Tag: Paul

How Can I Know God’s Will?

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,

Ephesians 5:15-18 (NIV)

In this part of the letter, Paul continues to write to the churches about the importance of how they live their lives. They were fairly new followers of Jesus and were immersed in a culture that was uncaring at best, and hostile at times. Earlier in the letter Paul has focused on the change in their relationships to one another and the importance of unity. He has reminded them that they are radically different people than they had been, and that they need to grow into this new role quickly. They were light in a dark world. In this passage they would have understood the need to be careful and wise in every encounter. There simply wasn’t a way to ease into this new life. The world they lived in wouldn’t allow it.

The church in the Western world has enjoyed a cordial relationship with the culture at large for much of the last few centuries. People were tolerant and even supportive of the Christian worldview. Church was seen to be a good thing for society. It didn’t seem necessary to be careful or to make the most of our opportunities. Society was progressing and we had time to get things right. The last handful of years have moved us back toward the kind of environment Paul’s original audience experienced. The world is hostile to the Christian worldview, and quick to criticize the slightest slip.

The message in this passage is that we need to know what we’re supposed to be doing, what God wants us to do. We call this knowing the will of God. That we can actually know what God wants us to do, and that we can then do it is a well-established principle in the Bible. Romans 12:2 calls for a renewal of our minds to enable us to know God’s will. Paul prays in Colossians 1:9 that his hearers would be filled with the knowledge of his will. The writer in Hebrews 13:21 prays that his readers will be equipped “with every good thing to do his will”

This principle is most relevant to those of us in today’s church who are drifting through life, not actively doing evil, but just going through the motions of being a church member. We don’t worry too much about God’s will because we can just imitate the people around us and stay out of trouble. We would do well to hear Paul’s warning, “the days are evil” and we can’t afford to be foolishly filling our lives with nonsense. We need to make the most of every opportunity to do the work God has for us. Time’s a-wastin’ y’all!

Shine!

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. ¹⁴ This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”

Ephesians 5:8-14 (NIV)

In the Greco-Roman culture of the recipients of Paul’s letter, the ideas of light and darkness would have evoked a strong sense of good and evil. When Paul tells his listeners that they “were” darkness, they would have understood him to mean that their previous life as pagans had been characterized by moral corruption, ignorance, chaos, and separation from God. To become “children of light” would have been a radical transformation in their very identity. It would have been like waking up from spiritual death to a completely different kind of life. Today we are likely to miss the profound nature of the change Paul is describing. We tend to be focused on our own individual perspective. We see it as a call to live “better” lives, to just work harder, to avoid personal sin.

This radical transformation; the adoption of a new life; becoming a new person is how the Bible generally characterizes the change in one who becomes a believer. Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3 that he must be born anōthen (from above, or perhaps again). It’s a change your life, not change your mind kind of thing. Paul says this same thing in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “the old is gone, the new is here.”

Applying the principle of radical transformation involves understanding the ways we allow our lives to be shaped by darkness. This is more than simply failing to be good moral people. It’s the deep allegiance to personal fulfillment that is woven into the fabric of our culture. We think first of our own comfort, gain, and protection. Living as children of light requires the same profound change in life that Paul is describing. We are new people indeed, just waking up!

The Living Church

¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Ephesians 4:11-16 (NIV)

This passage continues a letter that Paul wrote, likely to be circulated among several churches in Asia Minor. These were congregations made up of both Jews and Gentiles who were new believers in Jesus the Messiah. This letter was likely written in 60-62 AD. The whole Christian movement was developing, and basing its doctrine on the Jewish scriptures, the teaching of the apostles, and letters and visits from the second generation of teachers. They did not have what is now called the New Testament as scripture. When Paul’s words were read to them they would have heard his telling them they needed to grow up, and fast. They would have been hearing from a lot of teachers, many good, but many who were simply out to gain personally from spreading misinformation. Paul encourages them to stop being taken in by every schemer passing by with a clever message.

There has always only been one way to know what is true, and that is to listen to the source of all truth–Jesus Christ. God’s people have always been told to come to him for true wisdom. The Psalms are full of prayers seeking God’s guidance and wisdom.

We are prone to fall for a false message that reinforces our preferred beliefs. It is easier than ever before to seek out someone who will tell us what we want to hear. The principle underlying Paul’s words applies to us as well as it did to the early Christians. We need to grow up and stop being sucked into believing the latest popular post on social media. We need to “attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

A Walk That’s Worthy

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 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 (NIV)

This passage begins the ‘practical’ part of a letter written to be circulated among the churches in Asia Minor. It is typical of the way that Paul would have constructed letters like this. The first part of the letter described the principles of the issues in question, followed by comments on the application of those principles to specific situations. Paul knew that these new believers were at odds with the surrounding population, especially the one in Ephesus, and would attract attention. He was concerned that they stick together and be beyond reproach in their behavior.

