Stale Air
Background: Paul wrote the book of Ephesians as a letter to the church of Ephesus giving them instructions on how to live out this Christian life.
Read Ephesians 4:17-5:2
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
5 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Big Idea: Offer the Lord a fresh offering.
This morning I walked downstairs in our home and the air just smelled stale. Have you ever experienced that? It’s not smelly… but it just smelled like there was no air flow, no movement, and made me want to open up a window to let in the fresh breeze. In many ways, our Christian life can become stale when we start going through the motions, begin conforming to the world, and stop hungering for God.
In Ephesians 5:1-2, Paul says to follow Jesus’ example who gave His life as a “fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” In Leviticus 2, we read about the priestly offerings presented to God that were to be made with the choicest of flour, sprinkled with the finest of herbs, made without yeast, and offered in fire on the altar as a “special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord” (v 9). The best they had was to be offered to God without yeast, which represented sin, as an offering of worship. In Romans 12:1, we read that, “in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
If today, you find yourself feeling a little stale or dry in your relationship with God, bring Him a fresh offering. I encourage you to pray this simple but transforming prayer, “Lord, I grant you access to all the rooms of my heart for You to change, transform, and do whatever You want to do. Blow the fresh wind of Your Spirit on all of me.” As we conform to the world instead of the Bible, we become stale and without fresh revelation. Repent today of compromise and offer Him your best presenting your life as a continued sweet aroma of sacrifice to the Lord.
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