Eph. 4:1–Walk in a Manner Worthy

Ephesians 4:1–"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called..."

The key to this verse is "walk in a manner worthy of the calling."  There is a lifestyle specific to the Christian, a lifestyle of love and compassion with no end nor prejudice.  This is the only life worthy of the calling of Christ, worthy of what Christ did upon the cross.  If only we would strive harder to commit ourselves to live this way.

Only by the grace of God...

Ephesians–3:20-21–To Him Who Is Able To Do More!

Ephesians 3:20-21–"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  Amen."

Sometimes, a lot of the times, we don't know what to pray for.  We know we need to pray, we might even have some sense of what we need to pray for–but still, we are at a loss for words when it comes time to pray.  It is at these times, when we are at a loss, that we can turn to Scripture.  Scripture is rife full of prayers, benedictions, and doxologies that can be very valuable not only as examples for prayer but, and perhaps more so, as prayers we can ourselves pray.  Let us not forget this basic truth as we seek to worship God through prayer!

Ephesians 6:10-11–Be Strong in the Lord

Ephesians 6:10-11–"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil."

The enemy of souls, Satan, is prowling.  He desires to devour the souls of men and women, to drive us away from the Truth, and reckon us separated from God for all eternity.  This is no fictional horror-film story; this is the reality of life.  We should never take spiritual warfare lightly nor should we ever neglect that Satan is scheming against us, crafting clever snares to pull us away from Christ.  This is why it is so vital that we are strong in the Lord and wear His armor for our protection.  The next several verses in Ephesians define the armor of God but, for now, all that needs to be said is seek after God and rest in His strength, His might, His wisdom, and His guidance.  In this way, we will remain aware of the schemes of the devil and we will have the power, who is the Holy Spirit, to protect us.

Ephesians 6:12-13–We Do Not Wrestle Against Flesh & Blood

Ephesians 6:12-13–"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."

This is one of those basic truths of Christianity: that the battlefield in which we engage our battle is a spiritual one, and the war we wage is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil. At the very least, as we recognize the reality of our war we will finally be equipped for the fight. Additionally, we are already in this fight even if we do not believe it.

And if we do not believe it we will always wonder who or what is striking us much like the thought of a man entering a boxing match not even aware that he's already in the ring.  But I assure you that we are already in the ring and our opponents will do everything in their power to pull the veil over our eyes and keep us totally unaware of their presence.  But our enemies are real just as this war is real too.

Therefore, it is of vital importance that we would take seriously this charge to fight the fight that is worth fighting and to always remember who our real enemies are.

Ephesians 5:4–No Foolish Talk

Ephesians 5:4–"Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving."

There is an entire sermon series here.  This verse comes to us as part of a sequence that is concerned with answering the question of how Christians are to live.  But the reason this verse stands out so much is not because it seems so obvious that Christians would protect their speech from vulgarity; rather, what makes this verse so profound is the phrase: 'which are out of place.'

In a world that is dominated with every form of vulgarity and filth, particularly when it comes to language, it is completely counter-cultural to promote a lifestyle like this, one that takes speech and communication so reverently, so seriously.  Yet this is precisely the intent behind this passage and those like it.  Christians are called to live differently.  At the very least, we must accept that this means how we talk and the content of our speech.

Ephesians 5:2–And...Walk in Love

Ephesians 5:2–"And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

This is, in many ways, one of the central tenets of the Christian lifestyle.  It would be a magnificent thing for Christians to take this exhortation as seriously as it is given.  But if we were being honest with ourselves, how many of us could agree that we actually do live and love like Christ?  Or even more severely, how many of us truly give ourselves up for those we love?

But this is precisely the sort of love that Paul is calling Christians to exhibit.  He is prescribing to us much more than a different perspective; he is putting forward another lifestyle, a distinctly Christian lifestyle.

This lifestyle can be reduced, as Paul so easily confers, is this:

Walk in love.

Ephesians 4:29–No Corrupting Talk

Ephesians 4:29–"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

This is, in some ways, a very accessible verse, while in other ways it possesses a certain difficulty. The ease of this verse is that some corrupting talk can seem simple to ascertain.  For instance, cussing and downcuts are easy to spot, while slander and glibness can be more difficult to spot.   But the truth is that the most corrupting talk is the kind that slithers without notice rather than the kind that bombards with words like hammerheads.

It is the talk that is divisive, the talk that is deceptive, and the talk that is covert that is most corrupting. This is what Paul is warning us against, that we would protect our speech from such speech as this.  It is by no means an easy thing to do, but it is our task nonetheless.  Let us strive to protect our speech so that we would love and bless all those around us.

Ephesians 2:18-19–No Longer Strangers Through His Spirit

Ephesians 2:18-19–"For in Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God."

In Christ, we who were far off from God due to the prevalent forces of sin working in our lives, have been brought near to God through the blood of Jesus.  In addition to this, though, our fellowship with God has brought us nearer to one another in Christ.  This is to say that in our becoming children of God by virtue of Jesus, we have become brothers and sisters with all those who have been borne of the blood of the Lamb too.  We should celebrate this truth and all its beauty for it is profound and transformational.  Amen!

