Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
… and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—
Summary: The debate over whether or not believers should be circumcised was really a debate about what “signs” we should look for to determine whether someone is a believer or not.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:11c – The Bright Light of the Spirit”… remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth …
Summary: Being a Gentile raises some interesting questions about how we relate to Jews, Israel, and our fellow Christians.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:11b – Homeless”Therefore …
Summary: Paul’s writing is a challenge to keep up with. His thoughts are complex and deeply interrelated. When we get to a point where he says, “therefore…” it is always good to stop and think about where he has been and where he is going.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:11a – Then What?”… which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Summary: What kind of “good works” does God have for us to do? Looking through the Scriptures it seems clear that one way of looking at our work for God is to be caretakers for his Garden.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:10c – Gardeners”… created in Christ Jesus to do good works …
Summary: Today’s passage is an opportunity to explain why I write about God’s Word here at ThreeMinuteBible.com and explore what Paul means by doing “good works” for Jesus.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:10b – The Stumble Stone”For we are God’s handiwork …
Summary: On reflection, my personal journey in this life has not been so different than the history of all that has happened before. There are patterns to human existence, and truths that cannot be changed. One of those truths is that we are created. Another is that our Creator is a loving God.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:10a – He Is Risen!”… not by works, so that no one can boast.
Summary: Humans have a great capacity for self-deception. We exercise this talent every day. When we come to Jesus, we have to set aside our pretend views of ourselves and deal with reality.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:9 – Spiritual Hoarders”— and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God —
Summary: How we see ourselves is a symptom of a larger problem.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:8c – The Eye of the Mind”… through faith …
Summary: The idea of being saved “though faith” is a challenge for people who like to measure things.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:8b – The Way Home”For it is by grace you have been saved,
Summary: Once again, we find ourselves pondering the meaning of “grace.” Paul points out that we are saved by grace, and as we explore this topic, we discover a beautiful picture of a loving God.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:8a – Why Does God Bother?”