Ephesians 3:20-22 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. 
 
EPHESIANS is a two-part letter, divided into two sections of three chapters each. As we have seen in the first three chapters, Paul’s purpose was to teach of God ’s love, mercy and grace to offer salvation to the Gentiles. Paul celebrated the ways all people are made one with God. He pointed to the church as God’s means on earth to proclaim God’s gospel.
    In response to the wondrous gospel, Paul concludes section one of Ephesians as he opened it. He blesses – praises – God for his extreme grace! Paul’s worshipful words celebrate that there is none like our God. He rejoices in God’s magnificent power that enables and causes God to do “far more abundantly” than all the things we ask of him. With joy Paul affirms God’s “power (is) at work within us.” How great and praiseworthy are these truths!
    Rise up church of Christ and see God’s glory work through you. Believe that his power to raise you up from the grave of sin into his holy presence is alive in you. Be in awe that Christ’s salvation is proclaimed in his church throughout the world. Rejoice the gospel is spoken from one generation to another. Praise the glory of God that awakens us to the wonder of being one with God forever and ever. Amen.
 
Prayer: We praise you, Father, Son and Spirit that by our grace we have been saved.

Ephesians 4:17-19 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.
 
PAUL has been writing to the Gentiles to encourage them to be one with the one Lord Jesus in the one church. Now he seems to have hard words against Gentiles. Has he had a sudden change of heart?
    The “Gentiles” here are people who are still outside Jesus’ one church. As Paul has used “Gentiles” throughout his life to refer to people who did not believe in Yahweh, the one God of the Jews, he now uses “Gentiles” in reference to people who do not believe in the one God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. With this new reference to Gentiles, he is helping the former Gentiles – all new believers - see how God has changed them.
    He describes the changes in verses 19-20. See the “Gentile lifestyle” there. These are traits of people who live without God, pursuing their own desires, negating God’s commands. When we ask, “What’s wrong with the world. Why is there so much trouble?” a simple and eternal answer is, “People reject God.”
    Some will say this is a trite answer. The questions of world conflict need deeper and more thoughtful response. But in loving truth, what else is there? Who else is there? Hear Peter’s words, for example, in Acts 4:10-12 “Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead – by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
    Jesus came to save the world from the evils Paul wrote of and saw in the world around him. As one church, with one faith in one Lord, we must live under the one name – the Son of God, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The world needs its Creator’s commands. It is as simple, as wide, high, long and deep as that.
 
Prayer: Father, we pray for the “Gentiles” those in the world who deny you and live in evil ways. Come, Spirit, and heal their misery. Give them faith in Jesus. In his name, amen.

Ephesians 3:14-19 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in Heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
 
AS Paul has just reminded us that in our faith we can truly have a confidence and boldness in God’s power, he now says, “For this reason I bow my needs before the Father.” Because of this faith-driven boldness and confidence, Paul tells the Gentiles he faithfully goes to the Father for them. He boldly believes the Father will strengthen each believer with God’s power and glory.
    Indeed, this is a strong, transforming prayer. If you are looking to pray for your family, your friends, your enemies, your church, your nation, and others, and you ask yourself, “What do I pray?” then I encourage you to pray this Scripture over them. You can do so as you insert the name of the one(s) for whom you intercede. Hear now my prayer for you:
    “Father in Heaven, because of my faith in you, I bow my knees before you, from whom every family in Heaven and on earth is named. I pray that according to the riches of your glory you may grant your faithful servants who are seeking you to be strengthened with power through your Spirit in their inner being, so that Christ may dwell in each servant’s heart through faith. I pray that your faithful follower, being rooted and grounded in your love, Father, may have strength to comprehend with all other believers the breadth and length and height and depth of your love. I pray your servant knows the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that your servant may be filled with all the fullness of God. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”
    Each time I have prayed this, God’s Word has personally touched the person or the group. The Spirit seems to immediately begin to answer the prayer. My great hope is you feel the Spirit opening your heart to your Lord in new, loving ways. I pray you pray these words over those God places before you. I pray you will boldly and confidently anticipate what he will do with your prayers.  

Ephesians 3:11-13 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.
 
