Category Archives: God’s Will

Bible, Correction, God's Will, Kingdom, Perfection, Purpose, Scripture, Temple

A PERFECT FIT

EPHESIANS 2:21

“in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,”

As a boy I can remember my dad working to make something fit just right. He would measure carefully (measure twice cut once rule), try the fit, and if it didn’t feel just right to him, he would pull it back apart and file or sand some more. He wanted whatever he was working on to fit right and function properly for years to come. I wouldn’t go so far as to call him a perfectionist, but he was pretty close.

Did you know God is a perfectionist? Of course, you did. God is perfect. He is flawless. So why should it surprise us that anything He does is also perfect. Today’s verse uses a Greek word that is only use twice in the New Testament. In fact, both times it is used in Ephesians (today’s verse and 4:16). HELPS Word studies gives a great definition of the phrase “being fitted together.” It defines synarmologéō as “(hinged together), occurs twice in the NT (Eph 2:21, 4:16) – both times of God ‘fitly framing believers (OT, NT) into a harmonious, synergistic whole.’ That is, each individual being functioning as a part of the one people of God.”

APPLICATION

In yesterday’s blog we looked at the cornerstone, Jesus Christ, and how He fitted the two walls (Gentiles and Jews) together. Synarmologéō just goes on to complete that picture. The first part of that word is the preposition sun which is the Greek word that implies an inseparable togetherness. This “fitting together” is permanent. And the purpose of this “fitting together” is to build a permanent holy temple. This temple is not an earthly temple. No! It is a heavenly temple for all believers.

Look at what Paul said in the letter to the Galatians. 3:26-29 says, “26 For you are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”

Listen, beloved, we are all “fitted together” to serve the Lord. The reason God brought us to Himself was to be a part of the big picture. You are important in the kingdom. He needs you to do your part, to play your role. It’s not about works. It’s about service. Will you “fit together” today? Allow God to use His tools of grace on you to make you fit perfectly.

Thank You, Lord, for all the filing and chiseling You do on me to make me more like You.

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Access, Bible, Door, God's Will, Heaven, Introduction, Promises, Scripture

OPEN DOOR

EPHESIANS 2:18

“for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.”

I grew up in Southwest Georgia, in a little town called Pelham. I was born in 1960 (you can do the math to see how old I am, lol) when you could sleep with your door unlocked. You could ride your bike all over town with your friends without an armed guard riding shotgun. Even our dogs ran loose and free. It was a different time. Open doors were a common thing.

But in today’s verse, Paul tells us that even today we can walk right into an open door. He uses a word for “access” that shows us exactly what this means. HELPS Word studies defines prosagōgḗ as to “come towards (near); have access (approach), with intimate (face-to-face) interaction (note the prefix pros). All three occasions of 4318 /prosagōgḗ (interactive access) refer to ‘having audience (direct access) with God.’” Now, that’s an invitation to come in, isn’t it?

APPLICATION

The word prosagōgḗ is only used three times in the New Testament. It is used here and later in Ephesians 3:12. We will look at that verse in a few weeks (just keep coming back to my blogsite to catch that). The other time it is used is in Romans 5:2. To get the context we need to back up to verse 1. “1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.” 

This word, prosagōge, not only means “access,” it also means “introduction.” And in this case, introduction and access to God. Hallelujah! Do you know what that means? We can approach the throne boldly, not because of anything we have done but because of Jesus. Like it said in Romans 5:1, it is “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Amen? Amen!

I don’t know about you, but as my ole friend Bill Stafford used to say, “That’s shouting ground.” That ought to excite you. That ought to thrill your soul. Because of Jesus, we can just walk right into glory. No ticket is required. We don’t have to push a wheelbarrow full of treasures through the pearly gates. We simply walk in because we are covered in the blood of the Lamb. Praise God!

O God, words cannot express my gratitude for the open door to Glory!

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Abiding, Access, Bible, Blood, Eternity, God's Will, Hugs, Near, Scripture, Snuggles

BROUGHT NEAR BY THE BLOOD

EPHESIANS 2:13

“But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Okay, I admit it. I’m a snuggler. I like to snuggle. I like close contact. I would go to sleep every night snuggling my wife, but she says I am like an oven. I think she just thinks I’m hot. Lol. But seriously, I like to be close to people. I had much rather be in a room with ten close friends than in a concert with thousands. It’s just the way I am wired.

Did you know God likes to snuggle? It’s true. Look at today’s verse. Paul says we “have been brought near.” God saw that we “were far away” and sent His Son to bring us near. God wanted and still wants to be close to us. I love how Albert Barnes explains this verse. “The Jews came near to the mercy seat on which the symbol of the divine presence rested by the blood that was offered in sacrifice; that is, the high priest approached that mercy-seat with blood and sprinkled it before God. Now we are permitted to approach him with the blood of the atonement. The shedding of that blood has prepared the way by which Gentiles as well as Jews may approach God, and it is by that offering that we are led to seek God.”

APPLICATION

Wow! Isn’t that great? Through the shed blood of Christ, we can approach the mercy seat of God. His blood prepared the path. It was nothing we did. It was all Him. James says this in James 4:8. “Come close to God and He will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” The verb used for “come close” is from the same Greek word used in today’s verse for “near.”

Isn’t it sad that so many won’t do that? They won’t come close. They prefer to stay far away. They think they don’t need that kind of intimacy with God. But they shouldn’t tarry. Jesus said so in Luke 21:29-31. “29 And He told them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees: 30 as soon as they put forth leaves, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near. 31 So you too, when you see these things happening,  recognize that the kingdom of God is near.’”

Jesus said it, so that settles it. The kingdom is drawing near. Jesus could return in our lifetime. Or He come next century. We don’t know, but we must be ready. If you are living far away today, draw near to Him. He will wrap you in His loving embrace and snuggle you. I promise. I have felt it. It is so comforting. Draw near today!

Father, I welcome Your embrace and snuggles.

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Bible, Death, Forgiveness, God's Will, Life, Scripture

DEATH TO LIFE

EPHESIANS 2:5

“even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),” 

Some of you who read my blog know my health history. I’ve been through two (count them – two) stem cell transplants. To describe these succinctly, they basically bring you to the point of death and bring you back. All your bone marrow is destroyed, and you are isolated for a number of days. You have no strength, no energy and not much will to live. It’s hard. But if it’s successful (and both of mine were), you get a new lease on life. You are “reborn” with new bone marrow.

Paul describes our new birth in Christ similarly. He says we were already “dead in our wrongdoings.” The Greek word for “wrongdoings” is paraptoma, which means an error or transgression that was unintentional or willful, sins of omission or commission. The good news is we are made “alive together with Christ.” Now, I really like this Greek word for “alive together.” It is suzóopoieó. It literally means to reanimate, to make alive together with someone else. It’s like our DNA was joined together with Christ spiritually. It’s His life in us that makes alive.

APPLICATION

The only other place that suzóopoieó appears is Colossians 2:13. “And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings,” (The Greek for “wrongdoings” here is the same as in Ephesians 2:5). This verse in Colossians is almost the same as our verse today. You can see that all through these two books. Many of their verses mirror each other.

But what does this mean to us as followers of Christ? It means we have a new lease on life spiritually. Getting saved, coming to Christ, accepting Jesus, however you put that into words, does not change you physically. You are still the same person outwardly. But spiritually, you have been reborn. You have been rebooted. You are a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 is a familiar verse, which has a similar message. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” So, we need to live like that. We are new. We aren’t old. We haven’t been discarded on the garbage heap of life. Christ has come into us and given us new life. Now, live like it.

Praise You, O Father, for giving me new life in Christ.

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Abundance, Bible, Blessing, Covenant, God's Will, Mercy, Riches, Scripture

RICH IN MERCY

EPHESIANS 2:4

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,” 

I doubt I will ever be independently wealthy in the eyes of the world. I mean, my wife and I live comfortably, but we aren’t going to retire on the French Rivera, lol. Being rich or wealthy means different things to different people. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 give us a warning about money. “9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

In contrast, Paul says in today’s verse that God’s wealth is a good thing. He is “rich in mercy.” God’s wealth will never run out. His riches are limitless. So, if He is rich in mercy, that means His mercy will never run out. Lamentations 3:22 says, “The LORD’S acts of mercy indeed do not end, For His compassions do not fail.” They do not fail!

APPLICATION

Does that give us permission to do whatever we want? No way! It does give us permission to do as we should. Love should be a driving motivator. 1 Peter 1:3 shows us the benefit of His mercy. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” It is His great mercy that gives us that new birth.

Hebrews 4:16 gives us another reason to look for His mercy. “Therefore, let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.” His mercy is waiting for us to come to Him during those times when we need Him most. Have you needed Him lately?

In similar words as our verse today, Paul says this in Titus 3:5-6. “5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior,” His mercy is not given because we deserve it. He just gives it! Do you need some mercy today? Come to the Father.

Lord, have mercy on me today. Show me Your mercy all the day long. 

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Abiding, Bible, Devil, Evil, Flesh, God's Will, Obedience, Satan, Scripture

UNDER EVIL INFLUENCE

EPHESIANS 2:2

“in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” 

There are so many verses in Scripture warning us about the evil influences of this world which are spurred on by the evil one, this “prince of the power of the air.” Unfortunately, too many Christians don’t believe in that. If you bring it up, they say you are talking about the boogie man or some guy dressed up in a red suit with a tail and a pitchfork. They have no idea the danger they are in.

If Satan wasn’t real and his influence was not a threat, do you think Paul would have wasted ink and parchment to warn the Ephesians and us? Paul knew this influence all too well. He himself had been under its power before his Damascus road experience. He was fooled into thinking he was doing God’s work by stomping out the Christians. Even Paul, a very smart man, was fooled by this spirit of disobedience.

APPLICATION

This is not rocket science, people. Stay away from evil influences. Follow God’s commands. James says it simply in James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, therefore, to God; resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Sound too simple? Try it. Give yourself completely over to God and watch what happens. I have found when I am diligently seeking the Father, I do not have my mind on things of this world.

Romans 6:12-14 give us the secret. “12 Therefore sin is not to reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your body’s parts as instruments of righteousness for God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace.” See? It’s not rocket science, but it does require dying to yourself.

There’s the problem! Most of us don’t want to give up those carnal desires. We say we do, but we won’t let them go. We keep them in that little, dark room we think God can’t see. He can, and He wants us to clean it out. Okay, get out your broom, dustpan and mop and go to work today. Clean it all out and submit to Him.

Thank You, Father, for cleaning me up.

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Authority, Bible, Dominion, God's Will, Heaven, Kingdom, Majesty, Power, Scripture

UNDER HIS FEET

EPHESIANS 1:22

“And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him head over all things to the church,”

To put your feet on someone can be degrading. No one wants someone’s dirty, nasty feet on them. My wife makes me take off my shoes when I come into the house to keep my “nasty” shoes off the floors. We tend to think of feet in that way. But we are also told “how beautiful are the feet of them who bring good news.” (Romans 10:15) So, feet aren’t all bad, are they?

Of course, Paul isn’t really talking about Jesus’ feet. He is talking about His authority over all things. That’s what the second part of the verse says. “Put all things in subjection” means to arrange things under God’s plan. God knew from the foundation of the universe that His Son would be in authority over all things. That has not changed, nor will it ever!

APPLICATION

Over in 1 Corinthians 15:27, Paul says the same thing about Christ. “For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, ‘All things are put in subjection,’ it is clear that this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him.” Christ rules over all, except the Father to whom He willingly submitted without ever giving up His position.

The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) begins by saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” Jesus said this right before He ascended to heaven. I don’t think He was exaggerating. If He had been the Father might have said, “Uh, Son, I just heard what You said. Come again?” LOL. But I don’t think God, the Father, had to say that. He had given all authority. He reigns supreme.

Knowing that, what will you do with it? Why do you worry about tomorrow? Christ is in control. Why do you fret about that doctor’s diagnosis you just got? Christ has authority over that too. Why do you stay up at night wringing your hands over things that you cannot change? Christ has His foot on it. Trust Him. He is truly King of kings and Lord of lords.

Thank You, Lord, for reigning supreme over all things.

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Authority, Bible, Eternity, Exalting, Glory, God's Will, Heaven, Kingdom, Majesty, Power, Scripture

FAR ABOVE ALL

EPHESIANS 1:21

“far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”

Okay, if you know me at all, you know I am a huge Georgia Bulldog fan. I follow their sports teams, especially the football team. They won back-to-back national championships and are picked to win it again next season. They are currently ranked #1 in the Pre-season poll. Being ranked high at the beginning of the season, however, doesn’t mean quite the same as being ranked at the top at the end. And teams move up and down in the rankings as the season progresses.

Aren’t you glad Jesus’ ranking doesn’t change? Paul says just that when he uses the Greek word huperanó, which comes from two Greek words, huper and anó. Literally, it means “beyond above.” Paul is saying Jesus is so far above every rule, authority, power, dominion and name that you can’t even compare Him to them. He is super, exceedingly above. His ranking will never change. He has been, still is and will forever be above them all.

APPLICATION

Philippians 2:9-11 describes Jesus similarly. “9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” One day, everybody will bow. They will all concede His authority. No one nor nothing will ever take His place.

Paul continues this thought in Colossians 2:10. “and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over every ruler and authority.” This theme ran through these three letters, which were written while Paul was a prisoner in Rome. The authorities who had arrested Paul were no match for Jesus. Paul wasn’t worried about his imprisonment. He knew who was ultimately in charge.

How about you? Are you worried about who is charge? Jesus is! No one else. Others may think they are for a season. They may use their authority in a way that is not appropriate. But every authority, every ruler, every power will one day bow. I have already bowed to Him. Have you?

O Father, You have placed Your Son in an exalted position that will never change.

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Adoration, Advocate, Atonement, Authority, Bible, Crowns, Eternity, Father, Glory, God's Will, Heaven, Scripture

HIS RIGHT HAND

EPHESIANS 1:20

“which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,”

What is the best seat you ever had for an event? Maybe you had a front row seat for your favorite artist’s concert. My sister has awesome football season ticket seats at my alma mater, the University of Georgia. They are on the 12th row and about the 45 yard line. For those of you who follow American football, you know those are good seats. You can almost smell the sweat from the players, lol.

Paul explains in today’s verse that Jesus has the best seat in the house (of heaven). He is seated at the right hand of the Father. That’s the place of honor. We are going to look at a few other references to this seat today. I am sure Paul had these in his mind when he penned these words. Jesus is worthy of this seat. His Father in heaven was holding it just for Him after His completed work on the cross.

APPLICATION

When Jesus was being tried before the Sanhedrin, we see this from the mouth of our Savior in Luke 22:69. “‘But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.’ 70 And they all said, ‘So You are the Son of God?’ And He said to them, ‘You say correctly that I am.’” Jesus knew He would return to heaven and be seated at His Father’s right hand.

In Hebrews 8:1, we see this reference to Jesus in heaven. “Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,” This high priest is none other than Jesus. He has fulfilled the role of high priest in offering the perfect, final sacrifice of Himself to satisfy the wrath of God.

Finally, over in Colossians 3:1, we read this. “Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” One day we will see this same Jesus, seated right there in His proper place. We will behold what the Scriptures have said about Him. We will bow before His throne. Are you ready?

Lord Jesus, I acknowledge You as worthy of this honored, holy seat which has been reserved for You.

For more verses on the right hand of God, check out this site:

https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Right-Hand-Of-God

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Accountability, Asking, Bible, Calling, God's Will, Prayer, Requests, Scripture, Talking

YOU’RE IN MY PRAYERS

EPHESIANS 1:16

“do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;”

For years now I have been praying for a list of friends, family, fellow missionaries and ministries. I am pretty regimented in my list. I have a daily prayer list, a weekly prayer list and a monthly prayer list. If I did not do that, I would definitely leave someone out of my prayers. But I also try to pray spontaneously when someone asks me to pray for them, either in person or through text or email. It doesn’t take but a second or two to bow your head and lift up a prayer to our Father.

Paul loved these believers in Ephesus. He knew he was probably not going to see them again, so he wanted them to know how grateful he was for them and that they were in his prayers. When someone tells you they are praying for you, that means a lot. I am sure when this letter was read to the church, they all smiled, picturing their beloved teacher and fellow believer. They knew the power of his prayers. This brought them comfort.

APPLICATION

Who are you praying for? Who are you praying with? I have to confess something. The one person I don’t pray enough with is my wife. Sure, we pray at meals and once or twice a week before we go to sleep. But I mean we don’t spend that extra, consistent time we need as a couple praying with and for each other. Forgive me, Chris. Encourage me to do better.

Okay, I had to say that.  They say confession is good for the soul. I bet you are not much different. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing. Paul uses the adverb, adialeiptós, three other times in Romans 1:9, 1 Thessalonians 1:3 and 2:13. Adialeiptós means to not allow any interval of time to separate. We should always be in a spirit of prayer. Prayer is our way to communicate with God. Why would we ever want to stop talking to Him?

A.W. Tozer said, “The key to prayer is simply praying.” It’s not that hard. There are no magic words, just open hearts. Pray for your family. Pray for your friends. Pray for people you know who are lost and need Jesus. Keep praying. Don’t stop. He hears each and every prayer you offer. He will answer in His time, in His way.

Give me knees that are calloused from bending in prayer before You, O Lord.

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