In Ephesians 2:1-3, Paul talks about being spiritually dead.
In the past you were spiritually dead because of your sins and the things you did against God. Yes, in the past your lives were full of those sins. You lived the way the world lives, following the ruler of the evil powers that are above the earth. That same spirit is now working in those who refuse to obey God. In the past all of us lived like that, trying to please our sinful selves. We did all the things our bodies and minds wanted. Like everyone else in the world, we deserved to suffer God’s anger just because of the way we were. According to this passage, being spiritually dead is:
Life is a bit like Star Wars, you're either on the good side, or the dark side. If you're not with Jesus, by default, you're on the dark side. Doing your own thing is what Satan wants, so you default to the dark side. Praise God, there is a cure for this spiritual deadness. Stay tuned for our next reading.
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In Ephesians 1:21-22, Paul explained that God gave Jesus all authority over everything. There is no king or queen, president or prime minister, celebrity or influencer, pastor or evangelist, angel or demon, greater than Jesus Christ. No one has been, or ever will be, greater than Jesus. It may not seem like he has all authority at the moment. Satan seems to wreak havoc wherever he wants. Bad things only happen because God allows them, because we are living with the consequences of sin and free choice. But when Jesus comes again, we will see his perfect rule and authority.
We can be confident that Jesus has all authority over everything. And he did it for us, the church! Paul continued his prayer for the Christians and asked that they would know God's power. I believe he is talking about experiencing God's power, not just knowing about it. This is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. It blows my mind that this power is at work in me. You might be wondering how this power works in us:
Ephesians 1:18 says, I pray that God will open your minds to see his truth. Then you will know the hope that he has chosen us to have. You will know that the blessings God has promised his holy people are rich and glorious. Paul prays that God would open the believers spiritual eyes so that they can see his truth. We are bombarded by what the world says is truth and it rarely reflects God's truth. So what is God's truth?
Here are my thoughts:
Are your eyes fixed on what the world says is truth, or on God's truth? One of the things Paul tells us that we can pray for others is for God to give them the Spirit (that is, the Holy Spirit). Two benefits of the Holy Spirit are:
Next time you're praying for people, pray that God will give them his Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 1:16 Paul says, "I have not stopped giving thanks to God for you. I remember you in my prayers." Verse 15 tells us why he gives thanks for the church.
"For this reason, ever since I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people, I have not stopped giving thanks to God for you" (Ephesians 1:15-16a). It's because of their faith and love. Do you give thanks to God for the people in your life? Make a list now of people that you're thankful for and why. Part two of verse one Paul tells the church that he remembers them in his prayers. Are your prayers centred around yourself and what you want and need? Do they extend to your family and friends? Write down the names of some other people at church and pray for them. You could also pray for your neighbours, teachers and extended family. My daughter has been asking people what they need prayer for and adding it to her prayer list, that way she can pray meaningfully for them. Ephesians 1:13-14 says, In Christ, God put his special mark on you by giving you the Holy Spirit that he had promised. That Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we will get what God promised for his people. This will bring full freedom to the people who belong to God, to bring praise to God’s glory. Verse 13 in the NIV says, When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.
A seal was used to guarantee who the message was from. For example, a king would mark his message with a seal to prove that it was from him and not a fake message. The Holy Spirit proves that the message of the Good News is from God. A seal was also like a brand that signified ownership. Historically cattle were branded with a seal to prove who they belonged to. When we believe in God, the Holy Spirit is like a brand proving that we belong to him. So the Holy Spirit guarantees that we will get what God promised the believers - eternal life with him. God's secret plan, isn't really a secret to us because he tells us what it is in the Bible. It would have been a secret to the early church though. John 3:16 tells us his secret plan. God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.
2 Peter 3:13 tells us the rest of God's secret plan. But God made a promise to us. And we are waiting for what he promised—a new heaven and a new earth where goodness lives. We are currently living in between these two verses. Jesus tells us what we should be doing while we wait for the new heaven and new earth. Matthew 28:19 Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Mark 12:29-31 The most important command is this: ‘People of Israel, listen! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second most important command is this: ‘Love your neighbour the same as you love yourself. So now you know God's secret plan! |
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