Eph 4 | Mont | STEP | I summon you then, I the prisoner in the Lord, to live lives worthy of the calling to which you were called.

‏ Ephesians 4

1 I summon you then, I the prisoner in the Lord, to live lives worthy of the calling to which you were called.

2 With all humility and gentleness and long-suffering forbear with one another in love; 3 and endeavor to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace. 4 There is one body and one spirit, even as also you were called in one hope of your calling. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all. 7 And to each one of us was grace given according to the measure of the munificence of Christ. 8 Thus it is said, When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men. 9 Now surely this "he ascended" implies that he also descended into the lower part of the earth. 10 He who descended is he who ascended above the highest heaven, that he might fill the universe. 11 It is he who made some men apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 in order to equip the saints for the work of serving, for the building up of the Body of Christ - 13 till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to the maturity of manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. 14 So we shall no longer be children, tossed up and down, and blown about by every wind of teaching, tricked by the craft of men in the snares of misleading error; 15 but holding the truth in love we shall grow up in every part into him who is our Head, even Christ. 16 From him the whole body (knit together and compacted by all its joints) makes continual growth of the body so as to build itself up in love, through the energy of his bounteous provision, according to the need of each several part.

17 This then I tell you and implore you in the Master’s name, to pass your lives no longer as the Gentiles do in the perverseness of their minds; 18 having their understanding darkened, alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts. 19 These being past feeling have given themselves over to sensuality, in order to practise every form of impurity with greedy zest. 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have listened to him, and in him been taught the truth as it is in Jesus. 22 You have learned to lay aside, with your former manner of living, the old self who was on his way to ruin, as he followed the desires which deceive; 23 and to be made new in the spirit of your mind, 24 and to put on the new self, created after God’s likeness, in the uprightness and holiness of the truth. 25 So then put away falseness and speak every man the truth to his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 "Be angry and sin not"; let not the sun go down upon your anger. 27 Give the devil no place. 28 Let him who stole steal no more, but let him work, and in honest industry toil with his hands, so that he may have something to give to the needy. 29 From your lips let no evil words come forth, but such as occasion warrants, such as are good for upbuilding and give a blessing to the hearers. 30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you have been sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Banish from among you all bitterness and passion and anger and clamor and slander, as well as all malice; 32 and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven you.