Ephesians 4.25-32

25 "So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."

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Continuing from Paul's admonition to live differently as a Christian than you would/did as a non-Christian, he gives practical examples. For me, verses 26 and 27 have been very impactful because, being a passionate person, I have a tendency to allow my anger to get out of control sometimes. I find wisdom in what Paul says here too, because often times when I allow something I'm angry about to sit and fester within me for a long time instead of addressing it quickly (I think it's possible that Paul could be using the illustration 'before the sun sets' as a way of emphasizing not letting something fester for a long time, but it very well could mean a literal day as well...lol), it tends to control me by dampening my day. Isn't it crazy to thing that by living our lives in ways that don't honor God or conform to the ways that He expects from us, we bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit? I think that verses 31 and 32 provide an excellent summary that it might be good for us to memorize and keep in mind each day of our lives.

"Father thank You for Jesus! I pray that we would never grieve Your Spirit, but that we would conform our lives to the pattern set before us by Your Son Jesus. May we always have kind words to show to one another, and may we be sources of strength for one another whenever we need it most. We love You and we desperately need You! It's in Jesus' name I pray, amen!"

Ephesians 4.17-23

17 "With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes."

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The first truth that comes pouring out of this section, is that our lives are different from before we come to Christ to after we do. You might not have been the 'worst of the worst' Gentiles, but there is still a difference between how we all were before and how we are after coming to Christ. To deepen our spiritual strength, we don't depend on ourselves, but on God's Spirit. I get myself into trouble so many times because I try to take matters into my own hands, when what I need to do is rely upon Him and His abilities to renew my thoughts and attitudes. It makes a lot more sense too when you take a moment to think about it. Why would we, who lived in ways that are contrary to God, think that we can teach ourselves a new way that we know nothing about? Thank God that He sent His Spirit to teach me the new way to live and help me along the way! I'd still be helplessly lost without Him! =)

"God You are awesome! I pray that Your will would be done in my life. I pray that You send Your Spirit even more into my life, to help me develop new thoughts and new attitudes, and so that I will be more pleasing to You. I pray that You would do the same for everyone who's reading this as well. I love You and desperately need You each and every day! It's in Jesus' name that I pray, amen!"

Ephesians 4.1-16

"Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.

7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say,

“When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people.”

9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love."

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Lead a life worthy of our calling. That's a pretty heavy statement with some pretty heavy implications. There are a lot of times that I don't live up to a life that would seem worthy of my calling. Can you relate? It really starts to hit home when I read Paul say 'be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." Patience is not something that comes easy. But in the next section of verses, he explains the importance of doing that very thing. This is where you're favorite topic of 'unity' re-enters the picture. =) We are all given gifts that contribute to the edifying and function of the body as a whole. This is pretty sweet. Those of you who were in our guy's Bible study this past semester might remember our conversation about that, about how cool it is that in the body of Christ, even the seemingly unimportant part of the body is important. This section is so full of stuff, I don't have the time or the focus to type out all that you can get out of this, so I'll let that become a group activity. What sticks out to you guys? =)

"Father unify us! May the walls separating us from our brothers and sisters be knocked down and may we honor You by living in unity with those who belong to You. We love You and we desperately need You each and every day! It's in Jesus' name that I pray, amen!"

Ephesians 3.13-21

14 "When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen."

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How incredible is it that the love of Christ is SO great, that there's no way ANY of us can fully comprehend it?!?!? That's SO awesome!!! From this same love, we get strength. I don't know about You, but I really hope that I make it a point in each of my days that I live to deepen my roots in God's love so that I draw upon the strength that God provides through His Spirit. I desperately need that these days with the craziness of life and the utter chaos that I experience from time to time. What about you?

"Father, I want to mimic Paul's prayer here and pray that we would all trust Christ more and with more of our lives! I pray that our roots would dig down deep into Your love and that You would keep each of us strong in Your love. God fill us with Your Spirit and lead us in every aspect of our lives! In Jesus' name I pray, amen!"

Ephesians 3.1-13

"When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . . . 2 assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. 3 As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. 4 As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. 5 God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.

6 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. 7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.

8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. 9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. 13 So please don’t lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored."

