Posts that reference the book of Ephesians

Our Mission

“Your mission, if you choose to accept it . . .”

Most of us don’t consider ourselves special or notable. Changing diapers, doing laundry, or paying the bills are certainly not our typical idea of significant work. We are faces in the crowd, numbers on a list. One of Satan’s great weapons is getting us to forget who we are, to embrace this idea that we are nothing and nobody, incapable of doing much or leaving much of a mark.

The truth is, at the moment of salvation, Christ blessed us with “all spiritual blessings” (Ephesians 1:3) including eternal life! He also gives us the fruit of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Our familiarity with the fruits may cause us to dismiss them. The fact is, all of these ‘powers’ are supernatural in origin and exercise! They are the proof of the presence and actions of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

God called us as His own and He equipped and empowered us for a Kingdom work, a mission.

So what’s our mission?

Jesus spells it out at least four times in the New Testament.

(Matthew 28:18-20) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

(Mark 16:15-16) He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

(John 21:15-17) When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

This commission embodies the essence of Christianity, calling us to share the love and message of Christ with others. The charge to Peter to “feed my sheep” underscores our ongoing duty to care for each other.

(Acts 1:8) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

A witness is someone who tells what he knows. We don’t need lots of experience or training to tell what we know.

How did Jesus change my life?
Why He matters to me?
How are my daily activities different because of Jesus?
How is my outlook affected?
What difference does He make?

Our great responsibility

(Ezek 33:8) When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.

The character of God hasn’t changed. If He held an Old Testament prophet responsible for not doing His job, we can expect He’s going to hold us accountable as well. But it’s extremely important to understand, our responsibility is limited to the “speaking out” part. We ARE NOT held accountable for someone’s rejection of the warning.

We have a tremendous responsibility and privilege to fulfill this mission. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish it. We can rely on God’s guidance, strength, and grace as we spread His love, share His truth, and make a positive impact in the world around us.

Let’s embrace this mission wholeheartedly.

Sound Mind Theology: Labelling and Personalization

By Paula Wiseman

Since the Fall we have struggled not only with the content of our thoughts but the process as well. Yes, even the very way we size up situations and apply knowledge and experience to them is tainted by sin. In other words, we are constantly plagued by fallacies and cognitive distortions. So in our series on sound mind theology, we’ve touched on three interrelated distortions — minimizing, maximizing, and disqualifying. Last time we discussed the fallacies of fairness and control. Today, we’ll get personal with two cognitive distortions, labelling and personalization.

Labelling may be the most destructive distortion.

Labelling is choosing to view yourself negatively based little or no evidence. (If your brain immediately went to “but I have plenty of evidence,” you may want to reread this section once we’re done… Just saying.) For example, you forget your lunch. “I’m so stupid.” A relationship doesn’t work out. “I’m unlovable.” Someone else gets the promotion. “I’m such a failure.” We take an event and twist it into identity. But then that statement we make about ourselves is internalized and it becomes an indelible part of how we see ourselves. Labelling is extreme, catastrophic, all-or-nothing and it leads to feelings of stress, anxiety and depression. And here’s the unfortunate thing. We give far more credence to the negative messages we tell ourselves than any evidence to the contrary.

Even Biblical evidence.

The primary way labelling poisons our spiritual life is we flat-out don’t believe what God says. If we label ourselves unlovable, it does not matter how many times we read it in Scripture — like Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1) — we don’t believe God loves us. When we don’t believe what God says … when we refuse to believe what God says … that’s sinful. We need to repent and ask the Holy Spirit to drive the truth deep into our hearts. A deep look at the first half of Ephesians is a good place to start replacing the labels we’ve made with the ones God has given us.

Personalization is taking on blame that isn’t yours.

We all make mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes mean negative outcomes for us. That is part of life. What happens with personalization is we extrapolate those “sometimes” to every time. We’ve mentioned before, we live in a world broken by sin, and bad things happen. When job loss is a result of a corporate decision made in an office four states away, that blame is not ours. Other times bad things happen because we are unwittingly caught in the crossfire of others’ actions. For instance, you are minding your own business when someone else runs a red light and hits you. You are not at fault.

This gets stickier when we consider how often we make ourselves responsible for someone else’s emotions — for their happiness or conversely, for their anger or sadness. Despite what we believe or are told, we all choose our emotional response. No one else is responsible for it. It is a distortion of reality to pickup that responsibility, that blame and carry it like it’s ours. It’s not your baggage. Don’t take it.

The spiritual side

There are any number of ways that this can play out in our spiritual lives, but let me give you two that can really mess us up. The first is living with a burden of guilt. Now the Holy Spirit points out sins in our lives and leads us to repent. However, when we can’t let go of the blame and guilt we feel, when we doubt God’s forgiveness or His favor, it interferes with our relationship with God. We lose the joy that comes from knowing Him. We hide from Him like Adam and Eve. We feel like God is perpetually displeased with us. On the contrary, God delights in us.

