![]() ![]() When a wife became a Christian, her entire life, outlook, and value system changed. Husbands often treated their wives little better than they did their slaves. “For the most part, women were also looked down on as inferior beings. Consequently, one of the greatest problems of the early church was in getting Christian slave owners and Christian slaves to treat each other as spiritual equals. Many slaves looked on their masters with contempt and resentment. ![]() Those who were free looked down on slaves as being inferior, slightly above animals. In New Testament times one of the greatest barriers was between slaves and freemen, especially between slaves and their owners. “It is a part of sinful human nature to build barriers that shut out other people. The Things that Divide Us (Ephesians 2:11-12) Hopefully, I am someone who is helping you make progress on the path of discipleship as I show you where I have traveled and help you make better sense of the instructions God has provided in the Bible. God has not only given us Himself, Scripture, and the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us on our journey, but also provides us with fellow human travelers to encourage us and aid us on our way. But we don’t have to start all over.Īnd the best part about the path of discipleship is that we don’t have to travel it alone. However, if we disobey, ignore, or even misunderstand the instructions, then we will stop making progress, and might actually go backwards a bit. If we follow these instructions, then we make progress. Yes, God wants all believers to become disciples and to make progress on the path of discipleship, and so God has provided in Scripture numerous instructions and directions for how to proceed as a follower of Jesus. This is the way it also works with discipleship. Or maybe I would just be driving around in circles for a while, lost and confused.īut if I followed the map and the directions for getting from New York to Oregon, then I would eventually arrive at my destination. I would just be stuck wherever I was.Īt the same time, if I mistakenly or intentionally made a wrong turn, then I might actually be going backwards and headed back to New York, thereby, negating any progress I had made so far. But I also wouldn’t necessarily have to start over in New York. I would no longer be making any progress on the road to Oregon. When I moved from New York to Oregon, I drove on numerous roads and highways to get here. I used to live in New York, but I now live in Oregon. You often hear pastors and Bible teachers talk about “the path of discipleship.” Thinking of discipleship as a path or a road is a helpful analogy. Are you saying that if someone fails at discipleship, they have to become a disciple again? Or are you saying that God will simply try and make all believers productive in one way or the other? Now I’m 48 and my faith in God has returned … Your article says that if someone tries to be a disciple and fails then God will teach them, call them etc., so they can become a productive member of God’s family. Recently I have started reading the Bible again after not reading it systematically for a long time-I tried being a disciple when I was about 18, I went to church for a few years, then I lost faith in God and quit. I have read over your page on the difference between a believer and a disciple more than once. ![]() All of this is covered in this study of Ephesians 2:11-12.īefore we look at that, however, we consider a question from a reader about the difference between a believer and a disciple. As we learn how Paul wanted the Ephesian Christians to respond to these sources of division, we can learn to live at peace with others today as well. These same six things are found in various ways today in our culture and country. Paul discusses these in Ephesians 2:11-12. There were six things that caused division and strife between Jews and Gentiles. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |