The sons of God

'Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us that we should be called the sons of God.'
These words from that old tune came back to me today as I was reading 1 John chapter 3. The NIV reads "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"
In his book titled 'Be Real' Warren Wiersbe highlights the importance of this verse by linking it back to the passage in Ephesians that says that while we were still his enemies, God, through Christ Jesus, brought us near himself (Eph 2:12-13).

Wives submit

Colossians
Although we read Colossians today, I would like to point you to the commentary from Barnes on Ephesians 5:22 (click here to go to the commentary), which is a parallel passage to Colossians 3:18.  This verse is about wives submitting to their husbands.  Sometimes, people, particularly women, like to get all up in arms about this verse, and think they have to lay aside their personality, sense of self-worth, and pretty much everything else in order to submit to a husband.  That's not what we're talking about here.  Check out Barnes' notes - he gives a variety of circumstances that apply, but he also states that, above all, women must obey God.  God is the head of all people, and submission to husbands does not trump that.  Husbands must rule in line with Christ, and so, as long as both parties live within the will of God, there shouldn't be too much trouble.  It may not always work out so easily, but never let it be said that women have to forfeit their very selves in following their husbands.  The only person we completely surrender to is God.

The armour of God

Ephesians
I was reading a commentary by William Wiersbe on the last chapter in Ephesians.  He said something that was so true, and yet often forgotten.  In the last chapter in Ephesians, Paul talks about putting on the armour of God so that we can wage war against the forces of evil.  We always have to be on our guard.  Wiersbe said that, "as believers, we do not fight for victory - we fight from victory."  That is to say, victory is already ours in Christ!  We just need to keep walking in that truth. How do we do this?  We wear the armour of God.  Check out Ephesians 6:13-18 for Paul's description of the armour.

Cult of Dionysus

Ephesians
The cult of Dionysus, an ancient religion coming from Asia to Greece, involved sensual, orgiastic ceremonies, and lots of wine.  People would become intoxicated and do all sorts of immoral acts.  The drunkenness brought on by the wine was often equated to being filled with the spirit of Dionysus (this information derived from the Archaeological Study Bible).
Paul wrote to the Ephesians and told them that they should avoid even the hint of sexual immorality or any kind of impurity.  Instead of getting drunk on wine, which some may have thought would lead to being filled by the Holy Spirit, Paul told them to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
We don't have to use outward means to try and create a holy, God-filled experience.  God lives in us and works through us directly!  When we earnestly seek him, he will fill us up.

Subject ourselves to God

Ephesians

Ephesians 4:17-24 discusses how the Ephesians didn’t indulge in sensuality and earthly desires.  According to the Archaeological Study Bible, many ancient Greeks sought to ignore and not succumb to such desires; it was the height of mental maturity to refuse to indulge oneself.  This refusal of self, however, is not entirely possible on our own.  In Christ, though, we can be made new in the attitude of our minds.  In Christ, we can subject our desires to God’s will, and become righteous and holy.  So we don’t necessarily have to ignore what we want, but we have to give it to God so that what comes out is purified and righteous.

Once we were far away

Ephesians
 "Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world."  That's Ephesians 2:12.  What a bleak picture that paints!  Without God in the world...
Fortunately, God didn't leave us in that predicament.  Verse 13 says "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ."  That is a good reminder for me to live in the truth that I am near to God.  That should change how I live; without hope, life is bleak.  With this hope in Christ, I can live every day in confidence and joy.

Faith and works

Ephesians
Here it is, right in Paul's letter to the Ephesians.  We are saved by grace, not works (Ephesians 2:8-10).  And yet, it also says that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works!  So while we are not saved by what we do, we need to demonstrate our complete faith and trust in God by joining him in expanding his kingdom on earth, by doing good works.

Pray it like you mean it

Ephesians
What a powerful prayer!  Paul prayed for the Ephesians (in Eph. 1:15-19): "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. I pray also 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 the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe."

When I read this, I thought, wow, this prayer actually has some power behind it!  So, consider for yourself, as I also plan to do, who can you pray this prayer for?

Anger in the temple

Matthew
Some may wonder how Jesus could get angry enough to overturn tables, and still not sin.  Anger doesn't have to be sinful.  Holy anger, indignance at the way people mistreat God's holy temple, is quite justified.  If all anger was sinful, then Ephesians 4:26 would make no sense: "In your anger, do not sin."  If anger was sinful, then it would be impossible not to sin while being angry.  But that's not the case.  So when you are angry, work it out for the good and glory of God.

Innocent of the blood of all men

Acts 20:13-38
I must admit that when I first read Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders, I thought that for some reason, the Ephesians were arguing about Paul's previous life of persecuting the Christians.  When Paul said that he was innocent of the blood of all men, I thought that referred to the people he had killed before he became a Christian.  I read a few commentaries on this passage though, such as William Barclay's, Matthew Henry's, and Barnes's notes, and I found out that Paul was actually just saying that he preached the gospel with such dedication in Ephesus that if people weren't saved, it was through no fault of his own.

I hope we can say the same for ourselves.  I was reading Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Church this morning and he was saying that faithfulness does not exclude fruitfulness, rather, it requires fruitfulness.  Jesus said a number of times that bearing fruit is of utmost importance.  In fact, he even cursed a fig tree that didn't have fruit as an example to his disciples about the importance of bearing fruit.  Am I being faithful?  If I believe the answer is yes, is there evidence of my faithfulness?

Asking in Jesus' name

Today I would like to focus on John 14:13-14.  Here is the text: "And I [Jesus] will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

At first glance, that may sound too good to be true.  I can ask for anything and Jesus will follow through!  It's sort of like having your own money tree... except for those three words: in my name.  Let's harken back to a post I wrote a little while ago about making oaths in the name of God.  Whenever you start using God's name (God the Father, or Jesus the Son, or the Holy Spirit), you automatically (whether you like it or not) use the character and personal qualities behind that name.  Thus, when you ask for something in Jesus' name, you're asking for something that falls in line with all things good, noble, pure, true, selfless, joyful, and need I go on?  John 14:14 isn't a free gift for anything we want.  It's a free gift for anything in line with God, his will, and his character.

It's like that saying "Love God and do as you please."  The hidden premise is that if you truly love God, you'll be doing what pleases him, because that will in turn be what pleases you.  And as we take on the full nature of God (see Ephesians 4:24), this process becomes easier to follow.