Ephesians 5

The last two chapters of Ephesians are packed full of goodies. I might make a 5a and 5b like I did for chapter 4. Might even do it for chapter 6. We’ll see. For now, let’s look at the theme of this section.

The theme of chapter 5 is clearly healthy relationships: God’s relationship to us and our relationship to one another. One of the things Paul talks about is the power of the tongue and what kind of talk is acceptable. He has this beautiful line inside, “Thanksgiving is our dialect.”

Man, I want that to be true of me. I want to be one of the most thankful / grateful people around. I try to make it a habit to always say, “Thank you.” But it goes beyond that too. As an individual, I do daily and weekly lists of gratitude. As a family, sitting at the table or in the car with the kids, we all ask each other what we’re thankful for that day. We’re building this tremendous habit of gratitude. Why? Because there is so much to be thankful for. It’s good for your brain, for your heart, and for your soul to express gratitude. It gives you eyes to see.

So that line about thanksgiving gets me.

Then there’s this other line, “Wake up from your sleep, climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light.”

Here, Paul is talking to the believers about their relationship to corrupt religious frauds. Staying away from these frauds is important. And this image of waking up is so pertinent, so poignant.

It’s not always easy to see the frauds for what they are. It’s not always easy to face the truth or to face yourself, especially if you’ve been the fraud, pretending to be someone you aren’t.

If you want a visual of what I’m talking about, the rapper NF does a phenomenal job telling this story:


Click here to watch the video. Enjoy!

Ephesians 4b

At the end of chapter 4, there’s something important that I just can’t pass by.

As he’s writing to the Ephesians, Paul says the old way has to go.

What is the old way?

Well, it’s a myriad of things. I’ll list the things Paul mentions here, then I’ll explain a bit of my “old way.” Here’s the list from Paul:

  1. Sexual obsession
  2. Lies
  3. Pretense
  4. Revenge
  5. Stealing
  6. Foul and dirty talk
  7. Grieving God

Now, I’ve been guilty of a few of these things myself. Maybe you have too. And I was guilty of other things listed in other passages of Scripture. Maybe you were too. Thankfully, God saved me from those almost 18 years ago. And I totally believe He can do the same for you, or maybe He already has.

It’s a relief to not be caught up in those sins anymore, to have freedom to act differently. I can’t say I’m without sin altogether. Of course, all of us fall short sometimes. But man, there’s been a massive shift. And I have felt it in my bones. This new life is such a better way to live! It’s a tremendous blessing. I’m oh so grateful!

May you experience being changed from the inside out as well.

See you in chapter 5.

Ephesians 4

There’s an underlying theme in Ephesians 4, and I believe it is this:

Oneness vs. Manyness

Writing to the church in Ephesus, Paul says, “You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.”

That’s quite the statement. I’ve never seen a church so united. But man, it would be a beautiful thing to see! And it’s a worthy cause to strive for. So that’s the part of the Oneness.

Then Paul says, “But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift.”

Paul goes on to outline each of those gifts here and in a couple other passages in Scripture (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12). I’d love to dive deep on the gifts of the Spirit here, especially since it’s one of my favorite topics to teach. But I’ll hold back for now and save it for another time. Suffice it to say, there’s uniqueness and manyness in the gifts given, in how they manifest, in how much each person gets, etc. So that’s the part on Manyness.

When you can embrace that Oneness and Manyness, it’s an awesome thing.

Is it easy? No.

Will you ever get it perfect? Doubtful.

But to strive for it is a noble and worthy cause.

May God’s breath and life flow through us so that we grow up healthy in God, robust in love. Happy Friday!

Ephesians 3

In Ephesians 3, Paul is writing about the mystery, the secret, the plan of God that was just now being revealed after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Essentially, the Gospel. He says:

This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details.

And friends, I feel much the same. Even though my day job isn’t officially a pastor, in the traditional sense of the word, I still feel a sort of calling deep in my bones that is similar to what Paul mentioned here. Writing, teaching, and leading are the core of what I do. I’m just not in church walls, not wearing certain vestments, not administering the sacraments, not preaching every Sunday. But the calling is so sharp, the tug on my heart and soul so strong, I must write. I must teach. I must lead. No matter how much I may fight it on a given day, I’ll feel like garbage if I don’t do it.

Hence, I write on this blog regularly, sharing my thoughts and insights, hoping some nugget somehow someway makes it to the right person and helps their life in a positive way. Maybe it’s a thought on the Bible, on Jesus, on philosophy, on parenting, on marriage, on books I’ve read, on a life situation I’m working through, who knows? But I do know this, if I don’t write, it won’t help anyone. Now back to Paul…

Paul says a little later that he’s here preaching and writing about things that are way over his head. And I feel the same. Especially here at the end of chapter 3. He ends with this beautiful prayer, and it feels like a disservice to even put comments to it. So I’ll just encourage you to read it.

Read it, then pray it. It starts at 3:14 and goes until 3:21. Seven short verses, full of power, truth, praise, and all the rest of it. Go enjoy!

See you in chapter 4 tomorrow!

