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Ephesians 4:24 |
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"and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
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Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
Ephesians 4:2 with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love,
Ephesians 4:3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call,
Ephesians 4:6 one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:7 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.
Ephesians 4:8 Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men."
Ephesians 4:9 (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth?
Ephesians 4:10 He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Ephesians 4:11 And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
Ephesians 4:12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
Ephesians 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;
Ephesians 4:14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles.
Ephesians 4:15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
Ephesians 4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love.
Ephesians 4:17 Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds;
Ephesians 4:18 they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart;
Ephesians 4:19 they have become callous and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness.
Ephesians 4:21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus.
Ephesians 4:22 Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts,
Ephesians 4:24 and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Ephesians 4:26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
Ephesians 4:28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice,
Ephesians 4:32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
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This is how I want to live my life every day, with the nature of Christ shining through me. |
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A Word from The True Book Of Life~ |
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"How does one handle conflict in a marriage (or any relationship for that matter)?"
Answer: Because of the fallen nature of man, conflicts in relationships are a fact of life, even for believers in Christ. Loving communication doesn’t come naturally or easily to anyone. For unbelievers, remedy for conflicts is difficult because without Christ humans do not have the capacity for unselfish love (Ephesians 4:22-32). Christians, however, have the Bible for instructions in relationships. Applying biblical principles to relationships will enable us to handle conflict most effectively.
The first and most important principle in resolving conflict in relationships, especially in marriage, is to love one another as Christ has loved us (John 13:34) and gave Himself for us. Ephesians 5:21-30 describes relationships with families: we are to submit to one another in love and put the needs of others ahead of our own. This is especially true in marriage where the husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church and care for her as he cares for his own body. In turn, a wife is to submit to her husband and respect him (Ephesians 5:22, 30).
This would seem to be a fairly simple directive except for the natural tendency of humans to be reactive in relationships, rather than proactive. Wives are usually eager to submit to husbands who love them as Christ loved the church, and husbands are usually more than willing to love wives who respect and submit to them. Therein lies the problem. Each is waiting for the other to make the first move. But God’s commands for husbands and wives are not conditional. Submission is not contingent upon love, and love is not contingent upon respect. Taking the first step in obedience, regardless of the actions of the other, goes a long way to breaking down the conflict and establishing new patterns of behavior.
With that in mind, when conflict arises the first step is self-examination (2 Corinthians 13:5). After we have brought our concerns to the Lord and been honest with ourselves about our own failures or selfish desires, then we can approach others with our concerns. Furthermore, God designed believers to meet each other’s needs peacefully (Colossians 3:15). We all need grace for our own mistakes and we must have grace for others when communicating our needs and concerns (Colossians 4:6).
Communicating truth in love is the key to being heard because only when we communicate to others their value in our eyes will they be able to accept hard truths (Ephesians 4:15). People who feel attacked and criticized will only become defensive and at that point, communication inevitably breaks down. Conversely, people who feel we care about them and want good things for them will trust us to communicate with them in love and concern for their welfare. So speaking the truth in love is absolutely essential for conflict resolution. This is particularly true in marriage, where continuous close contact with a spouse who has disappointed us often brings out the worst in us. Hurt feelings produce harsh words which, in turn, produce more hurt feelings. Practicing the discipline of thinking carefully and praying before we speak can break this vicious cycle. Godly communication can be put in simple terms by remembering to treat others the way we want to be treated (Luke 6:31). God said blessed are the peacemakers and that is always the goal for Christians (Matthew 5:9).
There are many aspects to relationships, conflict, and communication, and the Bible is full of wisdom for godly living. Here are specific scriptural commands of how we ought to treat one another:
To solve marriage conflict, we must:
Be at peace with one another - Mark 9:50
Love one another - John 13:34; Romans 12:10; 1 Peter 4:8; 1 John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11, 12
Build up one another - Romans 14:19; Ephesians 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Be of the same mind toward one another - Romans 12:16
Give preference to one another - Romans 12:10
Greet one another - Romans 16:16
Esteem others as better than yourself - Philippians 2:3
Serve one another - Galatians 5:13
Receive one another - Romans 15:7
Be devoted to one another - Romans 12:10
Rejoice or weep with one another - Romans 12:15
Admonish one another - Romans 15:14; Colossians 3:16
Care for one another - 1 Corinthians 12:25
Show tolerance toward one another - Romans 15:1-5; Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13
Be kind and forgiving to one another - Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13
Submit to one another - Romans 12:10; Ephesians 5:21; 1 Peter 5:5
Comfort one another - 1 Thessalonians 4:18
Encourage one another - 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13
Be compassionate with one another - 1 Peter 3:8
Pray for one another - James 5:16
Confess your faults to one another - James 5:16
Accept one another - Romans 14:1; 15:7
To solve marriage conflict, we must not:
Be proud against each other - 1 Corinthians 4:6
Judge one another - Romans 12:16
Lie to one another - Colossians 3:9
Be partial with one another - 1 Timothy 5:21
Provoke or envy one another - Galatians 5:26
Lust after one another - Romans 1:27
Hate one another - Titus 3:3
Take one another to court - 1 Corinthians 6:1-7
Use each other - Galatians 5:15 |
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