Living With The Light On THE SWITCH

For These Reasons… God has blessed us with everything in Christ God has chosen us to be holy and blameless God has predestined us to be adopted as sons God has redeemed us and forgiven us God has shown us the mystery of His will God has marked and sealed us with His Spirit God has made us to demonstrate His glory

With These Resources… The Spirit of wisdom and revelation An increasing knowledge of Christ An increasing knowledge of the hope of the gospel, our riches in Christ, God’s riches in us An increasing knowledge of God’s power An increasing knowledge of God’s grace An increasing knowledge of our unity in Him An increasing knowledge of the love of God

Toward These Results … A life worthy of the calling we have received Discovery of the gifts Jesus gives to believers Use of one’s giftedness to serve others Use of others’ giftedness to grow in Christ Continual progress toward humility, gentleness, unity, maturity, and stability The body of Christ growing and building itself up in love as each part does its work

The Reverse You must no longer live as the Gentiles do –F–Futile thinking –D–Darkened understanding –I–Ignorance –H–Hard hearted toward God –I–Insensitive –G–Given over to sensuality and every kind of impurity with a continual lust for more You did not come to know Christ that way

Replacing the Robe Put off your old self, crumbling in corruption Put on your new self, created to be like God The dressing room is the mind The light bulb is the attitude of the mind The power is the truth as it is in Jesus Christ

What Are You Wearing? Falsehood – Speak truthfully with your neighbor Because we are members of the same body Anger – Don’t take anger into the dark Because it will give the devil a foothold Stealing – Do something useful with your hands Because it will enable you to share with others in need

What Are You Wearing? Unwholesome talk – Think about the effect of what you say You can grieve the Holy Spirit as well as your hearers Bitterness Rage and Anger Brawling and Slander Malice – Be kind and compassionate Forgive one another as in Christ God forgave you

The missing ingredient to many exhortations to follow the teachings of Jesus is the fact that we simply cannot. They are not a new law or rules to obey by grit, by gut, or by gumption. Instead, they are first and foremost a description of the character and nature of Jesus Christ. That said, only Jesus can fulfill them. Only he can live out what He taught. This brings us back to the issue of living by the indwelling Christ. Jesus said, “I can do nothing without my Father,” and then He turned around and said to His disciples, “Without me you can do nothing.”

Living With The Light On THE SWITCH For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. Ephesians 5:8