The call for unity is a familiar one through the Bible. In John 17:21 Jesus prays for his believers, “…that all of them may be one … so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” The world would be changed by the example of Christians following God in together.

Today’s world is characterized by disunity in almost every sphere of life. The clear application of this principle for us is that the church must be a counter example if we are to be believed. Unity in the church isn’t so much about us being happy with each other and free of conflict. It’s about spreading the good news of what God has done for people who desperately need to hear it. In this regard, perhaps unity among God’s family is even more important than precise alignment on doctrine and church polity.

The Praise of Prayer

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-21 (NIV)

After announcing God’s plan for them, Paul continues his letter with a prayer for power and understanding for his audience. They were a young church in a time when their faith was new and not well established. They were a mixture of people from differing and often antagonistic backgrounds. As they listened to these words read to them they would have heard their teacher asking God for power, but not the power of those in the world around them, rather the power to grasp the vastness of God’s love for them. This love was different from the loyalty to family and the quid-pro-quo nature of other relationships.

God’s deep love for creation, and for humanity is a theme that runs throughout scripture. As 1 John 4:8 says, “God is love.” 1 John 4:10 says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

God loves me. God loves you. When we run into the many parts of today’s world that wear us down and point out our weakness, failure, and unworthiness, we to can pray for the power to grasp that we are loved and valued by the one whose opinion matters more than all others combined. God loves me!

The Great Mystery

¹ For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

² Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ³ that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴ In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. ⁶ This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

⁷ I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. ⁸ Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰ His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹ according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹² In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. ¹³ I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

Ephesians 3:1-13 (NIV)

This is part of a letter to the churches of Asia Minor. The churches included both Jews and Gentiles among their members. This was an unusual situation because Jews would not associate with Gentiles in this way. Paul has been telling the Gentiles that they are included as part of the family of God, an assertion that would have been unthinkable to both the Gentiles and the Jews. In this passage, Paul tells them that this was always the plan, but until now it has been held as a “mystery.” In other words, the plan was “classified” but has now been declassified by God and communicated by the Holy Spirit. Paul has been appointed by God to communicate the plan to the church, and through the church, to the world.

Unlike the biblical audience for this letter, modern hearers have always known of this plan. This is not classified or hidden in any way, so we miss the shocking nature of the revelation. We are not a mixed group of Jews and Gentiles, and in many ways that particular distinction isn’t one that is important to us.

The principle Paul is expressing here is that God’s plan has always been for all people to be included as fellow members of his family, regardless of their ancestry, nationality, appearance, occupation, or age. This message is a foundational part of the Bible’s teaching. Peter’s experience with Cornelius in Acts 10 leads him to proclaim, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.“

We live in times that seem to be becoming more divisive all the time. It’s easy to see the division between believers and non-believers, but this principle needs to be applied within the church as well. When we are inclined to exclude someone for what seems to be a good reason in the moment, we need to remember that God’s only plan for the world has always included everyone. This is not a diversity or inclusion initiative on God’s part. It is the simple fact that “everyone” means everyone. That almost certainly includes the person I am deciding to exclude because they are __________.

A Place to Belong

¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Ephesians 2:19-22 (NIV)

Paul wrote this letter to be circulated to the churches in Asia Minor. The members of these churches were likely representative of the general population in the area. They would have included all kinds of people. Of particular significance in this letter was that the members included both Jews and Gentiles because these two groups did not mix in the Roman world of the 1^st Century. In verse 11 Paul says, “Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth…”, which identifies the “you” in this passage. The people who first heard this letter would have heard Paul telling them that the Gentiles were now “members of his household,” “fellow citizens,” and “built together.” These are all images that would have made the Gentiles part of this new family of God. The had been “other” but were now “us.”

In the Christian culture of North America we don’t experience the same strong cultural division between Jews and Gentiles. The force of Paul’s words is lost on us, partly because we see the animosity between Jews and Gentiles as a cultural anachronism, and partly because we see Jews as a small minority without much influence on our day-to-day life. We don’t think of ourselves as outsiders or strangers.

Paul is expressing a broader principle in this passage than just the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s people. God’s family includes all kinds of people regardless of the category or group to which we assign them. God includes all of humanity as citizens of his kingdom. The is a common theme elsewhere in the Bible. In Galatians 3:28 Paul says, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” In Genesis 18:18 God says, “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.”

We continue to divide people into groups. We use wealth, birthplace, skin color, and even weight, political opinion, or education as ways to identify the “other” in our world. This passage reminds us that God makes no such division, so we ought not to make too much of our categories as well. We should constantly be aware of the “other” in our world. As members of God’s family, they are “us” as well.