Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10 We were spiritually dead, but God, out of his mercy and love for us, made us alive in Christ! That God made us who were dead alive shows his power, and his willingness to save us, because of his mercy and love, shows his grace. Understanding God’s blessing and his grace is part of Paul’s prayer for … Continue reading →
Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10 The Bible says that before God saved us, we were dead in transgression and sins. Clearly it is not talking about physical death because we were all living our lives before we came to Christ. So we understand it to mean spiritual death. Still, what does it mean to be spiritually dead? While a lot can be … Continue reading →
Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10 Paul describes our condition as being dead in transgressions and sins before God made us alive in Christ. It does not mean that everyone was terribly evil and committed all wrongdoings before they came to Christ, but the context says that we were not under our own control and were completely led by other forces. But God who … Continue reading →
Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23 Most of us are familiar with the saying “be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”1 Although the quotation is supposed to remind us to understand others and to be kind to others, it often resonates with us in the other way: we feel that we are fighting a battle that others do not know … Continue reading →
Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23 The feeling of newness and freshness when we obtained or experienced something new is unforgettable. We remember that feeling when we bought our first car, how we closed the door lightly, and how even the sound of the closing door felt good to our ears. We remember the feeling when we bought our first house, that feeling … Continue reading →
Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23 As Christians, we seem to know certain truths but at the same time we don’t seem to know them. For example, we know that God has glory, but what does that really mean? What kind of image do we have when we talk about God’s glory. Does a bright light or a halo come to our mind? … Continue reading →
Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23 For a church or churches that he has personally taught for over 3 years,1 for the saints who he knows have received every spiritual blessing from God, for the believers for whom he thanks God unceasingly for their faith in the Lord and their love toward others, the apostle Paul offers this prayer to God: that the … Continue reading →
Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-16 A person who has a true faith in God should be a loving person. A life which is truly changed by Christ is a life full of love. We know that “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.”1 We have also been told that in Christ, all external differences are of no … Continue reading →
Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23 Praises and petitions are very closely connected and are often offered together, as we see here in the opening of the Epistle to the Ephesians. After the opening praise to God, Paul moved on to a prayer for his readers. While it must have brought tremendous joy to Paul when he heard about the Ephesians’ coming to Christ … Continue reading →
Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-14 (text at bottom of post) When Paul offered his praise to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, he mentioned the salvation that God had prepared, accomplished and guaranteed for us, but he did not explain any detail because that part of the letter was really a praise to God and not a lesson in theology.1 … Continue reading →
