Category Archives: Scripture

Abiding, Accountability, Bible, Choices, Desires, Flesh, Lusts, Mind, Scripture, Wrath

WE WERE THERE

EPHESIANS 2:3

“Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest.” 

It is so easy to get caught up in a mob mentality. One minute you are discussing something calmly and then things get heated. The next thing you know, you are shouting and screaming at each other. The bigger the crowd, the louder it gets. We’ve seen all the protests lately all over the world. People who have no idea what they are protesting are yelling, chanting and doing things behind masks they would have never done a year ago.

But don’t point your fingers. Paul tells us in today’s verse that we were there. We were just like them. He says, “we too all previously lived.” In other words, don’t forget that this is where you came from. Then Paul describes some of our actions in the past. We “lived in the lusts of our flesh.” We indulged “the desires of the flesh and mind.” We “were by nature children of wrath.” Let’s look at these past actions of ours to remind ourselves of where we have come from and to never return there.

APPLICATION

What are “the lusts of our flesh”? Benson says in his commentary, that they are “the base appetites of which we were enslaved” that cause us “to forget the dignity and happiness of rational and immortal spirits.” Did you get that? These lusts drive you to do things. Paul includes himself in this description. He also struggled with these before Christ rescued him.

Then Paul further defines these lusts. He says they are “the desires of the flesh and mind.” These desires affect both the body and the mind. They are our actions and our thoughts. I have been reading a book lately that says our thoughts lead to words. Our words lead to actions. And our actions lead to habits. (Take Captive Every Thought by Jeff Rowe) How true that is. When we give in to our thoughts, things can progress very quickly.

Paul finishes this thought by saying we, “were by nature children of wrath.” Boy, that sounds harsh, doesn’t it? Listen to what Barnes says about this phrase. “I do not know a more strong or positive declaration that can be made to show that people are by nature destitute of holiness and exposed to perdition.” Wow! But that was us BEFORE Jesus. Praise be to God we are no longer there. Sin no longer has a grip on us. We are free to do as God wills. Amen!

Father, thank You for freeing me from these lusts of the flesh and my tendency to sin. I have Your Holy Spirit living in me.

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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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Bible, Choices, Death, Decisions, Eternal Life, Eternity, Gospel, Offenses, Scripture, Sin

YOU WERE DEAD

Ephesians 2:1

“And you were dead in your offenses and sins,” 

Let me let you in on a little secret – dead means dead. I have attended a lot of funerals and burials and have never once met someone who came back from that event. I am not trying to be hurtful or disrespectful if you have gone through that recently. I just know that death is the final act of this earthly body. Unless you are lucky enough to have been brought back medically, everyone who is reading this has never experienced death – yet.

Paul kind of slaps the Ephesians in the face with today’s verse. “You were dead! D-E-A-D, Dead!” Why? Because of their offenses and sins. Remember Romans 6:23? “For the wages of sin is death,…” The result of the fall of man in the garden was death – physical and spiritual death. Without an intervention by God, man would die spiritually because of their sins. Paul wants the Ephesians to remember that.

APPLICATION

You are probably thinking Well, thanks for the good news, Carl. That really made my day! You have to hang on. The first three verses of chapter 2 are all about showing us what we were BEFORE Jesus. In verse four we will see the good news. So, just hang in there. Keep coming back each day to get the full picture. This may feel like a cliffhanger, but I promise there is a bridge in sight.

Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned—” It all sounds so hopeless, doesn’t it? We have all been infected by this germ called “sin.” It is highly contagious. In fact, we were all born with it. Now hang on, Carl. You can’t tell me those precious little babies are sin filled. According to Scripture, yep! I don’t believe a baby or child will be held accountable for that until they are able to hear and comprehend the Gospel (but that’s a whole other discussion for another day).

I love 1 John and how John shows when we have left this sin-filled life and chosen to live our lives for Jesus. He says this in 1 John 3:14. “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death.” This is how we apply this verse. First, we accept Jesus, and then we show the world. Can you live today in that manner? Through Christ, you can.

O Lord, You have given me a new life. Help me live it honoring You.

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All, Attributes, Bible, Fullness, Holy Spirit, Scripture, Whole

ALL IN ALL

EPHESIANS 1:23

“which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

Do you remember the Three Musketeers? They were in it together. All for one and one for all. They had each other’s backs. They never left a man behind. You know, all those “together” cliches. We still use those cheers today in our sports competitions. I remember one year our football team broke every first huddle of the game with “All for one.” It sounded good but didn’t insure a victory on the field that night.

As Paul finishes up chapter one (I know, there were no chapters in the original letter), he gives us this last phrase, “the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” What did Paul mean by that? What was the message the Holy Spirit was trying to portray in these words? It undoubtedly is referring to the omnipresence (all presence) of Christ. He is everywhere, filling all things.

APPLICATION

What does that mean for us? Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:6. “There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.” The All Present God Who is in all things is working all things in us. Isn’t that just coolest thing you have ever heard? He wants to give you His all.

A few chapters later in chapter 15 and verse 28 of I Corinthians, we find this from Paul. “When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.” Christ is all in all. God is all in all. God wants us to have His all. What else could you ask for?

And then in Colossians 3:11, we have this verse, “a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, and free, but Christ is all, and in all.” So, “all in all” isn’t just a cute catchphrase. It has serious meaning for us as believers and followers of Christ. He is our everything. Is He your everything today?

Father God, You are my All in all. You fill my life with Your presence

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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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Battles, Bible, Might, Power, Scripture, Strength

HIS POWER

EPHESIANS 1:19

“and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might”

People with real physical strength are impressive. As a young child, I used to love to watch the Olympic weightlifters. They could lift amazing amounts of weight. From 1960 through 1980 the Soviet Union dominated the heavyweight gold medals. They were big, strong and intimidating. Was their strength natural or chemically induced? We may never know.

Paul isn’t talking about weightlifting in today’s verse, though. He is talking about God’s power, His strength. In this verse, Paul uses three different Greek words to describe this. I want us to take a look at each of these and look at the difference. We know God is all-powerful or omnipotent. It’s one of His attributes, and one we should never doubt.

APPLICATION

The first word Paul uses is dunamis, translated as “power.” It means the “ability to perform”; for the believer, power to achieve by applying the Lord’s inherent abilities. ‘Power through God’s ability’” (HELPS Word-studies). The key here is ability. We should always know we have His power to achieve whatever He asks us to do. It’s not our power. It’s His.

The second word Paul uses is kratos, translated as strength or might. It refers to exerted power. That’s what I saw as a boy when I saw those weightlifters lift those tremendous weights. I saw the strength being exercised. It was visible. How have you seen God’s strength exercised? How about in the winds of a hurricane or in the shaking of an earthquake? How about in the creation of the world itself? His strength is visible all around. It can be visible in us as we use His power to show His strength in and through us.

Finally, Paul uses ischus, translated as “might.” This word shows the force against resistance. Boy, we need that, don’t we? We are in a battle every day. God’s inherent might is visible in and through us as we resist temptations every day. We exert that might through the Holy Spirit. We use the Word of God to combat the impulses of our flesh.

So, how strong are you today? Are you trusting in your own power, strength and might or in the Lord’s. I think Zechariah 4:6 sums it up well. “Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel, saying, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the LORD of armies.’”

Thank You, Lord, for Your power, strength and might in my life.

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Abiding, Belief, Bible, Eyes, Heart, Scripture, Understanding

THE EYES OF YOUR HEART

EPHESIANS 1:18

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,”

Understanding things is essential. Let me give you an example. I love to watch Do It Yourself (DIY) videos for home repairs. I was watching a video this week of a guy insulating his garage door. He seemed so confident and sure, even professional. Then, about midway through the video, he pauses the project and says he messed up. He had not fully understood all the details of the project. He had assumed each panel of the door was the same and cut his insulation appropriately. They weren’t, and he had about eight panels with the wrong size cut. He had not fully understood his project.

Paul is praying, in today’s verse, that the Ephesians will fully understand some things. Paul says, “that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.” Albert Barnes says of this phrase, “The idea here is, that Paul not only wished their “hearts” to be right, but he wished their ‘understanding’ to be right also.” He wants them to understand two things – “the hope of His calling” and “the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” Paul wants them to know what they believe, not just believe. He wants them to be able to defend what they believe.

APPLICATION

Jesus said something similar in Matthew 6:22. “‘The eye is the lamp of the body; so then, if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.’” Our eyes are for seeing. Our understanding is for perceiving – especially perceiving truth. Too many Christians get saved and just stop right there. They truly believe Jesus died for them and have asked Him to forgive their sins and come and live within them. They are saved, but they are ignorant of God’s truths. That makes them susceptible to the enemy.

1 Peter 3:15 tell us, “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect;” We need to understand truth in order to be able to give a defense. The Greek word for “defense” is apologia, which is where we get “apology.” Think about apologetics. Apologia is defined as “a well-reasoned reply; a thought-out response to adequately address the issue(s) that is raised.” (HELPS Word-studies)

Are you prepared? Do you understand the truths of God’s Word? I don’t mean you have to have a seminary degree or be a theologian. But do you study to prepare to give a defense, to give a well-reasoned reply to someone who asks you about Jesus? That’s what Paul wanted for the Ephesians. That’s what God wants for you.

Thank You, Lord, for a good mind and the ability and freedom to study Your Word.

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Access, Belief, Bible, Following, Gifts, Knowledge, Scripture, Wisdom

WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE

EPHESIANS 1:17

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”

Who doesn’t want to be wise and have knowledge? I guarantee you every student who is about to sit down and take an exam in school is praying for it. Who says there can’t be prayer in school, lol? But wisdom and knowledge are more than just knowing stuff and understanding things. The Bible says so much about wisdom and knowledge. In fact, we have whole sections of the Bible that are called the Wisdom section.

Paul says in his prayer (that he mentioned in yesterday’s verse) that he is praying that God will give the Ephesians “wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”But what exactly is he asking for? The Greeks loved acquiring wisdom and knowledge, but Paul is speaking more about them knowing how to use it. Notice he said, “a spirit of…” This wisdom and knowledge needed to make an inner change in them. That’s his prayer for them.

APPLICATION

We are probably all familiar with Solomon’s famous prayer to God when asked by God what he wanted now that he was king of Israel. Solomon said in 1 Kings 3:9, “‘So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, to discern between good and evil. For who is capable of judging this great people of Yours?’” 1 Kings 4:29-30 tells us of God’s blessing on Solomon. “29 Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of  mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.”

Unfortunately, Solomon ceased using that wisdom and knowledge when he intermarried and starting worshipping other gods. We find this sad end of Solomon’s life in 1 Kings 11:9-10. “9 Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him regarding this thing, that he was not to follow other gods; but he did not comply with what the LORD had commanded.”

My point? It’s not just the attaining of wisdom and knowledge. It’s how you use it and how you continue walking in it. We are all fallible, errant believers. We will never be perfect. But God, Who gives us this wisdom and knowledge, is able to carry us through, if we will allow Him. Will you be a lifelong seeker of wisdom and knowledge?

Father, I know any wisdom and knowledge I have is a gift from You.

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