What a beautiful passage. Honestly these three verses are jam packed with rich and essential beliefs of our Christian Faith. We can legit take these three verses and make a series out of them on their own.
But for the sake of time, let’s briefly explain each of these statements. First thing I want you to notice is that the word “one” repeats over and over in these verses. It seems to me that Paul is suggesting that this is the truth and there is no adding to it. There are no multiple paths. There are no multiple truths. A truth claim is exclusive. To say that one thing is true is to say that all other options are false. The world would want you to believe that there are multiple roads to the same place. But Paul here is very singular in his vocabulary. He says there is… ONE BODY That is there is one church. There is one people that is united by the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no Jew or Greek, male or female, imprisoned or free. We are all one under the banner of Jesus. We all have experienced the mercy, grace, and forgiveness of sin through Jesus’ p perfect work on the cross. ONE SPIRIT There is only one Holy Spirit whom the Bible calls our counselor, guide, and comforter. The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts us of sin and draws us to God through Jesus. The Holy Spirit emboldens and empowers us with gifts to use for the benefit of the local church and to draw others to Jesus. ONE HOPE This is the hope that we have experienced through Jesus. While we were dead in our sins and trespasses, Jesus died in our place paying the punishment we were due. Jesus grants us this hope now but we also have a hope to come. That one day we will be with Jesus and there will be no more weeping, no more pain, and no more suffering. ONE LORD Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is only one who can wipe away the sins of mankind. All other gods fall short. There is only one who can raise a spiritually dead person to life. He is the way, truth, and life and no one comes to the Father except by him. ONE FAITH We are saved by grace through faith. We have faith, not in ourselves or our good works. We have faith in Jesus. That faith is the faith needed to move mountains of which the greatest was the tombstone laid upon my spiritual grave. But Jesus has revived us and we are able to receive this free gift of faith through faith. ONE BAPTISM We are baptized in Jesus name and into his victory. As Jesus was buried in the grave, we were buried with him and risen in him. As Christ conquered the grave, we conquer the grip of Satan and sin over our lives. ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL There is only one God. We are not pantheists which believe that is all and in all. This means you are not a god. You cannot worship the universe as god. We are not polytheists which worship many gods and God is just one god among many. There is on one God, one Father, and ne creator of all. He is eternal, all knowing, all powerful, all present, and everlasting. ABOVE ALL He is above every kingdom. He is above every government and president and king. He is above every angelic being. He is above all. THROUGH ALL He is taking care of us all. He provides for his children. Every good and perfect gift comes from God above. Not only does he grant us forgiveness of sin through Jesus but he also freely shares wisdom, love, grace, mercy, justice, holiness, truth, and faithfulness: IN ALL That is that by the power of his Spirit he dwells within the believer guiding, directing, correcting, rebuking, convicting of sin and drawing hearts closer to himself.
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 By: Danny Torres A devotional series on the book of Ephesians
One of the most intimate and meaningful moments you can share with someone is prayer. In Ephesians 3 we find this beautiful prayer that Paul prays for the believers in Ephesus. It leads us to believe that the church in Ephesus held a special place in the heart of Paul. So much so that he breaks out into a prayer for them in the middle of his letter.
Among the things he prayed for, he prays for them to be "strengthened with power" in their "inner being through his Spirit." I wonder how many of us could benefit from this very prayer? Have you ever experienced a time when you needed inner strength? You see, you can bandage a wound, set a broken bone. But inner wounds aren't so easily repaired. I bet there have been times when you’ve struggled with a pain deep down inside that no one else knew about, even those closest to you. Do you know what you need in those moments? You need to be, “be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit.” Perhaps you’re going through financial hardship. An attack on your personhood. Maybe you’re facing relational strife or experiencing hardship within the family. Then for you I pray for inner strength through God’s Spirit. When all hope seems lost and you feel alone and broken, perhaps God is never more close to you then in that moment.
This week, let's pray for inner strength through God’s Spirit.  By: Danny Torres A devotional on the book of Ephesians
What does a minister look like? Do they wear pin striped suits and shiny shoes? Do they wear long robes and funny hats? Or maybe they carry a huge dinosaur sized Bible under their arm?
We all have a preconceived notion when we hear the word "minister." The first thing that probably pops into your mind is, "that's not me." This week we read in Ephesians 3:7 that Paul called himself a "servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace." The word "servant" is translated from the Greek word "diaconos" which means, "someone who executes the demands of another, a servant, a minister." One of the last things Jesus told his disciples was to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," {Matthew 28:19 CSB}. This means that we all have a role to play when it comes to making disciples. Here's three things Paul did as a minister of the gospel that we can do as well. 1, PROCLAIM The first thing we get to do as servants and ministers of the gospel is proclaim the incalculable riches of Jesus. Proclaiming is simply sharing the great gift of God’s love that we have experienced through Jesus with someone else. 2. SHED LIGHT As ministers and servants of the gospel, you can shed light on this mystery. What mystery? Well, it’s no longer a mystery for you. It’s the mystery of the gospel. It’s the good news of Jesus Christ. Each time you talk to that friend or family member, you’re shedding a little more light. As a minister of the gospel, God is using you to shed light on this mystery of the gospel and ultimately point others to the hope and faith you have found in Jesus. 3. BE BOLD AND CONFIDENT As ministers of the gospel we can be bold and confident. Not in our own abilities or skills. Instead we can have boldness and confidence because we have access to the Father through Jesus. Be bold and confident as you proclaim and shed light and share the hope you have in Jesus with those around you. Have confidence knowing that Jesus loves those in your relational circle more than you do. It’s God’s heart to seek and save the lost. His heart is not that any would perish but that many would come to repentance. In Matthew 9 Jesus said, "The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." {Matthew 9:37-38 CSB} What if you were an answer to this prayer by Jesus and the disciples? What if God has placed you right here, right now to share the love of God with those around you? My hope and prayer is that you would begin to see yourself, like Paul, as a minister and servant of the gospel.  By: Daniel Torres A Devotional on the Book of Ephesians
Devotional. Check.
Prayer. Check. Listen to Hillsong album. Check. All done...not so much! Did you ever consider that getting together with other believers is an integral part of your personal growth and sanctification? That's what Paul is saying in this passage. Last week at our gathering we spoke about how through Jesus we are all one. Regardless of race, nationality, or background, we are all united at the foot of the cross. Before God we all have one thing in common. We're sinners. And in Christ we all share another thing in common. We're forgiven. This week we spoke about how this oneness creates a new dynamic. It's one of family and kinship. Because of this family dynamic, we all need each other. I need you. You need me. We need each other. In what ways do we help each other grow? Glad you asked! Here are some ways we help each other grow. It's not an exhaustive list. I'm sure you can even add some other benefits. But it's a good start...
Here's the question however. If it's so beneficial for us to get together, and it's even backed up in Scripture, why are there so many "Lone Ranger Christians?" There's probably many reasons. Let me tell you a few. Some people are just really good at creating excuses. Why is it that when it's time to do something as beneficial and necessary as gathering with God's people, all of a sudden we notice the laundry that needs to get done, or the food shopping we must do, or the tires that need to get rotated, etc. The truth is that these are just a bunch of excuses and could easily be resolved with better time management. If gathering with each other is truly a priority and as essential as Paul says it is, then we must learn to push through those excuses and be better managers of our time. Some are just lazy. Maybe they're good intentioned and even set the alarm, only to hit the snooze button over and over again. For the lazy person, sometimes it's just too tempting to kick off the fuzzy slippers, put down the remote, and brush their teeth. But just like that same temptation is very real when you have to head to work, go to school, or whatever other important responsibility, you have to push through for what's important. Some simply do not care. They believe they can live out their Christianity solo. After all, who needs other people? Nowadays, all you need is an internet connection and a smartphone and you have access to world class communicators, Grammy award winning worship, and devotionals from the Bible App. The problem is that you have an incomplete diet. Personal worship, devotionals, and learning from great Bible teachers are all great ways grow and mature spiritually, but it's not complete. Paul says that we actually need each other grow. This means that corporately we play an important role in each others maturation and sanctification. We are better together. We were designed for relationship. Deep down within each of us is a desire to be needed and known. From the bubbliest social butterfly, to the shyest introvert, we have a need for relationship. So here's my challenge. Do you have a family of believers which you regularly do life with? A community that corporately worships and sits under the teaching of God's word? A place to practice the one another's of Scripture? If you don't, I'd love to invite you to Swerve. We're not perfect in no way, shape, or form. We've just got our eyes fixed on the One who is.  By: Steven Berrios A Devotional on the book of Ephesians
But God! These two words together could be two of the most powerful words in all of Scripture. We could read the two words together in several different places throughout the Bible. Here are just a few:
In Ephesians 2:1-3, Paul hammers who we are before Christ. He reminds us all that before Christ, we are dead in our trespasses and sins. He reminds us that we are by nature children of wrath. He reminds us that we have an enemy in the world, in Satan and in ourselves. BUT GOD! It was God, because of His rich mercy and great love, who made us alive with Christ. In ourselves we were completely hopeless. But that was forever changed with “but God”. It was His redemptive plan to display His rich mercy and great love in giving us His one and only Son to die in our place. All Praise be to God. In reflection today, spend a few moments reading over Ephesians 2:1-5. Give Him thanks that He chose to love on you.  By: Danny Torres A devotional on the book of Ephesians
He is the most controversial person in all of history. More books have been written about him than anyone else. There is no more prominent figure that has turned more heads and raised more eyebrows. Who is he? His name is Jesus.
