FILLED UP!

Ephesians 1:22-23

And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. 

These two verses bring chapter 1 to a close. Chapter 1 has revealed a lot about the gifts that God has given to the church. Here's a reminder: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." (vs. 3) We have talked about predestination, grace, forgiveness, redemption, wisdom and understanding -- all gifts to us who believe. It doesn't stop there, however. Our verses today reveal another stunning truth. The supremacy of Christ, His Lordship over all, is yet another gift to us. Paul tells us that God appointed Jesus to be our head, our ruler, and He did this for us. Not in spite of us. Not to control us. He did it for us. It is God's gift bestowed on the church. Jesus Christ is the head of the church and the head over all things on earth and in the heavenly realms, above all rulers and powers and authorities and dominions, and, He is head over the church. Take comfort, friends. Because of this fact, there is nothing that the church cannot overcome -- no opposition that can overtake us because of the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ. That is good news for you and me.

The church IS Chist's body. It is more than symbolic. It is a fact. The church is not an institution, it is an organism. It exists and functions only because of its vital connection and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, who overcame the greatest setback to life there is: death. I love the analogy of the church as a body. All the different pieces working and moving together in perfect synergy. All of it affected when one piece is in pain or not right and all of it working in joyous health when every piece is doing its part and working as it should. Cut off its head, however, and the body falls to the floor -- nothing about it can function or do any more to bring glory to its Creator. (See 1 Corinthians 12:12-27) This is the supremacy of Christ for us. He is the head. Without Him, we have no power to function. We have no power to mourn or rejoice, love, laugh, sing or cry. We can no longer give glory to the God who created us. And even beyond His church, He is supreme. Over all.

"...the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." This is a bit elusive to even the greatest theologians out there, but here's what I've gathered. "Fullness" suggests two things. 1) That which is filled with Christ. The church contains the fullness of Him. Jesus is "all in" when it comes to the church. There is no part of Him that He withholds from His believers. 2) That which is filled by Christ. Jesus pours His life, His gifts, His blessings, His inheritance, His presence into us.

The church manifests the presence of Christ in the world, but only as His fullness lives in us and as He fills us every moment and every day. The church is His treasure. The church is who He is. The church is you and me. It's true. The church is a clay jar -- fragile, broken and cracked. But the holes and cracks of a broken pot allow more light to shine through -- the light of Jesus. "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 2 Corinthians 4:7, NIV The Body of Christ is a most beautiful place and His headship is a gift. Take it from someone who has had to leave and come back again, search for its beauty, health and usefulness and struggle to do her part to help the body function.

Filled,
Kerry

HE RULES ALL!

Ephesians 1:19b-21
 

That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Who's the strongest person you can think of?  I'm always amazed at how strong my husband is.  He takes me down with no effort and I usually have to trick him somehow in order to escape his grip (this is all done in fun, of course).  I can think of some famous actors whose mighty muscles betray their strength.  Professional wrestlers . . . I wouldn't want to make them mad.  Human beings can make themselves relatively strong.  They can build up their muscle strength to the point of no fear when walking down a dark alley at night.  But, no matter how big and strong our muscles, we cannot and do not compare to God's strength.  1 Corinthians 1:25 says this: "For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength."  No matter how big and strong our muscles, we have no power to raise someone from the dead.

Jesus Christ died on a cross.  He died.  But He did not stay dead.  God raised Him from the dead with His mighty power and strength.  This divine power, the same power that raised Jesus Christ from death to life, is at work in our own lives.  We, too, were dead in our sins.  But now we live! (Eph. 2:1,4-5)  This divine power is at work in us constantly changing us into something better than what we are right now.  It is at work guiding us in His divine will for us (which is ultimately eternity with Him) in spite of ourselves.  "...for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose." Philippians 2:13, NIV

Once Jesus was raised from the dead, God seated Him at His right hand.  No longer among us in human form, He was completely transformed from man to God, from scourged to exalted, from death to life.  God exalted Him higher than anything or anyone.  No matter what title we can come up with to give a person, Jesus Christ ranks higher.  He rules over everything on earth and over everything in the heavens and beneath.  He rules all!  Only God has the power to exalt someone to such a position, and it's THAT same incomparably great power that is exerted in us every day of our lives as we live in Him.  So, live in the strength of the Lord, my friends.