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I have to apologize for not posting yesterday. I wanted to post everyday, but now that I missed a Sunday, I wonder if 6 days of posting and 1 day at Sunday morning church would be a good plan? Lol. At any rate, here's some of my thoughts after reading today's text! =)

I thought it was very strange that this translation put ellipses at the end of verse 1, but after reading the end-note on the website, it makes sense. Paul begins his thought in verse one, and then goes off on an aside/tangent for a little while, and then completes his thought in verse 14. I love that! Now I don't feel so weird about going off on tangents all the time! ;)

I think the reason Paul went off on a tangent, is because what he had to say was important and he wanted to preface it by making sure his audience understood what he was saying! I'm still inspired and encouraged that God used Paul. Here Paul says he's the worst, least deserving of all of God's people, and yet he was given an amazing opportunity. No matter how bad we are as people, God can redeem and use us! That's AMAZING!! I also love verse 10. God wants the church to be the vessel through which his wisdom. God's eternal plan was revealed and carried out through Jesus. In this section, as I said, Paul's summarizing a lot of his message up to this point so that his audience will keep this in mind as he continues his thought and the rest of his letter. Verse 12 is probably my favorite verse in this section. I love thinking through the fact that we can BOLDLY approach God because of Jesus. Jesus paid the sacrifice to bring us to this point, and better than that, he came back to life. So in addition to the price He paid, He stands in defense and as a witness to what He did and has done, meaning that the offer and sacrifice will NEVER run out! =) 

What about you guys? =)

"Father, I pray today for those who have served our country and those who currently serve. Thank You for freedom, especially freedom in Christ. I pray that You use us to further Your kingdom and that You drawn us closer to You each and every day! We love You! It's in Jesus' name I come before You and pray, amen!"

Ephesians 2.19-22

19 "So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit."

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Together we, you and I, are the house of God. Think about that for a second. Le this truth sink through for a few minutes and then ask yourself this question: "Am I doing anything that's compromising or damaging God's house?" Often times (too often), I find myself damaging God's house via pride. I take offense to people's comments sometimes because of pride. Not only does this mess with me (and my portion of God's house) but it also affects other people (and their portion of God's house). Through God's grace and help, I've been able to identify the areas in my life where pride has gotten a hold of and get rid of it. What is it for you? I find it cool how Paul adds adjectives to describe HOW things were done. In verse 21, Paul notes that we were CAREFULLY joined together in him. We were just thrown together, we were carefully put together. I picture God taking each of us and putting us in the exact place that we fit perfectly. You and I were placed in  our spots for specific reasons, and for specific purposes. It's just so crazy to read this and think about sometimes I read through passages like this and totally miss out on some of the things that you can only notice if you read between the lines.

"Father, grant us a deeper appreciation for Your word. Reveal the hidden things that we don't see and give us understanding to apply them to our lives. Father You have done and continue to do so much for us. Thank You! Thank You for our friends, family, and most importantly for Jesus! We love You! It's in Jesus' name that I pray, amen!"

Ephesians 2.11-18

11 "Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us."

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As you probably know, unity is a key part of me and my theology. To me, unity is MUCH more important than getting every detail of faith 100% correct. After all, we already have Jesus who got it 100% correct! =) From Paul's words here, I sense a message that he is conveying and that has some major implications for today, is that none of us should ever consider ourselves 'higher' than another believer based upon how much longer we've been a Christian or for how much longer we've known something. There's a certain balance that we need to discover how to live with, because there are times when those who have been Christian longer have a deeper maturity level but we have to help those less mature grow in maturity without thinking of them as less, ourselves as more, or putting the other one down. The fact of the matter is, we are all in the same boat. Without God, we have no hope! (vs 12) It's pretty sweet to see and think about how not only does Jesus' blood cleanse us and save us, but it also dissolves the barriers between us all. No more ethnicity barriers. No more racial barriers. Even no more gender barriers. The gift of peace with God was given to those near and far away, so that all had to opportunity to be a part of God's people!

What stuck out to you in this section?

"Father thank You for Jesus. We can't thank You enough! I pray that we would live our lives and align our actions so that Your desire and vision of unity would be realized and would manifest itself in a reality here on earth! If we are ever tempted to think less of another brother or sister because he or she is different from us, may you gently remind us of this passage and remind us that Your love is for us AND for them, just the way we are! We love You so much! It's in Jesus' name that I pray, amen!"

Ephesians 2.1-10

"Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

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This section of Ephesians is SUPER popular, especially verse 8. Unfortunately, people cite verse 8 and just stop there, without finishing the thought with verses 9 and 10. But we'll get there! =) The truth Paul conveys here in the beginning is crazy to think about, but so true. Without Jesus, we're all dead! We were dead, objects of God's anger because of our actions, yet somehow He still loved us enough to send Jesus to save us! In verse 2, Paul makes an interesting connection, saying that the devil is the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He also says that he is the spirit that's working in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. It's crazy to think about that. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit at work in those who obey God and belong to Christ, and the devil is the spirit at work in those who don't. I can't help but think about Jesus' teaching in Matthew 12 and Mark 3.

26 "And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive. 27 Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.

28 “I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, 29 but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.”"

These were some strong words Jesus spoke to these guys. They were saying that the Spirit inside of Him was the devil, which was blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. That's a major issue, as you could probably guess, haha. But the imagery here that Jesus gives, is that the devil is the spirit inside of you when you're not a believer, and you are subject to and serve him. Your only hope is for Jesus and His Spirit, who is stronger, to enter in, tie him up, and free you! This also makes sense to me in how we are 'born again/from above' to a new life. The devil is bound, we are liberated from our old life, which is then put to death, and we are given a new life through Christ! AMAZING! It's cool how Paul even says in verse 7 that he knows he and the believers in Ephesus are going to be seen as examples and testimonies for those who come after. 

In verse 8, Paul explains that salvation wasn't given to us based upon what we do or anything that we've done. It's a gift. A gift isn't given as payment. It's given because someone cares about/loves someone else. If it weren't a gift and was based upon our works, can you imagine how much boasting would be happening? People's tendency to have a 'holier-than-thou' attitude would be SO MUCH MORE rampant than it already is. I don't know about you, but I don't think I could stand that, haha. As I mentioned earlier, so many people just stop here. But Paul doesn't finish his thought here. He concludes his thought with verse 10, not verse 9!! What does he say? He says we were saved TO DO GOOD WORKS!!! CRAZY HUH!?!?! We weren't saved because of good works, but we were saved to do good works! It's important that we don't forget that and that we don't flip those! He had amazing plans for us to be a part of and sin ruined that, or so it seemed. But thanks be to Jesus, through whom we are created ANEW, born to a new life from above, and we are able to once again be a part of the awesome things that God has planned! =) Kind of puts a bigger importance and role on how we live as Christians doesn't it? =) We truly don't live our lives for ourselves but for God! What are your thoughts? =)

"Father, thank You for Jesus! May we never forsake You and may we never live our lives in a way that doesn't take your love and Jesus' sacrifice for granted! I pray that you give us the wisdom to see things how You do and to align our lives with the plans that you have in store. We love You! It's in Jesus' name that I pray, amen!"

Ephesians 1.15-23

15 "Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself."

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What a testament Paul's giving to the Ephesians! It's easy to see that Paul greatly values his Christian brothers and sisters in Ephesus from reading what he writes here. I'm encouraged by verse 17, where Paul says he's asking God to give them spiritual wisdom so that they can continue to grow in the knowledge of God. Often times it's tempting to think that we've learned all we can, and then we encounter something that shows us that we don't know everything, and we enter into a stage of crisis. Maybe not crisis, but at least we get discouraged, thinking that we failed in some area. As much as I love learning and knowing things, there's somehow a refreshing truth from this. I don't know everything. I probably never will, and that's OK! The more I think about it, the more I should also be thankful that I don't know everything. I've noticed a trend within people, especially myself, that when I learn something, I can easily become conceited or arrogant. Notice in verse 18 that 'hope' pops up again? Remember talking about 'hope' this semester? Now go back, thinking of what we talked about, and read the importance and the magnitude of what Paul attributes to hope! Pretty sweet huh? =)

God's power is great. That's undeniable. But I want you to read between the lines here a little bit. Remember yesterday's passage and Paul's words about the Holy Spirit? I think this section is a continuation, if you will, of that too. I have some support for this opinion. Elsewhere, Paul talks about the Spirit when he says, "The same power that raised Christ from the grave, lives in you." And here, in verse 19-20 he echos this, and describes Him as 'incredible' and 'great.' Just take a few moments and think about that and see if anything pops into your mind. =)

I love the ending part of this section. Jesus is far greater than any authority here on earth or in the world to come. We have a magnificent savior. I can't help but think of Paul's words in Romans 8 here as well, 'If God is for us, who can be against us?!?!" 

So, any thoughts? =)

"Father thank You for loving us! I pray that you would give us wisdom and help us to appreciate Your Spirit more and more each day! Father forgive us when we allow our pride to take over. May we always seek Your will and align our lives to You in all things we do! God, we love You! Thank You for saving us through Your son Jesus!!! It's in Jesus' name that I pray, amen!"

Ephesians 1.9-14

9 "God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him."

(Want a Different Translation? Click Here!)

This is so awesome! So much is coming to mind right now, just after reading the first sentence. The plan of salvation that Christ came to fulfill and implement, was a mystery up until this time! Other places in Scripture talk about how the Old Testament patriarchs and prophets spoke about something that they didn't see or quite understand, BECAUSE IT WAS A MYSTERY! We today have the honor and privilege to KNOW that mystery! I'm reminded a little of just how much discovering a mystery means to us human beings. Think about it. Thomas Edison, when he 'discovered' the 'mystery' of the light bulb. How about Ben Franklin and stumbling across the 'mystery' of electricity. Being reconciled back to God, in a lasting way, was a mystery for a very long time! Upon Jesus' death and resurrection, when He began His church, the mystery was revealed! Paul then outlines the plan, aka, the GOSPEL. What I love about this passage too, is that it takes on a futuristic feel at the same time! Salvation isn't a 'one-time-thing.' Salvation is a past, present, and future thing. You were saved, you are currently being saved, and you will be saved! An integral part of this mystery is the fact that God is bringing everything back together, in Christ! 

