December 17

Ephesians 1-6
What a wonderful letter, written to promote unity!  From beginning to end, Paul is making it clear that unity is of the utmost importance to God.  He gives practical instruction on how this can be accomplished, both in our regular families and in the family of believers.  There is instruction on how we can overcome the evil that is always present, ready to destroy our happiness and unity.  In chapter four, verses 31 & 32, he writes: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”  If this simple instruction were to be followed, families would be closer, and the church would not be so divided.  Key to this is forgiveness.  We are all fallible humans, making one mistake after another.  If God did not choose to forgive us, we would be eternally lost.  However, when it comes to our forgiving each other, it is often quite a different story.  We hold on to bitterness and malice, even when we speak words of forgiveness.  The old adage, “actions speak louder than words” applies.  Our words of forgiveness are hollow without our acts of kindness and compassion.  Jesus not only spoke words of forgiveness, He backs those words up with continued blessings.