Articles
Ephesians
Ephesians
I started preaching back in early 1970’s. All of these books of the Bible were new to me. Although I had been around various churches, we never studied the actual texts! We gave lip-service to the Bible, but didn’t expose ourselves to the text.
Now, 50 years later, our reading program takes us back over the letter to the Ephesians. Two points have formed in my thinking of this book. Frist, is that my life is to in all aspects be lived to the praise of the glory of His grace (cp. Eph. 1:6, 12, 14). And second, I am in the company of many different people who come from many different backgrounds, but are now my spiritual family and I need to learn to accept, love, and walk with them on this spiritual path.
Truthfully, some of us are harder to accept and love than others In this letter, the background problem was an age old problem even in the 1st century – Jew vs Gentile. The people of God had opened its ‘border’ to those who were not of Jewish stock. Those that were the ‘enemy’ are now my beloved brethren! Old habits are hard to change, and prejudices developed before our spiritual conversion to follow Jesus are not overcome just in being baptized.
I often wonder what a typical Sunday morning would have been like for these new disciples. Walking into a gathering of Jew AND Gentile, would I greet ALL of them with love? Would I hug EACH of them. Would I now openly declare my partnership with those that I excluded from my circle of friends.
The promise is unto ALL nations, EVERY creature. God has created the unity of the one body, now I must WORK (endeavor, labor) to maintain such by making sure I accept each of God’s people. Read again Eph. 4:1-6! Perhaps daily?
Chapter one begins by showing us that EACH of us are blessed in the same way in Jesus. God has accepted us, let us accept one another! Make a list of the blessings enumerated by Paul in this chapter, then make a strong mental note to self that ALL of us together have the SAME blessings. Together we are a new ‘temple’, a new ‘family’, a new kingdom.
Let us love one another to the praise of His glory.
Hugh