Now verse 11 can cause a little of an issue for some people. One possible way of reading this  is just as a reformed camp might read it, that we were chosen beforehand to be saved. But let me present to you another, possible way of reading this. Let me breakdown the verse.

IT IS BECAUSE --> we are united with Christ

                                                          THAT  --> we received an inheritance from Him

WE RECEIVED THIS INHERITANCE BECAUSE WE BELONG TO THE PEOPLE THAT GOD CHOSE IN ADVANCE...

What people did God choose in advance? He chose those who would belong to Christ, be united with Christ! Essentially, any who unite themselves with Christ, who are united with Christ, etc, will be a part of God's chosen people. Then Paul ends with a comforting, kind of paraphrase of Romans 8.28: He makes everything to work out according to His plan.

Verses 12-14 is where Paul talks about the 'evolution' of salvation history, how one becomes a part of God's chosen people united with Christ, and the results of being united with Christ. Every person who belongs to Jesus, has the Holy Spirit inside of him/her. This is an AWESOME fact! Not only does the Holy Spirit guide us and empower us to live lives holy and pleasing to God, but He also serves as a seal, guaranteeing that we do in fact belong to God and that we will inherit the inheritance that is awaiting us! What do you guys think about all of this!?! How sweet is this section of Ephesians?!? Can you believe it's only the first 14 VERSES!?!?! Lol. =)

"Father in Heaven, I pray that You would grant us understanding. I pray that where we lack wisdom, You would grant it, that where we need guidance, You would lead. God thank You for revealing the mystery of Your plan for saving us! We don't do anything that deserves Your love and grace, yet You give it anyway. I am EXTREMELY grateful and I pray that I would never take advantage of that and forsake You! Father forgive us when we fail, and grant us the peace to get back up and continue running the race, seeking after You every step of the way! It's in Jesus name that I pray, amen!"

Ephesians 1.1-8

Welp here we go! =)

"This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. 2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding."

(What a Different Translation? Click Here)

Just reading through this passage there are a number of things that stick out. The first thing I notice is how Paul says that we have been blessed with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms BECAUSE we are united with Christ. This stuck out with me for a couple of reasons, but I find it interesting and rather cool that right out of the gate, Paul confesses that the reason we have blessings is because we belong to Christ, not because of we earned by working and doing good things. This theme is rather big in Paul's literature, especially here in Ephesians. Before anything existed, God loved us. That's a humbling and encouraging truth right there! If you keep reading, everyone's favorite topic pops up! Predestination. I'm sure every one of you are probably very tired of hearing me talk about this, but it's in Scripture and thus should be talked about! =)

I like the way that this translation translates this section. Our friends from Reformed and Calvinist camps probably wouldn't. I want to remind you guys that the ongoing 'argument' (I still prefer to use the term 'conversation' but too many people on both sides are neglecting the disagree in love admonishments of the New Testament) between these two sides isn't on who's doing the saving! It never was about that and it never will be! If you hear a person say that the ongoing discussion is centered on that, you now know that they're wrong and that they don't really understand the conversation. One side's arguing that God saves people without granting them the opportunity to respond (in a positive or negative way). The other said believes that God saves people and allows them the opportunity to respond (in a positive/accepting or negative/rejecting way). For the first (or Reformed) position to be correct, the interpretation of this passage would probably have to be something like "each individual is picked before time." The reason I like this translation, is because I think that the meaning of what Paul's getting at here isn't what the Reformed camp is saying. I'll admit that sure, maybe God DID actually know who was going to be saved beforehand, but He allowed them to make the choice and He didn't force them in or out. Looking back at the text. Paul explains that what God decided to do beforehand is save people THROUGH His Son (v 5). I won't type a theology paper here, but I think I got my point across. The fact is, in my opinion, the Greek can be read either way. However I believe that this reading makes more sense and reflects the greater story that is presented in all of Scripture. But as I have always said, I could be wrong, and I'll still be fine! =) So what do you guys think? What else stuck out to you guys in this section of Ephesians 1?

"God I pray that You would reveal more of Yourself and more of Your truth to us! Please guide us as we read and talk about Your Word. Guide us, build us up. Reveal things in our lives that are keeping us from growing closer to You. Please keep us safe as we begin our summer and allow us to stay connected with You and with one another! We love You and we desperately need You! In Jesus name, Amen!"