Believers should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk

4.  Believers should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk

 Now that there is neither Jew or Greek, slave or free,  male or female; for we are all one in Christ Jesus, a Gentile now refers to one who does not know God; and therefore, believers are admonished saying;  “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, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Ephesians 4:17-19).

The admonition to every believer is that; “he/she no longer should live the rest of his/her time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles --- when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you .They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1Peter 4:2-5).

And so, believers have been admonished saying; “gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God (1Peter 1:13-21).

It is also incumbent on believers, not to imitate the ways of the Gentiles by worrying saying; “What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Mathew 6:31-34).

We truly have to gird up the loins of our mind and be steadfast in the faith because, the genuineness of our faith being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Our faith is what is presently on trial and without faith it is impossible to please God and our faith can either be in the wisdom of men or in the power of God, the choice is for each individual to make.

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With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph