New Posting Idea

Okay. I have been posting kind of often lately, but I am going to be doing something different for the next few weeks before school starts. Every day(beginning today), I am going to post a verse that has stuck out to me that day and what that verse means to me. The purpose in doing this is to point those of you who are reading my blog to my GREAT and AMAZING God and His Word. I hope this will be an encouragement to all of you! I love you and I am praying for you! If there is ever anything you would like me to pray for specifically, feel free to let me know, and I will definitely join with you in prayer.

Today's verse is actually two verses.

Ephesians 5:1-2 - "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

This verse means a lot to me because as I have been studying through Ephesians lately, there have been a lot of things that have hit me really hard. Some of them things I need to change, and some of them things I need to continue. They have been a challenge to me nonetheless. In Ephesians chapter 4 verse...I believe 21...Paul gives the Ephesian believers the first half of a conditional statement: (in my own words) "if you have been taught the right things from Christ," Then Paul goes on in the rest of chapter 4 to list the things that these believers have been taught. But he doesn't give the second half of the conditional statement. Then we get to chapter 5. Paul begins chapter five with the two verses I posted above. This, I believe, is the second half of the conditional statement. So, basically, Paul is telling them: (again, paraphrasing in my own words) "if you have been taught the right things from Christ, then follow Him by doing them!" Then I got to thinking about that word "if." Paul does not use this word "if" in the way we would use it in modern days. The meaning of this word "if" is "since." So, again paraphrasing, "SINCE you HAVE learned the right things from Christ, follow Him by doing them and loving others!" There is no room for excuses, and there is no way out of this. We cannot use the excuse that we have not been taught. That is not legitimate. I used to use that excuse in school "I didn't know I had to do that for homework, teacher." In this context, there is no "if" you have heard it. Paul says that you HAVE heard it and been taught. The issue now is are you going to obey it? That is my challenge to you today. Obey the truth you have been given in God's Word, and when God reveals something to you, don't excuse yourself from doing it by saying you didn't know: You HAVE been taught, and you DO know! Have a great day in the Lord's house worshiping Him tomorrow!

~ Stephanie ~

   *Phil. 3:13-14*