So thrilled that you will be joining me for this journey! The book of Ephesians is one of my favorite books of the Bible - it is so practical for our lives today and can be applied to so many situations! How did you like Chapter 1? There's a wealth of info and knowledge just in this first chapter! Can't wait to hear your thoughts and see what the Lord revealed to you. Just a reminder, post whatever is laid on your heart from what you read this week in the comments (sign your name if you comment as anonymous) and we'll try to just have a casual dialogue. Below are my thoughts from the chapter as I read and jotted in my journal.
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I wanted to know a little background on the church of Ephesus and found that while Paul sometimes wrote to churches in hopes of changing their path or to confront issues of the church; with Ephesus, he simply wrote the church to encourage them in their faith and to encourage them in living out a life of godliness.
I love that Paul uses "grace and peace" like he does in other letters to other churches. I think if anyone knew about God's grace it was Paul. Prior to his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, he hated & persecuted the church. And it just made me think - do I live my life through the lens of truly knowing what life before God's grace was and after God's grace? In other words, where I would be without it. Do I live life every day thankful for His grace? Thankful that He saved me? Great reminder for me - I sometimes get caught up in the daily routine - I'm a list maker - let's just get through the list - instead of just really relishing in God's grace EVERY day! The gift of grace! I think Paul got it!
In verse 3, it mentions that he has blessed us with "every spiritual blessing." What did that mean for you? I think because of Christ and what He did on the cross - we are able to enjoy the gift of every spiritual blessing NOW! What is every spiritual blessing? - salvation, Holy Spirit's power, fruit of the Spirit manifested in my life, access to the throne room/to God, an heir, access to grace and mercy, His power - I have access to all of these things and more - He has already blessed me with this - notice it's past tense. I have everything I need to live life right now, today, no matter what I'm going through! Second Peter 1:3 speaks of this as well - "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. (NLT).
Verse 4 says he has chosen us as "holy and blameless" - a good reminder for me when I am struggling with guilt over something. Thank you, Lord, that the slate is wiped clean!
What does it mean for you that you are adopted like it talks about in verse 5? Think about an adopted child now. A child that is lost, lonely, no hope - their world is radically changed and they are brought into the new family as if nothing in the past had happened. They are now welcomed into this new family with unconditional love. As if they are a blood son or daughter. They have access to everything that the new parents have to offer them - money, food, knowledge, wisdom, love, care, etc. Did you know that on adopted children's birth certificates, the mother and father's names are changed to the adopted parents' names? So it is with us! Our lives are radically changed! We have access to everything of the Father's! We are joint-heirs with Jesus! We are no longer in the family of Adam, but we are in the family of Jesus! Praise God!
What do you think "the mystery" is that Paul mentions in verse 9? I'd like to hear your thoughts on that.
In verse 13 - Paul mentions that we are "marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit." - Once we accept Christ and follow Him, the Spirit enters us and NOTHING (satan) can change that! Romans 8:38-39 says "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
And the Holy Spirit is a "deposit" guaranteeing our access to God, to heaven! I love that image. A mark that we belong to Him! Just like the adopted child's birth certificate - it is now a seal/certificate that they belong in this new family.
Verses 15-23 are some of my favorite verses in the Bible. I especially love praying them over myself and other people. I would encourage you to sit quietly before the Lord and ask Him who are some people/friends/family that you could pray those verses over. Verse 17 is the ultimate for me - ask for a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that I may know Him better! Isn't that really what it's all about? That's the Christian life in a nutshell! It should be our ultimate goal in life to know Him better and it says right here that I can pray and ask for help in that. That HE will do that in me! It's not just up to me! Two things: 1) That is a relief! HE will open my eyes to know Him more. HE will reveal Himself to me and 2) What is my ultimate goal in life? Would others say that my goal is to know Him better? Would others say that that is your goal? If not, why isn't it? What else are we striving for? Hard evaluation for me! Stepping on my own toes. ;-)
I mean the first and greatest commandment according to Jesus when He was asked is in Matthew 22:37 - Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
And in Matthew 6:33 we are told, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
So, are we praying for a spirit of wisdom and revelation? Are we spending time in His Word and through prayer so He CAN give us wisdom and revelation? Are we seeking Him above all things?
