the Body of Christ

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
    and he gave gifts to men.”

9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. – Ephesians 4:7-14 ESV

Paul has encouraged the believers in Ephesus to live together in unity, recognizing their shared faith and common bond in Christ. God had called them and placed them in the body of Christ, and together, they were to bring glory and honor to God. Paul reminded them that God had given them gifts to make their unification possible. Paraphrasing from Psalm 68:18, Paul emphasized that when Jesus ascended back to heaven, He gave gifts to men. This was fulfilled with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. – Acts 2:1-4 NLT

Jesus’ departure guaranteed the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Just before His death, He told His disciples, “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth” (John 14:15-17 NLT). He went on to prepare them for His pending death, but then assured them, “I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon, the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (John 14:18-20 NLT).

The Holy Spirit’s arrival was a game-changer for the disciples. He empowered and equipped them for service. He provided them with the capacity to speak languages they didn’t know and perform supernatural miracles of healing. And Jesus had told them this would happen.

“I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” – Luke 24:49 NLT

The gift of the Holy Spirit was not just for Jesus’ original disciples. He was to become a permanent fixture in the life of every believer. At the point of salvation, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in a believer, providing them with a gift, a supernatural enablement designed to build up the body of Christ. Paul described the nature of the gifts in his letter to the Corinthians.

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,[while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. – 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 NLT

These gifts are God-ordained, Spirit-empowered, and not man-made. They are not talents or natural capabilities, and no one is born with these gifts.

But the Spirit’s indwelling presence and the gifts He provides are not all that God has given the church. Paul reminds the Ephesians that God has also provided godly leaders for the church. These are divinely appointed individuals whom God has chosen and equipped for the task of leading His people. Just as God chose and appointed Moses to lead the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, He also chose David to transform Israel from a kingdom of former slaves to prominence as one of the greatest nations in the world. In the same way, God provided the church with leaders.

Paul describes them as apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. An apostle was literally a “sent one” or messenger. The original 11 disciples had been commissioned and sent by Jesus to take the gospel message to the world. Paul, though not one of the original 12 disciples chosen by Jesus, regarded himself as an apostle because he had been commissioned byJesus on the road to Damascus. The primary role of an apostle was to spread the gospel and establish churches throughout the known world.

Prophets were “forth-tellers” who had the divinely enabled ability to speak the truth of God. These individuals were responsible for building up the body of Christ, especially the local churches. Paul provides insight into their role in his letter to the Corinthian believers: “The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation” (1 Corinthians 14:3 ESV). In the early days of the church, before most of the New Testament had even been written, the role of prophets was vital. These individuals were divinely empowered to discern and disseminate the truth of God in a time when false teachers and false gospels were prevalent.

Evangelists were “heralds of salvation.” They were Spirit-empowered to share the gospel, and their role was essential. These itinerant preachers played a significant part in leading others to Christ. Some evangelists stayed close to home, ministering to their local communities, while others traveled from city to city to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.

When Paul refers to pastors and teachers, he is likely speaking of a single function, not two. It could be translated as “pastor-teacher,” referring to one role within the church. Regardless of whether Paul was speaking of one or two gifts, these individuals were essential in shepherding and teaching the body of Christ. The term “pastor” literally means “shepherd,” one who ministers to the needs of the flock of Jesus Christ. He was to care for, protect, guide, and feed them. As a teacher, he was responsible for instructing the people of God in everything from the teachings of Jesus to sound doctrine. This particular role was essential to the church’s well-being because of the growing problem of false teaching and divisive doctrine.

Together, these gifted individuals were to minister to God’s people, equipping them for the work of the ministry. It seems quite clear that Paul did not have in mind a professional clergy who did all the work of the ministry on behalf of God’s people. These were lay leaders who were specifically gifted as equippers and trainers, ensuring that the believers under their care were able to do the work of ministry in their local congregations.

It was as individual believers were properly taught, trained, and equipped that they were able to minister to one another and build up the body of Christ. Just a few verses later in this chapter, Paul describes the outcome of a well-equipped church:

He [God] 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

The goal is growth, and the objective is spiritual health and doctrinal soundness. Jesus did not leave His flock defenseless or alone. He provided us with the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has given the church gifted individuals to lead, guide, and equip the body of Christ.

Paul has in mind not only the spiritual maturity of every believer but also the unity and well-being of the local body of Christ. There was no place for spiritual stagnation or immaturity. There was no excuse for disunity and discord. God expected His people to grow, and so did Paul. But it was to be a team effort. Each individual was expected to do his or her job, selflessly and sacrificially. And the commitment was for the long term.

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. – Ephesians 4:13 NLT

Father, You have given us Your Spirit, equipped us with spiritual gifts, provided us with qualified leaders, and placed us into the body of Christ. In doing so, You have “given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1;3 BSB). We have no excuse. There is no reason we should struggle with uncertainty, disunity, or spiritual ignorance or apathy. Unless, of course, we choose to quench and grieve Your Spirit by refusing to hear His voice and heed His commands. As Paul made clear to the Galatians, we each have a daily choice to either live according to our selfish, sinful flesh or according to the Spirit. We can live empowered by the Spirit or enslaved to our sinful nature. Which is why Paul wrote, “let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves” (Galatians 5:16 NLT). That is the way I want to live, but I know I can’t do it on my own. That is why I am grateful for the gift of Your Spirit. You have given me all that I need and have surrounded me with other like-minded men and women who are Spirit-enabled, empowered, and committed to building up the body of Christ until Your Son returns. May we bring You glory and honor as we carry out Your will. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Power of One

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. – Ephesians 4:1-6 ESV

At one time, God’s divine plan to establish the church as the household of faith was shrouded in mystery, but now that it had been revealed and begun to spread throughout the world, Paul was on a mission to ensure it lived up to its calling. As he continues his letter to the believers in Ephesus, he charges them to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which they had been called.

As part of the ever-expanding church, they were expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the plan God had laid out for them. But when Paul mentions their “walk,” he is talking about a lifestyle, not physical fitness. The NET Bible translates the first two verses as, “I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live worthily of the calling with which you have been called.” The calling each believer has received is the same; it is the calling of the Holy Spirit that allowed those who were formerly dead in their sins and blind to the reality of the gospel to hear and respond to the offer of salvation made possible through Jesus Christ.

Jesus quite boldly and matter-of-factly claimed, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44 ESV). The Greek word John used is ἕλκω (helkō) and it means, “to draw by inward power, lead, impel” (“G1670 – helkō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible). It was God who had made it possible for those Jews and Gentiles in Paul’s audience to come to faith in Christ. He is the one who called, impelled, and drew them. It was He who placed them in the body of Christ. Now Paul wanted them to live up to that calling. In other words, he expected them to reflect their new nature and standing.

And Paul gets quite specific. He lists out humility, gentleness, patience, and love as four visible characteristics of those who have been called and set apart by God. Each of the four is other-oriented and takes into account those with whom we live within the body of Christ. Each requires a high degree of selflessness. Paul told the “called ones” in Philippi, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too” (Philippians 2:3-4 NLT). Then he added: “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5 NLT).

What was the attitude or mindset of Jesus? First, He was humble and willing to leave behind the glory of heaven and take on human flesh to provide redemption for mankind. Secondly, he had the mindset of a servant. Though He was the Son of God and worthy of honor, He put aside His royal prerogatives and lived among humanity so that He could serve those in bondage to sin and death. Third, He demonstrated patience as He willingly endured ridicule, rejection, taunts, false accusations, and, ultimately, death at the hands of those He came to save. He could have destroyed them, but instead, He died for them. Finally, Jesus exhibited unconditional love even for those who rejected Him. As Paul will point out in the very next chapter of this letter, we are to emulate Christ’s example by living “a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God” (Ephesians 5:2 NLT).

Paul wanted his readers to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3 ESV). There is a oneness and unity within the church, unlike anything else in the world. We have all been called by God, and none of us deserved that calling. We were all in the same place before God graciously drew us to Himself. We were lost and dead in our trespasses and sins. We were spiritually blind and separated from God. We were hopeless and totally helpless to do anything about it. Yet God called and placed us within the body of Christ. He unified us despite our differences, giving us a common bond and a shared responsibility to live up to our new status as His children and heirs.

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. – Galatians 6:26-28 NLT

Paul told the Colossian believers that he constantly prayed for them, asking God to give them complete knowledge of His will and spiritual wisdom and understanding. As a result of receiving those things, Paul said, “the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better” (Colossians 1:9-10 NLT).

The way they lived their lives would honor and glorify God, and that was Paul’s desire for the believers in Ephesus as well.

In verses 4-6, Paul uses the word “one” seven different times. His repetitive use of this word was to drive home a point. Those believers to whom he was writing all had one thing in common: their calling by God. But that calling was multifaceted. They were all called by one and the same Spirit of God. They were all placed in one body: the body of Christ. They were all called to the very same hope: their future glorification and the promise of eternal life. They all worshiped one Lord, as a result of one factor: faith. They had all experienced the unity of baptism. And all of it had been made possible by the one God and Father of all.

One God, one calling, one hope, one Lord, one church, and one response: To lead a life worthy of your calling.

Father, on the night He was about to be betrayed by one of His own disciples, Jesus uttered these sobering words: “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you” (John 17:21 NLT). As He faced the reality of His pending death, He lovingly asked that You would unify all those who You were going to draw to Yourself. He knew His death was necessary and He was willing sacrifice His life so that sinful humanity might be redeemed and restored. He was alluding to His death when He said, “unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives” (John 12:24 NLT). Our unification with You and with one another was made possible by His willing sacrifice of His own life. Speaking of His own crucifixion, Jesus said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32 NLT). This was all Your plan and it was the only way that we could enjoy a restored relationship with You and the one-of-a-kind experiencing the harmony and diversity of the church. But even the unity of the church is impossible to maintain without the unifying power of Your Spirit. So, pour out Your Spirit in abundance, so that we might walk “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3 NLT). Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Mystery Made Known

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. – Ephesians 3:7-13 ESV

Paul saw his role as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ as a gift of grace. He had no right to be the bearer of the good news to the Gentiles. In fact, Paul saw himself as the very least of all the saints. As a fallen human being, he was morally unqualified to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, but God had mercifully showered him with His grace, transforming him into a worthy messenger of the glorious gospel. And Paul took his role seriously, willingly enduring rejection, ridicule, and even physical abuse in order to fulfill his God-given mission.

Even as he wrote this letter, he was under house arrest in Rome. But imprisonment would not stop Paul from preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ. Until he began taking the message of salvation through faith in Christ to the Gentiles, it had remained hidden from them. They had been incapable of understanding or accessing the incredible offer of God’s grace made available to them through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. But Paul spent his life making sure they heard the good news and were given the chance to know the joy of being made right with God through faith in Jesus as their Savior.

One of Paul’s greatest joys was unveiling the mystery of the church, God’s wonderful plan to make the Gentiles “fellow heirs, members of the same body and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6 ESV). When we read the New Testament, it is tempting to view the world as divided into two groups: Jews and Gentiles, and it is easy to mistake the word “Gentile” as referring to a particular people group. But that word was an all-encompassing label for anyone who was not a Jew. It included Greeks, Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Phrygians, Egyptians, and Romans.

Paul was an equal-opportunity evangelist who shared the gospel with everyone. And as those individuals placed their faith in Christ, they became part of “the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things” (Ephesians 3:9 ESV), the church. And Paul said that God was using 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). That word, “manifold,” is the Greek word, πολυποίκιλος (polypoikilos), which literally means “much variegated, marked with a great variety of colors” (“G4182 – polypoikilos – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible).

