Day 325: Saving Thieves

Ephesians 4:17-32; Ezekiel 12-13; Isaiah 43

Paul orders followers of Christ to stop living like the godless. There has to be change. There has to be a difference. When Jesus is our Lord, our lives should contrast sharply with how we used to live and how non-Christians live. He gives some specifics later on in the chapter--don't get so angry, stop dirty talk, quit being rude--but Paul emphasizes that the Holy Spirit will help to change us. God's Spirit will help to transform our minds and ultimately our lives if we let it.

There's also a little verse in here that is kind of interesting: "If you are a thief, quit stealing." Why does that strike me as so profound? Because it implies that a thief, a criminal, can become a follower of Christ and be changed. Sometimes we like to put certain people (sometimes ourselves) up on a pedestal and look down on the "scum" of society. But here, Paul reveals that a thief can be saved and can change their ways. That person is also a brother or sister in Christ.

God is so mad in Ezekiel about false prophets and women who wear magic charms. He says these false prophets claim to speak in the name of God, but are completely wrong. They preach what people want to hear, not the truth. The women with the charms claim to be able to tell the future, but they are only doing it to get stuff and have control. God is so mad, but he promises to free the people that these women have trapped. God isn't a fan of those who come in his name but create their own message to manipulate.

Very cool passage in Isaiah: "My people, you are my witnesses and my chosen servant. I want you to know me, to trust me, and understand that I alone am God. I have always been God; there can be no others. I alone am The Lord; only I can rescue you. I promised to save you, and I kept my promise. You are my witnesses that no other god did this. I, The Lord, have spoken. I am God now and forever. No one can snatch you from me or stand in my way." Our God fights for us. He protects us. He wants a close relationship and for our worship to be for only him. He deserves it.