Loving Jesus Style

  Scripture: Ephesians 2:20-22 (ESV) 20  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21  in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22  In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Devotion: What is a temple? In the ancient world, a temple was a sacred place where people worshiped a deity and experienced his or her presence. A temple was also a symbol of the deity's sovereignty and glory, as well as the identity and unity of the people who belonged to him or her. A temple was not just a building; it was a reflection of the relationship between God and his people. When Paul writes to the Ephesians, he uses the image of a temple to describe the church. He says that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, who proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ. He says that Christ himself is the cornerstone...

Scripture: Ephesians 2:17-19 (ESV) 17  And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18  For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, Devotion:        Have you ever felt like an outsider? Like you don't belong or fit in anywhere? Maybe you have experienced rejection, discrimination, or isolation because of your race, culture, religion, or background. Maybe you have been hurt by people who were supposed to love you and accept you. Maybe you have wondered if God really cares about you and wants you to be part of his family. If so, you are not alone. Many people struggle with feelings of alienation and loneliness. But the good news is that God has a solution for this problem. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to preach peace to those who wer...

  Scripture: Ephesians 2:13-16 (ESV) 13  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  14  For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility  15  by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,  16  and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility Devotion: Have you ever felt like an outsider? Like you don't belong or fit in? Like there is a wall between you and others that keeps you from enjoying true fellowship and friendship? If so, you are not alone. Many people struggle with feelings of alienation and isolation, especially in our modern world, where we are more connected online than offline. But the good news is that God has a solution for this problem. He has made a way for us to be...

Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-12 (ESV) 11  Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12  remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Devotion: One of the gospel's most profound transformations is that God, in his abundant grace, has united us in Christ. We, who were once distant, isolated, and without hope, have been brought close, reconciled, adopted, and given hope through God's grace and our faith in Jesus. This transformation is not just for us as individuals but also for us as a diverse community of believers from various backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, and languages. Paul reminds the Ephesian Christians, who were mostly Gentiles, of their former condition before they knew Christ. They were called ...

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV) For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9  not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Devotion: One of the most profound aspects of the gospel is the stark contrast between grace and works. When we refer to 'works' in this context, we are talking about our human efforts to earn God's favor or salvation. These works are our futile attempts to impress God with our goodness or to meet his perfect standard. They can never save us, as we all fall short of God's perfect standard. In fact, works can even lead to pride and self-righteousness, making us believe we are superior to others or can boast before God. Yet, grace is not just a concept, it is a transformative force. It humbles us and exalts God, revealing our complete dependence ...

  Scripture: Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV) 17  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18  may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19  and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Devotion:             The scripture above is part of a prayer that the apostle Paul prays for the church at Ephesus. Paul asks God to provide the people to whom this was written with special knowledge and insight into the things of God—the knowledge they would need to thrive and be productive for the kingdom—not knowledge that was some secret, but the knowledge that God makes available to all who ask Him for it. Therefore, this prayer is as much for us as it was for the people of Ephesus.          ...

  Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-7 (ESV) 4  I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3  eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4  There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5  one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7  But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Devotion:             This scripture is one of the most ambitious calls for unity in the writings of Paul. Apparently, the Ephesian church was under threat of division and schism. Paul loved the church dearly and was determined not to let such division occur under his watchful care. Whil...

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV) 14  For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,  15  from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,  16  that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  17  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  18  may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,  19  and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20  Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,  21  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Devotion:             In this ...

  Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV) 8  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9  not by works, so that no one can boast. 10  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. Devotion:             If you have been around the church for any length of time you have heard these verses from Ephesian quoted by someone. These verses are a simple way of stating the basic truth of the salvation which we have been given. They are a bold statement of God’s great love for us. They are in sharp contrast to all the other major religions in the world. All the other religions promote ways achieving God’s favor by doing good works. One is never sure if one has done enough to secure salvation.             Christianity on the other han...

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV) 11  So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, and teachers,  12  to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up  13  until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Devotion:             We continue in Chapter 4 of the Ephesians today. Here we see Paul encouraging members of that church, and by extension us, to be involved in the day-to-day life of whatever Christian fellowship we belong to. One temptation in our Christian walk is to leave everything up to paid staff members and just sit back and enjoy the show. Christian living is never just bread and circuses. Our leaders need people to wash the dishes and bake the bread. Otherwise, we run the risk of burning our leaders out.   ...

Scripture: Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5  one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Devotion:             Paul writing in this scripture passage is calling the church to radical unity. In our society there are so many divisions in the body of Christ it is impossible to see how we could be united about anything. However, we know that Jesus himself prayed for the unity of believers. If Jesus thought that unity was possible and desirable then we can, as members of the church, seek to become united with our brothers and sisters in the Lord regardless of how different we may be from one another.             As our world moves farther and farther away from God and the church, we must be more united than ever. When t...

Scripture: Ephesians 2:19-22 (NIV) [Y]ou are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Devotion:             Today, we continue in Ephesians 2 by looking at Paul’s message to the Gentile believers in Ephesus. Since most of us reading this would be considered Gentiles this message is for us no matter where we live today. Paul states that Jesus by His death and resurrection has made us one with the people of God, the Jewish people. This means that all the promises made to the people of God throughout the Old Testament can now be applied to us ...

Scripture: Psalm 38: 1-8 (NIV) 1  Lord , do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath 2  Your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down on me. 3  Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin. 4  My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. 5  My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. 6  I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning 7  My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. 8  I am feeble and utterly crushed; groan in anguish of hear   Devotion:               I live and minister in a facility. I am quite well acquainted with the issues that slow us down as we age. The psalmist here declares that that no part of his body is full of health ad life. This author finds himself without much hope in the world. There ...

Scripture: Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV) You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;  23  to be made new in the attitude of your minds;  24  and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Devotion:             Paul writing to the Ephesians here discloses one of the secrets to living the Christian life. In our state before we met Jesus and accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, we were living a corrupt lifestyle. We were separated from God by our sins and lost, without hope in the world. Even if we were living an outwardly virtuous life, inwardly we were still steeped in our sin nature that we had because of the fall in the Garden of Eden.             When we are saved, we receive a new nature from Christ. Although not until we are received ...

Scripture: Ephesians 5:16-18 (NLT) 16  Always be joyful.  17  Never stop praying.  18  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Devotion:             Our brief scripture passage today comes from the end of the letter to the Ephesians. It is contained in a section that has many commands such as these. These commands, while certainly can be taken as instructions to individuals, are clearly meant for the church as a whole as well. We tend to see in today’s church a distinct lack of joy, prayerlessness has become common, and complaining about our circumstances has replaced thankfulness. Our churches seem to be on a course that will lead them to extinction. This extinction may not mean that they necessarily close their doors, but they may go on as nothing more than another social club.             How can we...