In the first three chapters of Ephesians, we read of the many works that God has performed on our behalf - all kinds of works. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing (1:3), chose us in Him that we should be holy and blameless (1:4), predestined us to be in His special family because He wanted to (1:5), redeemed us through His blood (1:7), forgiven us of our sins (1:7), made known to us His hidden plans (1:9), predestined us for an inheritance (1:11) - can you imagine what kind of inheritance comes from God?! - sealed us for His ownership (1:13), made us alive (2:1,4), raised us up (2:6), made us sit together in heaven (1:6), brought us near (2:13), gave us access to God (2:18), made us fellow citizens (2:19), building us together with other Christians for a place for God to dwell (2:22), and made us heirs (3:6). Ephesians chapters 1-3 can simply be called "God's work". What work has been done on our behalf! All of these things belong forever to those who are "in Him".
Now in Chapter 4, Paul brings all of this truth to bear on each one of us individually. Chapters 4-6 can simply be called "Our walk". We arrive at the first verse in chapter 4 - "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called." The word worthy means bringing up the other beam of the scales / equivalent / same weight. We can see it now in our mind's eye - one side of the scales holding a weight that is frankly so heavy that it is not measurable. A bulging, overflowing mass of beauty and perfection - the very work of God Himself living, dying, resurrecting and giving all things inexhaustibly to all who would receive Him - because He loves us! The other side . . . well . . . it is our walk. Our response to this gift of salvation. And, according to Paul, it is to have the same weight. Our walk is to balance the scale. It is to be of equal weight, power, effect, gravity, force, etc. So it is with astonishment when we read the first word to describe our walk that is to bring up the other beam of the scale. What is the flagship word to describe our walk?! Lowliness. A voluntary submission. Essentially, humility. And not just lowliness, but all lowliness. All kinds of lowliness. From this starting point - this one - Paul takes us step by step into the Christian's walk.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Friday, June 21, 2019
The Famous One
In Chapter 2, Paul tells us how bad things really were before we came to know Christ. We were dead - incapable of moving in God's direction - because we lived our days in the realm of sin. Our lives were a continuous display of missing the mark. Whether by much or by little, we deviated from what we knew to be the right way to live. Every one of us lived in this way - also known as the way of the world. We walked according to the subtle but powerful influence of man's thoughts, ideas, theories, philosophies etc that have no root in God. Satan himself is the origin of this worldly spirit that influences/controls men who are living apart from God. We did whatever the flesh and the thoughts wished to do. God's judgment was bearing down upon all of us. We were in shackles with no key to be found.
Now, God could not help but move in our direction. Verse 4 is breathtaking. God is very wealthy, specifically having an overabundance of mercy. A good definition of mercy is "kindness or goodwill towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them." (ie: Ps 146:5-9) We were certainly miserable and afflicted. It is God's very nature to move toward people like this and benefit them. This is an extreme comfort to us. He truly is a VERY present help in time of need. This is the heart of God. It is who He is. Paul points out that all of this mercy is born from God's agape love - the kind of love that blesses others while expecting nothing in return. It is when we were dead that we heard God knocking on our hearts! Dead!!!! This makes perfect sense. What mercy! He made us alive, raised us up and seated us with Christ in the heavenly places. What a blessing. All creation will pause . . . forever. We will look upon Him in wonder for all eternity. Whatever age comes. So much grace, so much mercy, so much kindness.
This is the context of 2:8,9 - those famous verses. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Salvation is a gift. Its source is not out of ourselves, nor is its source out of our works. It is by grace.
The Christian is now given the opportunity to walk in good works designed just for us by God Himself. Our walk is different now.
Now, God could not help but move in our direction. Verse 4 is breathtaking. God is very wealthy, specifically having an overabundance of mercy. A good definition of mercy is "kindness or goodwill towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them." (ie: Ps 146:5-9) We were certainly miserable and afflicted. It is God's very nature to move toward people like this and benefit them. This is an extreme comfort to us. He truly is a VERY present help in time of need. This is the heart of God. It is who He is. Paul points out that all of this mercy is born from God's agape love - the kind of love that blesses others while expecting nothing in return. It is when we were dead that we heard God knocking on our hearts! Dead!!!! This makes perfect sense. What mercy! He made us alive, raised us up and seated us with Christ in the heavenly places. What a blessing. All creation will pause . . . forever. We will look upon Him in wonder for all eternity. Whatever age comes. So much grace, so much mercy, so much kindness.
This is the context of 2:8,9 - those famous verses. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Salvation is a gift. Its source is not out of ourselves, nor is its source out of our works. It is by grace.
The Christian is now given the opportunity to walk in good works designed just for us by God Himself. Our walk is different now.
Monday, May 27, 2019
All Done
The substance of the letter starts at such a lofty height (1:3) that it is difficult to appreciate what it really means. God has "blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places." "Every" is certainly an all-encompassing word. One note here is that the action of blessing occurred in the past. It is in the aorist tense which means that the action or event is seen without regard to its duration. Moulton comments: "an event as a single whole, without regarding the time taken in its accomplishment." The action is seen as a completed event. Though it may take place over time, it is already a done deal in the divine mind. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. In God's mind, all of this has taken place already.
