NOVEMBER 28 Ephesians

November 28, 2014

Ephesians

Ephesians is sometimes seen as the most esoteric and mysterious of Paul’s letters. He wrote it to the church where he had labored for 1½ years, where he had introduced the fullness of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19), and where he did such an effective work that the local idol-makes union rose “en masse” to protest their loss of business. 

But, though Paul uses the word “mystery” several times in this letter, it is far from secretive. Paul is speaking of a mystery solved, a secret disclosed: that we can be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (2:8-9). 

Three words help us to outline this letter: Sit, Walk and Stand. 

SIT. By faith, we are “seated with Christ” in heavenly places, reigning with him (Ephesians 1:20; 2:6-7). Our special identification with Jesus is nowhere more clearly seen than in the church, the “body of Christ” (4:1-16).


WALK. By faith, we walk as “new people” (4:24), in truth (4:25), in forgiveness (4:32), and in love (5:2), being filled with the Spirit (5:18) of Christ.

STAND. By faith, we stand with Christ, clothed in His armor, against the rulers and authorities of this present darkness, and all the forces of evil (6:10f).

We walk, sit and stand in complete “solidarity” with Jesus Christ!

Tomorrow is Philippians.



Your fellow traveler through the New Testament,



Pastor Gary