I love in verses 19-20 when it speaks of His "incomparably great power"... that "he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead..." Paul is praying that the church of Ephesus' eyes of their hearts will be enlightened to know THIS power. RESURRECTION POWER! You and I have access to this same power! Do I call on it? Do I claim it? Do I ask God to manifest it in my life? Do you?! If He can raise Christ from the dead, surely He can handle what is going on in my life and in your life at this very moment! There is nothing too difficult for Him!
And lastly, in verse 22 - it says that "God placed all things under his feet." HE is OVER ALL! HE is RULER! HE is SOVEREIGN! HE is ON THE THRONE! He has been appointed head over the church - over you and I. Are we submitted to Him? Am I living my life as if He is on the throne? What else do I have sitting on the throne in His place? What other idols in my life (even the good things) are in His place? Convicting! Lord, I want YOU on the throne of MY life!
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Ladies, I love you! I am continuing to pray for you as you move onto Chapter 2 this week. I would encourage you to break it up into verse sections again this time.
Love,
Vs. 3 was a reminder that I need to be thankful for all blessings! In vs. 5, I had never thought of myself as being adopted, this is one of those blessings I'm truly thankful for. I think the mystery for me in vs. 9 is the surprise I find in his will for my life at different stages of my life, it is amazing how he reveals himself when he answers prayers. I loved the thought of being a deposit guaranteeing our access to God and heaven. I wrote down many things that jumped out at me as I read this daily and focused in on a few verses each day. As I wrapped up this first week, it made me realize that this study was brought to my attention at the most perfect time. This first week really addressed specific areas in my life and I'm so thankful to have God's word remind me of his plan for my life and what I need to do to stay on the right path! Ready for Week 2! Thanks Kristin.
ReplyDeleteI'm so thankful that the Lord is using this study to speak into your life! That's awesome! His word is active and living so it doesn't surprise me! Look forward to hearing more of how He speaks to you!
DeleteKristin
I am under anonymous because I do not know what all those other labels mean. I am Rosie, so I am not anonymous any longer.
ReplyDeleteMy study Bible started out with the topic Election for the first fourteen verses. That term has always been a thing to ponder for me, so I took off on that idea first. I know, and the Bible supports me, that God does not do eeny meeny mineey mo (spell check went bonkers...you know what I mean) over each person born. We are given a blessed freedom to choose which direction to go. Israel was chosen for the assigned task of blessing the nations. Jesus was chosen to be the eternal sacrifice for man's sins. After Pentecost, the church was chosen to glorify God. Predestination does not enter the picture. God knows us, and as a mother has a pretty good idea which child brought the dirty dog into the house, He also knows our human nature. He provides help over and over to the unsaved to accept Him. He does not choose for any to die without salvation.
Salvation, that is another topic that kept popping up in these verses. Salvation, as being in Christ, you covered well in your opening. Christians are very much a part of the family because of adoption. We are chosen just as Israel was chosen to bless others and introduce them to the living God. Throughout this chapter salvation is pictured as blessing, grace, redemption, forgiveness and knowledge of God.
Thank you for sharing, Rosie! Glad to have you joining us!
DeleteKristin
This is Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteWell, your intro made me think of the starting of the church at Ephesus so I had to read Acts 19 & 20 dealing with this church. What God did through Paul inspires me because he was an ordinary man used in an extraordinary way and given extraordinary wisdom & insight. God could have chosen to use several or many people to accomplish what He did through Paul. But he didn't. Verse 1 "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus BY THE WILL OF GOD". God's will, not his own. I love the way Paul writes. He packs so much into a sentence or phrase that I have to meditate on it for days! Verse 6 "freely bestowed" made me think of Christ's submissive suffering. The brutal expense so that the gift of salvation could be free is humbling. Since I started late, I was not able to apply the suggested study time but the overall thing that jumps out at me today is God's GREAT love for us. I love the use of the word "lavished". Salvation alone would be a great blessing but add to that 1 John 4:17 .."as Jesus Christ is, so are we in this world...". Paul so wants them (and us) to understand who we are in Christ. Paul got it and wanted others to get it too.
Great insight! I agree, love Paul's writings! And God has a habit of taking the ordinary people and using them for His extraordinary purposes - that's what the Old Testament is full of! Look at the disciples! Such an encouragement to me. Thanks for sharing, Charlotte!
DeleteKristin