As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. Psalm 16:3

Remember “saints” refers to believers, period, and not a subset of special super pious believers. If Jesus Christ is your savior, you are a saint.

The other way personalization can mess with us is we can make ourselves responsible for the results when we share the gospel. Let me say this clearly. If someone rejects you or your words when you witness to them, you have been faithful. We are commanded to go, to sow the seed. The response is between the hearer and the Holy Spirit. The rejection doesn’t come because you couldn’t answer the question, or you forgot a verse, or you stumbled over a word.

“The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” Luke 10:16

It’s not you. Keep witnessing.

When struggling with labelling yourself or personalizing blame, perhaps start here. Paul instructed us in Romans 12:3 to look at ourselves honestly, to use sensible, good judgment to make a fair evaluation. King David invited God Himself to examine his thoughts a root out what shouldn’t be there (Psalm 139:23). Rely on the truth in God’s word and what HE says about you rather than your labels. God has called you HIS. (Isaiah 43:1-3)

Just so we’re clear, I’m not a counselor. I read, research, and study, and I have some life experience. I am not attempting to diagnose anything, but rather help us evaluate how we think based on Scripture.

Sound Mind Theology: Minimizing, Maximizing, and Disqualifying

By Paula Wiseman

Since the Fall, we have struggled not only with the content of our thoughts but the process as well. Yes, even the very way we size up situations and apply knowledge and experience to them is tainted by sin. In other words, we are constantly plagued by fallacies and cognitive distortions. Let’s look at three distortions that are interrelated — minimizing, maximizing, and disqualifying.

Minimizing is downplaying the positives.

It may be through comparing it to someone else’s positives. It may be through finding the negatives. Maybe something like this. Someone compliments your dessert. “Oh, I just threw it together.” You get a good grade. “Oh, the test was probably just easy.” You reach a goal. “Oh, I shouldn’t have taken so long to get here.” Or “I set the bar too low.” Or “Other people did it better than I did.”

Minimizing manifests in our spiritual life as failing to see and appreciate the good things God has done and is doing. It fails to give Him the glory due His name. Further, it is a slander to God to accuse Him of being anything less than good or to attribute anything less than perfection to His motives and actions.

Maximizing is inflating the negatives.

The flip side of minimizing is maximizing. It is doomsaying. It is finding the worst in everything, expecting the worst outcomes, or representing situations worse than they really are. “Now everything is ruined.” “This is the worst day ever.” Or “I messed everything up.” Or “I am a complete failure.” It’s a disingenuous representation of the circumstances.

This translates as a lack of faith. We see worst-case scenarios that are beyond God’s intervention. We believe God won’t answer our prayers or He won’t step in when we need Him to. It discounts His goodness and His sovereignty.

Disqualifying is acknowledging the positives but discounting them.

It is finding the black cloud around every silver lining. You can hear it in a “yes, but.” Sure, God saved us, but He has other, more important children. Or He saved me, but He can’t or won’t use me. Yes, God calls us His own, but He says that to all believers. He has prepared a home for us in eternity, but right now, He makes us struggle. He answers our prayers, but usually not the way you want. His presence never leaves us, but you never feel it.

It’s no surprise that it manifests in our spiritual life as unthankfulness. We are perpetually dissatisfied as we find something wrong inside every blessing. It also leads to us putting words in God’s mouth and attributing false motives to His actions. That kind of brazen presumption is a form of blasphemy.

How do we combat these distortions?

All of these distortions are rooted in pride, in a desire to have others pay attention to us, even if it’s negative attention. It is an attempt to manipulate someone else’s emotions to elicit a desired response. Basically, we want people to acknowledge us and do what we want.

So the first step is to recognize these thought patterns. Be bold enough to ask God to search out your heart and mind and reveal their contents. (Psalm 139:23-24).

The second step is to repent. All of the ways these distortions express themselves are sinful.

The third step is to replace the distortions with the truth. Check Ephesians 2:1-10 to get a concise description of what God has done for us in Christ. We were incurably depraved. Jesus did all the work. We receive all the spiritual blessings because of His grace. His love for us is amazing. There’s no room for maximizing or minimizing.

Yes, bad things happen. But good things also happen. And all things come from the hand of a sovereign God who loves us beyond our understanding. Adopt Job’s philosophy: “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21)

All of the things, positive and negative of all degrees are used by God to make us more like Christ. See the ultimate goal rather than disqualify what God is doing. Mary put it very simply: [F]or he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. Luke 1:49

People Are Not the Enemies

By Paula Wiseman

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

The New Living Translation reads, “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies.”
This is easy to forget.

