A Walk through Ephesians - Pt 3

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:11–14 ESV).

 

Proof of ownership is usually required for the recovery of a lost possession. If your vehicle is stolen and then recovered, the police department will typically ask for evidence that the car belongs to you before releasing it into your care. Should your dog or cat be lost and picked up by local animal control, they may require a tag or some other identification before it allows the animal to come home with you. Remarkably, God has proof that He owns His people. Of course, this evidence is not presented to anyone else to secure our release, for, as the Creator and highest authority, no other stands above Him to whom He must appeal. Instead, His proof of ownership exists for our benefit, to assure us that we belong to Him. This proof is the seal of the Holy Spirit (v. 13).

 

In the ancient world, written correspondence, cattle, and other objects were imprinted with specially designed seals that identified their owners via symbols, letters, or stamps of family insignias. “The promised Holy Spirit” has sealed us in this sense, burning in us the image of our Savior. Knowing that we have the Spirit assures us that we belong to God, that He possesses a love for His people that He does not have for the rest of the world. This seal protects us from divine judgment, for it shows that we are forgiven in Christ (cf. Ezekiel 9:4–6; Revelation 7:1–8; 9:4). It also comforts us with the knowledge that God is our Father, for “the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). The Father and Son gift Him to all believers at conversion, for the sealing happens when receive the gospel of salvation.

 

This mark of ownership is very important to grasp. In ancient times, a king or owner pressed a royal signet ring into hot wax to mark an object as their own. God places the Holy Spirit inside you as His official mark. Therefore, because we belong to God, His seal means we are safe. No person or mistake can break God's personal seal on our life. It is also a promise for tomorrow: The Holy Spirit inside us acts as a down payment, proving that God will finish what He started and give us eternal life.

 

It is one of the clearest declarations of the work of God from beginning to end in the believer’s life. It is not our work. That is what concludes for us our redemption is a permanent position. That is the basis of our hope!

 

  

A Walk through Ephesians - Pt 2

 

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 to himself 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. In him we have 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 to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him. (Ephesians 1:3–10 ESV)

 

Never let it be said that the Apostle Paul was subtle in his teachings! Our reading today is one of the most profound New Testament passages written by him and functions as an opening hymn of praise, outlining the eternal plan of God to redeem humanity and unite all creation under Jesus Christ. In the original Greek text, verses 3 through 14 actually form one single, continuous, and breathless sentence celebrating God’s grace. For centuries there has been a great controversy surrounding these verses. It centers on the theological debate between Calvinism and Arminianism, specifically focusing on the doctrines of predestination, unconditional election, and human free will.

 

The Calvinist view understands this passage as stating that God "chose us in him before the creation of the world" and "predestined us for adoption" means that God sovereignly and unconditionally selects specific individuals for salvation before birth, independent of any human action or merit. The Arminian/Non-Calvinist view argues that God's predestination is corporate (ie. choosing the "body" of Christ rather than individuals) or they say the choice of God is based on divine foreknowledge of who would freely choose to believe in Him, protecting human responsibility and free will.

 

As a reformed believer, I prefer the first view of interpretation. Perhaps going to the principal author of the Calvinistic view would be helpful; John Calvin writes:

 

“In the word predestinate we must again attend to the order. We were not then in existence, and therefore there was no merit of ours. The cause of our salvation did not proceed from us, but from God alone. Yet Paul, not satisfied with these statements, adds in himself. The Greek phrase is, εἰς αὑτὸν, and has the same meaning with ἐν αὑτῷ. By this he means that God did not seek a cause out of himself, but predestinated us, because such was his will.” (Calvin’s Commentary on Ephesians).

 

The Apostle Paul is going to clarify this even more later when he writes: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10). Critics of strict predestination argue that choosing some for salvation while leaving others behind paints God as an arbitrary or cruel tyrant; however, Paul explicitly anchors these choices "in love" and expressions of God's "good pleasure", emphasizing grace and humility over human boasting

 

For me it all comes down to the complete dependence upon God rather than anything we may or may not do. If I’m responsible for being good enough to gain eternal life, or do enough to gain God’s favor, I have no hope. The good news is it all depends on Jesus, and, He has finished it on my behalf! Now… that’s good news!

A Walk through Ephesians - Pt 1

 

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:1–2 ESV).

 

Before we begin to dig a bit deeper into the wonderful letter from the Apostle Paul, a bit of history and context is helpful. We should understand the story of how Paul came to the city of Ephesus. Some of this is related by Luke in Acts (cf. chapter 19). Ephesus was a huge city, acting as the epicenter for worship of most of the Greek and Roman gods. For over two years, Paul had an effective missionary presence there and converted many people to Christianity. Years later, during his imprisonment in Rome, he wrote this letter to the church there (sometime between 60-62 AD).

 

The movement of thought in the letter divides it into two distinct halves. In the first half (cf. chapters 1-3), Paul explores the story of the Gospel, how all history came to its climax in Jesus, and his creation of a multiethnic community of followers. The second half (cf. chapters 4-6) is linked to the first part by the word “therefore.” Paul explores how the Gospel should affect the way we live our lives, personally, in our community, and within our families.