God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.  1 Timothy 6:15b-16, NIV

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.  To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.  Revelation 1:4-6, NIV

In strength,
Kerry

WE HAVE IT ALL!

Ephesians 1:18-19a
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

Do you realize how much God has made available to you, dear Believer?  Do you count the promises that are yours in Him who saved you?  If you're like me, you probably go about your day to day life without really considering all that is ours in Christ.  Sometimes in the midst of difficulty, I hope and pray in a rather uncertain way for His word and His promises to be real in my current situation.  "God, are you there?"  "God, do you hear my cry?"   I can't help but wonder, if I lived in this awareness every moment of every day . . . how different I would be and how different would be my sight.  Paul wants his readers to know, to be fully aware, of all that God has made available to those who believe.

The heart is the seat of thought, of understanding, of feeling.  It is in the heart that the Holy Spirit provides that inner awareness of our hope in God, the riches that are ours in Christ, and His power directed toward you.  But let's break it down.  First, that "hope" to which you and I have been called is eternal life.  The hope of something better makes my momentary afflictions seem easier to bear.  First and foremost, our glorious Father wants us to be and remain assured of our future glory. (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:17-20)  Second, we have inherited all the "riches" of God and heaven through our faith in Jesus Christ.  Provision, healing, forgiveness, truth, understanding, wisdom and so much more makes me rich! (2 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Peter 1:3-4)  Third, and not at all least, is His "incomparably great power," an unimaginable divine potency that is directed toward all who believe.  (I'll speak more about this power in my next post.)  No power on this earth or below can take me down because my God is more powerful and is always at work in me and surrounding me.  We're marked, remember. (Romans 8:38; 1 Peter 1:5)

Believers, we have it all!  Today I'm praying for the eyes of my heart to be enlightened so that I might know all that God has made available to me.  Today I'm praying for my sight to change.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 NIV

Enlightened,
Kerry

IT'S A REVELATION!

Ephesians 1:15-17 

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.  I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

The Ephesians had embraced the word of truth and were sealed with the Holy Spirit and for this reason Paul's thanksgivng for them rises up in prayer.  News had been brought to him in Rome of the Ephesians faith in the Lord and their love for others.  Galatians 5:6 tells us that faith expresses itself in love.  They were on the right track and Paul was expressing his pleasure at what they learned by giving thanks for them and remembering them in his prayers and he was letting the Ephesians know it. The word "remembering" literally means "making mention."  Deeper than that, however, is that it implies that Paul was not just sending up a blanket prayer of thankfulness for the Ephesians as a whole.  Paul was mentioning each one that he knew in the church in Ephesus by name.  The Apostle Paul remained deeply involved in the lives of those with whom he helped to bring to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  He was no slouch when it came to prayer or study. 

The believers in Ephesus have been taught about the Holy Spirit and Paul was helping them to take it a step further . . . to go deeper.  "Revelation" refers to insight into the mysteries of God's divine truth.  Friends, we cannot even receive Christ as our Savior without first receiving a revelation, insight, that Jesus indeed died for our sins.  You know this to be true by how many people out there have heard this truth but do not believe it to be truth.  A revelation is needed and that can only be given by God, the glorious Father.  The Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of truth at least 3 times in the Book of John. (John 14:16; 15:23; and 16:13)  I cannot over emphasize the importance of reading and knowing God's word.  It is in the pages of God's word where the mysteries are hidden and the truth is found.  And, it is from the truth found in God's word that the Holy Spirit can begin to open the eyes of your heart.  What Paul wants for the believers at the church in Ephesus, and for us now, is to follow suit.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and revelation into the mysteries of God's word so that we might know Him, the glorious Father who loves us without measure and beyond reason, better.

