Category: Bible Study

How A Christian Should Live

1/7/2023

Read Ephesians 4:17-32

If you have followed along with me in Ephesians, you will have begun to notice a theme Paul had with this letter - one of unity within the body of Christ. In my last post, we learned how each Christian's spiritual gifts are to be used - to equip us for ministry and to edify each other in the Lord. With the theme of unity and spiritual gifts in mind, Paul now tells the Ephesians (and us) how we should be "walking the walk" as followers of Jesus Christ.

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The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts

12/18/2022

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Read Ephesians 4:7-16

In my last post, we learned that we have been called to walk in unity with each other. For the Ephesian Christians, this was quite a challenge. Not only were these Gentile converts coming out of paganism and idol worship, but they were adopting for themselves the promises God gave to the Jews. This ultimately caused friction between the Gentile converts and the Jewish converts, which the apostles solved by giving them only three rules to obey: that they abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from eating animals that were strangled, and from blood (Acts 15:19-20). There was wisdom in this edict because what the Gentiles had come out of (idol worship) involved all those sorts of practices.

But Paul reminds them that there is now one Lord, one faith and one baptism. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (Ephesians 4:6).

And in today's verses, we are shown how God makes that unity possible. We learn in Ephesians 4:7 that to each, "grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift." For the church to remain unified, each member was (and still is) bestowed "a measure of grace," or a gift from God, to be used by each individual to create unity within the body of Christ. So what gifts of grace were available to the early church, and are they still available to us today?

What are Spiritual Gifts
And What is Their Purpose?

All of the gifts were given for the following purposes:

For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry.
For the edifying of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).

How long are these gifts supposed to last?

Until we all unite in faith and knowledge of the Son of God.
Until we are perfected.
Until we measure up to the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Until we are no longer children, tossed to and fro with every kind of false doctrine.
Until we speak the truth in love, growing up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ.

So what are the gifts listed in Ephesians?

Apostles
Prophets
Evangelists
Pastors
Teachers

Are there more gifts than these? Yes! They are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:1-10, but we are dealing specifically with what is listed in Ephesians. Paul lists in 1 Corinthians 12:28 the order and importance of the gifts - first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations and varieties of tongues. There is much to discuss on Spiritual Gifts, which I will devote attention to in the New Year. For now, the point of the gifts is clear - they were given to further enhance our unity in Christ. One perfect body (the church) is equipped to not only edify and build each other up but to equip us for the work God has called us to do. So if you doubt that you don't have what it takes to fulfill what God has called you to do, rest in the truth of these words - you have already been equipped for your particular ministry. Now, trust God and go!

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Five Ways God Calls Us to Unity

12/4/2022

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Read Ephesians 4:1-6

If you have followed along in my look at Ephesians, you will have noticed a theme by now. Paul was trying to instill in the Gentile converts at Ephesus who they now were in Christ. He was also trying (in a not-so-subtle way) to remind the Jewish converts that because of Christ, the promises given to the Jews also now belonged to the Gentiles. This, of course, could lead to friction. So, since Ephesians chapter one, he has expounded on who they are in Christ and the importance of unity within the body of Christ (aka - the church).

In today's verses, Paul urges the Ephesians to walk in a worthy manner befitting their calling (their new life) to salvation. I think the church as a whole needs to take this to heart. So how do we "walk in unity" with our fellow believers when so many have differing opinions on Scripture and what it says? In today's verses, Paul explains how.

Five Ways God Shows Us How to Walk
In Unity With Each Other

Walk in Humility - The KJV uses the word "lowliness". In other words we are to have a humble opinion of ourselves. The Greek word used is tapeinophrosynē and means "a deep sense of one's moral littleness."

Walk in Gentleness - The Greek word used is praotēs and means "meekness". In today's culture, meekness is not considered a virture, but in the ancient world those who were meek were considered very virtuous. For example, a meek person is one who is guided by God's Spirit and able to accept God's ability to direct events in their lives. Meekness is not a resignation to fate, or a passive submission to life events (there is no virtue in that), but it is more of an ability to see the "larger picture" and is therefore an active and deliberate choice to accept God's sovereignty over all aspects of an individual's life.

Walk in Longsuffering - Longsuffering is an excellent word choice in the KJV because it means patience. This isn't just in reference to someone's personality traits that rub us the wrong way. To practice patience also means that we need to recognize that every individual's spiritual journey is different. Everyone has at some point met that person who insists you are wrong about your beliefs. They question why you go to a certain church and they have "dug in their heels" about what they believe (even if it is contrary to Scripture) to the point where they are more annoying than a mosquito. But what we need to realize and remember when dealing with difficult people, is that God deals with each of us in different ways. What you learned twenty years ago in your walk with God, may take someone else a longer time to learn and accept. But we all get there eventually. We just have to trust the Holy Spirit, who resides in everyone who has accepted Jesus as Saviour, to lead us into all truth, which Scripture has promised He will do (John 16:13). But, that leads us to the next point on keeping unity.

Bearing With One Another in Love - No, this does not mean "putting up with each other". The original Greek uses the word anechō and is translated as "forebear" which means, "to hold up, to sustain, to bear, to endure." In other words, we need to help each other stand firm in our faith in Jesus Christ. So if you see your brother or sister in Christ falling away, or perhaps they have been deceived and are listening to false doctrines like the prosperity gospel for example, don't stand idly by and watch them falter or be deceived, rush in, help them to continue to stand firm on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Help them grow in their faith.

