"But that isn't what you were taught about Jesus Christ. He is the truth, and you heard about Him and learned about Him.You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please Him and be truly holy. We are part of the same body. Stop lying and start telling each other the truth. Don't get so angry that you sin. Don't go to bed angry and don't give the devil a chance. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Be honest and work hard, so you will have something to give to people in need. Stop all your dirty talk. Say the right thing at the right time and help others by what you say. Don't make God's Spirit sad. The Spirit makes you sure that someday you will be free from your sins. Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don't yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ. "
People need inner transformation because their hearts are “deceitful above all things, and desperately sick”.Christians sometimes distinguish between knowledge of head and of heart, but the Bible shows that they should love and serve the Lord with all that is in them, including their minds, at all times. The “renewal” or “transformation” of the mind (Rom. 12:2) is a process in which believers begin to think in new and right ways as they meditate on the truths of God's Word.
Paul gives practical examples of how church members build up Christ's body.Paul will show how Christians are to put into practice the truths explored in
Be angry.Not all anger is sin, but the believer should not be consumed by anger, nor should one's anger even be carried over into the next day, as this will only give an opportunity to the devil.
Paul uses the thief to illustrate how repentance impacts one's lifestyle. Repentance involves both stopping (negative) and starting (positive).
Bitterness.Bitterness and resentment are thus incompatible with Christian character and must be put away. People often are very careless with their speech (“slander”), even though the tongue can ignite a forest fire of harm to others.
Being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving flows from constantly remembering that God first forgave us and that we need his forgiveness daily, as the Lord's Prayer reminds us: “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”.
Being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving flows from constantly remembering that God first forgave us and that we need his forgiveness daily, as the Lord's Prayer reminds us: “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”.
God bless everyone!
Source:ESV Study Bible
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