toes, know that I too am guilty of all of them at times.

It’s All About You

Babies are selfish. They don’t even have the ability to think about other people, let alone their Creator. This makes me think about what Bobby said recently in one of his sermons, “How many times this year, have you had a righteous anger about something in the Kingdom of God? Or are you only concerned with your own ”kingdom” you have set up … where it’s all about you; what you need, what you want, what you don’t get?”

Psalm 119:36 Make me want to follow your covenant laws instead of wanting to gain things only for myself.

Proverbs 18:1 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.

Romans 2:8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

Romans 15:1-2 We who have strong faith should help the weak with their problems. We should not please only ourselves. We should all please our neighbors. Let us do what is good for them. Let us build them up.

1 Peter 5:6 So don’t be proud. Put yourselves under God’s mighty hand. Then he will honor you at the right time.

You Argue With Other Believers

Satan wants us to forget that he and this world are our real enemy. He wants us to turn on each other and tear our house down from the inside out. He wants us to do his dirty work for him. We should not be bickering and quarreling with other believers. We should be building each other up in love.

Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all hard feelings, anger and rage. Stop all fighting and lying. Put away every form of hatred. 32 Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done.

Romans 14:19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Ephesians 4:29 Don’t let any evil talk come out of your mouths. Say only what will help to build others up and meet their needs. Then what you say will help those who listen.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

You Don’t Know Much About Scripture

God’s Word is power! So often as believers we are intimidated by our lack of knowledge or the fact that we are not good at memorizing scripture, so we avoid it all together. This is a tragic mistake. We must devote ourselves to digging into God’s Word and allowing it to transform us. We need not wait for others to spoon-feed it to us. Having a scheduled quiet time where we read God’s word for ourselves and connect with our Creator is essential to every believer’s spiritual growth. It doesn’t have to be fancy or formal. Just pray for God to reveal Himself to you and start reading. He will be faithful to do so.

Matthew 22:29 Jesus replied, "Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God.

Hebrews 4:2 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

Jeremiah 15:16 When I received your words, I ate them. They filled me with joy. My heart took delight in them. Lord God who rules over all, I belong to you.

You Are Never Satisfied

When is enough, enough? We always want just a little bit more don’t we? If I just had _________ THEN I would be happy. We need to learn to be content with what God has given us. We need to focus on being thankful for what we DO have instead of focusing on what we DON’T have.

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

1 Timothy 6:6-8 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

You Are Not Happy For Others, But Are Jealous of Their Success

A baby is only self-centered and cannot rejoice for others because he is only focused on what he wants and “deserves.” We struggle with being happy for other people because we’re busy comparing and being jealous. If we are TRULY one body in Christ, then we should be able to rejoice with those who are rejoicing and be happy for others when they succeed.

James 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

Ephesians 4:16 Under the control of Christ, each part of the body does its work. It supports the other parts. In that way, the body is joined and held together.

1 Corinthians 3:3 For you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

James 4:2-3 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Proverbs 14:30 A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.

You Have Trouble NOT Going Back to Your Old Ways

If you’ve ever had a baby, you know it’s almost impossible to keep them clean. As soon as they are cleaned up, they go and get themselves messy again. Are you like this? Do you walk a straight and clean path for Christ, or do you find yourself playing with sin? Are you tempted to slip back into the old you that has been corrupted by this world?

Ephesians 4:22-23 You were taught not to live the way you used to. You must get rid of your old way of life. That’s because it is polluted by longing for things that lead you down the wrong path. You were taught to be made new in your thinking. You were taught to start living a new life. It is created to be truly good and holy, just as God is the wrong path.

If you ever struggle with any of these child-like spiritual ways, (I know I do), confess your sin right now to God and ask Him to help you grow in Him and to live a life that is worthy of His name.

Jeanene Hill |Office Manager

Jeanene and her husband Lester moved to Hutto in 2005. They have three children: Jacob, Dylan & Adam. As a teenager, Jeanene accepted Christ and committed to seeking a life that honors Him. She has spent many years working in the pregnancy resource and childcare fields. Currently Jeanene works as the Office Manager and volunteers as the Children’s Ministry Director. Contact Jeanene Hill: [email protected]