WE can easily lose heart, can’t we? We may be experiencing a painful, debilitating illness. We worry about children, parents and friends who seem far from Jesus. The paycheck doesn’t go far enough to cover mortgage or rent, food and the car payment. Our nation and the world seem to be degenerating into an increasing state of brokenness. What are we to do?
    Paul helps us know. Reading Ephesians and Paul’s other letters we see his concern for Jesus’ church, his own people the Jews, his new friends the Gentiles, and specific people. As he focused on others, we might think Paul had no issues of his own.
    But the Bible tells us in various Scriptures such as 2 Corinthians 15 of Paul’s various and great sufferings. These we can easily forget, though, because Paul continually affirms and celebrates the one great power in his life over all things is his faith in Jesus.
    Faith was Paul’s comfort, and it can be yours, too. Faith gives to us a boldness to go before the Father’s throne of grace to pray forgiveness and intercession. Faith is our confidence as it causes us to believe, “I am in God’s eternal hands.” Faith draws us into being the “one things” Paul describes in Ephesians 2. Faith causes us to stand steadily against doubts, fears and disappointments. Faith even helps us to say, “Your will be done, Father, on earth as it is in Heaven – even if I don’t like it.”
    John Calvin said of faith: “To separate faith from confidence would be an attempt to take away heat and light from the sun. A trembling, hesitating, doubting conscience will always be a sure evidence of unbelief. But a firm, steady faith, will prove to be invincible against the gates of hell. To trust in Christ as Mediator, and to entertain a firm conviction of our heavenly Father's love, never to tremble at death or hell, is certainly a holy presumption.”         
    What strife may be in your life? Believe in God’s promises. Be faithful to read and study his Word. Sit under true gospel teaching. Pray often to listen to God’s voice. Take heart in the suffering Paul’s faithful words. His joy in Jesus (see Philippians) teaches us to forget of suffering and to focus on the Savior. May your life be so lived.
 
Prayer: Thank you, Spirit, for your gift of faith into my soul. Grow my faith large that I will boldly go before the Holy God in expectation of his care for my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 

Ephesians 3:7-9 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.
 
DO you have a personal calling statement? I’ve joined with some men in past years to help us understand God’s particular call on our personal lives. We worked through an understanding of what God had gifted us to do, given us to do and pointed us to do as we each looked at our life’s pattern. We chose particular Scriptures that have personally impacted us. We discerned how we perceived God was pointing us to live into our lives now and into the future as husbands, fathers and church leaders. In all of this process, we each wrote a personal calling statement that helps us to know who we are in God’s Kingdom. One value in knowing this is that it helps us make decisions about our next steps. Considering God’s call helps us to know how we are to more personally walk with God.
    You could say Ephesians 3:7-9 are a form of the Apostle Paul’s personal calling statement. He affirms that God had given to him the work to minister the gospel. An important part of his ministry was to “preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” in order to “bring the light to everyone”. Paul confirms he is God’s appointed apostle to bring the gospel from the Jews to the Gentiles. This is his call that he first heard in Jesus’ power converting him to walk with Jesus: Acts 9:5-6 And Paul said, “Who are you, Lord?” And the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.  6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”   
    Do you hear that? Jesus said, “You will be told what you are to do.” Jesus effectually told Paul there was a new authority in his life. Paul no longer got to make decisions about what his life would be. Christ became not only his Savior, but Christ became Paul’s authority. And so it must be for each of us who say, “I’m a Christian.”
    Paul affirmed to the Gentiles he was ministering through his writings and his preaching of the true gospel. His work is grounded not in his own desires but in God’s directives. Paul has been made alive in Jesus, and his personal calling statement was to preach to the Gentiles.
    What has God told you that you must do? If you do not know, this is a good time to know. Reflect on your life. What have you enjoyed doing? What are you good at doing? Where is your heart’s desire? Seek God and know how he is forming you. Learn his call on your life. Then do it.
 
Prayer: Humble me, Jesus, to receive your teaching. Strengthen me to say, “Yes, Lord. Here am I.” In the Spirit’s power I pray, amen.

Ephesians 3:2-6 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.   
 
PAUL urges the Gentiles to know of the special privileges God has given to him. First of all, he describes himself as a steward. We more often use the term “servant” to understand the humility with which we are called to serve Christ. But a steward had more responsibility than a servant. As we are called to be good stewards of our possessions, for example, a steward was one who managed the affairs of a wealthy household. As such he was accorded some prestige and privilege. We might see him as the Head Butler in a home. Using “steward” Paul describes how he is privileged to manage the greatest wealth of all, the mystery of Christ.
    This mystery of Christ describes Paul’s second privilege. He is one who has received a special revelation from Jesus. You can read of Jesus’ astonishing revelation to Paul in Acts 9 and 2 Corinthians 12. Paul was privileged to receive the precious gospel truth directly from the Lord.
    Then Paul transfers this revelation privilege to the Gentiles. Verse 5 describes how “sons of men” – or the Gentiles – in ages past did not know of this mystery. But now they know. AS Paul has been made a steward of the gospel, so have the Gentiles.  
    Third, in expressing the privilege of knowing the mystery of Christ, Paul affirms he is not writing to the church to disclose his opinions. Instead, he is declaring God’s mysterious truth revealed to him in the Son of God by the Spirit of God. Paul has seen and heard directly from the Lord. He stewards God’s rich Word to all of God’s chosen people. He manages the work of the gospel to distribute it wherever he goes. He writes Ephesians and other letters to manage Jesus’ church here on earth in order to prepare each member for the revelation of Jesus Christ on the Last Day.
    Do you have a Bible? Do you understand what God says? Do you believe in Jesus? Do you say, “I’m forgiven.” with full confidence of your faith? Then count it a special privilege. You have been granted an eternal honor to steward the gospel to the people God has placed in your life.
    Know the truth. Steward the truth. Count it a joyful privilege.
 
