Popular notion says one must find themselves before they enter into marriage. Our society has increasingly viewed marriage as a sign of arrival, rather than a right of passage. People see marriage as something you do once you have gotten your life together. However, the Christian church views sanctification as the sign of arrival, but marriage as one of many potential paths to get there. (7 Minutes/900 Words)
Read moreWalk In Your Father’s Light, part 2 (Ephesians 5:14-16)
Paul, wanting to urge the church to walk in the Father’s light, uses a quotation to exhort his readers. Many think the quote is a mashup of a few exhortations in Isaiah; some think it an early Christian hymn. Paul takes it and urges, “Wake up!” (3 Minutes/400 Words)
Read moreThe New You (Continued)/ Hardworking, Edifying, And Kind (Ephesians 4.28-32)
(cont’d) Third, Paul told them to be hardworking — “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” We are to put off thieving and put on honest work because we want to share with others. (5 Minutes / 1000 Words)
Read moreThe New You: Truthful And Free Of Anger (Ephesians 4:25-27)
After reminding the Ephesians of what they had learned from Jesus, namely to put off the old and put on the new, Paul explained five areas to take off and put on. Like the removing of old garments and the putting on of fresh ones, the Christian life is one of putting off and putting on. (800 Words / 4 Minutes)
Read moreRemember What You Learned (Ephesians 4:20-24)
Paul now reminds the Ephesian church what they had learned by first telling them who they had learned. They had learned Christ! (4 Minutes / 700 Words)
Read moreUnited To Your New Self — Who You Are Not (Ephesians 4:17-19)
The transformation of the caterpillar into a butterfly stands as a poignant illustration of the truth Paul next communicates to the Ephesians. He dreams of the Ephesians living in the newness of life that is theirs in Christ. He dreams of a church which, given a new nature from Jesus, now sours in that new nature. He sees a people who, like the caterpillar now transformed, are now something entirely different than what they used to be… (5 Minutes / 1000 Words)
Read moreThe Maximal Functionality Of The Church (Ephesians 4:13-16)
Paul demonstrated how the word of God is meant to interact with the body of Christ to build it up for a life of ministry. Much of this ministry is to one another. How long will this Christ-designed method continue? “Until we all attain,” is how Paul puts it, listing various elements which ought to grow within the church. The word must interact with us until these elements are realized. (4 Minutes / 800 Words)
Read moreEnjoy Christ’s Gift (Ephesians 4:11-12)
God has, Paul told us, given each believer enabling grace. If the blood of Christ covers us, we are part of the larger body of believers. From His exalted seat in heaven, Christ pours out His grace and Spirit to aid us in the church's work. He is our head. We are His body. (4 Minutes / 700 Words)
Read moreAppreciate Christ's Generosity (Ephesians 4:7-10)
Even though the church is unbreakable and one, we are diverse and varied. Paul tells us “grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” The grace Paul writes of is not the saving grace of Christ, but the enabling grace of Christ. This is roll-up-your-sleeves-and-work grace. (3 Minutes / 600 Words)
Read moreBelieve In The Church's Unbreakable Oneness (Ephesians 4:4-6)
Paul dreamed of the church. In so doing, he introduced a beautiful truth: the universal church is one because the Triune God is one. (3 Minutes / 500 Words)
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