Please read the following piece from 1 Corinthians 2:7-16 as if the Apostle Paul was writing directly to you as he received it straight from the heart of our glorious Father.

Friends, 
No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 

~Paul 

Following suit,
Kerry 

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED . . . I'M YOURS!

Ephesians 1:13-14

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

In verses 11 and 12 (see previous post), Paul was addressing the Jews alone.  In verses 13 and 14 he addresses the Gentiles.   Paul is not trying to draw any kind of line between the Jews and the Gentiles.  On the contrary, he is reminding the Gentile Christians that they are fully incorporated into the Body of Christ with the Jews. In the previous two verses, he was reminding the Jews that though they were the first to believe it does not mean that they alone get to share in the inheritance of Christ.  He is trying to show that there is no difference now.  We are co-heirs, equal partners, and we have a full share in the inheritance.  We (i.e., all those belonging to God's family) came into it the same way.  We heard the word of truth -- the gospel of our salvation.  Jew and Gentile, alike.  The Jews of the Old Testament started with the promise of a Savior and salvation and it was their job to share that good news with the nations.  They were privileged because they were chosen to take on this task.  They still had to trust God for His grace and mercy just like we do now.  And when Jesus came, they had to accept the word of truth the same as the Gentiles did.  Now we're all privileged and chosen to take on the task of sharing the gospel.

At the moment we believe, God's word says we are sealed with the Holy Spirit -- marked so that it is clear that we belong to Him.  Think of the word "seal" this way: *something affixed to a document to guarantee its genuineness; it indicates ownership and ensures protection; it represents a designation of office in the state of service.  Once you believe, you have the promised Holy Spirit in whom all God's promises are fulfilled.  Once you believe, you are a genuine member of the family of God, you hold a place of belonging and are under God's protection and are assured a place to serve in His kingdom.  What's more, the Holy Spirit is not just a seal, but a deposit.  Think of "deposit" this way: *the first installment in a major purchase; a token payment assuring the vendor that the full amount will eventually follow.  The gift of the Holy Spirit is the first installment of our inheritance.  At the end of the age, God's treasury, heaven itself will be opened up to all who are His in Christ.  God's Holy Spirit is no small deposit.  God gave us His Holy Spirit as a guarantee of His faithfulness to me and to you!  Meanwhile, we wait.  We wait for the rest of the payment and the Holy Spirit is our reminder that God is real and He fulfills His promises!  THIS, my friends, is a GENEROUS GOD!!!

Marked,
Kerry

*Definition taken from Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary, pg. 754.

HIS INHERITANCE, HIS PORTION

Ephesians 1:11-12
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Let's just start with this: Israel was regarded as the Lord's inheritance and portion.  The church, the new Israel, becomes a part of that same promise.  Here is the basis for these verses: Paul is reminding his readers that his people, the Jews, were the first to put their hope in Christ, in a coming Messiah.  This idea was distinct to their faith.  No other faith held the idea of a savior within their belief systems.  The Gentiles had not entertained this notion.  So as not to think that somehow Christians have usurped Jewish privileges, Paul is emphasizing Israel's important role in God's story to expand His kingdom.  It was Israel who was chosen to introduce God's mercy and grace to all the nations.  It was Israel who was chosen to bring forth God's word from generation to generation.  No, Christians have not usurped Jewish privileges . . . they have been brought in to inherit those same privileges to the praise and glory of God who has worked this out from the beginning.

Israel was regarded as the Lord's inheritance and portion.  I've always found this to be a difficult concept.  Here's what I think it means.  "Inheritance" should be thought of as qualities and markings and characteristics we inherit from our parents.  In this sense, Israel was to reflect the goodness of God.  And "portion," in this sense, means part of a whole.  Israel was a part of God's creation just like the other nations.  The difference being that God took that portion (Israel) and cared for them and gave them promises as an example of what He wants for all of us.  The foreordained plan for Israel was to make known to the nations the wondrous works of God, His unfathomable and all-consuming love and His unending mercy and grace to the rest of us.  Now, maybe they haven't always succeeded in that task, but then, neither have I. 