 

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians stands alongside Romans as a classic example of the apostle’s thought. Ephesians is heavenly in its content and expansive in the truths it proclaims, while remaining approachable and pragmatic in its instructions. Here are three things you should know when you read Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

 

§  First, Ephesians is deliberately broad and general. Unlike Colossians, where Paul had not met the people to whom he was writing, he had pastored the Ephesians for three years (Acts 20:31). During that time, he regularly taught in a public lecture hall, laying a broad foundation of Christian teaching in Ephesus before this letter was written (cf. Acts 19:9–10). So, what Paul writes is not a reaction to heresy (as in Colossians) or to public scandal (as in 1–2 Corinthians), but the essential gospel. This is one of reasons many theologians begin with this letter in their teaching. If ever there was a time for the essential gospel in our world, this is such a time.

 

§  Second, the Ephesian believers lived in the shadow of paganism, and because of that were marginalized. Ephesus was a large city perhaps with a population of 200,000–250,000 people. Only Athens and Rome were larger. The most prominent religion in Ephesus involved the worship of Artemis. However, there were many different cults, including emperor worship. While other religions were welcomed, Christianity was not. It was viewed as a threat to the honor and majesty of Artemis (cf. Acts 19:27). Ephesian Christians carried in their recent memory the silversmiths’ riot, where some of them had been attacked and dragged into the great theater. Some of them had been there when a mob of fifty thousand angry people shouted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (Acts 19:23–41). The Christians in Ephesus lived their lives outnumbered, in the shadow of the Temple of Artemis, surrounded by the occult, and under the threat of renewed violence. The apostle knew this first-hand and sought to equip these early believers with the understanding of the truth of God found only in Scripture. That was to be their weapon against these forces seeking to destroy their faith. If ever we needed such knowledge to be equipped in our world, today is such a time.

 

§  Third, the Ephesians were in a spiritual battle that many today deny exists. Paul warns about “rulers,” “authorities,” and “cosmic powers” (cf. Ephesians 6:12). Most Christians are familiar with the “armor of God” (cf. Ephesians 6). Perhaps lesser known are the circumstances that form the backdrop to this text. Ephesus was a center for the practice of magic (cf. Acts 19:18–19). It welcomed magicians and sorcerers. These were believed to draw power from the worship of Artemis and other occult practices. We might be tempted to say that a false god is “nothing” and therefore no threat (cf. 1 Corinthians 8:4), but Paul corrects a dismissive approach and warns that demons stand behind idols and receive their worship (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:20). Hence, Ephesus was a hub of spiritual darkness and demonic oppression. That is true today, though many deny this in our world.

 

So, as we begin, let each of us determine to receive the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 2).

 

The Difference a Day Makes

 

Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:19–24 ESV).

 

I almost hesitated to center today’s devotional around my birthday, but as I began thinking about it, the lord gave me a direction that might be helpful and encouraging to each of you. Since I have been a part of eight different decades I have seen many changes in culture, technology, and practice. Change has become an integral part of life and almost a guarantee. I’m always a bit surprised when I read one of those memes so often posted on social media that reference something from the past that was once very common and now is nearly non-existent. They’re still fresh in my memory, but then those things were very common in my experience.

 

However, “change” is not what drew my attention to a topic today. Our reading from Psalm 118 declares, “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (v. 24). I think we don’t do a very good job of that. At least I find myself taking this day for granted all too often. That leads to missing the wonder of God’s daily gifts and experiences.

 

Let me expand that thought a bit. Today’s attached picture was taken from the bypass from Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg when Mary and I visited the mountains in the fall of 2022. The colors were beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. I remember thinking as we stopped often along the way through the mountains that that moment might be our last. It was not a maudlin thought; it was more of a thought about how unique each experience of life truly is. There have been many of those times in my life. My last deer hunt in Tennessee; my last day as an active pastor; the last day that my children would truly call “our” home “their” home. As your thoughts wander through your life’s experience, I’m sure you can think of many of those moments as well. I believe we need to be more intentional about the uniqueness of “this day.” No wonder the psalmist says, “Rejoice!” It is special because it is happening, not because it happened before.

 

Birthdays are not special because of our birth; they are special just as every day is. After all, this is the day the Lord has made! Celebrate that in your life, regardless of the actual circumstances you are experiencing! He has seen it, ordained it, and is making it so that it will produce good in your life! That’s the difference a day makes!

 

The Holiness God Desires

 

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1–2 ESV).

 

Almost every time I speak or write about the grace of God, I am asked something like “But what do I have to do?” My answer is always the same: “We don’t have to do anything; however, we get to do everything.” In our reading today the Apostle John says Jesus is the “propitiation” for our sin. That word, “propitiation,” in the original language is ἱλασμός (pronounced hē-läs-mos'). It means an offering to appease (satisfy) an angry, offended party. Hhilasmós is only used twice (cf. 1 Jn 2:2, 4:10) in the New Testament. Both times it speaks of Christ's atoning blood that appeases God's wrath, on all sin. By the sacrifice of Himself, Jesus Christ provided the ultimate hilasmós ("propitiation").

