Daily Bread 5-11-18
Ephesians 4:17,18
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind,
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
ref. - Eph 2:12 - That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Gal 4:8 - Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service to them which by nature are no gods.
At the time of salvation it is time for change. Not the we must alter the way we look or the way we dress, but that we must allow the Lord to change us on the inside. After salvation it is the time that God starts communicating with us internally, in our souls. Each bit of information and understanding is absorbed like a sponge as we are amazed at the shear power and the Spiritual meaning of God's word and his will in our lives. We no longer have to imagine or manufacture things of God because he has put them in us. This is a great responsibility but it is also a great gift. When we submit to Christ or surrender all to him, our understanding from day to day will turn from a dark cloud to a sunshiny day. This is not because we are so smart or even that we are so eager to learn, it is because God has taken away the part that had our hearts blinded. We once were blind, but now we see!! We once stood in the darkness but now have seen the light!! We were once strangers, belonging to a tribe that was not included in the ways of God, but through redemption, forgiveness and adoption we are now grafted in and made Brothers and Sisters in a tribe that is named after Jesus Christ himself! We are now Christians!! All of the foolishness of the world that we used to serve now becomes secondary at best to the grace and mercy, no, the understanding that God has given us through Jesus Christ! We are no longer blind, we are no longer ignorant, and we are no longer strangers fo the covenants of promise! We are now the Sons and Daughters of God from the tribe called Christians!! For this we must lift our hands and worship him and rejoice!! For we are blessed!!! Have a great day!!!