The church’s ethnically diverse makeup reveals the wisdom of God. The concept of a racially and socio-economically integrated gathering of people from all walks of life was not something men would have come up with because it made no sense. The blending of people from different cultural backgrounds and social standings into a single homogeneous group was unheard of.

The degree of equality and equanimity made possible in this mysterious thing called the church was a societal anomaly.  Even the angels and demons are perplexed by the unexpected success of God’s plan to bring unity out of diversity through this mystery called the church. The unifying nature of God’s redemptive work through Christ is like nothing else in the world; no other organization, effort, or man-made institution has the capacity to draw people together in love as the church does. And that is why Satan spends so much time trying to destroy the unity within the church; he wants to divide and conquer from within. So he brings in false teaching and harmful doctrines that create schisms and divide congregations. He promotes pride, while God calls us to live in humility and selflessness. The enemy wants us to recognize our differences, while God desires that we celebrate our oneness in Christ. Satan wants us to dwell on our individuality, while God calls us to live in unity.

“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 R. W. Stott, The Message of Ephesians

“. . . 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 L. Bock, A Theology of Paul’s Prison Epistles

The church is an amazing, divinely-ordained and Spirit-empowered entity that reveals to the world God’s incredible wisdom and the life-transforming power of the gospel. King David wrote, “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!” (Psalm 133:1 NLT), and that maxim is lived out most effectively in the church.

A common faith in Jesus Christ and the presence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit give members in the body of Christ a bond that is unlike anything the world has ever seen. This was God’s “eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11 NLT). The church should be an unstoppable force in the world today, illustrating the power and wisdom of God. We should model God’s love and exude His grace and mercy to the world. We should demonstrate the unity of God as we live together in harmony, sacrificing our individual needs for one another’s sake.

When Peter confessed to Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16 NLT), Jesus responded, “Upon this rock [Peter’s confession] I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18 NLT). As men and women from all walks of life and from every nation on earth confess Jesus as Lord, God builds them into the most powerful force in the universe: His church, and nothing can stand against it.

Father, the church is far from perfect because it is made up of people just like me. Though redeemed and forgiven, we are all still sin-prone and pride-filled. Selfishness and a desire for autonomy tend to trump Your call for selflessness and sacrifice. But Your Spirit continues to convict and encourage obedience to Your will instead of our own. As we listen to the Spirit’s promptings, He empowers us to live in unity despite our diversity and obsession with individuality. When I consider Paul’s question, “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 NLT), I am reminded that salvation is not a solo sport, it is a team endeavor in which You have chosen the players and equiped them with the spiritual skills they need to accomplish Your divine game plan. We are in this together, it is only as we work together in love and unity that we display Your manifold wisdom to the world. As David said, “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!” (Psalm 133:1 NLT). Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

No One Saw That Coming

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.. – Ephesians 3:1-6 ESV

Something once hidden, but now revealed; that is what Paul means when he speaks of the mystery of Christ. In the Old Testament, the Jews knew of and longed for the coming Messiah, but they believed He would be the Savior of Israel alone. He was to be their king and redeemer, much like King David had been, leading them to great victories over their enemies and back into prominence as a nation.

Any relationship between their Messiah and the Gentile nations would come in the form of military victories over them and nothing more. The thought of the Messiah coming as the Savior of all mankind never crossed their minds. The only way a Gentile could partake of the blessings of Israel was through conversion to Judaism, including circumcision and the rigorous keeping of the Mosaic Law.

The book of Exodus records the instructions that God gave the people of Israel regarding the “strangers” or non-Jews who had left Egypt with them.

“If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.” – Exodus 12:48-49 ESV

While Gentiles could and did convert to Judaism in the Old Testament, such conversions were relatively rare. The requirements for conversion were rigorous and kept many Gentiles from becoming fully functioning members of the household of Israel.

That’s where the mystery comes in. Paul was commissioned by Jesus Himself to reveal to the Gentiles that they now had access to God. They could worship Yahweh, the God of the Jews, but it would not require conversion or circumcision. Any requirement to keep the Mosaic law had been eliminated. Paul, a former Pharisee and zealous defender of the law, had strong feelings about its inability to produce the righteousness God demands.

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. – Romans 8:3 NLT

If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. 22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ. – Galatians 3:21-22 NLT

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul was not preaching or promoting conversion to Judaism, but entrance into the Kingdom of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He was sharing the good news of salvation made available to both Jews and Gentiles because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. In his letter to the Romans, Paul described the gospel as “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:16-17 ESV).

With the coming of Christ, access to God was made available to all men through one means: Faith. It is not that faith was a new concept, nor that, prior to Christ, men had to gain access to God through works or by keeping the law. The author of Hebrews makes this clear in Chapter 11. There, he describes the Old Testament saints who “by faith” believed God’s promises and were declared righteous.

For by it [faith] the people of old received their commendation. – Hebrews 11:2 ESV

He goes on to state that “without faith it is impossible to please him [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Ephesians 11:6 ESV). Faith has always been God’s means by which men draw near to Him, and He sent His Son to make the life of faith available to Jews and Gentiles alike.

Paul writes, “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6 ESV). From the day of Pentecost forward, the church became the home of God’s people; those who had placed their faith in His Son. The church of God became His holy temple, containing people from every tribe, nation, and tongue.

Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? – 1 Corinthians 3:16 NLT

As Paul expressed this same idea to the believers in Ephesus.

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. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. – Ephesians 2:19-22 NLT.

The church of Jesus Christ is the dwelling place of God and contains those who worship Him as a result of the access provided to them by the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. It is their common faith in Christ’s atoning death on their behalf that provides them with the righteousness they need to come into God’s presence. No one earns their way into God’s throne room. No one merits God’s favor or escapes His judgment due to their own efforts. Paul has supported that promise throughout his letter to the Ephesians.

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

Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. – Ephesians 3:12 NLT

None of this implies that God is done with the Jews or that the church has somehow replaced the people of Israel as God’s chosen people. We live in the church age, and this is part of God’s plan for this period of redemptive history. But the day is coming when God will fulfill all His promises to Israel. He is faithful and has not forgotten them. He will keep every promise He has made to them. But at the current time, we are experiencing the mystery of the church age, when Jews and Gentiles live together as the body of Christ, sharing a common faith in our crucified and resurrected Savior. We are all the beneficiaries of God’s amazing grace and mercy. He has made a way for us to be restored to a right relationship with Him, based solely on His grace as revealed in His Son and made possible by faith.

Father, Paul referred to the church as “the household of faith” (Glatians 6:10 ESV). Regardless of our ethnicity, social standing, former religious affiliation, or record of sinfulness, we all share the common bond of faith in Christ. None of us earned our way into Your good graces. There is no one who deserved Your favor and forgiveness. Even Abraham, the patriarch of the Hebrew people, was not declared righteous because he kept the law. Paul reminds us, “Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. For the Scriptures tell us, ‘Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith’” (Romans 4:1-3 NLT). You declared him to be righteous long before You gave Moses the law at Mount Sinai. And his righteousness was based on faith, not works. That is the pathway for all who desire to be restored to a right relationship with You; faith alone in Christ alone. And Your marvelous, mysterious plan for mankind’s redemption was made available to all through the same pathway of faith. As Paul reminded the Ephesians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT). Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Knowledge of God

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. – Ephesians 1:15-23 ESV

Paul was grateful to God for the believers in Ephesus, that they had heard the word of truth, the gospel, and believed. As a result, they received the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of their future inheritance of eternal salvation. And Paul gave God all the glory, but he also gave God his thanks. He thanked God for the news he had received about their faith in Christ and their love for one another. Their relationship with Christ was maturing, and the presence of the Spirit within them was bearing visible fruit. As a result, their numbers were increasing. And Paul knew that it was all due to the gracious work of God in their lives. He had made it possible. He was the one who had called them, and He was the one who was sanctifying them. And one day, He would be the one who would glorify them, “to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:14 ESV).

But Paul didn’t just express gratitude to God for all that He had done; he let them know that he regularly petitioned God for their ongoing spiritual well-being. And he was very specific as to what he asked God for. This was not so much a prayer as it was an outline of how he prayed for them. It seems that Paul wanted them to know just exactly what he viewed as necessary and of highest priority for their spiritual health. The first thing He asked God to do for them is quite revealing.

…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him… – Ephesians 1:17 ESV

Here, Paul is asking God to give the believers in Ephesus the capacity to know Him better. God, the transcendent, holy, unapproachable God of the universe, has chosen to make Himself known to men. If God had not chosen to reveal Himself, no man or woman would ever be able to comprehend Him or hope to have a relationship with Him. In his letter to the Romans, Paul expressed God’s “otherness.”

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”

“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?” – Romans 11:33-35 ESV

Yet he told the believers in Corinth…

But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
    nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.  – 1 Corinthians 2:9-12 ESV

Because we have the Spirit of God living within us, we have the capacity to know God’s mind. We have been given the privilege of understanding the things of God, and it is primarily through God’s Word that He has chosen to reveal Himself to us. Paul was not praying for an intellectual knowledge of God, but for an experiential, personal, and intimate understanding of who He is and all that He was doing in their lives and in the world around them.

But Paul’s prayer for a growing knowledge of God had an ulterior motive; he wanted to see their hearts enlightened. For Paul, the heart represented the individual’s entire inner being. He knew that as they grew to know God better, they would be radically transformed from the inside out. It is as we come to know God that we truly come to know ourselves and the world around us. A clearer, more concise understanding of God allows us to comprehend the truth and view the world as it really is. As our understanding is enlightened, we begin to see that this world is not all there is. There is so much more. That is why Paul reminded them of the riches of their inheritance and the greatness of God’s power made available to them through Christ.

…that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints … – Ephesians 1:18 ESV

…and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe… – Ephesians 1:19 ESV

Paul wanted them to know the hope to which God had called them. He knew they would face difficulties in this life and that their faith journey would be rough at times. So he wanted them to fully understand that God’s divine plan for them included their future glorification. God’s power was great enough and His promises reliable enough to see them through any circumstance they may encounter in this life. God’s “immeasurable greatness” was working on their behalf at all times. And just so they would know how immeasurable that greatness really is, Paul described it for them.

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

The very power that raised Jesus from the dead and allowed Him to return to His rightful place at His Father’s side is the same power at work on behalf of every believer. It is the power that will one day make possible our glorification and the redemption of our bodies. What God did for Jesus, He will do for us, and He is already sanctifying us, transforming us into the likeness of His Son, day by day, through the power of His Spirit and according to His divine redemptive plan.

Paul wanted his readers to know that God was in complete control. His Son was at His side and interceding on behalf of His body, the church.

God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. – Ephesians 1:22-23 NLT

As we come to know God better, we come to trust Him more fully and grow in our understanding of His sovereignty and His Son’s work on our behalf. We are His people and the temple of His Spirit. And as Peter reminds us, “You are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.” (1 Peter 2:5 NLT).

God is at work in us, He is doing great work through us, and He has great plans for us. And the better we know Him, the more we will trust Him to do what He has promised.

Father, You have a deep desire for Your children to know and love You. You long for us to grow in our knowledge of You so that we will better understand Your character and learn to trust You more. You sent Your Son to live among us, and He modeled Your divine nature so that we could see You “in the flesh.” As John said, “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known” (John 1:18 BSB). And You constantly reveal Yourself through Your Word. The Bible is the revelation of You. It is not a self-help manual, our blueprint for living, or a primer on piety. It is a divine-ordained disclosure of who You are and how You work among men. And it points us to Jesus, in whom lives “all the fullness of God in a human body” (Colossians 2:9 NLT). And as Paul makes clear, we are made complete through our “union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority” (Colossians 2:9 NLT). Coming to Jesus helped me come to know You. He revealed Your unfathomable love for me by sacrificing His life on my behalf. He modeled what it looks like to have a submissive and humble relationship with You as He lived out Your will “by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8 NLT). “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” (Ephesians 1:21 NLT). He is the head of the Church, the hope of the world, and the greatest expression of Your love, power, and faithfulness we will ever know. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Every Spiritual Blessing

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. – Ephesians 1:1-4 ESV

It is thought that Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was written between A.D. 60-62 while he was under house arrest in Rome. The book of Acts records that Paul had been to Ephesus and spent at least three years there ministering and spreading the gospel throughout Asia Minor. It was while Paul was in Ephesus that his presence caused great concern among the silversmiths who made their living by fashioning idols for the worship of Artemis, their goddess.

It seems that Paul’s success in sharing the gospel had caused a dip in sales and put a dent in the local silversmiths’ income. Demetrius decided to do something about Paul and his message. He gathered all the tradesmen and delivered an inflammatory speech designed to turn them against Paul.

“Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.” – Acts 19:25-27 ESV

Demetrius’ words whipped the crowd into a frenzy and nearly sparked a riot. But the authorities managed to calm the crowd, and Paul left the town safely. However, he never lost his love for the people of Ephesus or his concern for the local congregation there. So, while under house arrest in Rome, he composed this letter to encourage them to continue in their love for God and one another. He seemed most concerned about the unity of the church.

Like most of the newly formed congregations during that day, the church in Ephesus enjoyed a unique blend of converted Jews and Gentiles, slaves and freemen, wealthy and poor, and educated and uneducated. This strange amalgam of individuals from all walks of life put a tremendous strain on the church’s harmony. Paul was writing to call them to live in unity and to display holiness in their individual and corporate lives.

Paul describes himself as an apostle, literally, a “sent one.” He had been sent by Jesus Himself to share the good news of salvation with the Gentiles. What he had done in Ephesus had been based on his commission from Jesus and according to the will of God. Paul was simply the messenger.

He addressed his audience as saints and wanted them to remember that they had been consecrated or set apart by God for His service. By placing their faith in Jesus as their Savior, they had become God’s possession; they belonged to Him and were to live their lives in submission to His will and in accordance with His Spirit, whom He had placed within them.

Paul reminds them that God had blessed them “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3 ESV). Paul’s emphasis in this verse is extremely important to understand. He states that God had already blessed them, referring to this act of blessing in the past tense. God had already blessed them with every spiritual blessing, and the important thing to note is that those blessings find their source “in the heavenly places.” Paul is going to expand on that thought in the following verses, but it would appear that he is attempting to get his audience to understand that they had already been blessed beyond measure, and the greatest aspect of their blessing from God was the salvation and justification they received as a result of their faith in Jesus Christ.

To drive home his emphasis on the past, Paul reminds them that God had chosen them “before the foundation of the world,” with the intent that they “should be holy and blameless before him” (Ephesians 1:4 ESV). Their salvation was not happenstance or blind luck; it was not even their decision. Paul tells them that God elected them for salvation long before He created the universe and everything in it. And Paul will expand on that thought in the verses to come.

Salvation was God’s idea, not man’s. The thought that sinful men would choose to have a relationship with a holy God goes against the teachings of the Scriptures. Ever since the fall, mankind has been on a trajectory away from God, not toward Him. The farther man got from the garden, the more hazy his memory of God became. Men stopped seeking the one true God and began replacing Him with gods of their own making. Paul describes this downward trajectory quite well in his letter to the Romans:

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. – Romans 1:22-23 ESV

To make his point, Paul paraphrases Psalm 53:1.

None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. – Romans 3:10-12 ESV

Paul wants his readers to comprehend the profound significance of God’s choice of them. He made their salvation possible and was the one who justified them through His Son’s death on the cross. His choice of them was not just so that they might escape death and eternal condemnation, but that they might live holy lives. Paul drives home the point that “he chose us in him … that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Ephesians 1:4 ESV).

God has an unwavering expectation that every believer live holy and blameless because He has equipped them to do so. Our holiness and blamelessness don’t start when we get to heaven; they begin here and now as we live as followers of Christ in this fallen world. We are saints, set-apart ones, who belong to God and are empowered by the Spirit of God to live as lights in a sin-darkened world. We have been chosen by God to reflect His glory and to share His message of grace to all those we meet. As Paul told the Philippian believers: “Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people” (Philippians 2:15 NLT).

Father, our salvation, sanctification, and ultimate glorification were all Your idea, not ours. The magnitude of Your marvelous grace should never cease to amaze us as we consider the hopelessness of our condition without it. We didn’t deserve Your mercy, but You poured it out anyway. We couldn’t earn Your forgiveness, so You provided Your Son as the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. It was all Your doing and, as a result, we are blessed in every conceivable way. We enjoy a restored relationship with You. We are filled with Your Spirit and have access to His life-transforming power every minute of every day. You have given us Your Word to guide and direct our lives. And You have placed us within the body of Christ, where we experience community and unity as we live together as brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank You for all the blessings we have already received and all those yet to come. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

Smooth Talk and Flattery

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. – Romans 16:17-23 ESV

As long as we live in this world, we will face opposition from within and from without. Paul had extensive experience dealing with both. But the one he seemed to warn against most was the inside job: those who posed as brothers and sisters of Christ but ended up causing division and disunity. In his other letters, Paul referred to them as false apostles and described them as “those who are looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just like ours” (2 Corinthians 11:12 NLT). He pulled no punches in his less-than-flattering assessment of his detractors.

These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. – 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 NLT

Later in the same chapter, he states that these “false brothers” had actually threatened him with violence.

I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. – 2 Corinthians 11:26

Paul warned the believers in Galatia about “so-called Christians there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations” (Galatians 2:4 NLT).

Paul encouraged his young protege, Timothy, to beware of those who preach or teach contrary doctrine and promote disunity in the church.

Teach these things, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions. These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy. – 1 Timothy 6:2-5 NLT

The fact is, there have always been false teachers in the church; they can be recognized by the content of their teaching. If what they teach does not align with the teachings of Christ and the writings of the apostles as found in the New Testament, they are to be avoided like the plague. The difficulty is that their false teaching almost always contains a ring of truth, and that is intentional. Warren Wiersbe warns, “Satan is the counterfeiter. . . . He has a false gospel (Galatians 1:6-9), preached by false ministers (2 Corinthians 11:13-12), producing false Christians (2 Corinthians 11:26). . . . Satan plants his counterfeits wherever God plants true believers (Matthew 13:38).”

Out of his love for the body of Christ, Paul takes time to warn his readers about those “who cause divisions and create obstacles to the doctrine that you have been taught” (Romans 16:17 ESV).  The “doctrine” he refers to is the fundamentals of the faith, particularly when it comes to salvation. Anyone who attempts to add anything to the gospel is to be avoided at all costs. If their teaching is not based on faith in Christ alone, it is deceptive and dangerous. If they attempt to add anything else to the equation, they are false teachers.

Jesus plus works. Jesus plus circumcision. Jesus plus a second blessing. Jesus plus signs and wonders. Jesus plus anything adds up to nothing. These variations on the gospel are not the gospel as taught by Jesus and His disciples. Paul says these people “do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites” (Romans 16:17 ESV). They’re in it for selfish reasons, preaching “a different kind of Good News” (Galatians 1:8 NLT) in the vain pursuit of power, prestige, and personal profit.

They employ smooth talk and flattery, using clever-sounding words and convincing arguments to deceive the unsuspecting. But in the end, what they teach is contrary to sound, healthy doctrine and is divisive. They tear down rather than build up. They create schisms and attempt to splinter healthy congregations. Disinterested in dialogue or debate, they demand that their way be the only way.

So Paul says, “I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil” (Romans 16:19 NLT). He echoes the words of Jesus as He sent His disciples on their first ministry trip without Him.

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” – Matthew 10:16 ESV

We need to be wary of those who show up teaching “new truths.” After more than 2,000 years of Christian history and scholarship, there is little that is new under the sun. In fact, much of what shows up in our day as new insights into Jesus, the gospel, and the nature of the Church is nothing more than old heresies repackaged. They are simply rehashed teachings from centuries past.

We live in an age where anything new and innovative is attractive. But Paul would have us be careful and stick with the sound doctrine taught by him and his fellow apostles. We should always be suspicious of anything that shows up in the church as “new and improved.” A new view on Jesus is probably a false view. A new gospel, if it veers from the gospel as found in the New Testament, is no gospel at all.

At the end of the day, we must trust in the grace of God to protect us and keep the gospel message pure. Ultimately, Paul reminds us, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20 ESV). The truth concerning Jesus and the gospel of God will win out. In the meantime, we must keep our focus on the matchless, priceless grace of God that saved us and sustains us. We must keep trusting in His way, His Word, and His perfect plan for the redemption of the world.

Father, fake Christians, false teachers, and faulty version of the gospel are everywhere. With the prevelance of social media and the internet’s ability to deciminate information quickly, the enemy is having a field day flooding the world with disinformation and dangerous doctrines masquerading as truth. He has always been a liar and his primary motivation is to deceive and distract from the life-changing message of the gospel. He promotes false versions of the truth in a vain attempt to thwart Your will by giving people false hope in pseudo gospels. These counterfeit gospels sound good but always rely more on human effort than Your grace. They almost always promote a form of salvation by works. They include Jesus but add a hint of self-help and behavior modification. Rather than salvation based on grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, they offer a formula of Jesus + something = salvation. In doing so, they diminish Christ’s work on the cross and elevate the role of man in his own redemption. But You alone can save. Your Son’s death was the sole means of salvation for sinful humanity. And anyone who teaches anything else is to be avoided and their message refuted. Help us maintain the simplicity and integrity of the gospel even in the face of the enemy’s lies. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

Diversity. Unity. Fidelity.

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. – Romans 16:1-16 ESV

Phoebe, Prisca, Aquila, Epaenetus, Mary, Andronicus, Ampliatus, Urbanus, Stachys, Apelles, Aristobulus, Herodian, Tryphaena, Tryphosa, Rufus, Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, Phililogus, Julia, Nereus, and Olympas. That’s quite a list. Paul took the time to include the hard-to-pronounce names of 24 people to whom he wished to express his personal greetings.

Since Paul had never been to Rome, it is unclear how he knew some of these individuals. In a few of the cases, Paul had met them before. Phoebe, the woman to whom he sent his letter, was an active member of the church in Cenchreae, a port city of Corinth. She was most likely a Gentile and had been a patron to many in the church. Evidently, she was from the wealthier upper class, but had used her resources to assist others in the church in Corinth. Paul had also enjoyed a prior relationship with the husband-and-wife team of Prisca and Aquila; they had worked alongside him in his missionary journeys.

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. – Acts 18:1-3 ESV

This couple, who had been forced to leave Italy because of an edict of the emperor Claudius, had risked their lives for Paul and made an impact on the Gentile churches. They were now back in Rome and continuing their efforts to grow the church and spread the gospel throughout the city.

Most of the people on Paul’s list remain unknown to us, but they provide a glimpse into the makeup of the local churches in Rome. It is interesting to note that verse 1 of Romans 16 is the first time in his letter that Paul uses the word “church.” The Greek word ekklēsia was used in reference to any gathering, congregation, or assembly. It literally means “called out” and was used to refer to any group called out for a meeting for deliberation. It was the perfect designation for the people of God, those who had chosen to follow Christ as their Savior. They had been called out by God and were to remain in the world, but not be of the world.

In the prayer Jesus prayed in the garden on the night of His betrayal, He emphasized the called out nature of His followers.

“They do not belong to this world any more than I do.” – John 17:16 NLT

“And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.” – John 16:14 NLT

Paul’s list contains the names of those who had been called out by God to be a part of His universal church. They were people of all walks of life. There were Romans and Greeks, freedmen and slaves, the wealthy and the poor, the influential and the insignificant. There were men and women, young and old, the educated and the illiterate. All had been placed into local congregations by the grace of God and because of their faith in Jesus Christ, His Son.

As Paul so painstakingly explained in his letter, there was no reason for anyone in the body of Christ to boast; at one time, they had all been equally guilty and worthy of God’s condemnation. None had earned favor with God because of their own self-manufactured righteousness. There was no one whose wealth or social influence had earned them brownie points with God. Every one of them had received their justification before God the same way, by placing their faith in the righteousness of Christ; none had been more righteous than another. Their sinfulness was equally condemning in God’s holy eyes, but He had extended His grace and mercy. Paul made this point earlier in his letter.

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. – Romans 3:22-24 NLT

Every individual Paul lists was dear to him. Each had a unique name and personality and had come to faith in Christ in their own way. They brought different talents and spiritual gifts to the body of Christ and had their own individual role to play within their local congregations. But at the end of the day, they were one. They shared a common faith in a common Savior and shared a common bond with every other believer.

Paul sent greetings to them from all the churches of Christ, so they would know they were not alone. They were part of a much larger family made up of individuals who bore different names but shared their belief in the risen Christ.

We are the called-out ones. We live in the midst of a world that hates us because we share a common love for Christ. We don’t belong here; we are aliens and strangers living in a land that is no longer our home. But we are brothers and sisters in Christ, compatriots who share a love for the cause of Christ and the Kingdom of God. We are in this together because God has placed us together into the body of Christ. May we learn to look past our diversity and embrace our unity through a growing desire for mutual love and fidelity

Father, while this list can be easily overlooked or dismissed as irrelevant, it provides a much-needed reminder of the diversity of the church. You have called out people from every nation, tribe, and tongue to be part of the body of Christ. We come from different cultures, speak different languages, and reflect the multidimensional nature of humanity. But we have been unified by our common faith in Your Son. As Paul put it, You use the church to display Your wisdom “in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:10 NLT). The gospel is color blind and uninfluenced by the cultural criteria that divides humanity. Peter was right when he wrote, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right” (Acts 10:34-35 NLT). You are no respecter of persons. You see everyone as a sinner in need of a Savior. Which is why You sent Your Son to serve as the sinless sacrifice to pay mankind’s debt.. You did that for all, regardless of their perceived righteousness or wretchedness. You knew that all had sinned and fallen short of Your glorious standard. So, You came up with a way for sinners to be saved — whether they were rich, poor, male, female, slave, free, Jew, or Gentile. And You included me in that number and placed me in Your family. And I am so glad You did. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

A Man On A Mission

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. – Romans 15:22-33 ESV

Paul had just said, “I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation” (Romans 15:20 ESV). Now he tells them that he hopes to see them, but only in passing as he makes his way to Spain.

Paul was a starter, not a builder. He saw himself as a planter, not a harvester. Yet his many letters, which comprise most of the New Testament canon, prove that he cared deeply about the ongoing maturity of the churches he helped to start. He longed to see believers grow but, more than anything else, he wanted to see the lost come to faith in Christ. So he was always looking for fertile fields in which to sow the seeds of the gospel.

Paul took the words of Jesus seriously.

“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” – Luke 10:2 NLT

Paul knew that there were those who would sow and those who would reap the harvest, and his job was to plant so that others might come along and water the new seeds of faith, allowing them to grow to full maturity. That is exactly what he told the Corinthian believers when he heard that they were dividing themselves between those who claimed to be his followers and those who claimed to follow Apollos.

After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. – 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 NLT

Paul wasn’t looking for glory or trying to establish a name for himself. He simply wanted to preach the good news of Jesus Christ to as many people in as many places as possible. But he also cared deeply about the discipleship of those who came to faith in Christ. He had a passion for the reputation of the body of Christ and the spiritual well-being of the congregations he helped to plant. He was concerned about the unity of the church and the acceptance of his Gentile brothers and sisters in Christ by the leadership in Jerusalem.

When he discovered the division taking place in Corinth, he wrote, “I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose” (1 Corinthians 1:10 NLT). Paul wanted to see the body of Christ prove its love by ministering to itself selflessly and lovingly, regardless of location.

Paul had been commissioned by his sending church in Antioch to take up a collection for the believers in Judea.

During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.) So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem. – Acts 11:27-30 NLT

The famine had severely impacted that region of the world and left the church in Jerusalem in dire straits. Not only were its members being persecuted for their faith in Christ, but they were struggling to feed themselves. So, on his missionary journeys, Paul collected offerings from the predominantly Gentile congregations to take to the believers in Judea. He told the believers in Rome that he would come to them as soon as he delivered the funds he had collected from all the churches to “the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.” He reminded his Gentile readers that since they “have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings” (Romans 15:27 NLT). The Jewish believers in Jerusalem were suffering and Paul wanted to see the Gentile believers play a part in ministering to them. Paul’s goal was unity and impartiality.

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.” – 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 NLT

Paul’s mission was not just to make converts, but to establish a strong and vibrant church, made up of those who understood the grace of God and were willing to extend that grace to others. For Paul, salvation was not the end-all; he wanted those who claimed to have faith in Christ to demonstrate the life-changing nature of their salvation through their actions. They were to be new creations, exhibiting the characteristics of Christ, living in submission to the Spirit, and expressing the love of God to all those around them.

As verse 31 indicates, he was under constant attack for his unfailing commitment to the cause of Christ. His mission was not an easy one, and his ministry was far from trouble-free. He traveled far, suffered much, failed often, but never lost sight of his mission “to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard” (Romans 15:20 NLT). He even had his eyes set on Spain, which, in those days, was believed to be the literal end of the world. For Paul, Rome was an important destination, but it would not be his final stop along the way. He had ambitious goals to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, just as Jesus had said. And while there is no biblical evidence that Paul ever made it to Spain, the gospel did. Paul’s zeal and determination influenced others to take up the baton and finish the race on his behalf. 

Paul lived out the truth found in Isaiah 40:31.

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint.

Father, had Paul not taken his commission seriously, the gospel would never have made it beyond the walls of Jerusalem. He was the first to fulfill Jesus’ command to take the gospel “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NLT). When Jesus charged Paul “to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15 NLT), Paul took His words seriously. Paul obeyed and spent the rest of his life fulfilling his Christ-ordained call, and he let nothing stand in his way. Rejection, imprisonments, constant character assassination, beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, and physical ailments could not diminish his zeal or deter him from accomplishing his mission. His faithfulness produced untold fruitfulness, transforming the lives of countless Gentiles and Jews and helping to create a richly diversified family of Christ-followers whose mutual love and affection gave evidence of the gospel’s power to transform lives from the inside out. And the gospel is still making a difference in the world today as Your church continues to carry out the Great Commission. But may we have the same zeal and determination that motivated Paul, so that the gospel will spread and the church will expand until Your Son returans. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

The Wonder of Oneness

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. – Romans 15:1-7 ESV

For fourteen chapters, Paul has gone out of his way to establish the fact that there is no place in the body of Christ for boasting or pride. No one has any reason to think he is better than anyone else. All men, regardless of race, color, religious background, or the extent of their sins, stand before God as guilty and condemned. And all who enjoy a right standing before God do so because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. No one earns their way into God’s good graces, and no one is less sinful and, therefore, more deserving of God’s favor. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

All humanity is unified by their shared guilt and sinful standing before God. And those who have been shown grace and mercy by God also share a unity based on their complete dependence upon the gift of His Son’s sacrificial death on the cross. As Paul wrote the Galatian believers, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 NLT). We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, having been adopted into the family of God by His marvelous grace. We are members of a single family and enjoy a shared inheritance, and while there is diversity in the body of Christ, there is never to be division or disunity.

In Chapter 14, Paul addressed the relationship between stronger and weaker members of the body of Christ. He continues to address this issue in the opening verses of Chapter 15. But when Paul refers to strong and weak, he is not talking about degrees of spirituality or holiness. The strong are not spiritually superior to their weaker, less spiritual brothers and sisters. We are all one in Christ, and there is to be a selfless, loving relationship between the members of God’s family.

The Greek word Paul uses for “strong” is dynotoi, and in this context it means “able to do something” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). These individuals, like Paul, know that what they eat does not defile them, so they can eat meat without guilt. They understand that their relationship with God is based on faith, not a list of dos and don’ts or adherence to a list of legalistic regulations. But their “weaker” brothers and sisters in Christ are adynatoi or “unable” to follow their example. As of yet, they lack freedom in their faith and a knowledge of their relationship with God that would allow them to break away from their self-imposed rules of conscience.

But instead of the strong dismissing their less mature brothers and sisters and flaunting their perceived freedoms, Paul urges them to “be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this” (Romans 15:1 NLT). He is not telling them to tolerate or endure their weaker brothers and sisters in Christ; he is telling them to bastazō them (“To take up in order to carry or bear, to put upon one’s self (something) to be carried” – Thayer’s Greek Lexicon).

This is the same word Paul used when writing to the believers in Galatia.

Bear [bastazō] one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:2 ESV

We are not simply to tolerate those whose lives are still marked by a less developed understanding of faith; we are to lovingly walk alongside and assist them. There is no place for self-pleasing in the body of Christ.

Paul told the Philippian believers, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3 NLT). This is the same passage where he wrote, “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose” (Philippians 2:1-2 NLT).

We are to be ready, willing, and able to sacrifice our rights to help a brother or sister grow in their faith, and our model in all of this is Christ.

For even Christ did not please himself. – Romans 15:3 ESV

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul encouraged them to have the same attitude that Christ had, who, “though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being” (Philippians 26-7 NLT).

Jesus willingly gave up His divine rights and took on human flesh so that He could provide mankind with a way to be restored to a right relationship with God. He modeled selfless, sacrificial love and gave Himself up for those who did not deserve God’s grace, mercy, or forgiveness. And Paul encourages us to live our lives with the same attitude or mindset, so that we “can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:6 NLT).

Paul knows that this will not be easy; it will require endurance and encouragement, and demand that each of us dies to self daily. But as we live in unity as the body of Christ, patiently loving one another and bearing with one another, God receives glory. This does not mean there will never be any disagreements or points of debate within the church, but it does mean that unity is to trump disunity every time. Loving is to supersede winning. Being one must always take priority over being right.

We are to welcome one another just as Christ has welcomed us. In Greek, that word means “to receive, i.e., grant one access to one’s heart” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). No walls. No lines of division. No barriers that prevent unity or discourage mutual love. Our goal should always be oneness. Our objective should always be the building up of the body of Christ for our mutual good and God’s ultimate glory.

Father, we struggle with unity. It seems that we are hardwired with a penchant for individuality and independence. But that is not Your will for us. You long for us to live in loving unity, reflecting the union You enjoy the Son and the Holy Spirit. Division is the enemy’s goal and he will do everything in his power to sow seeds of discontentment and division within the body of Christ. He uses comparison, competition, personal preferences, prejudice, and pride to destroy the bond of love between believers in Christ. And we easily fall prey to his predatory practices. But with Your Spirit’s help, we can “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3 ESV). Paul was passionate when he wrote to the believers in Ephesus, “I…beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future (Ephesians 4:1-4 NLT). Unity isn’t an option; it’s the fruit of a restored relationship with You. It is the proof that we are new creations and members of a new community of faith where union and communion identify us as Your sons and daughters. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22