- Always be humble and gentle
- Be patient with each other
- Make every effort to remain united in the Spirit, bound together in peace
- Spiritually mature, not blown about by every wind of new teaching
- Speak the truth in love
- Grow to be more and more like Christ
- Don't live like heathens/pagans, hopelessly confused, minds full of darkness
- Renew your thoughts and attitudes through the Spirit
- Put on a new nature, truly righteous and holy.
- Stop telling lies; tell each other the truth
- Don't let anger control you
- Quit stealing
- Use your hands for good, hard work to earn money
- Give generously to those in need
- Don't use foul or abusive language
- Speak what is helpful, good, encouraging
- Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, slander--and all types of evil behavior
- Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another
Continuing on, Paul adds:
- Imitate God
- Live a life filled with love
Not only is this list interesting because of what it asks us to do. It's also interesting because of what's not here. If you listen to many sermons on a weekend, preachers might be adding some other things in order to be ambassadors of Christ, such as evangelism and service. The list above could easily be summarized by David Watson using Wesley's 6 ordinances as a starting point--1) acts of [private] devotion, 2) acts of worship [public devotion], 3) acts of compassion, 4) acts of justice. In Paul's list, however, most of the compassion and justice has more to do with our speech than service. "Being mature" might be shortcut for the acts of devotion and worship.
I don't know about you. I think I will be very busy trying to be humble, gentle, mature in Christ. That's a great start to being an ambassador, don't you think?
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