Month: November 2013

Ephesians 5:1-14

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Bright Lights In the Darkness.

Ephesians 5:1-14

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. – Ephesians 5:8-9 NLT

The believers in Ephesus were surrounded by darkness. These people had come to faith in Christ and been placed into the family of God, but still found themselves living in a pagan culture where all kinds of ungodly activity and influences surrounded them. While they were now part of the body of Christ, that did not mean that they were free from external pressures or the temptations to go back to their old ways of life. Paul had helped found this church and had spent over three years with the believers there, so he knew their situation well and had a deep concern for their ongoing spiritual well-being. He had seen first-hand the transformation that had taken place in their lives. Once they had been “full of darkness.” They had lived like the other Gentiles around them, whose “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” (Ephesians 4:16 NLT). Those among whom the Ephesian believers lived, “have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity” (Ephesians 4:19 NLT).

So Paul reminds the members of the church in Ephesus that they have a responsibility to live differently and influentially in the midst of the culture in which they find themselves. They are to live as people of light. Paul loved the imagery of light. So did Jesus. He described Himself by saying, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12 NLT). Paul had written to the believers in Corinth, “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:6-7 NLT). Paul was reminding his readers that they had been radically transformed and enlightened by the very presence of God in the form of the Holy Spirit. And that light within them was to shine from them, impacting and influencing everything and everyone around them. Light shines in the darkness. Light and dark cannot coexist. Darkness is simply the absence of light. So the more brightly the light within them shone out of them, the less darkness would be present in their midst. That’s why Paul wrote, “Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and course jokes – these are not for you” (Ephesians 5:3-4 NLT).

Light dispels darkness. It doesn’t attempt to cozy up to it and tolerate it. As soon as a light is turned on, the darkness goes away. The same should be true in the life of the believer. The brighter the light of Christ shines in our lives, the more the darkness will recede. The more the light of Christ shines out of our lives, the less influence the darkness around us will have on us. The believers in Ephesus were just as prone as we are to tolerate sin, to excuse it and justify it. There will always be those who try to excuse sin and find a way to make it acceptable. But Paul warns, “Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him” (Ephesians 5:6 NLT). Tolerance and compromise have no place in the life of the believer. We are not to take part in the things that are done in darkness. “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” (Ephesians 5:8 NLT). Light refuses to tolerate darkness. Instead, it exposes and expels it. Paul starts out this chapter by saying, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children” (Ephesians 5:1 NLT). That’s quite a challenge. But it is simply a reminder that we are no longer of this world. We have a new family and a new Father. We have been adopted and placed into a new home with a new set of standards. We should live in such a way that our actions please our heavenly Father. Rather than take part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness, we should expose them. We shouldn’t even talk about them. Paul writes, “It is shameful to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible” (Ephesians 5:12-13 NLT). That light resides in believers, so our very presence in the world should expose the darkness around us. Our existence on this planet should make everything visible, providing a stark contrast between what is pleasing to God and what is acceptable in this world. We are lights, but we need to shine. “No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house” (Luke 11:33 NLT).

Father, may the light of Christ shine out of us, not just inside us. May we learn to live as lights in the darkness, exposing sin and expressing the love of Christ for those whose lives have been dominated by darkness for far too long. Our lives are to be different and distinct. We have the Light of the world inside us, now help us to let it shine through us. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Ephesians 4:17-32

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New, Not New and Improved.

Ephesians 4:17-32

Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. – Ephesians 4:23-24 NLT

Jesus Christ didn’t die on the cross so that you could enjoy a slightly new-and-improved version of the old you. And yet, that’s exactly the view held by a lot believers today. The term used to explain this version of salvation is “behavior modification.” It basically means that by coming to faith in Christ, we have been given a capacity to change the way we live by making a few alterations to our daily habits and attitudes. The formula goes something like this: More good behavior + less bad behavior = holiness. So we try to stop doing some things and start doing others things – all in the hope that it will make us more acceptable to God. But Paul pulls on the emergency break when it comes to that kind of mindset. Why? Because it’s unbiblical and not helpful. Yes, he tells us to “throw off our old sinful nature and your former way of life,” which sounds a whole lot like removing bad behavior. Then he tells us to “put on your new nature,” which sounds like he’s recommending that we add some good behavior. Paul goes on to give a pretty comprehensive list of things to STOP doing. Stop telling lies. Stop letting anger control you. Stop going to bed angry. Stop stealing. Stop using foul or abusive language. Stop grieving the Holy Spirit with the way you live. Stop being bitter, raging, using harsh words, and slandering one another. As a matter of fact, stop all types of evil behavior.

But is Paul simply giving us a list of things to stop doing? Is it all up to us? Is he providing us with some helpful self-improvement tips for a better and more holy life? I don’t think so. Paul is reminding the Ephesians that a life in Christ is a life marked by incredible change, both inside and out. Our new life in Christ should be characterized by new behaviors. We have been given a new nature by God that is designed to be like Him – holy and righteous. Lying, stealing, slandering, hating, cursing – all reflect our old nature. So when they show up, they are evidence that we are living according to our old nature and not our new one. Those things are not godly, holy or righteous. But when we live under the influence of our new, God-given nature, the results are markedly different. Rather than stealing, or taking what doesn’t belong to us, we will work hard and give generously to others. Rather than allow words that abuse and tear down to come from our lips, we will say those things that are good, helpful, and encouraging. Instead of grieving the Holy Spirit by living according to our old nature, we will please Him by allowing Him to control our actions and attitudes. We will live lives that evidence kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. And those things are not self-manufactured, they’re the evidence of the Spirit’s work in our lives. He produces them. The love He produces in us isn’t just our human capacity to love on steroids. It’s a completely different kind of love. It’s selfless rather than selfish. It’s sacrificial rather than self-centered. It’s divine, not human. It’s impossible and non-replicable. In other words, you can’t manufacture this kind of love on your own. It’s humanly impossible. In fact, this entire list that Paul provides is impossible if attempted on your own. The key is found in verse 23: “Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.” It all begins in the mind. That’s the battleground. And the renewing of our minds involves a change in the way we think and perceive. When we come to Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit and, along with Him, a new perspective on life and eternity. He begins in us a slow, steady process of internal transformation that works its way out in outward behavior modification. So selfishness gets slowly replaced with selflessness. Self-centeredness gets replaced with sacrifice. Love of self gets replaced with love for others. As our minds are renewed, our behavior begins to change. And that renewal is the work of the Spirit in conjunction with the Word of God. Paul told the Romans, “…let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:2 NLT). He goes on to say, “Don’t think you are better than you really are” (Romans 12:3 NLT). God gives us the capacity to look at ourselves honestly and realistically. His Spirit and His Word combine to provide us with a new way of seeing and thinking about life. And it should change the way we live our life.

God is out to radically change and transform us, not just slightly improve us. A slightly improved version of the old you is still not good enough. So God gave you a new nature and a new power to live differently and distinctively in this life. We can “throw off” our old way of life with all its sins, habits and hangups. We can daily put on our new nature, which has been created by God to mirror His own character of holiness and righteousness. Simply trying to change our behavior is like putting a new set of clean clothes on top of our old, dirty ones. It doesn’t change anything. It’s a facade, a cover up – that only hides the reality within. God wants to change us from the inside out. So He begins with our thoughts and attitudes. As we learn to think differently, we will begin to live differently. We will understand our need for the Spirit’s presence and power each and every day of our lives. We’ll understand our need to know the will of God by spending time in the Word of God. We will come to recognize the difference between the deeds we perform in our own flesh and the fruit that flows through is as a result of the Spirit of God’s work in us. And the new, God-designed version of us will be far more successful than the slightly improved version could ever be.

Father, I want to be radically changed by You each and every day of my life. But I know I have to have my way of thinking radically changed through time spent in Your Word and through submission to Your Holy Spirit’s leading. I don’t want superficial, non-sustainable change. I want to real thing. And only You can produce it in my life. Continue Your inner transformation of my heart and mind, so that my outer behaviors will give evidence of all that You are doing in me. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Ephesians 4:1-16

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A High Calling.

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. – Ephesians 4:1 NLT

One of the things to constantly keep in mind when reading most of the letters of Paul is that he is typically writing to a congregation, not an individual. Except in the case of his two letters to Timothy and the one he sent to Titus, most of his letters are intended for a particular body of believers. He is addressing the church corporately. In his letter to the Ephesian church, he is stressing the unique nature of their identity as part of the body of Christ. They are a diverse group of individuals from all walks of life and a variety of religious backgrounds, whom God has called together and placed within His family. They share a common bond as recipients of the grace of God made possible through Jesus Christ. And while everything about their diverse backgrounds might naturally result in disunity and dissension, Paul calls them to unity. They have been loved by God, so now they should love one another.

He begs them to lead lives worthy of their calling. He wants them to conduct their lives in a manner that is in keeping with God’s purpose in calling them in the first place. Then he gives them concrete examples of what that kind of corporate life will look like. They are to be humble, gentle, patient with each other, and willing to love in spite of one another’s faults and failures. He stresses that their union as members of God’s family was the work of the Spirit of God and, as a result, they should strive to maintain their peace with one another. This was not an easy thing considering the natural animosity Jews and Gentiles had toward one another. And it’s important to remember that, as a result of the Gospel, the church in Ephesus was made up of both factions. Paul reminds them that “there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all” (Ephesians 4:4-6 NLT). Unity is the theme of this section. Unity in diversity.

God, in His infinite wisdom, has not only called together a diverse group of individuals and placed them into His family, He has gifted each and every one of them with special Spirit-enabled gifts designed to benefit the body of Christ. Among them are the leadership gifts He has given to the church in form of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers. These individuals were given to the church by God in order to strengthen and equip the body of Christ so that each member would do his or her work effectively, resulting in a vibrant and growing church. The Greek word Paul uses for “equip” is katartismon which means preparing, mending, or restoring people to their proper use. There are those in the church whose primary responsibility it is to help the body function efficiently and effectively. The church functions best when each individual believer is utilizing his or her spiritual gift in order to build up the rest of the body. When everyone is doing their job and conducting their lives within the body of Christ according to their individual calling, the entire body prospers. And the goal of all of this activity is spiritual maturity – “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” (Ephesians 4:13 NLT).

Spiritual maturity or increasing Christ-likeness is God’s objective for the church, and everyone plays a vital role in the process. God’s plan calls for unity and a shared concern for one another. “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” (Ephesians 4:16 NLT). We are in this together. The church is not a collection of individual believers growing independently and in isolation, but a body where each part has been meticulously and strategically placed by God and designed to function in a symbiotic and sympathetic relationship. This God-ordained and Spirit-empowered entity called the church is to be a remarkable witness to God’s amazing wisdom. It shouldn’t work, but it does. But only as long as we live in humility, gentleness, patience and love with one another, doing everything we can to maintain the unique spirit of unity that God has created to experience.

Father, thank You for the church. When I consider the incredible diversity of the body of Christ and the wide assortment of personalities and backgrounds represented, I am amazed that it works at all. In spite of our individual sin natures and tendency to live self-centered lives even in the midst of community, Your Spirit makes it all function – in spite of us. Give us a growing desire to live in unity, using our God-given gifts to benefit one another. Help us to understand that we grow best when we grow together. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Ephesians 3:14-21

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Rooted In Love.

Ephesians 3:14-21

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. – Ephesians 3:17 NLT

When Paul thinks about the mysterious plan of God for the church – the blending together of a wide variety and cross-section of humanity through the redemptive work of Christ – he can’t help but fall to his knees in prayer to the Father. He understands that it was God who made it all possible. It was God who sent His Son to die in the place of sinners. It was God who expressed His own love to us while we were sinners, not after we got our spiritual act together. It was God who came up with the idea of the Church. It was God who sent His Spirit to reside within His people, empowering and enlightening them. It was ALL God.

So Paul prays that this very same God, who created everything in heaven and earth, would use the same unlimited resources He used to create the universe to empower His children with inner strength through His Spirit. He is praying for an intimate and intense relationship between God and His Church. Paul longs for them to experience in full what God has made possible through His Son. It is the life Jesus promised – life more abundant and full (John 10:10). The key word in Paul’s prayer is “trust.” As believers trust and put their faith in God, their roots will grow down into God’s love and keep them strong. It is as we trust in Christ daily, that we learn just how much God loves us. We develop and experiential knowledge that is far better than simply academic knowledge. Reading about the love of God is one thing. Experiencing it is another. Reading about the power of God can be helpful. But experiencing it firsthand can be life-changing and faith-building.

Understanding the incredible depth of God’s love is essential for the believer. To know God is to know His love, because God is love. The better we come to know Him, the greater we will come to appreciate His love for us. Trusting in Christ has a direct impact on our ability to know and experience God’s love. God’s greatest expression of His love for mankind came through His own Son and His death on the cross. And as we learn to trust in Christ, living our lives in keeping with His commands and according to His example, our spiritual roots will grow deeper and deeper into God’s love – the very thing we need to sustain our lives on this planet. Paul prayed that they would understand the magnitude of God’s love for them. But he also prayed that they would experience the love of Christ for them. The result would be spiritual maturity that manifests itself in fullness of life and power.

Paul’s prayer conveys the idea of ever-increasing knowledge of God’s love and an ever-growing understanding of all that God has made available to us through Christ’s death and resurrection. In Paul’s mind, there is no standing still, no status quo. We are to keep moving on in our relationship with Christ, growing in our understanding of His love as we trust in Him more and more. Salvation is just the start. We trusted Him for our forgiveness and redemption, but we must also trust Him for our ongoing sanctification and spiritual maturity. And Paul reminds us that, ultimately, God will get the glory because it is His power at work within us, that will accomplish His finished work in our lives – a transformation far more significant than we could ever hope or imagine.

Father, Your love for me is beyond comprehension at times. I can’t fathom why You would love someone like me, but You did and You do. In love, You sent Your Son to die for me. You have lovingly placed Your Spirit within me. Your love placed me in Your family, the Church. Your love empowers me and protects me. Your love surrounds me. But at times, I still struggle with the feeling that I am unloved because I am unlovable. Help me understand how wide, how long, and how deep Your love really is. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Ephesians 3:1-13

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God’s Mysterious Plan.

Ephesians 3:1-13

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. – Ephesians 3:10 NLT

As a God-ordained spokesman of the Good News regarding Jesus Christ, Paul was given inside information or understanding that had been hidden from others for centuries. Like all the authors of the Scriptures, Paul was given insight from God through the Holy Spirit into things that others had been unable to comprehend or see. In this section of his letter to the Ephesian believers, Paul refers to God’s “mysterious plan” regarding Christ. He discusses God multifaceted wisdom and uses the Greek word, polypoikilos, which means “variegated or made up of different kinds.” And this wisdom is displayed through the rich variety of the church. “The church as a multi-racial, multi-cultural community is like a beautiful tapestry. Its members come from a wide range of colourful backgrounds. No other human community resembles it. Its diversity and harmony are unique” (John Stott, The Message of Ephesians).

Paul makes this mysterious plan clear when he says: “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” (Ephesians 3:6 NLT). This is the remarkable thing about the church, the body of Christ. Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, everyone enjoys the same promise of blessings. We all get to experience the same gift of grace and take advantage of God’s forgiveness and reconciliation made possible through Jesus’ sacrificial death in our place. In Paul’s day there had been a division between Jews and Gentiles. In fact, there was a great degree of animosity and hatred between these two groups. The Jews looked down on Gentiles and considered them less than dogs. And yet, here was God uniting these two groups into one family. This would not have been dreamed of by the Jews of the Old Testament. They would  never have imagined that the Gentiles would someday be viewed by God as their equals. For generations they had been the chosen people of God. Now God had opened up the Gospel to all people, and Paul had “been given the privilege of serving him by speaking this Good News” (Ephesians 3:7 NLT). “…he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ” (Ephesians 3:8 NLT).

Because of Christ, all men can enjoy a right relationship with God. It is not reserved for some specific group or based on ethnic identity. Anyone who accepts God’s free gift of grace through Jesus Christ “can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence” (Ephesians 3:12 NLT). Redemption and restoration are available to all. And as a result, the church is made up of all kinds of people, from all walks of life. There are Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, males and females, slave and free, servants and masters, the influential and the seemingly insignificant. The common bond we all share is faith in Christ. It is what He has done for us that links us together as one body. Regardless of our background, we all needed the same thing: His righteousness and God’s forgiveness. And God has placed us all in this unique institution called the church. Together we “display his wisdom in its rich variety.” Even the angels are amazed at what they see. The church should not work. It is a recipe for disaster. The very idea of bringing so many who are so different together, and expecting them to live in love and unity, is insane. It shouldn’t work. But it has for centuries and continues to do so, revealing God’s infinite wisdom. “. . . the church is to be an audio-visual display of God’s reconciling work. In this primary way she testifies to God’s grace and wisdom. So Paul encouraged living life in Christ in such a way that reconciliation is the dominant feature of church life” (Darrell Bock, A Biblical Theology of the New Testament).

Paul wanted his readers to understand just how special this thing called the church really was. He didn’t want them to take it for granted. It was not a man-made institution, but something God had ordained and orchestrated. The diversity of the church is one of its distinctives. The rich variety of individuals who have been chosen by God and placed into His family is a testimony to His great love and grace. The very fact that we can live in unity together is a vivid illustration of His power and presence among us. God not only reconciles men to Himself, He reconciles men to one another, erasing man-made lines of distinction and eliminating the prejudices and animosities that have long plagued mankind. Like the Jews and Gentiles of Paul’s day, we are all “part of the same body and … enjoy the promise of blessings because [we] belong to Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6 NLT). One body. One family. One church.

Father, thank You for saving me, but more importantly, thank You for placing me in Your family, the Church. Give me a growing appreciation for just how rich and diverse the Church really is. Never let me lose sight of the miracle of grace that has brought together so many who are so different under one common cause and all as a result of Your great love and Christ’s great sacrifice. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Ephesians 2:19-22

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God’s Family.

Ephesians 2:19-22

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. – Ephesians 2:19 NLT

God has taken each one of those whom He has called and placed them into His very own family and made them His very own children. We are talking about the adoption of those who used to be His enemies. While we used to live apart from Christ and totally devoid of a relationship with God the Father, we now enjoy an intimate relationship as His sons and daughters. We have become His heirs. “The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children. And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ)” (Romans 8:16-17 NLT). At one time we lived in the world without God and without hope, but now we have a restored relationship with Him and are considered a part of His family, with all the rights and privileges the come with being a child of the King, including eternal life. “…since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life (Titus 3:7).

Paul makes it clear to his Gentile readers that their position has been dramatically altered because of what Jesus has done. At one time they were called, “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews. They were looked down upon by the Jews. Not only that, they were despised and hated. Prior to the cross, the Gentiles had no relationship with Christ, the Messiah. He was the Messiah of the Jews. They had not been expecting or hoping for a Messiah. They would not have known who He was had He shown up right in front of them. Also, Gentiles were, for the most part, excluded from any kind of citizenship among the Jews. While they could choose to become members of the nation of Israel, it was both rare and difficult, which made them virtual strangers among the Jews.

Even more significantly, the Gentiles were left out when it came to the promises that God had made to Israel. When it came to the covenant promises God had made to Abraham, Moses, and David, the average Gentile was clueless and probably disinterested.  As a result, they were without God and without hope for the future. Their lot was cast, their doom sealed. Their future hope was totally contingent of God doing something for them through the seed of Abraham. The nations of the world would have to be blessed through the line of Abraham. There was no other way.

And yet, now all those Gentiles who have come to faith in Christ have been placed into God’s growing family, which includes Jews and Gentiles, poor and rich, the influential and the insignificant, the powerful and the weak, slave and free, male and female, old and young, educated and uneducated. “We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord” (Ephesians 2:21 NLT). What a marvelous truth, what an amazing reality, what an unbelievable privilege. We are part of the dwelling, the Church, where God lives by His Spirit. Inexplicable and incredible.

Father, Thanks for placing me in Your family. What an amazing thought. I can’t even begin to fathom the full import of that reality. I have a difficult time getting my head around just what that means, but thank You for making it possible. Thank You for making me Your own. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Ehpesians 2:11-18

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Without God. Without Hope.

Ephesians 2:11-18

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. – Ephesians 2:12 NLT

As believers, it’s sometimes easy to focus on our status as God’s children, member of His family and heirs of His kingdom. And there is certainly nothing wrong with dwelling on that reality. We have much for which to be grateful and our status before God because of what Jesus Christ has done for us is something we should never take for granted. But Paul also wants us to have a firm grasp on that from which we have been delivered. There is a benefit to focusing on our new-found standing as forgiven and righteous sons and daughters of God. But there is also a real benefit to remembering our pre-conversion condition. Paul writes, “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” (Ephesians 2:11 NLT). The Greek word Paul uses is mnēmoneuō and it means, “to be mindful of, to remember, to call to mind.” We are to call to mind and reflect on what our condition was like before coming to Christ – and this is something that is true of each and every believer in Christ, regardless of their background. Paul is writing to Gentiles or non-Jews, and he tells them that they were at one time “outsiders” or those who lived outside or excluded from the Hebrew people. They were viewed as “uncircumcised” and, therefore, inferior. They lacked the physical mark that would have set them apart as God’s chosen people. Not only were they not Jews, they were apart from Christ and completely separated from God. They were God-less and hopeless.

In a way, as Gentiles or non-Jews, they were doubly cursed. They were outsiders when it came to national identity. Only the Jews were considered the people of God. Only the Jews had been hand-picked by God as His prize possession. And God had not chosen them because they were special or somehow deserving of His favor. In fact, it was just the opposite. “The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the LORD rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8 NLT). God had chosen the Israelites, in spite of them, not because of them. And yet, the Gentiles were not included. They had no clue of the promises God had made to the Israelites, and even if they did, they were not included in them. On top of that, they didn’t know Christ. So they were non-Jews and non-believers. As a result, they were enemies of the Jews and enemies of God. They were without hope in the world. Not exactly an encouraging statement.

But…

Here Paul goes again. There is good news to go with the bad news. “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” (Ephesians 2:13 NLT). Just when things couldn’t seem to get any worse, they get amazingly better. All because of the death of Jesus Christ. These hopeless, helpless, God-less individuals had been made right with God, brought near to Him, because of what Jesus had done for them. The truly amazing thing is that God has not just reconciled men to Himself, He has reconciled men to one another. Because of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. even Jews and Gentiles, in spite of their long-standing animosity for one another, were now able to unified through Christ. “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” (Ephesians 2:15 NLT). God replaced the requirement of the Law with the gift of grace made available through His Son’s death. God leveled the playing field. He removed any requirement for salvation other than faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ. Now Jews and Gentiles can have a restored relationship with God and with one another, through the redemptive, reconciling work of Jesus.

The truly incredible thing is that every single one of us, Jew or Gentile, were in the same boat at one time. None of us could have saved ourselves. The Jews, who had the Law, couldn’t keep the Law. The Gentiles, who had not been given the Law, were still condemned by the Law, because it was the revealed will of God for all men. So we were all God-less and hopeless. And yet, God, in His great mercy and grace, brought us near to Him through the death of His own Son. Christ’s death in our place restored us to a right relationship with God. And none of us deserved it. “Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us” (Ephesians 2:18 NLT). That is a reality we should never forget. The Good News is great news because the bad news was so devastatingly bad. God has done for us what we could never have done for ourselves. He made possible the impossible. And that is something we should never forget.

Father, give us strong memories. Never let us forget all that You have done for us. Never let us gloss over just how bad things were when You revealed Your Good News to us. My gratitude increases every time I recall the gravity of my condition before Christ saved me. I was God-less and hopeless. And I was powerless to do anything about it. But You did what I could not do. You provided what I could not provide on my own. You accomplished the impossible and provided the unattainable. Thank You!  Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Ephesians 2:1-10

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No Brag. Just Fact.

Ephesians 2:1-10

Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. – Ephesians 2:9 NLT

These first ten verses of chapter two of Ephesians are some of the richest, deepest and most profound words found in the entire Bible. In them, we have a succinct summary of the Gospel and its impact on the lives of men. Paul seems to be trying to get the Ephesian believers to understand just how marvelous this gift is that they had received. He has already told them that he prays for them constantly, asking God to give them spiritual wisdom and insight so that they might grow to know God better. He regularly prays that they understand the great power available to them because of Christ’s death and resurrection. Now he wants them to understand the unbelievable, radical nature of their salvation experience.

First, he reminds them of their pre-conversion condition. It is not a pretty picture, but it aptly and honestly describes the state of every human being who has ever lived – until they come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 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” (Ephesians 2:1-2 NLT). Paul doesn’t mince words, because he wants them to understand just how bad things were before Christ entered their lives. They had been spiritually dead – completely incapable of doing anything good. In fact, they had been under the control of Satan himself, just like every other human being who lives apart from Christ. As a result, they were controlled by their sin natures, unable to do anything but give in to their own sinful desires and passions. And their sinful lifestyles placed them directly under the wrath of God. God is holy and righteous and must deal with sin in a manner consistent with His character. Sin is ultimately rebellion against God and His divine will. And as a righteous King, He must punish that rebellion.

But …

That word is incredibly significant. It sets up an incredible juxtaposition that vividly illustrates the amazing transformation that takes place in the life of the individual who finds themselves suddenly standing in a right relationship with God. Paul reminds the believers of the bad news, so that they might truly appreciate the good news. “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 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!) (Ephesians 2:4-5 NLT).

But God …

Notice those words. It doesn’t say, “But man…”  No, it starts with God, because the entire story of man’s salvation begins and ends with God. It was His plan. It required His Son. It is based on His love, grace and mercy. It depends on the power of His Holy Spirit. He is the one who gives new life. He is the one who extends mercy. He is the one who saves, forgives, redeems, and restore. It has nothing to do with us. All we bring to the relationship is our sin. We have nothing about us that even remotely deserves or earns God’s favor or love. He loves us in spite of us. God saves us by His grace, and we can’t take credit for anything. “Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:9 NLT). And boast about it we would. Even now, with all we understand about God’s grace, we still try to take some kind of credit for our salvation. We somehow think we really did deserve it in some way. We were better than most. We had lived fairly decent lives. God looked down and saw something redeemable and loveable about us. But Paul says, “No!” Salvation is NOT a reward. It is undeserved and completely unmerited. It is the work of God – completely.

When it comes to man’s salvation, God gets the glory because God does all the work. He did for man what man could not do for himself. “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” (Ephesians 2:7 NLT). We are, in a way, trophies that reflect the amazing grace of God. Every individual who has ever been transformed from death to life, from slavery to sin to freedom in Christ, from condemned to pardoned, is a testimony to the incredible grace, love, and mercy of God. “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” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT). No brag. Just fact.

Father, thank You for this timely reminder today. I need to hear this every day of my life. I need to be reminded over and over again of the reality of who I was before You chose to redeem and restore me to a right relationship with You. I was nothing. I was dead in my sins. I was a slave to the enemy and in direct rebellion against You. I deserved death. But You gave me life. I deserved condemnation. But You showed me grace. I deserved wrath. But You showered me with Your love and mercy. I once was lost but now I’m found. Thanks to YOU! Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Ephesians 1:15-23

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Limitless Power.

Ephesians 1:15-23

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 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. – Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT

Paul was a praying man. His letters are filled with the prayers he prayed on behalf of God’s people. They give a glimpse into his heart and into what he believed to be of highest priority when it came to the lives of the people of God. First of all, Paul continually thanked God for all those whom He had restored to a right relationship with Himself through faith in Christ. Paul did not take the salvation of a single individual for granted. He viewed it as the redemptive work of a gracious God, who was not obligated to save a single soul. But Paul was not content with their salvation, he knew that God wanted to bring about their sanctification. So he prayed to that end. He asked God to give them spiritual wisdom and insight so that they might grow in their knowledge of Him. They needed God to give them the capacity and cognitive ability to see Him at work all around them. It is one thing to read the stories of God’s interactions with mankind recorded in the Scriptures. But it is another thing to be able to see and experience the interactions of God in your own life as He interjects Himself into the daily affairs of each day. That is when we really get to know Him – experientially, not just intellectually.

Paul also prayed that the “eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18-19 NASB). Paul wanted them to see things from a spiritual, not an earthly perspective. He wanted them to develop the ability to see things from God’s point of view. Rather than focus solely on the things of this earth, they were to see things through a new set of lenses. Believers are to be people of hope. We have a future. We have an inheritance. And we have a power available to us that is unlike anything else in this world. It is the very same power that raised Christ from the dead. Paul describes it this way: “This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT). Paul told the Romans that this power was not some disembodied energy source, but the Spirit of God Himself. “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you” (Romans 8:11 NLT). We have this incredible source of power living within us in the form of the Holy Spirit. And Paul prayed that all believers would come to recognize and rely on that power. We have not been left defenseless in this world. We have not been left to fend for ourselves. The very same power that raised Christ from death to life is available to us each and every day of our lives. And the Holy Spirit gives life to our mortal, earthly bodies. This is not just a reference to some future event when we will be give new, resurrected bodies in heaven. It is talking about the here and now. Jesus said that He had come to give us life more abundantly. The Spirit makes that possible. Jesus also declared, “Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)” (John 7:38-39 NLT). The Spirit within us is a source of power and life.

But far too often, we find ourselves still operating in our own strength and limited to our own feeble energy. We miss out on the abundant life that Jesus promised. We feel helpless against our own sin nature and can’t seem to put to death the natural, sinful passions that still well up inside us at times. All because we fail to recognize and avail ourselves of the power available to us through the Holy Spirit. So Paul prayed that we would understand this great power given to us directly from God. But Paul wasn’t interested in us having an intellectual understanding of the Holy Spirit. He wanted it to be practical, helpful, and life transforming. As believers we must wake up to the reality that we have God’s power within us. We have Christ, sitting at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us. And as members of the body of Christ, His Church, He has authority over us. In fact, Christ has authority over ALL things. We have an all-powerful heavenly Father who loves us and has His best in store for us, an all-powerful Savior who is some day coming back for us, and an all-powerful Holy Spirit who lives within us and is constantly transforming us into the likeness of Christ. Paul prayed that the reality of those things would become increasingly clear to us. Because when we discover the truth of those claims, we are able to live with hope, joy, peace, patience, endurance, love and power.

Father, I confess that far too often I live in my own feeble strength, then wonder why things don’t turn out quite like I was expecting. I fail to understand that this life was not meant to be lived in my own strength. If I could do it on my own, I wouldn’t need You and there would have been no need for Your Son to die. But He did. And I need the power that He has made available. As Paul prayed, I ask that You would give me spiritual wisdom and insight. Help me see You at work around me and in me. Help me understand, appreciate and tap into the power You have made available to me. Give me an eternal perspective that views the world through Your eyes and not mine. Never let me forget that Jesus is in control of ALL things, and I have no reason to worry, fret, doubt, or despair. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Ephesians 1:1-14

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Chosen By God.

Ephesians 1:1-14

 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.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. – Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT

Paul sat in a Roman prison, dictating his latest letter to yet another church, desiring to encourage them in their faith and strengthen them as they lived out that faith in daily life as a body of believers. Paul’s desire is to reveal to them the uniqueness of their position as believers and the necessity of their presence within the corporate community of Christ. It is important to remember that this letter is written to the church as a whole, not to individual believers. While there are certainly messages we can apply to our individual lives, Paul’s intent was to address the needs of the family of believers. He starts out his letter addressing them as “God’s holy people in Ephesus.” The Greek word he uses is hagios, which is usually translated “saints.” The Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines this word as “things which on account of some connection with God possess a certain distinction and claim and claim to reverence.” It can also mean “to be set apart for God for His use.” So Paul addresses his letter to those in Ephesus who have been set apart by God for His use and according to His divine purposes for them. Paul does not want them to lose sight of the fact that God chose them and set them apart for a reason. Amazingly, God chose each and every one of the believers in Ephesus “even before he made the world” (Ephesians 1:4 NLT). “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” (Ephesians 1:5 NLT). In other words, the salvation of each and every individual in Ephesus was not happenstance or left up to each individual’s whim – this was the work of God. Think about it. If God had determined far in advance those whom would come to faith in Christ, then He would have had a plan in place for each and every one of them. We tend to think of the church as a motley collection of individuals with little or nothing in common except their faith in Christ. And while that may appear true on the surface, what Paul seems to be telling us is that there is a divine strategy or plan to what is taking place. God is adopting into His family those whom He has chosen, and there is a method to His seeming madness. Rather than question the fairness of it all, Paul’s response to this amazing fact is praise. “So we praise God for the glorious grace his has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son” (Ephesians 1:6 NLT). He is blown away at the grace, mercy and love of God. He is amazed at the forethought and planning of God.

Paul wants the believers in Ephesus to understand that their placement into God’s family and the local body of Christ in Ephesus was the work of God. He has placed each of them into His family and under the authority of Christ. They are no longer independent individuals, but interdependent members of Christ’s body. They have been united with Christ and with one another. God has placed His Holy Spirit within each one of them, and His presence is a guarantee that some day they will ALL experience God’s final redemption and ultimate glorification together. These same individuals will spend eternity together.

Like any group of people who have been drawn together under some common cause or mutual interest, they were going to find plenty of reasons for concentrating on their differences. They would discover more than enough causes to argue about and ample excuses to find fault with one another. They would find it easy to discover those things about which they disagree. So Paul’s intent is to remind them that God had chosen them and placed them together for a reason. The very fact that there were Jews and Gentiles in the same church was ample proof that this was a God thing. Their church was made up of rich and poor, slaves and freeman, educated and uneducated, old and young, and singles and married couples. And Paul knew that this diverse blend of individuals could be a recipe for disaster and disunity unless they constantly reminded themselves of their God-ordained unity in Christ. They had been chosen by God and set apart for His purposes and plan. The body of Christ is not about me or you. It is about US. It is about the body, not the individual parts. Together, we can and should accomplish the will of God. Together, we have what it takes to do what God has set us apart to do. This letter will drive home those messages over and over again as Paul promotes the value and necessity of the body of Christ in the life of the believer. We are His people, and we exist to accomplish His plan – together.

Father, thank You for this unique organism called the body of Christ – Your Church. Give me the ability to see it as a single organism with a single purpose, not as some collection of individuals who each have their own agenda and separate cause to pursue. Make the reality and necessity of the body of Christ come alive to me as I read this letter again with a critical eye and an understanding of Your purpose for Your church. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org