Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality,
Summary: People argue about all sorts of things, including morality and what it means to be “moral.” Paul tells us to avoid “even a hint” of immorality. Unpacking that concept in Christian terms opens the door to important insights about God.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:3a – What God Thinks”… just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Summary: Why was it necessary for Jesus to die on the cross? Is it possible for us to fully understand the answer to that question? Probably not, but Scripture provides us with many clues.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:2b – The Second Chance”… and do not give the devil a foothold.
Summary: The NIV Bible uses an interesting word to describe giving the devil an opportunity to sway your thinking and actions. The word is “foothold.”
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:27 – Right and Wrong”Therefore each of you must put off falsehood …
Summary: The devil is the master of lies. You might say he is the father of falsehood. Paul is guiding us away from Satan’s influence.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:25a – Snakes and Doves”… 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”So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do …
Summary: Paul’s problem is that people who believe in God act differently than people who don’t. Being the “Apostle to the Gentiles” carried with it the added burden of educating Gentile believers about this difference.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:17a – A Kind of Test”Instead, speaking the truth in love …
Summary: Some phrases in the Bible set off alarms with this writer. Today’s passage is one of them. We need to carefully consider the nature of truth and the meaning of love to avoid misapplying Paul’s instruction.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:15a – AH-OO-GA!”… attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Summary: Measuring things only is meaningful if we can measure them in a meaningful way. Looking at the life of Jesus reveals a fullness that is beyond measure.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:13d – Beyond Measure”… until we all reach unity in the faith …
Summary: Looking at the question of unity causes us to ask, “What causes disunity?” The answer could include a million things, but today we look at the need to forgive.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:13a – Forgive Like Jesus”