It is good for us to also see in this passage that these blessings all flow to those "in Christ". This cannot be overstated. Someone may read this passage and tire of the repetition. This cannot be for the seasoned Christian. Every time we read this short phrase, "in Christ" or "in Him", we are settled and strengthened in our walks. Those who are in Christ will be "holy and blameless before Him." They also become adult sons in God's family. They have redemption. They have forgiveness of sins. They know the mystery of His will. They have an inheritance. They were sealed by the Holy Spirit. These are the things that God wanted to give to those who believe. Notice how the choosing and predestining (1:4 and 1:5 and 1:11) are really not focusing on salvation at all. These are statements that focus on the blessings that flow to those "in Christ". Wuest comments: "the emphasis is on the choosing, not on the unchosen, and that the chosen of God were to attain the object stated." These facts are true of the "in-Christ-ians".
One of the beauties of this passage is that the action words here are ALL in the aorist tense. They are all done deals in the divine mind. So, all of these blessings are ours in full, right now. If they are completed actions in His mind, then they should be so in ours. We who are in Christ.
It is good for us to also see in this passage that these blessings all flow to those "in Christ". This cannot be overstated. Someone may read this passage and tire of the repetition. This cannot be for the seasoned Christian. Every time we read this short phrase, "in Christ" or "in Him", we are settled and strengthened in our walks. Those who are in Christ will be "holy and blameless before Him." They also become adult sons in God's family. They have redemption. They have forgiveness of sins. They know the mystery of His will. They have an inheritance. They were sealed by the Holy Spirit. These are the things that God wanted to give to those who believe. Notice how the choosing and predestining (1:4 and 1:5 and 1:11) are really not focusing on salvation at all. These are statements that focus on the blessings that flow to those "in Christ". Wuest comments: "the emphasis is on the choosing, not on the unchosen, and that the chosen of God were to attain the object stated." These facts are true of the "in-Christ-ians".
One of the beauties of this passage is that the action words here are ALL in the aorist tense. They are all done deals in the divine mind. So, all of these blessings are ours in full, right now. If they are completed actions in His mind, then they should be so in ours. We who are in Christ.
Sunday, May 12, 2019
Heaven on earth
We are starting in Ephesians in our home group. This is truly a heavenly book. Paul wrote this letter to the Ephesian church around AD60 while he was in prison. Paul had visited Ephesus several years earlier (Acts 18:19). That visit would mark the beginning of a deep and long relationship that Paul would have with the church. Much of Acts 19 and 20 focus on Ephesus. Timothy would also become the pastor of the church which in time gave us First and Second Timothy. John wrote about Ephesus also in Revelation 3, being the church that he likely died among. It would do us well to study this group of people. As is widely known, Ephesians is divided into two parts. Chapters 1-3 reveal God's heavenly work. Chapters 4-6 reveal our heavenly walk.
The letter introduces us to Paul "an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God." Apostle means 'one sent forth with orders.' Very important here to note 'with orders'. Further, the sending was by God's will. He wanted to send him. God had something to say. Can you imagine that? God had something to say to people! And, He has something to say to us. God wants us to know something. And it's a lot.
The letter was written to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus. This greeting alone would give us good footing to see that this letter was written directly to us who are "faithful in Christ Jesus."
The classic greeting from Paul ensues - "Grace to you and peace from God . . " Grace means unmerited favor, though her a better reading would be 'divine enablement'. Paul saw the people who make up His church as living their day to day lives - working, providing for their families, talking, fearing, hurting, eating, sleeping etc. All the hallmarks of the daily human experience. It is here, in this down to earth living, that this comment is made. You, you saint, right where you are in your day, be divinely enabled to walk through your moment with God's enablement - whatever enablement is needed. Hope, courage, power, patience, peace, love etc.
Furthermore, have peace in that moment - your moment. Peace means tranquility, having a heart that is exempt from the rage/havoc of war. A state of untroubled or undisturbed well-being. Right where you are. So, Paul wants the believers to have God's enablement to live their daily lives, every day, and to have God's peace govern their hearts as they live them.
You see, we walk in the world immersed among the earthly masses. God wrote this book to help us see that we are actually a heavenly outpost here on earth. Our life is heavenly - bearing the marks of heaven. Even, right where you are.
The letter introduces us to Paul "an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God." Apostle means 'one sent forth with orders.' Very important here to note 'with orders'. Further, the sending was by God's will. He wanted to send him. God had something to say. Can you imagine that? God had something to say to people! And, He has something to say to us. God wants us to know something. And it's a lot.
The letter was written to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus. This greeting alone would give us good footing to see that this letter was written directly to us who are "faithful in Christ Jesus."
The classic greeting from Paul ensues - "Grace to you and peace from God . . " Grace means unmerited favor, though her a better reading would be 'divine enablement'. Paul saw the people who make up His church as living their day to day lives - working, providing for their families, talking, fearing, hurting, eating, sleeping etc. All the hallmarks of the daily human experience. It is here, in this down to earth living, that this comment is made. You, you saint, right where you are in your day, be divinely enabled to walk through your moment with God's enablement - whatever enablement is needed. Hope, courage, power, patience, peace, love etc.
Furthermore, have peace in that moment - your moment. Peace means tranquility, having a heart that is exempt from the rage/havoc of war. A state of untroubled or undisturbed well-being. Right where you are. So, Paul wants the believers to have God's enablement to live their daily lives, every day, and to have God's peace govern their hearts as they live them.
You see, we walk in the world immersed among the earthly masses. God wrote this book to help us see that we are actually a heavenly outpost here on earth. Our life is heavenly - bearing the marks of heaven. Even, right where you are.
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