This Sunday we discussed the supremacy of Jesus. While there are many claiming supremacy in our country and around the world, there is only One who is truly supreme over all. Here in chapter 1 of Ephesians, Paul claims that God has subjected everything under his feet. What I especially love about this passage is that Jesus is appointed head over everything for the church. Who else would be more fitting for that position than the man who gave his life for the church? As we strive towards planting a life giving and gospel centered church, let's remember to keep Jesus in his rightful place. Let's remember to keep razor focused on him. After all the church is founded upon him. So when we sing, we sing to and about him. When we teach God's word, we teach about him. When we gather together, we celebrate how he is at work in each other's lives. How about for you? Is Jesus first in your life? Is he supreme above all? Be encouraged today. Whether there's not a care in the world, or your world is falling apart, Jesus is ruling and reigning. In your prayer time this week, be sure to include words of thanksgiving for Jesus' rule and authority over all. Take time to repent and refocus the areas in life where Jesus is not in first place.  By: Steven Berrios A devotional series based on Ephesians
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. These are the words of Paul in the opening of his letter to the church in Ephesus. In fact Paul would echo these words, grace and peace, in each of his letters recorded in the New Testament. I am reading these word's this evening after just watching a behind the scenes short film of the horrific and criminal events that took place in Charlottesville Virginia. And my heart truly aches. I feel anger and I feel deep sadness. And I cry out to God my Father for grace and peace. Grace and peace for myself and for you.
We didn't survive yesterday without it, we most definitely need it today and we will need it tomorrow. Then I go on reading Ephesians chapter 1. For those of you reading this who do not know, as a church, we began a new series on the book of Ephesians this past Sunday. For the next 13 weeks or so we will be walking through verse by verse the entire letter written by Paul to the church in Ephesus. And I want to spend some time looking at the beautiful truth Paul writes in verses 5 and 6 that reveal to us the heart of God that was planned before the foundations of this universe. The Doctrine of Adoption was at the heart of God's redemptive plan for His children from the very beginning of time. Through the completed work of Jesus Christ, we have legal standing before God the Father. This is the Doctrine of Justification. But it is through adoption in which we become children of God. In adoption, God brings us into His family. Just think of what you just read. Now read it again. In adoption, God brings us into His family. Beautiful, isn't it? No where else will you find a greater love. God in love according to his own will, predestined us for adoption as sons and daughters. And so as we hear, read, watch and even first hand experience the hostility and division that is in our communities, in our nation and world, let it bring us great peace to know that the family of God consists of a bunch of adopted sons and daughters from all backgrounds and races. Understand that as adopted sons and daughters, we all have equal rights and privileges in this family. None of us were born into this family but God planned and purposed for each of us through Jesus to become family. We were all once orphans. No one was and no one is superior. It was God's will to bring us into His family. What a display of his marvelous grace! Each of us, as it says in Romans 8:15, have received the Spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry “Abba, Father!” What great joy to be adopted into the family of God. The family dinner table in the church of Christ should be the most beautiful table of all. Church, we need to get just a glimpse of this beauty that is the doctrine of adoption. Because of adoption, we have hope because of our inheritance in heaven with Jesus (Romans 8:17). Because of adoption we have a hope that comes from no longer being slaves but sons and daughters (Galatians 4:4-7). Because of adoption we have assurance that though we suffer with him now, we will also be glorified with him (Romans 8:14-17). Praise be to God the Father, for not only saving us but for adopting us. What a beautiful God we worship. Praise be to his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved! Father, what a joy it is to be in your family. I know I have done absolutely nothing to earn this. And so I thank you for willingly adopting me into your family. Father I pray now that I will live each day with this joy of understanding that I am your child. In Jesus name, Amen. |
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