My next post (Ephesians 1:13-14) will bring further clarification on these verses and will hopefully round it out a bit more.

To his glory,
Kerry

A HIGH CALLING

Ephesians 1:9-10
And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment -- to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

Life doesn't make sense sometimes . . . a lot of the time.  Things in our world can feel very confusing what with all the political, economic and environmental drama going on every single day (not to make light of any of it!).  It's hard to always know which views are right and which are wrong.  The lines of moral conduct are blurred at best.  There's always a cause to support and a hill to die on but, at the end of the day, have you fulfilled God's calling in your life to unity and love or did you let all those causes and hills separate you? 

One of the purposes of Paul's letter to the Ephesians was to broaden their understanding of the Church and its part in God's story of humankind.  Paul begins by drawing attention to God's gracious gifts given to us in all of God's wisdom and forethought, not the least of those gifts being salvation.  All of this we've already discussed.  And, in the same way that God has planned for you, another concept we've already discussed, He has also had a plan for the "times."  The "times" encompasses all of history until the moment of Christ's return.  Christ's appearance in the New Testament unlocked the "mystery" of His will for humankind.  His will for us, Church, is to bring Him praise and glory, to love Him, and, in the end, reign with Him.  But, not only that, it's also to show others the way to His love, through His Son, Jesus.  The Church was created to bring all believers together under one head, that "Head" being Jesus Christ.  We are to be an example of unity and love no matter color, race, gender or age.  The same unity and love that binds the Trinity together should also bind us as believers.  The Church is to be an example now of how things will be when Christ returns and rules the nations and all peoples no matter color, race, gender or age.  In Paul's day, the lines of separation were hard and fast.  Very simply put, the Jews were struggling with elitism and rules and the Gentiles were struggling with loose morals and monotheism.  (Though, believe me, those issues crossed both lines.)  Sounds a little familiar.  Yes?  Now, it's true, most of the time we fail to be such a great example. We have our own hard and fast lines of separation in our world today: political, denominational, doctrinal, racial, moral . . . the list can go on.

This great mystery IS the Lord's return.  His return will bring the end of confusion.  Questions about correct doctrine will be no more because Christ will reign supreme!  Political views will no longer separate us because Christ will reign supreme!  Denominational differences will cease to exist because Christ will reign supreme!  Societal ills will fall away because Christ will reign supreme!  Broken relationships, financial hardships, sickness and disease will melt before the One whose love captured us at the Cross!  All things in heaven and on earth will be subject to His reign and rule.  That includes the nations and heads of nations.  It includes churches and pastors and governing boards of all kinds.  It includes you and me and everything that besets us.  In the light of Christ, all things are made right. 

There's a lot of questions on this earth that we can't answer -- a lot of things that make no sense.  The hard things we face in life can make us wonder, "Why, if God is such a loving God, does He allow this kind of suffering?"  The Church is not called to have all the answers.  Some things in this life are simply unanswerable.  The Church is called, however, to be salt and light to a world where many of the lines of truth and moral conduct are blurred at best -- where hurts and sorrows overtake us to the point of hopelessness.  The Church is called to be the place where no one is EVER turned away but, instead, shown the love and light of God in His Son, Jesus.  God has given the Church the high calling to be unified in the love of Jesus Christ - perhaps our greatest challenge on this earth - and to show the immeasurable grace from the One who calls us to unity.  One day, all questions will be answered.  Church, you can take comfort in the fact that God holds the "times" in His hand and one day Christ will return and all things will be made right and life will make sense. Fully.  Until that day, Church, remember God's will for you: unity and love. 

Accepting His call,
Kerry