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OCTOBER 4
6 O mountains, that you skipped like are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For
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rams? this you know, that no fornicator, unclean per-
O little hills, like lambs? son, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has
any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and
Tremble, O earth, at the presence God. Let no one deceive you with empty
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of the Lord,
At the presence of the God of Jacob, words, for because of these things the wrath
Who turned the rock into a pool of 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.
8 of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
water, 8 For you were once darkness, but now you
The flint into a fountain of waters.
are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness,
Proverbs 26:22
righteousness, and truth), finding out what is
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22 The words of a talebearer are like tasty acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellow-
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trifles, ship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but
And they go down into the inmost body. rather expose them. For it is shameful even to
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speak of those things which are done by them
Ephesians 5:1–16
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in secret. But all things that are exposed are
Therefore be imitators of God as dear chil- made manifest by the light, for whatever
5 dren. And walk in love, as Christ also has makes manifest is light. Therefore He says:
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2
loved us and given Himself for us, an offering
and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling “Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
aroma.
3 And Christ will give you light.”
But fornication and all uncleanness or cov-
etousness, let it not even be named among 15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not
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you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, be-
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nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which cause the days are evil.
DAY 3:What should the standard be for a Christian’s life?
“Be imitators of God,” says Paul in Ephesians 5:1. The Christian has no greater calling or pur-
pose than that of imitating his Lord.That is the very purpose of sanctification, growing in likeness
to the Lord while serving Him on earth (Matt.5:48).The Christian life is designed to reproduce god-
liness as modeled by the Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, in whose image believers have been recre-
ated through the new birth (Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18; 1 Pet. 1:14–16). As God’s dear children, believers
are to become more and more like their heavenly Father (Matt. 5:48; 1 Pet. 1:15,16).
“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us” (v. 2). The Lord is the
supreme example in His self-sacrificing love for lost sinners (4:32; Rom. 5:8–10). He took human sin
upon Himself and gave up His very life that men might be redeemed from their sin.They are hence-
forth to be imitators of His great love in the newness and power of the Holy Spirit, who enables
them to demonstrate divine love.“A sweet-smelling aroma.” Christ’s offering of Himself for fallen
man pleased and glorified His heavenly Father,because it demonstrated in the most complete and
perfect way God’s sovereign, perfect, unconditional, and divine kind of love.
In absolute contrast to God’s holiness and love,such sins as “fornication…covetousness”(v.3),by
which Satan seeks to drive God’s children as far away as possible from His image and will, are so god-
less that the world should never have reason even to suspect their presence in Christians.The 3 inap-
propriate sins of the tongue (v.4) include any speech that is obscene and degrading or foolish and dirty,
as well as suggestive and immoral wit.All such are destructive of holy living and godly testimony and
should be confessed,forsaken,and replaced by open expressions of thankfulness to God (Col.3:8).
OCTOBER 4 That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated you
from your God;
Isaiah 59:1–60:22
And your sins have hidden His face
59 Behold, the LORD’s hand is So that He will not hear.
from you,
not shortened,
That it cannot save; 3 For your hands are defiled with blood,
Nor His ear heavy, And your fingers with iniquity;

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