Eager for Peace

The fourth chapter of Ephesians is a difficult section from which to extract only one meaningful section upon which to comment. Every section is loaded with meat and worthy of a long discourse. Indeed, every sentence in this chapter speaks to my heart and begs my further reflection.

But, that is not the purpose of this exercise so I will content myself to constrain the words to only one of the many beautiful thoughts in this chapter.

Eph 4:1-3  – I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (ESV)

 A few weeks ago in the blogosphere, there was a strong word on the need for and necessity of confrontation. It was a good word. Confrontation of sin and hypocrisy is necessary now more than ever in our sin-sick, new-age-influenced churches. But, it is easy to go overboard with this. It is easy to spot “what is wrong” especially when all we do is look for that which is out of order.

We are not God’s policemen. That job belongs to the Holy Spirit. (John 16:8-11)

Paul tempers that sort of mentality here as he tells us to be eager to maintain peace.

He also mentions this necessity in another place where he writes:
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. (Rom 12:18 ESV)

The application of this verse may best be served by using a paraphrase: Refuse to touch the bone of contention.

This is what we need to operate by in our lives, and I’ve seen some bloggers who are beginning to make this shift in their thinking. I’m hoping that they will begin to have good testimony as to its effectiveness.

By effectiveness, I mean that if we can get off the issues that cause controversy, we may very well have a chance to bring someone to the truth we have been trying unsuccessfully to beat them over the head with.

 It is worthy of our calling if we can learn to live at peace, to maintain unity through our humility, gentleness, and patience.

Yes, it is true that this has been pushed to an extreme where now, all things are tolerated in the name of peace. And, yes, the pendulum MUST swing in the other direction. However, I do not believe that it is necessary for us to go to the other extreme of picking a fight over every little thing that we think is wrong.

Make peace and harmony the goal.

Harmony means that there is agreement.

Let us learn to differentiate between the absolutely necessary, that is, the primary, things and those that are not.

Earnestly contend for that which is necessary.

Enjoy the debates over that which is not, but do not allow fellowship to be broken. And if someone is about to break fellowship over something that is debatable, then it is up to you to take the higher road, drop the debate, restore peace and maintain unity.

That is the Word of the Lord to us in this passage.

NOTE: This is the fourth in a weekly posting on the Epistle to the Ephesians. I am not the only one who is writing on this book. There are others who will be posting something on their blog each day of the week. We are each bringing something that the Lord gives us from chapter four of the epistle. You will be greatly blessed and encouraged, and your heart will be filled if you will take the time to read each day’s posting from one of the other saints involved in this collective effort. Put the following link in your “favorites” or on your link bar at the top of your browser: http://www.philter48.com/bbs/ and make it a point to visit everyday.

Where is the Power?

Eph 3:10 ESV – so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

 Is the local church that you are a part of making known the manifold wisdom of God to the spiritual forces that control the populace?

Is your church content to just keep on keeping on with the way things have always been?

Maybe you are a part of the new movements away from traditional church–emergent, simple, contemporary, organic, or house church. You may be “doing” church differently, but are you having an effect on the powers of darkness?

Jesus said it and Paul said it–the powers of darkness are no match for the power of the church.

Where have we missed it? Where have we gone wrong? Where is the power of the church?

NOTE: This is the third in a weekly posting on the Epistle to the Ephesians. I am not the only one who is writing on this book. There are others who will be posting something on their blog each day of the week. We are each bringing something that the Lord gives us from chapter three of the epistle. You will be greatly blessed and encouraged, and your heart will be filled if you will take the time to read each day’s posting from one of the other saints involved in this collective effort. Put the following link in your “favorites” or on your link bar at the top of your browser: http://www.philter48.com/bbs/ and make it a point to visit everyday.

All of Grace

Like Carl, and many others, Ephesians is a favorite of mine. I could spend an inordinate amount of time in this one epistle (if inordinate were possible). Now, as we venture into Chapter 2, we begin to explore the depths of Paul’s revelation about our position and inheritance in Christ.

The first thing we see is that we were dead (v. 1). We may have thought we were alive simply because we could eat, drink and be merry. But, when we look back on our life before Christ, we realize that any merriment was contrived or forced. We had to DO things to find a moment’s joy. There was no sense of lasting joy.

Most evangelical Christians recognize this reality and that is why they proclaim the necessity of being born again. However, the terms and phrases they use put a lie to the truth that is given here and in many other places in Scripture.

We are told to “make a decision for Christ,” “to accept Christ” in order to be born again or to be saved.

While that is true insofar as it goes, the emphasis on our “personal decision” for a “personal savior” leads many to believe that it is their intelligence, their strength, their effort that placed them within the Kingdom of God.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump (Gal. 5:9), and this subtle error creeps in at the beginning and ruins the life of many a believer.

A dead person has no ability at all. There are no laws that affect the dead, for there are none that the dead can obey. Even the “law” to get saved cannot be fulfilled by a dead person. (This becomes important to understand when considering Jesus’ teachings about dying to self.) {for an excellent treatment of the practical application of dying to self, click here.}

Therefore, what are we to do?

We can’t DO anything unless God intervenes.

That is the plain teaching of scripture beginning with the first mention of being born again by Jesus to Nicodemus in John 3. Even Nicodemus wanted to know what he had to do, and Jesus said, “Can’t. If it doesn’t happen by the Spirit, it won’t happen.” (my rendition of John 3:3-6)

And that is what Paul reiterates here in chapter 2:5 “…even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ–by grace you have been saved…”

Other passages for your consideration of this important truth:

John 1:13  – who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Deu 30:6  – And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

Eze 36:26  – And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Jhn 5:21  – For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

Jhn 6:44  – No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.

Act 5:31  – God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Phl 1:29  – For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,

1Pe 2:9  – But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Jhn 17:2  – since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

Rom 9:16  – So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

Jam 1:18  – Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Act 13:48  – And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

Eph 2:8-9  – For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

All scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version. 

I was dead.

He made me live.

Glory to God!

 

NOTE: This is the second in a weekly posting on the Epistle to the Ephesians. I am not the only one who is writing on this book. There are others who will be posting something on their blog each day of the week. We are each bringing something that the Lord gives us from chapter two of the epistle. You will be greatly blessed and encouraged, and your heart will be filled if you will take the time to read each day’s posting from one of the other saints involved in this collective effort. Put the following link in your “favorites” or on your link bar at the top of your browser: http://www.philter48.com/bbs/ and make it a point to visit everyday.