Fruitful Living
Being a Channel of Truth and Holiness (Part III)
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” – Ephesians 4:22-25 (NIV)
We bring you this week the concluding part on “Being a Channel of Truth and Holiness”, which we started two weeks ago and ended with Walking in Truth and Holiness. We began with lessons from chapter 4 of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
We are happy to reproduce that content so that we can seamlessly conclude the rest of the article. As you read and share it with others, may the Lord grant all of us the grace to be channels of truth and holiness.
Walking in Truth and Holiness
Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians speaks extensively about walking in truth and holiness. By focusing on his words, we can grasp the sheer privilege of being God’s channel for truth and holiness. This is particularly found in Ephesians 4:17-32, which we will explore verse by verse.
Introduction
- In Ephesians 4:1, Paul begins to describe our duty to “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.”
- In doing so, he first called us to walk together in unity by admonishing us to:
- Display the “attitude” crucial for maintaining unity (Ephesians 4:2-3).
- Understand the “basis” of the unity we have in Christ (Ephesians 4:4-6).
- Utilize the “gifts” given by Christ to His church to keep the body of Christ together and growing (Ephesians 4:7-16).
- In the last half of chapter four (Ephesians 4:17-32), Paul continues to describe the sort of “walk” that is worthy of our calling, especially as “a holy temple in the Lord.”
- Whereas the first half emphasized Walking Together in Unity,
- This section emphasizes Walking in Truth and Holiness.
I. The Admonition – Ephesians 4:17-24
A. No longer walk like the rest of the Gentiles (Ephesians 4:17-19)
- They walk “in the futility of their mind.” How so?
- It starts with the hardening of their heart.
- This leads to the ignorance that is in them.
- Because of such ignorance, they are alienated from the life of God.
- As a result, they have their understanding darkened.
Notice that Jesus describes this same process in Matthew 13:14-15.
- Their walk is past feeling, as indicated by the fact that they:
- “Have given themselves over to licentiousness” (i.e., unbridled lust and excess).
- “Work all uncleanness with greediness.”
Desensitized, they seek ever-increasing forms of moral depravity.
- By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee,
the author
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Saying no to sin becomes easier when love leads the way
Though each of us faces temptations periodically, saying no to sin should not always be a long internal debate. Saying no becomes easier when we remember that saying yes hurts someone whose love we cannot live without.
Love is a powerful motivator. When you deeply love someone, you do not want to disappoint them or break their trust. In the same way, when we truly understand God’s love for us, obedience becomes a response of love, not merely a religious duty.
Jesus did not die for us because we were perfect. He died for us while we were still sinners. His sacrifice at Calvary was the ultimate demonstration of personal, sacrificial, and unconditional love. Every drop of blood, every wound, and every moment of suffering was endured so that we could be forgiven, restored, and given eternal life.
When we keep the cross before our eyes, sin begins to lose its attractiveness. How can we casually embrace what nailed our Saviour to the cross? How can we take lightly what cost Him everything? This realisation does not produce fear—it produces devotion.
Living with eternal accountability
Romans 14:7–12 reminds us that we do not live to ourselves and we do not die to ourselves. Each of us belongs to God, and each of us will give an account of our lives before Him. This truth is not meant to terrify us, but to sober us.
Our choices matter. Our words matter. Our actions matter. Not because we are trying to earn salvation, but because our lives are meant to reflect the One who saved us. Christianity is not a casual commitment; it is a lifelong surrender.
Living with eternal accountability helps us make wiser decisions. It teaches us to think beyond the moment and consider eternity. It helps us resist temporary pleasures that can cause lasting damage to our spiritual lives and our witness.
Conclusion
No one is too wicked, too broken, too unlovable, or too far gone for Jesus to love. His grace reaches deeper than our failures, and His mercy is greater than our mistakes. The way to life is always open, and the invitation of grace still stands.
Walking in the way of life does not mean we will never stumble, but it does mean we will never walk alone. Christ walks with us, strengthens us, forgives us, and leads us forward. And as we keep our eyes on the cross, may our hearts remain anchored in the love that saved us and continues to transform us.
By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Responsibility extends beyond our homes to our environment and communities.
Allah says: “It is He who has made you successors upon the earth.” (Qur’an 6:165)
As khalīfah (stewards), we are entrusted to protect and preserve the earth. Unfortunately, activities like illegal mining (galamsey), poor sanitation, and deforestation have become threats to our land and water bodies.
Dr Julian Agyeman and Bob Evans (2004) in Just Sustainability argue that environmental justice is deeply tied to social equity we cannot claim moral uprightness while destroying the environment that sustains others.
Every responsible man must see the environment as an amānah (trust). Picking up litter, planting trees, conserving water, and speaking against galamsey are all acts of faith. As the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“If a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person, or an animal eats from it, it is regarded as a charitable gift.” (Bukhari, Hadith 2320)
True responsibility therefore includes ecological consciousness for to destroy the environmentis to destroy the future we claim to build.
5.1 Environmental stewardship under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana
The 1992 Constitution of Ghana establishes environmental stewardship not merely as a governmental obligation but as a moral and civic duty of all citizens. It integrates environmental protection into the nation’s vision for sustainable development, justice, and intergenerational equity. Three key articles Article 36 (9), Article 41(k), and Article 269 outline this framework of responsibility.
1. Article 36 (9): Directive principles of state policy
“The State shall take appropriate measures needed to protect and safeguard the national environment for posterity; and shall seek cooperation with other states and bodies for the purpose of protecting the wider international environment for mankind.”
This article establishes that environmental protection is both a national and global responsibility.
It commits Ghana to sustainable use of natural resources including land, forests, water, and minerals for the benefit of future generations.
In essence, it means that every Ghanaian must act with intergenerational consciousness, ensuring that today’s development does not destroy tomorrow’s heritage. This principle directly condemns harmful practices such as illegal mining (galamsey), deforestation, and pollution.
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai