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your great revelation to me. I pray I will be a faithful steward in all matters concerning you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Ephesians 3:1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles
 
HAVE you ever invited someone to come to church and encouraged them, “Come and join us. You can be a prisoner for Jesus!” Or think of this: Have you ever considered yourself a prisoner for Jesus?
    Paul was a prisoner for Jesus both literally and spiritually. In fact, he wrote Ephesians and other letters now in the New Testament while he was under house arrest in Rome. The Romans held him there as Paul awaited to state his case to Caesar. The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, as recorded in Acts 21-28, were passionate to silence his gospel message. They threatened to kill Paul as they had Jesus, Stephen (Acts 7), James (Acts 12) and other martyrs of the early church.
    But unlike the others, Paul was a Roman citizen who had civil rights. He couldn’t be summarily crucified or beheaded at a ruler’s whim. So he awaited trial. And as promised (Matthew 10:19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.) God came to Paul to proclaim the gospel as recorded in Acts 23:11 The Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
    Here is a Christ-following lesson: The Lord God came to Paul, not to say, “Be of courage, be cheerful because you will soon be released!” No, the Lord God came to Paul to say, “Be cheerful! You are telling the truth about me. And you will stay in prison to do the same in Rome.” Would you be cheerful if God said to you, “You will be in prison for me. This is where you will declare the gospel.”
    In wondrous truth, no chains or Roman guard imprisoned Paul. It was Jesus’ gospel that held Paul joyfully captive. Paul cannot possibly let go of Jesus for a life of ease and comfort. After all, the Lord mercifully transformed Paul from being dead in sin to be alive in Jesus’ redeeming blood. The Lord God has a frim, unrelenting grip on Paul’s soul. No earthly pleasure or desire can keep Paul from preaching Jesus.
    Paul’s letters from his Rome prison house have become our window into Jesus’ justice, mercy, love and grace. Paul is a living example of how to live as a prisoner for Christ in response to Jesus’ freeing sacrifice. God imprisoned Paul literally and spiritually to be an example of free living in the Kingdom of God.
    We will sometimes say, “I am waiting for a word from God about what to do.” But could it be we wait for the word we want to hear? Be a prisoner for Jesus. Pray for the Holy Spirit to chain you to the gospel. Desire the holy Scripture to guard your heart. Set your mind to restrict you from temptation. Turn your hands to labor for those in sin’s chains.
 
Prayer. Oh, let me be imprisoned in your love and redemption, dear Jesus. May I “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
 
 

Epesians 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
 
“SO then” Paul writes. This is his transition to summarize the “one’s” of verses 1-18:  As we have focused on the “one’s” of this chapter, we have been reminded of the one problem (1) of sin that separates us from God. Then Paul taught how God’s love is the one reason (2) we can now be one in Jesus (3). In response we can be one with God in our good works (4) for his people.
    In great wonder, we stopped to consider how we are one in Jesus’ blood (5) forgiven of our sins. We rejoiced that all those saved in his blood can live as one in Jesus’ peace (6) drawn to Christ and his church in the one power of the Holy Spirit (7).
    Now, in essence, if I may paraphrase, Paul says, “Welcome home! Because God has made you one with him, you are welcome in God’s house. Yes, you get to live with Life Himself! You are no longer unwelcome because of your dirty sin. But you are cleansed in Christ’s blood. In the Spirit’s power the doorway of Heaven has been opened for you.” Do you grasp the wonder?
    For many years I have had this picture: The Lord God is standing at the door of his heavenly mansion. Outside along the highways and byways of earth are the multitudes of humanity passing his door. None are aware of God’s house. No one knows him. But then...but then in his love, mercy, and grace the Lord God calls out, “I am here. I am your God, your Creator. Come into my home. Be one with me. Believe in my Son, and you will enter through his blood shed for you, his life resurrected for you. Walk, then, in my Spirit’s power. Come and be at home with me.”
    When people come, they know the Son, the Spirit and the Father. They are, as Paul says, “no longer strangers and aliens” passing by. But all who enter into the Father’s house are now “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”
    Each person who comes in can trust the house will stand. Its construction is guaranteed because it is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” Even more, Christ Jesus himself (is) the cornerstone.” The house of God is unshakeable. He has chosen you to live there with him in “a holy temple in the Lord… a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
    God has acted that you may forever live with him. What do you think? Does this move you in any way to move more closely to God?
 
Prayer: Father, I thank you for welcoming me into your eternal House. You are Spirit, Savior and Master. I worship you. In everlasting joy, I give thanks. Amen.  

Ephesians 2:17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
 
AND (referring to yesterday’s Scripture) how did both Gentiles (who were far off) and Jews (those who were near) come together to be one in Jesus’ peace?
    As the cross battered down the hostile wall between Jews and Gentiles, the Father completed his unifying work with the Holy Spirit’s power as “Both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” From the dawn of creation when “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2b), to the new creation of Jesus’ New Testament, the Spirit has administered is creative, life-giving power. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:5-6) God’s chosen people have been made one with God in the Spirit’s power.
    Jesus prayed this would be so in his loving, intercessory prayer for his people recorded in John 17:22-23 “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” 
    Do you see the repetitive focus on “one”? All saved in Jesus’ death and resurrection are born again in the Spirit’s power to be one with each other and with the Father.    
    Are you finding it difficult to be one in spirit and in truth with others in Jesus’ church? Perhaps you are unhappy about circumstances or issues in people’s lives. Maybe you are frustrated with others’ lack of devotion to Jesus’ teachings. You might be sad over others’ sins because you know it is destroying their lives. Possibly you have often encouraged people to open their Bibles, but they disregard your care for them.
    Be at peace. Your focus must be first on how the Spirit is empowering you to be one with God. Realize that only the Spirit will breathe new life into God’s people. Be one with his church to demonstrate truth, mercy and grace. Pray to the Spirit to care for your own heart, for his church and for the broken world. Live in gratitude the Spirit has drawn you into the Father’s presence. Give thanks to God for your salvation. Live as if his love endures forever because, in the Spirit’s power, it does.  
 
Prayer: Help me, Spirit, to be one with Jesus’ peace, recognizing and believing in your power to bring life. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Ephesians 2:14-16 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

ONE of the great challenges in the early church was that Jews and Gentiles were both called to be one with Jesus. We may look back now and say, “What’s the problem? Of course, Jesus is for all.” But God’s story of salvation doesn’t begin with God coming to all people. The Bible clearly tells us how he established the Jews as his particular people. God formed a nation out of Abraham. One of many places we read this is in Exodus 6:7 “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God.” This is extraordinary!
    Furthermore, God continually prohibited his people to intermingle and intermarry with Gentiles. Scripture repeatedly shows how the Gentiles’ gods drew away God’s people into great sin. To the true Jews, the Gentiles were the Jews’ enemies. The Jews were cursed. They had no hope of receiving God’s blessing.
    This was even demonstrated in the temple. The “walls of hostility” to which Paul refers here was a literal wall in the courts of the temple. This wall separated Jews from Gentiles. The Jews posted signs there excluding Gentiles from participating in the sacrifices to atone for sins. In this sense, the Gentiles could not be forgiven.
    But then came Jesus. Then came the cross. Through Jesus, the cross became God’s battering ram to destroy the separating hostile wall. The cross became the bridge of all nations to travel to be one in Jesus’ saving, eternal peace. In Jesus’ blood peace reigns in the heart of each person who confesses, “I believe in Jesus. He is the atoning sacrifice for my sin. I believe Jesus is my peace forevermore.”
    We see God promised this would happen. He declared to Isaac in Genesis 26:4 “I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” Yes, God promised he would not isolate his salvation to one particular people, but he would offer his eternal blessing to the entire world.
    Out of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, then, God would form the Jews. Out of the Jews he would form the Savior. Out of the Savior, he would form the entire world to be at peace in Jesus. In Jesus, hostility is dead! In Jesus, peace is alive!
    How’s your attitude toward God and others? Do you feel some hostility toward our Lord because God does not do as you please? Are you wondering, “How could God love that person?” Perhaps you think, “There are too many people in church I don’t like.” Let go, then, of your self-important, hostile view. Do not be as the first-century Jews who thought, “The Gentiles are unworthy!” Jesus came to transform the old law into the new promise of grace. Be a Christian. Love all as Jesus has loved you. Be one in Jesus’ peace.
 
Prayer: Father, forgive me for the ways I draw dividing lines between myself and you. Break down my hostility toward those you command me to love. Draw me near them in Jesus’ peace. Amen.