Endeavour to keep unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace - I love the word used for "bond" in Greek. It is syndesmos and it means "that which binds together, a band, a bond." It is the Holy Spirit that unites us. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us peace and because we all share in the same Holy Spirit, we are "banded" together as one. Think about that for a minute! There is no other unity like this on earth in which people are capable of sharing equally. We have different talents, we come in different colours, shapes and sizes, we are some poor and some rich, but it is the Holy Spirit alone that unites us as brother and sister in Christ when we accept Jesus as our Saviour. This peace should be something we all cherish and go out of our way to keep unified.

And so Paul reminds the Ephesians once again (and us) how truly united we are in Christ, with the following words:

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (Ephesians 4:4-6, NKJV).

As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas season, let us rejoice together that we are united as one because of Him.

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The Mystery of Christ

11/28/2022

7 Comments

Read Ephesians 3:1-21

In Ephesians three, Paul talks about a "mystery" which was revealed to him and the other apostles and prophets of that time that was hidden from the "sons of men" (children of Israel) that went before them. The mystery, of course, was that the Gentiles (all those who weren't Jewish) would now, because of Christ, be partakers in the same blessings God had promised the Jews (Ephesians 3:6-7). In Ephesians chapter two, Paul goes into great detail on what that unity for humanity now meant.

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How Jesus Unites Humanity

11/14/2022

4 Comments

Read Ephesians 2:11-18

In my last post, we learned through Paul's letter to the Ephesians who we are in Christ and that trying to "work" our way into heaven is futile, for our salvation is secured through faith and God's grace alone, not by works.

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Why Your Good Works Won't Save You

11/6/2022

5 Comments

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

As we continue our study of Ephesians, we come across a passage most Christians know by heart. 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 (Ephesians 2:8-9). But first, a little background on the Ephesians and why Paul was spending so much time instilling in them the knowledge that they are loved by God and saved.

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The Real Meaning of Spiritual Wisdom

10/30/2022

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Read Ephesians 1:15-23

I don't know about you, but I have often asked God for wisdom many times in my life. So that I may understand the "right" decision to make in a situation or how to approach someone with the right words that won't leave them angry or offended. But have you ever noticed what Paul prayed for regarding the people of Ephesus? After assuring them of the many blessings they had in Christ, he followed that up with how he prayed for them, and it is an example we can all take to heart.

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Why God's Grace is Amazing

10/16/2022

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Read Ephesians 1:7-14

Last week I began a new study in Ephesians, and we started with the Four Spiritual Blessings God Gives Us. This week I would like to look at four more blessings we receive from God because of Jesus.

We have redemption through Jesus' blood.
We have the forgiveness of sins.
We have an inheritance.
We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.

What a mighty God we serve! He has blessed us with so much, so let's examine the four blessings above.

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Four Spiritual Blessings God Gives Us

10/9/2022

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him
before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us
to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to
the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His
grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:3-6, NKJV

NOTE: THIS WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED IN 2016 AND I AM REPOSTING IT AGAIN.

Have you ever noticed how much about us is packed into the opening verses of Ephesians? Just look at what we are and have in Christ:

We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing.
We were chosen before the foundation of the world.
We were adopted by Jesus as sons (and daughters).
We are accepted because Jesus made us beloved.

Can you even begin to fathom such great love or mercy? We don't deserve it, but it is offered to all freely. So let's break these verses down.

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Are You Building on a Firm Foundation?

9/26/2022

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Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall. (Matthew 7:24-27, NKJV)

Today, we look at the final words in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.

This sermon is vital for a Christian to read because it shows us how to live as Jesus did. He covered everything: blessings, the Law (and how he fulfilled it), murder, adultery, marriage, oath-taking, going the extra mile for someone, loving our enemies, how to pray, praying for our enemies, fasting, money, worry, judging others, taking the narrow path and more. His ideas were, at the time, extraordinary and unique. They still are. Can you imagine any government that, instead of going to war, would sit down and pray for their enemies? What a world we would live in if we all followed Jesus. May His Kingdom come!

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Forward>>

Unlocking God's Word

How A Christian Should Live

Read Ephesians 4:17-32

The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts

Read Ephesians 4:7-16

What are Spiritual Gifts
And What is Their Purpose?

Five Ways God Calls Us to Unity

Read Ephesians 4:1-6

Five Ways God Shows Us How to Walk
In Unity With Each Other

The Mystery of Christ

Read Ephesians 3:1-21

How Jesus Unites Humanity

Read Ephesians 2:11-18

Why Your Good Works Won't Save You

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

The Real Meaning of Spiritual Wisdom

Read Ephesians 1:15-23

Why God's Grace is Amazing

Read Ephesians 1:7-14

Four Spiritual Blessings God Gives Us

Are You Building on a Firm Foundation?

Archives

Categories

​Unlocking God's Word

Read Ephesians 4:17-32

Read Ephesians 4:7-16

What are Spiritual GiftsAnd What is Their Purpose?​​

Read Ephesians 4:1-6

Five Ways God Shows Us How to WalkIn Unity With Each Other​

Read Ephesians 3:1-21

Read Ephesians 2:11-18

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

Read Ephesians 1:15-23

Read Ephesians 1:7-14

Archives

Categories

Unlocking God's Word

What are Spiritual Gifts
And What is Their Purpose?

Five Ways God Shows Us How to Walk
In Unity With Each Other