 

Rober Murray M’Cheyne wrote the following in his Memoir and Remains: “Lord, make me as holy as a pardoned sinner can be made.” God’s desire for our holiness burns through the Scriptures like a purifying fire. Paul would have us think so: “This is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Peter would have us think so: “As he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:15–16). Hebrews would have us think so: “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). There can be no doubt that God’s desire is the holiness of all His children. Since we had no mean by which we could accomplish that, the Father sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to do so on our behalf.

 

We must understand what this holiness truly looks like. It is breathtakingly beautiful. It participates in God’s own glory — a glory bursting with life and majesty. It is not religious ritual: food laws and temple sacrifices, perhaps, or a devotion to churchly routines. Such was the mistake of many Pharisees — those punctual, precise, “worshiping” bundles of corruption (cf. Matthew 23:25–28). True holiness pierces to the deepest parts of a person; it touches and transforms “spirit and soul and body” (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:23). Holiness is a hand that plucks the heart’s hidden strings, filling all of life with heavenly melody. It is not smoke arising from the altar, but faith and love arising from the soul that has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus.

 

God desires one thing only… that is our relationship to Him through the blood of Jesus! We are holy because Jesus is holy. Trust in Him and Him alone. Then we are set free to do what is holy!

 

 

The Delight of God

 

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. [30] And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (Genesis 1:27–31 ESV).

 

Having come to the end of our exploration of the Apostles, I decided to look at the “good” of God. Our reading today is taken from the end of the Creation story as God surveys His handiwork and pronounces it as “very good” (v. 30). The Hebrew word is טוֹב (pronounced “tove”). It is used throughout the Old Testament and means beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, fair (word), (be in) favor, fine, glad, good, graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, loving, merry, most, pleasant, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well-favored), and delight. It could be translated that God saw His creation and was “delighted by its goodness.”

 

Knowing the rest of the story we might scoff at this reaction. There is very little “good” or delightful in the world we know in its now fallen state. Yet, we so often forget that is not what it first was; and we fail to understand that, even now, God is working His purpose and will through Jesus to finally return us to that creation (cf. Revelation 21:1-4).

 

Recently I listened to a podcast by John Piper that reminded me of this truth. I struck me as an important and often overlooked truth. In the podcast, John Piper said:

 

“Human beings are created for joy in God, for admiring God, for being amazed at God, for standing in awe of God, and wondering at God.”

 

I think we become so bent toward doing things that might somehow impress God, or at least satisfy God, that we fail to recognize that He needs nothing from us, but desires us to simply be “good”… delighted in Him.

 

Listen to the prophet Zephaniah: “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV).

 

Read that again and shout the word “he”… it is the Great God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth who stands in our midst. He is rejoicing over us with delight! He is quietening the storm that rages around us by His love! He is singing praise and exaltation over us with loud singing! All of this because of who He is, not what we do or don’t do. Ponder that and think of the incredible gift Jesus is in making us God’s children!

 

The Last Apostle, One as Untimely Born - Paul

 

For I [Paul] delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:3–10 ESV).

 

The Apostle Paul, originally known as Saul of Tarsus, is widely regarded as the most influential figure in the history of Christianity after Jesus Christ. Born a devout Jew and a Roman citizen in Cilicia (modern-day Turkey), he initially worked as a zealous Pharisee who actively persecuted early followers of Jesus. His life took a radical turn during a dramatic encounter with the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus. Following this pivotal event, he transformed into the premier "Apostle to the Gentiles," dedicating the rest of his life to spreading the gospel across the Roman Empire.

 

It is worth noting the stages in his life. Born around 5 AD in Tarsus, he inherited prestigious Roman citizenship. He later moved to Jerusalem to study Jewish law under the highly respected rabbi Gamaliel. There he was a witness to the martyrdom of Stephen and ultimately became one of the most feared individuals in the early church. Armed with authority to arrest Christians, Saul was struck blind by a brilliant heavenly light while traveling to Damascus. Jesus spoke to him directly, a moment that completely redefined his purpose and identity. It was through that experiences that he launched three major missionary campaigns through Asia Minor, Greece, and Macedonia. He successfully established numerous local churches and argued that non-Jewish converts did not need to follow traditional Mosaic laws. He set the tone of inclusivity for the church. However, since his teachings caused civil unrest, Roman authorities arrested Paul in Jerusalem. He spent his final years under house arrest in Rome before being executed, traditionally by beheading under Emperor Nero around 64–67 AD.

 

Paul shaped Christian doctrine more than any other early church leader. Out of the 27 books in the New Testament, 13 epistles (letters) are traditionally attributed to him. These theological texts—including Romans, Corinthians, and Galatians—laid the groundwork for core Christian tenets such as salvation by faith through grace rather than by keeping strict religious laws. His writings represent some of the earliest surviving Christian literature ever recorded.

 

Of all the many things we may learn from Paul, it is that grace is never late, but always on time! His life serves as a testimony to what God can do in the life of anyone placing their faith in Him!