Eph. 2:10–We Are His Workmanship

Ephesians 2:10: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Identity and purpose are two of the most significant journeys that humans embark upon in their lives.  And there is a veritable deluge of possibilities vying to be the source and vision that we would adhere to, that which might define our identity and our purpose.  But this verse, along with many other verses is a solid and sobering reminder that our identity is and will always be found in God and in God alone.  The precursor to this verse is the famous: "For by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not of your own doing so that no man may boast."  But this statement about workmanship speaks primarily into identity.

I want this to be clear and unequivocal: there is no source of identity and purpose to be found anywhere but in Christ.  Image bearing is our identity and our purpose.  We should not ever forget this simple but profound truth.  It is who we are and it is what who are to be.  Let us keep this before us.

Ephesians 5:1–imitators of God

Ephesians 5:1: "Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children."

To imitate God may seem like an altogether daunting if not impossible task, however, we are not left without guidance in this verse as to the prescribed method of imitation: as beloved children.  I think of a child holding mommy's hand through the grocery store, or the father carrying his son on his shoulders.

Emulating God as children begins with following Christ fully.  No way around this one: Jesus is who we imitate.  We will imitate Christ in character, sacrifice, and devotion.  In character we will imitate Him in love, mercy, compassion, patience, wisdom, and justice, etc.  In sacrifice we will earnestly strive to lay down our lives for the people around us.  And in devotion we will seek out the Father with sincere and fervent devotion.  This is what it means, at the very least, to imitate God as beloved children.

Ephesians 4:32–Be Kind and Compassionate

Ephesians 4:32: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Kindness and compassion of the like mentioned in this verse, the transacting of forgiveness, deserves a sufficient reminder and consideration for everyday Christian life.  The striking comment is not that this task is particularly challenging between people who possess a certain closeness and intimacy or at the very least a sense of likability between the two.  However, this task is another thing altogether when dealing with those whom we hold in animosity.

The real challenge to this command comes when we have to be kind to the unkind and compassionate to the wicked.  After all it is an easy thing to be forgive those whom we love and care for, but it is quite a different ordeal to forgive those whom we dislike or even despise.  The true measure of our forgiveness comes not, then, in forgiving our close loved ones but in forgiving our enemies, for this is what Christ has done in loving those who were by nature enemies of God.  Let us think of this when forgiveness seems out of the question when dealing with those 'harder' cases.

Ephesians 1:7-10: Everything According to His Plan

Ephesians 1:7-10: "In Him we have the redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will, according the His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unity all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth."

The above passage, while brimming with a density of theology, can be simply contracted into a single phrase: God has saved us in Christ Jesus because of His good pleasure and according to His divine plan.  To be sure, the solidity of this assertion has a heaviness that boggles both the mind and heart.  However, for today, I will simple say: "Amen!"

Ephesians and the Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil."

To be sure, this verse acts as a conclusion to Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus but, apart from a full-on interpretation of the entire book, a brief contextual note is a good place to start.  Ephesians is primarily about identity: who we are in Christ and what that means for the way we live our lives.  It is thus out of this identity that this passage comes to us.

Paul, carried by the Holy Spirit, is exhorting us to put on our armor and prepare for war.  And just as it is by and through are identity in Christ that this war is waged, it is also in Christ that we are armed and able to fend off the attacks of the enemy–and make no mistake, Satan will attack us.  But we are strong in Christ and we are made strong by faith in His power and His name.  Let us then put on the full armor of God by faith and prepare with diligence as soldiers for the battlefield.

Soldiers Who Don't Know That They're in a War

Imagine for a moment that one morning you awoke from your slumber far away from your bed.  As you open your groggy, sleep-filled eyes you look around to find yourself in the middle of a dark and shaded wood.  Although this is a wholly unfamiliar location you find yourself cal with an unatural sense of peace.  You start to survey the area further, peering around tree limbs and gazing over downed boughs, when suddenly you feel a sharp pain in your shoulder.  You reach across your body to feel the warm wetness, which you know to be blood, on your sleeve and you can feel the protruding arrow that has caused the wound. 

You see a man running toward you screaming and you strain to hear him as the wood becomes bombarded by the strikes of cannon balls and more arrows, where they are coming from you cannot say but you are sure that they are targeting you.  The man running toward you and yelling finally gets within a distance so that you can hear him.  He screams, "Soldier, where is your helmet, your weapon, your armor?!  Don't you know that you're on the battlefield in the middle of a war?!"

How ridiculous would it be for a military officer to not equip and train his/her soldiers before shipping them off to war.  Or consider the preposterousness of sitting in the middle of a battlefield without even recognizing that you were at war.  But, for some reason, Christians continually find themselves in this lopsided predicament.

The reality is that Christians are at war and we are on a battlefield but Christians neglect this reality and lack the necessary training and equipping for success in this dire plight.  But we should take heed to the words of Paul, granted this is a long passion but read it in its entirety with an earnest posture of worship:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.  To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak." (Ephesians 6:10-20).

Ephesians 1:3-6 and Profound Grace

Today I was brought to tears by a series of verses penned by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved." (Eph 1:3-6).

How beautiful that God, in His perfect and pleasing will would choose me!  For there is no good thing in me deserving of salvation, but God chose me, not because possessed any worthy quality or because of any good merit that I had done, but because of His grace alone!

This is the very definition of grace.  And, in truth, there is nothing, not one single thing, that is more beautiful, more holy, or more precious.  More than anything, this should compel us to simply pause and worship.  Let us then take a moment today to consider what our Lord has done and that He has chosen us in His Son Christ Jesus before the foundations of the world to be saved by the blood fo the Lamb.