Ephesians 1:15-23
This section is a prayer that Paul has for the Ephesians. This is also my prayer for my students:
I give thanks for them when I hear about their faith in Jesus and their love for his people. I constantly ask that they would receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they can know Jesus better and so that they can make wise choices that would both protect them from emotional, physical or spiritual harm and bring the most glory to God. I pray that they would understand the hope of heaven; that they would constantly hear the whisper in their ear that reminds them that this world does not reflect the kingdom of God and that there is a better way. I pray that they would realize the amazing riches of grace and love and life that God has for them as his children. I pray that they would comprehend the power that God want to work on their behalf as his children and that they would used that power responsibly ("with great power comes great responsibility"). I pray that their hearts would thrill again to the wonderful news that Christ is risen from the dead and God wants to do the same in their lives - bringing them from death to life, resurrecting them from sin to grace. I pray that they would have a view of the King - seated on his throne far above any other king or power or kingdom - and that they would remember that he is their King (and while he may not be safe, he is certainly good!). I pray, finally, that they would catch a glimpse of the Church as God and Christ intended it to be. The last phrase of this passage captures my imagination: the Church is the fullness of Christ who fills everything in every way.
Taking this at face value, this means that the Church is much greater than I ever thought: it is the fullness of Christ. Somehow, in our unity between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, man and woman, all races and traditions, we represent the fullness of Jesus. I feel like I'm being a bit of a heretic here but all of Christ (his character, his work, his teaching, his attractiveness, his power, etc.) is somehow displayed in the Church. Like we were talking about on the way home for Waterton: it's time for the Church to step up and be the fullness of him who fills all things in all ways.
Showing posts with label Ephesians 1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ephesians 1. Show all posts
Friday, February 22, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
signed, sealed and delivered...
Ephesians 1:11-14
The idea of being chosen or predestined comes up again in this section. The list of things we have in (or by or through) Christ is added to: chosen in him, hope in him, included in him, marked in him.
Paul's main point is that God had a plan from the beginning of time and that plan included the salvation of those whom he predistined. The purpose God has is to bring glory to himself. One of the primary ways he is doing that is by including people in Christ and then sealing them by the HOly Spirit for eternity.
The plan of God is to bring glory to himself. He does that through saving me and keeping me (I can't be lost). This means that my purpose in life is to bring glory to God - my life is for the praise of his glory. I need to evaluate every word, thought and action in light of this plan. The chief end of humanity is to glorify God by enjoying him forever...
The idea of being chosen or predestined comes up again in this section. The list of things we have in (or by or through) Christ is added to: chosen in him, hope in him, included in him, marked in him.
Paul's main point is that God had a plan from the beginning of time and that plan included the salvation of those whom he predistined. The purpose God has is to bring glory to himself. One of the primary ways he is doing that is by including people in Christ and then sealing them by the HOly Spirit for eternity.
The plan of God is to bring glory to himself. He does that through saving me and keeping me (I can't be lost). This means that my purpose in life is to bring glory to God - my life is for the praise of his glory. I need to evaluate every word, thought and action in light of this plan. The chief end of humanity is to glorify God by enjoying him forever...
Monday, February 18, 2008
Chosen in love
Ephesians 1:1-10
The key words are: predestined or chosen, in Christ (or through Christ), the idea of abundance (riches of God's grace which he lavished on us, blessed with every spiritual blessing), the idea of God's eternal purpose/plan (chosen before the creation of the world, his will which he purposed in Christ).
The main point is that God has a plan which he is accomplishing through Christ and through his choosing us for adoption through Jesus. That plan is to bring all things to unity under Christ. Paul's showing his hand a little bit - we'll learn later that the unified (Jews and Gentiles) Church displays the wisdom of God to the heavenly realms.
Here's what I like about Ephesians: learning all the things that we have in or through or by Jesus. In this passage alone we have been blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing, chosen before the creation of the world, adopted as full heirs, freely given grace, redeemed... all in and through Jesus.
The second thing I really like about Ephesians is the high view of the Church. We are very quick to see the faults of the Church, to complain about politics, hypocricy and beauraucracy but we need to keep in mind (I need to keep in mind) that the Church is Christ's bride and God's idea and just like I don't stand for people criticizing my wife and really don't like them criticizing my ideas, I don't think Jesus appreciates my attacks on the Church. The Church is the plan of God - it is his eternal purpose to bring all things to unity under Jesus. This is the key to understanding Ephesians: Paul is not talking to individuals saying "I have been blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing" but "we, as the Church, collectively have been blessed in Christ." When he says "you" try to remember that this is the plural, not the individual.
The key words are: predestined or chosen, in Christ (or through Christ), the idea of abundance (riches of God's grace which he lavished on us, blessed with every spiritual blessing), the idea of God's eternal purpose/plan (chosen before the creation of the world, his will which he purposed in Christ).
The main point is that God has a plan which he is accomplishing through Christ and through his choosing us for adoption through Jesus. That plan is to bring all things to unity under Christ. Paul's showing his hand a little bit - we'll learn later that the unified (Jews and Gentiles) Church displays the wisdom of God to the heavenly realms.
Here's what I like about Ephesians: learning all the things that we have in or through or by Jesus. In this passage alone we have been blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing, chosen before the creation of the world, adopted as full heirs, freely given grace, redeemed... all in and through Jesus.
The second thing I really like about Ephesians is the high view of the Church. We are very quick to see the faults of the Church, to complain about politics, hypocricy and beauraucracy but we need to keep in mind (I need to keep in mind) that the Church is Christ's bride and God's idea and just like I don't stand for people criticizing my wife and really don't like them criticizing my ideas, I don't think Jesus appreciates my attacks on the Church. The Church is the plan of God - it is his eternal purpose to bring all things to unity under Jesus. This is the key to understanding Ephesians: Paul is not talking to individuals saying "I have been blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing" but "we, as the Church, collectively have been blessed in Christ." When he says "you" try to remember that this is the plural, not the individual.
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