People are not the enemies.
Regardless of politics,
lifestyle,
reputation
or belief.

Oh, they may consider us enemies.
They may defame us, defraud or disparage us.

They are in the very same place we were.
This is also easy to forget.

We are all people.
Made in the image of God.
Loved by the Father.

We are all sinful.
We are all hopeless without Christ.
We have too much in common to be enemies.

A Holy Priesthood: Interceding

By Paula Wiseman

Peter says believers are a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5), drawing parallels with the priesthood established under the Law. Peter packs a lot of information and theological truth in that one metaphor. We’ve been breaking down what Peter wants us to understand. The first thing is God has cleansed us from our sin. We are specially clothed. We are anointed for service. As we serve, we must remain obedient. And one of the first commands we are given is to teach people God’s word. Today, we’ll finish with the sacred duty of interceding for others.

Old Testament priests interceded for the people

When we think of priests, we think of sacrifices. It was the priest’s job to offer the sacrifices on behalf of the people. Each year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest represented the people as he entered the Holy of Holies to seek atonement for their (and his own) sins. Leviticus 16 gives the details on the priest’s duties that day.

Later, in the prophets, the priests are called on to cry out to God for the people. For instance, in Joel 2:17 it reads, “Let the priests, the LORD’S ministers, Weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD…”” In Malachi, the Lord instructs the prophet to call out the priests whose actions, namely bringing dregs for offerings, undermine their words. “And now ask for God’s favor. Will He be gracious to us? ⌊Since⌋ this has come from your hands, will He show any of you favor?” asks the LORD of Hosts. Malachi 1:9

Even when they failed, there was nonetheless an expectation of intercession for the people.

Jesus intercedes for us

John 17 records Jesus’s prayer in the Upper Room. In verses 6-24, He prays for our protection, our joy, our sanctification and our unity, among other things. But His intercession didn’t end with the conclusion of His earthly ministry. Hebrews explains His high priestly work and is worth reading the entire book. But here’s one example in Chapter 7

[B]ut Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:24-25

Believers have a duty of interceding for others

Paul serves as a great example of intercession. My favorite intercessory prayer of his is Ephesians 3:14-21. In all of the epistles, we find examples of the writers praying for their readers and others, and asking for prayer for themselves as well. However, in 1 Timothy, the apostle Paul commands us to intercede.

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
1 Timothy 2:1-2

We are to pray for all, then specifically for those who have authority. James adds a call to pray for the sick.

Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
James 5:14

Prayer was a distinctive mark in the early church.

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Acts 2:42

Being a priest in the Old Testament carried a great responsibility. Being a New Testament priest does too. Let us embrace this call and fulfill the duty God has entrusted to us through Christ.

A Holy Priesthood: Clothed

By Paula Wiseman

Old Testament priests wore specific clothes.

In Exodus 28, God details how Aaron and his sons (and all future priests) should be clothed in order to enter God’s presence and serve in the Tabernacle and later the Temple. The overall purpose is the convey the authority of the priest as God’s representative to the people.

First, he had an ephod. An ephod was essentially a tunic. It was a sleeveless garment, in this case made of linen, but with beautiful stitchwork. It was always worn with a breastplate. The breastplate had precious stones inset in, each one representing one of the twelve tribes. It also had the Urim and Thummin. The breastplate’s purpose was to show the priest represented the people before God and that he carefully discerned God’s will. He also had a high priest’s robe that was worn under the ephod. While Scripture gives more details, consider the bells around the hem of the robe. The priest could not enter the Holy Place or serve without those little bells jingling. He had a linen tunic to wear under everything. Finally, he had a turban with a gold nameplate at the front inscribed HOLY TO THE LORD. All of these served as a reminder that everything the priest did was done as part of God’s consecrated purposes.

Believers are clothed in righteousness.

While believers may change their actual clothes as a matter of modesty or propriety, our clothing is more figurative. Paul explains to the Ephesians that they should now “put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). The righteousness is not our own but what was imputed to us by Christ.

Just as the Old Testament priests had other pieces in their wardrobe, we should add to the righteousness. In Colossians 3:12-14, Paul says we are to put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering and love. All of those help us in our mission to bring others into the kingdom. We carry a burden for others and joyfully serve and minister to them. We depend on God for direction. We never lose sight that everything we say and do is consecrated to God.

Of course, there is much more detail and symbolism with the priests’ garments. (Perhaps that’s a series for another time.) But even in this quick overview, we see that we represent God best when we are clothed as He prescribed, reflecting His character.

The next step for Aaron and his sons was anointing. Next week we’ll see what that means for us.