Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
“For through the law I died to the law …”
Summary: The complexities of Paul’s logic can be difficult to follow. Here, we explore the meanings of life and death and how they relate to the laws of the old covenant.
Continue reading “Galatians 2:19a – Walking Away”But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!
Summary: Paul tackles a legalistic conundrum as only Paul can. He lassos it, hogties it, and then throws it in our faces demanding that we confront his argument head-on.
Continue reading “Galatians 2:17 – Crime and Punishment”“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles …”
Summary: Paul is striving to explain to the Galatians why it is dangerous to pretend that we can win God’s favor by something as simple as circumcision.
Continue reading “Galatians 2:15 – The Godly Goal”Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
Summary: God wants more than recognition and obedience. He wants our love, too. In this closing passage from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we find ourselves looking into the heart of our Lord Jesus.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:24 – Undying Love”For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
Summary: At first glance this passage seems to imbue husbands with authority, but on closer examination we see that the point of Paul’s words is very different. You might say they are humbling.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:23 – The Bride-Price”Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Summary: “Me first” is a concept that goes back to the beginning of human history. It is the essence of our sinful nature rolled up into two words. Putting Christ first in our lives radically changes this concept, turning it upside down and inside out.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:21 – The Answer to Everything”—not as unwise but as wise
Summary: Wisdom is a word that describes a state of mind. We attribute wisdom to the things people do when they work out well. People who are careful how they live and keep their eyes on Christ do well.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:15b – The Light of Christ”… put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Summary: Why does it feel like “putting on” this “new self” is a lot of work? The answer, like so many things in life, depends on how you look at it. Looked at correctly, we are not doing any work at all. Instead we are honoring our King, Jesus.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:24 – Intro to Part II: All the Work”… created to be like God …
Summary: The idea of being like God can feel a little intoxicating … to the old self. To the new self, being like God is to be like Jesus.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:24b – Following Jesus”That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.
Summary: With this passage, Paul shifts gears and leads us to his next main point.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:20-21 – The Bridge”