Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
… which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
Summary: Keeping up with Paul’s train of thought can be a challenge. Today’s passage is the caboose on a long train of words that describe why Jesus came to earth as a man.
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:6b – The One He Loves”… to the praise of his glorious grace …
Summary: Ever wonder why God does something? Today we take a brief look at how Paul sees God’s motivations.
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:6a – Motivation”And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased him to do it.*
Summary: The way God made us his own children is by adopting us into his family. Adoption changes who we are and changing who we are changes our future.
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:5 – He Made Us Anyway”In love he predestined us …
Summary: Knowledge is a concept that presumes something can be known. Imagination is the tool God gave us to fill in the gaps where knowledge is not possible. In between is a place where people argue over the meaning of words.
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:5a – The Cosmic Clock”… to be holy and blameless in his sight.
Summary: Being holy and blameless is not something we can achieve on our own. We need help! Fortunately for us, God has a plan. The plan is Jesus.
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:4b – The Plan is Jesus”For he chose us in him before the creation of the world …
Summary: Paul’s insights can be logically challenging. The Word of God can seem non-sensical from a worldly point of view. Viewed correctly, everything makes sense.
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:4a – The Meaning of “Chose””Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Summary: Paul makes unusual claims in his letter to the Ephesians. Whether or not we understand what the Bible tells us about God will determine how much of what Paul is saying makes sense.
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:3 – Amazing Claims!”Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Summary: When Paul speaks, people listen. People listen because he speaks with authority, the same kind of authority that set Jesus’ teachings apart from the Pharisees (Matthew 7:29).
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:2 – Good Authority”…the faithful in Christ Jesus
Summary: When it comes to the Scriptures, the meaning of words is important. Understanding what it means to be faithful in Christ Jesus is a foundational step to understanding our roles as Christians.
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:1 – The Challenge of Christianity”To God’s holy people in Ephesus …
Summary: When God accepts us into his family, we become alive to God again. As living members of God’s family, we are special human beings. God expects us to behave in a certain way which can be confusing. We are not considered holy because of how we behave. Instead, we are holy because God says so.
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:1 – God’s Coffee Mug”