Be Ye Followers of God

Be ye, therefore, followers of God as dear children.

Ephesians 5:1

Are you a follower of God? Have you put off your former conversations and put on the new man? If you are speaking with deceit and are greedy for what you don’t have, it is time to take another look in the mirror at the life you are living. Are you bitter, angry, and saying negative things about everything in your environment? Most conversations I hear today are about what is wrong in the world. It is harder to know these days what the real truth is that is being broadcast on social media networks. Let me remind you that propaganda has taken hold in recent years, and some truth is being withheld. This has been a proven fact in the advertising world. We should think twice about all the advertising we see regularly and remember that they use propaganda to play on people’s emotional state in persuading them to buy specific products. Deliberate omission of certain facts about anything can later destroy what one accepts to be the truth, for it is deceitful.

Deceitfulness and lying are the biggest offenders in the body of Christ, for they can create dissensions and strife. Dissensions and strife do not deliver souls; rather, they bring bondage and separation from God.

“A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.” Proverbs 14:25

A follower of God should bring the good news of the Gospel of Christ and deliver souls. In Chapter 5 of Ephesians, the apostle Paul explains that the believer’s walk is to be in love, giving thanks, and having the fruit of the Spirit rather than having unfruitful works of darkness [see Ephesians 5:9-11]. Christians are not to be partakers of any form of darkness since they are now the light in the Lord and therefore should walk as children of light bearing the fruit of the Spirit. [Ephesians 5:7-8]. All things are to be reprove through the light of His glory. The apostle Paul states clearly that no fornicator, covetous man hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God [see Ephesians 5:5]. In fact, we are warned about not letting man deceive us with vain words. Anything unclean, such as these actions, will bring the wrath of God because of disobedience. We should be careful who we follow if human actions such as lying, deceit, filthy talking, crude joking, and racist comments are flowing out of their mouths. This is not flattering to a person who is a follower of God.

Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins; keep thyself pure. 1 Timothy 5:22

Even Elders are to be careful to not be a partaker of another man’s sins.  We are to remember not to take part in sin.  We are to reprove them as is stated in verse 11 of Ephesians chapter 5. Reproving a person in the love of Christ is gently speaking to them about the way they are acting and speaking. The Christian’s walk is a reflection of Christ. Therefore, the old man or former life is put away through repentance, and the new man in Christ is put on through the love of Christ. This is the renewal in knowledge after the image of Christ. We have the help of the Holy Spirit to change us and to know the love of Christ. We should be filled with all the fullness of God and not of anything else that is unclean. We are to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man, [see Ephesians 3:16].

We followed the course of this world, living in sin. We were ignorant, sitting in darkness until the light came and revealed the love of God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” Ephesians 2:2

We all followed after the desires of the flesh towards self-gratification rather than following love, which is only in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. We have been reconciled to God through the cross of Christ and have been given the status of fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God [see Ephesians 2:19]. We are not to abuse the status that was given to us. Our foundation is built upon Jesus Christ, who is the chief cornerstone [see Ephesians 2:20]. Because of that status, we are to grow into a holy temple in the Lord. Listen to what Paul said in verse 22 of Ephesians chapter 2, “in whom ye also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.” This habitation is our body being filled with the Holy Spirit with the love of Christ. This is so we can walk in Christ bearing the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, and peace.  In other words, as followers of God, we should be walking daily in His love, speaking truth to each other, edifying one another, and not speaking evil, deceit, or anything else that is unclean. We are not to return to our old ways of filthy communications because this is not of the Spirit of Christ.

There is a distinction between what is godly and what is evil. As Christians, we should notice the difference between good and evil. We should understand that bitterness, anger, and evil speaking are not from the Spirit of Christ, but of the spirit of the children of disobedience. We should remember that bitterness, anger, and evil speaking will grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Do not think that God’s Spirit can reside in anyone unclean. We are to submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, and he will flee from you [see James 4:7]. Resist the devil in the name of Jesus, and he will flee. You do not have to yield yourself to evil, for you are now children of the light and not of darkness. Remember your standing in Christ. Remember what Paul told the Corinthians, “To not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.”  Paul questioned what fellowship light has with darkness [see 2 Corinthians 6:14]? That is why, as Christians, we are to be separate from what is unclean. How is God to be our God if we are unclean? We can only be followers of God when we are clean from all unclean things, so keep yourself pure and be ye followers of God.