The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Ephesians 4:17-24, “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord,

that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,

18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because

of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;

19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality

for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

20 But you did not learn Christ in this way,

21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him,

just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life,

you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the

lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in

righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

This is a long passage, so I will say less than usual. Paul is drawing

a stark difference between evil and good. Salvation in Christ must

mean something different or it is of no value at all. We were sinners,

outside of Christ. Then we believed upon Him, and He saved us. Are

we now to return to what we were before salvation? Are we to

engage in those things in which the lost engage? Absolutely not!

We are to “lay aside the old self…be renewed in the spirit of (our)

minds, and put on the new self.” When the lost world sees the

difference in our lives and theirs, they will see what is missing in

them; and they will turn to Jesus, just as we have. May the LORD

help us all to be what He desires!

Love and Prayers always,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas