Ephesians 1:15-16

What a great thing it is when someone believes in Jesus Christ. This is cause for rejoicing, and that is exactly what Paul is doing. He is giving thanks for his fellow believers coming to faith. He also keeps them in his prayers. Paul knows that the Christian life is not complete after one believes. They must grow in their knowledge and love of Christ. They must continue to work out their salvation by putting off sin and putting on Christ, and Paul prays that God would do these things in their lives. As Christians, we have to continue to grow and progress in our faith. We have to daily call on the Lord to help us in this. Are you growing in your faith? Are you asking Jesus to help you overcome the sin in your life?

Ephesians 1:14

Paul mentions that the Ephesians are sealed in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of the inheritance we receive as sons and daughters of God. We will not see all of this inheritance until we reach heaven, but the Spirit assures us of this. The Holy Spirit is the “down payment” of the inheritance that we will have in heaven. His presence in our life is God assuring us that every blessing He has promised will be ours. Although we will receive more, the Holy Spirit is an amazing blessing. He helps guide us each and every day, making us more like Christ. He provides us with a direct line to Christ as we pray. He provides strength and comfort as we face temptation and trials. The Holy Spirit is something we should cherish. Do you cherish the Holy Spirit in your life or do you take Him for granted?

Ephesians 1:12-13

Paul is speaking to the Christians at Ephesus.  These were Gentiles, and they were not part of the nation of Israel. However, Paul shows that they are part of the family of God. When he mentions “we who were the first to hope in Christ”, Paul is talking about the Jews, who heard the Gospel first, but then he mentions in verse 13 that the Gentile Ephesians had believed and were saved. One of the greatest blessings of the Gospel is that it does not matter where you come from, your background, your ethnicity, your job, so on and so forth. All that matters is faith in Jesus Christ. If you feel inadequate, remember that Paul, who was an apostle, called himself the chief of all sinners and he was forgiven. There are no conditions on our faith. The only thing salvation requires is to repent of your sin and trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Have you trusted in Him?

Ephesians 1:11

Through faith in Christ, we have obtained an inheritance with Christ. We have been adopted into the family of God and become younger brothers and sisters of the heir of all things, Jesus Christ, for all things are ours in Him. From before the beginning of time, God predestined us to be His sons and daughters, and we have been restored to Him because of Jesus. You may not come from an affluent background. You may have not had much growing up, but you are sons and daughters of the Heavenly King. Those who believe in Christ and trust in Him for their salvation are brought into God’s family, and they will share His inheritance which is much greater than any earthly inheritance.

Ephesians 1:10

God has revealed His will through Christ, but how? When Adam and Eve sinned, they fell along with all creation. God’s plan was to bring all of creation back to its original state, being united to Him, through Christ. Jesus’ atonement on the cross reconciled both God’s people and His creation with Him. This is why Jesus is so important. It is only through Him that both we and creation itself could be restored to the state of righteousness before the Fall. Jesus Christ is the crux  by which God’s purposes of redemption are fulfilled.

Ephesians 1:9

God is an omniscient, all-knowing, God, and He will always know more than us. However, there are things that God has made known about Himself and His purposes through the Bible. He has been revealing His will little by little, as we see in the Old Testament, but now His will is fully known because everything in the Old Testament points to Christ. The entire Bible from cover to cover is about Jesus and God’s plan to save His people. We can see there is a God by looking at creation, but we need the Bible to show us God’s revelation of Jesus Christ. This mystery has been brought to light in Jesus through God’s Word to us.  

Ephesians 1:7-8

Paul explains to the Ephesians that they have redemption and forgiveness for their trespasses because of the blood of Christ and the grace of God that has been poured out upon them. We love our accomplishments, whether it be trophies, certificates, plaques, etc. These things all highlight something we have done. However, there is not a single thing we have done to accomplish our salvation. It is all through Christ and by His grace that we have been saved. You may have done some great things in your life, but you have done nothing, and will not be able to do anything, to earn your salvation. Because of this, we should love Christ all the more. We owe our lives to Him. We owe our salvation to Him. We owe everything to Him, and this should be our response. Are you glorifying Christ in your daily life for who He is and what He has done for you that you couldn't do for yourself?

Ephesians 1:6

God’s ultimate purpose is not redemption in itself, but praise of His glorious name through redemption. The Westminster Catechism says that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. This is why we were created, but sin got in the way. Sin cut us off from God so we could no longer enjoy Him and were unable to glorify Him. Through redemption in Christ, we come to see our sin and rely on Jesus. Through Christ, our relationship with God is restored, and as we grow in our knowledge and love for Him, we begin to glorify Him and praise His name for who He is and what He has done for us. When we see how blessed we are because of God’s love for us, we cannot help but shout praises to the Lord. Do your praise the Lord for all He has done for you? Do you glorify Him and praise His name daily or do you take it for granted?

Ephesians 1:4-5

We like to think that we are in control of everything, but these verses remind us that God is always in control. Before the beginning of time He set us apart to be His people. We have been predestined to come to know Jesus Christ as our Savior, so we may be holy and blameless when we go to Heaven. It is awesome to know that we, in our sinful ways, cannot screw that up. God has determined us to be His people from the very beginning, and there is nothing that can get between Him and us. Your salvation is secure because of God’s providence, and there is nothing you can do to lose it. God’s purposes always come to pass, and this should encourage us when we face adversity and suffering. Although we may be weak, we know God is strong and in control. Do you find comfort in God’s providence? How can you better rely on God when things are out of your control in your own life?

Ephesians 1:3

Paul turns his thanks to God by thanking Him for the blessings given to us by Jesus Christ. We have been blessed beyond all measure with every spiritual blessing we can think of. We have been saved by Jesus and given the blessing of the Holy Spirit in us that connects us with God. We may tend to overlook these spiritual blessings and pay more attention to what the world would call blessings, however, worldly blessings will waste away while our spiritual blessings are eternal. Are you blessing God for the spiritual blessings in your life, or are you taking them for granted? Are you concerned about monetary things, or are you constantly meditating on the spiritual gifts of God?

Ephesians 1:2

Paul prays for grace and peace for the Ephesians. We don't come across grace and peace  like something you pick up at the store. Grace and peace are blessings given to us from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are given grace because Christ represented us and paid our punishment, a gift we didn't deserve. We find peace in knowing that, no matter what is going on in our lives, we have the assurance of salvation in Christ. We try to find peace in the world, but it won’t give us the same peace only God can give.  Where do you find your peace?  Do you find it in Christ or in worldly things?  How can looking to Christ give you peace in your life?

Ephesians 1:1b

When we think of the word “saint”, we tend to think of the saints in the Bible or those dubbed with the title of “saint” by the Roman Catholic Church. In this verse, saints refer to those who are God’s people, those who have been set apart for Him. The church is made up of saints who are faithful to Christ. One who has put their trust and faith in Christ can be called a saint because he or she is deemed holy not by their own works but by Christ’s.  You may think that you are not qualified to be a saint because of the sin in your life. In fact, none of us are qualified, but we have been deemed worthy because of Christ. We still make mistakes, but the Spirit works in us to make us more like Christ each day. Paul does not see a saint as someone who is perfect, but one who has been set apart, and we have been set apart because of our faith.

Ephesians 1:1a

Paul begins his greeting to the Ephesians with his name and his calling by God to be an apostle. Paul did not choose to be an apostle on his own, but he was called by the will of God to do so. None of us are called to be apostles, but we have all been called by God for His purposes. Some of us are called to be pastors and to shepherd the people. Others have been called to teach in Sunday School or other classes. Some have been called to use their gifts and talents such as singing or playing an instrument. The list goes on and on. We are all called to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in some way, shape, or form. How are you sharing the Gospel with what God has given you? Even if you are not called to be a pastor, how can God use you in your own occupation and in the church?

Matthew 22:38-39

Jesus is asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” He responds with two. The greatest is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and prophets depend on these two commands. The Ten Commandments are an exposition of these two greatest commandments of Jesus. The First table, or four commandments, teaches us how to love God. The Second table, or last six commandments, teaches us how to love man. The Ten Commandments are not arbitrary rules to be obeyed. They are how we love God and man.

Exodus 20:17

The idea of coveting is a particularly bad sin because it is a sin of the heart and mind. It is a sin first and foremost against God Himself. If we believe that God is in control and blesses us in His providence, then to sinfully covet is to be unhappy with God. It also leads to other sins like stealing or even murder. King David coveted another man’s wife and it caused him to commit adultery, steal another man’s wife, lie, and murder. How wicked are our hearts and how careful we must watch and rule over them.

Exodus 20:16

 Do not lie. Some how we have a sliding scale for lying. There is an “innocent” white lie and then there is a “bold faced” lie. However, God’s word does not teach this sliding scale. Christians are called to speak truth, because they are the sons and daughters of a God who only speaks truth. We need to seek to be truth tellers. It is easy to keep compromising once you start. It is easy to start reasoning away what it is ok to tell, sharing half-lies, or not telling all the information so that technically you did not say anything false, but you lead to a false conclusion. This is still lying and is wrong in the eyes of a holy God.

Exodus 20:15

The Bible teaches about private property. We are to respect other people’s things. We are to be free and generous with our money and possessions. We are to use them to our good, but also the good of others. The command against stealing is not about just robbery, but also extends to other areas. One area that is often abused is in regard to time. If you are paid to do a job, you are to work hard at that job. This is another commandment where we see the World’s thinking starting to influence the Christian mindset. Are you being faithful with your possessions, time, and money?

Exodus 20:14

Sexual sin is rampant in our world today. Premarital sex is the norm. Pornography is an epidemic with both men and women. The idea of sexual purity that is taught by the Seventh Commandment and the Bible as a whole is lost on our generation. This is an area where we cannot surrender to the world’s understanding. Sexual sin is causing hurt and damage to people of all ages and degrees. God would have His people be pure in actions, thoughts, and words. Take a serious look at your life. Is it a life that is sexually pure?

Exodus 20:13

The command for us to not murder is an important one for all men and women to consider. It is easy to look at this as something we will never do. However, all of these have deeper meanings and further application than the literal words convey. This is clearly seen in Jesus’ expanding the commandment in Matthew 5:21-22. Here Jesus says that anyone who is angry with his brother has broken the commandment. This is not just a command against actual murder, but also those things that lead to murder and show no love for our fellow man. Consider your speech, your actions, your attitudes; do they lead to peace or strife?

Exodus 20:12

This is the transitional commandment. It is considered part of the second table of the law, but it clearly stands between the two. This commandment talks about honoring authority and uses the most basic idea of authority in human life, that of parents. We are to give honor to all authority from God. Our parents, elders, bosses, government officials, and all those God has placed in authority are due the honor of their office and station.

Exodus 20:8-11

The Christian Sabbath is called the Lord’s Day in the New Testament. It is the practice of the church to worship on the day of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. This also helps separate  Christians from the Jews. The idea of the Sabbath was not just a part of the ceremonial law. It is here in the Moral law and also as part of the creation mandate in Genesis. It is the day we are to Worship and the day we are to pull back from the busyness of all other days as much as we can to rest with God and His people.

Exodus 20:7

We are saved in the power of the Lord’s name. Acts 2:21 states that “… everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” It is the name of the one who has made all things, controls all things, and has saved us as His people. This is why we should not say flippant things using the name of God. It should be a name that is respected and honored when it comes from our lips. Sometimes this commandment gets condensed down to just being against “G— D—“, but it is much more than just that one phrase. It is the totality of how we use the name of our Lord.

Exodus 20:4-6

The Second commandment deals with Worship. How does God want to be worshipped? This commandment specifically deals with the idea of images. This is why we do not worship God with pictures, statues, video clips and things that make a visible representation of God. He has clearly  told us not to do that. This commandment also sets down the principle that Worship is to be done according to what God has said He wants in worship. Worship is not for your entertainment. It is about us giving and directing our praise to God and hearing Him speak to us.

Exodus 20:3

The first commandment is an often over looked commandment. It is easy to see the practical implications of how we use God’s name or how we keep the Lord’s day. Yet, it is easy to miss the things that compete with our devotion to God. It is easy to make anything an idol and put it ahead of God in importance in your life. Even good things like families, jobs, and hobbies should never come before God in importance. He is to be first and everything else is second.

Exodus 20:1-2

This is the preface to the Ten Commandments and the introduction to the Law of God. God is reminding His people of who He is and what He has done. Before we look at the Ten Commandments it is important to remember who has spoken these things to us. It is our God who has saved us from our sin. These are not ideas or philosophies of men. These are the Commandments of our personal God and Father in heaven.

Matthew 6:15

Jesus is very clear that if we do not forgive others, then we are not forgiven.  Matthew 18:23-25 tells us the parable of the unforgiving servant who did not forgive his fellow servant for not paying him even though he had been forgiven for his even greater debt.  The unforgiving servant is thrown in jail by his master because the servant did not show mercy to another even though the master showed mercy on him.  How can we say that we can’t forgive someone, when God has forgiven us for so much more?  Matthew 6:15 shows that there is no forgiveness for the one who does not forgive because an unforgiving spirit bears witness to the fact that he never repented.  Being forgiven by Christ should change us.  We who willingly pray to be forgiven should also be just as willing to forgive.  Being forgiven and forgiving others are a package deal.  You cannot have one without the other.  Are you having a hard time forgiving others?  Remember how much you were forgiven, and have the same attitude as Christ did.