Ephesians 2

Paul is such an interesting writer. Sometimes, he has run-on sentences with no end in sight. Other times, he says something so punchy, so concise, you’re floored.

In Ephesians 1, he has one of those run-on sentences. In Ephesians 2, he tightens things up a bit. He has two proclamations worth noting here.

First, he says, “Saving is all his idea, and all his work.”

The “his” here is referring to God, of course. Paul is talking about our old lives, our lives of sin, and how God saved us from that. It’s mind-boggling really. It was all God’s idea and God’s work. Not ours.

Then, Paul says, “He [God] tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance.”

Here, Paul is referring to the division of Jews and Gentiles (aka the non-Jewish outsiders). In Jerusalem and the temple at that time, a literal wall existed in the temple courts and Paul is claiming figuratively that wall no longer exists between them. There’s no difference. God is saving Jews and non-Jews.

It makes me think of Needtobreathe’s album and song, “The Outsiders.” We, as humans, have all sorts of ways we try to separate, label, classify, codify, name, and box-in The Other.

If you heard someone say, “Yeah, it was that vegan, barista-looking dude who rides his bike to work every day and drinks craft beers. I can’t remember his name, but you know who I’m talking about, right?…” You’d immediately have an image in your head of what that person looks like.

To clarify, being vegan has nothing to do with how someone looks. Working as a barista has nothing to do with how someone looks. Riding your bike to work every day has nothing to do with how someone looks. And drinking craft beers has nothing to do with how someone looks. But, I’m guessing you’d picture a skinny white guy with a man-bun, who wears flannel shirts, brushes his beard, smells of patchouli, and wears tattered Vans.

The stereotypes are so strong and the classifications are so ubiquitous, it’s nearly impossible to avoid. But in Christ, there’s no distinction. We’re all being saved by God’s doing and we’re being built into a beautiful temple. It’s an incredible mystery that God is continuing to reveal, and that’s what we’ll continue to explore in the next entry.

Ephesians 1

Ever wonder why we’re here?

Being philosophically minded, I often wonder. And it’s not because my head is often in the clouds that I ask this question. Sometimes, it’s because my feet are so firmly on the earth, planted, but sinking. Sinking in the muck and mud. I mean, when you’re walking in the yard of life and you step in that big pile of dog crap. I mean, when you’re driving down the road and you hit that single nail or screw and your tire goes flat. I mean, you get the idea.

Sometimes, life just sucks. Sometimes it’s really difficult stuff. Sometimes it’s really annoying or frustrating stuff, petty, but annoying.

Last night, I had one of those. I fell asleep easily, but within a couple hours I was tossing and turning. Then I woke up to use the restroom and apparently that set of a chain of events for our dogs. Over the course of the next 5 hours, all three of our dogs made different pleas for food, to go outside, to play in the living room, etc. Finally at 5am this morning, one dog has whined enough, we’ve told her “no” enough, and we misinterpreted what she was whining about. We thought she wanted to go wrestle with the other dogs (which would result in the whole house waking up); instead, she needed to poop, which, since she couldn’t do outside, she did in our master closet. Terrible! Wretched! One of the worst alarm clocks you can imagine. The scent…arghh!

So… that’s how I woke up. And it makes me wonder why I’m here. Is it just to get dog crap cleaned up? Is it to do endless loads of laundry and dishes, work 8-10 hours a day for pay, then work the other 4-6 hours every evening taking care of kids, chores, and go to bed? Is it just to… exist?

It all seems so meaningless, so humdrum, so blah.

But there’s a verse in Ephesians 1 that gives me hope. And it’s a pleasant reminder on days like today:

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

In Christ. Each morning, when I go through my morning routine, I am re-centered. I am grounded again. Either Jesus is pulling me up out of the muck and mud and dog crap of life. Or, He is helping me get my head out of the clouds and back down to the reality that I need to meet today. In both instances, I’m incredibly grateful. Because in Him, I know who I am and what I’m living for.

He gives me purpose and meaning and identity.

And that fills the soul, every single day.

1 John (part 8)

As John brings his letter to a close, he says, “My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion.”

He doesn’t want you living in an illusion, thinking you have eternal life when you really don’t. And if you do have it, he wants you to experience the full reality of eternal life. Which begs the question…

What, then, is eternal life? I think there are a lot of misconceptions here, so let’s go out with a bang, shall we?!

Eternal: what a word! So much to unpack here, but I’ll keep it brief. Eternal can mean lasting or existing forever which is what most people think of when they consider this word. But it can also mean without beginning and without end. Timeless. Like being lost in the moment. Eternal can also mean unchanging. Valid and consistent. For all time, in all places.

So eternal life can be experienced in this life, in time and space, on this earth, and it may even exist beyond death, in a realm beyond what we can comprehend.

It would be a shame if we thought we were meant to life in misery this entire life just so we can enjoy a life after we die. We can enjoy this life, on this earth, right now. Full and abundant in our souls.

As John says, “This Jesus is both True God and Real Life.”

And with that, we’ll wrap 1 John and start a new book next week.