Grace in Ephesians 3
In Ephesians, that wonderful epistle of grace, Paul exhorts us to walk worthy of our calling
Eph 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the calling with which you are called,
Eph 4:2 with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love,
Walking worthy of our calling means to balance the wonderful continuing and dispensational truths revealed in Ephesians with a manner of life which reflects our acknowledgement of them. Some have the knowledge thereof but don't acknowledge them in a worthy walk.
Words alone don't constitute a worthy walk but words in an appropriate walk become incredibly powerful for ourselves and those the Lord brings into our sphere of influence. The personal benefits of walking worthy of our calling include peace and harmony with our Lord and His Word but also include an increase in knowledge. I love the cyclic nature of Col.1:9-10;
Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
Col 1:10 that you might walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing, being fruitful in every work and increasing in the knowledge of God,
The structure of this prayer for them and us today looks like this;
a. Paul prays they be filled with the knowledge of God's will.
b. (in order) that they would walk worthy of the Lord, all pleasing, fruitful
a. increasing in the knowledge of God.
Isn't it fascinating to see that when we apply the truths of our Father's will for us today, the walk is pleasing and fruitful but not only so, seeing our response to truth in appropriate actions the Father reveals more of it. Truth learnt then truth applied brings an increase in knowledge and understanding. How are we compared to where we were ten years ago? We pray Eph.4:14 is not the condition of any reader.
In Ephesians 1-3 we have already seen some incredible doctrines concerning the grace of our heavenly Father outpoured upon us in blessings, choice, purpose and inheritance all in and through our Lord Christ Jesus. The blessings, the choice, the adoption (to place as the heir) and the ascension of not only the Lord our Head but of us His Body, are all into the heavenly places or realms where Christ is seated at God's right.
Now let us throw some doctrine from chapters 1-3 over against the manner of life we are to employ in this great dispensation of the grace of God. Let us personally consider how well we have balanced the beam.
In chapter 1 we have the Father's will revealed in verses 3-5 and in verse 6 we find this written of our blessedness;
Eph 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace in which He favored us in the One having been loved,
All the Father's will was to the praise of the glory of His grace. With this in mind, what are our motivations when we consider these instructions?
Eph 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, having forgiven one another, even as also God forgave you in Christ.
Have we forgiven each other in ways which reflect the praise and glory of God's grace? Are we really practicing this;
Eph 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.
Husbands, is our love for our wife or wives self seeking or is it bringing praise to the glory of God's grace?
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it,
Wives, is your submission to your husband a result of coercion, a resignation to obligation
or a loving heart bringing praise to the glory of God's grace?
Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
Children, is your obedience to your parent, parents or guardians only the result of a promised reward or is it selfless, bringing praise to the glory of God's grace?
Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
One last thought for now. In chapter 2 we find an incredible hyperbole of a warm homely nature. Sweeping from what we were before our faith in Christ (2:2-3), our Heavenly Father quickens, raises and seats us together in the heavenly places as a direct result of His immeasurable grace. Not by works of righteousness which we have done (Titus 3:5) and by grace are the negative and positive ways of emphasizing just what motivated our Heavenly Father to treat us so wonderfully. Now let us look to the future purpose behind all this;
so that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Eph 2:7
Are our actions bringing forth a clear picture of our exceeding riches of grace in our kindness towards others? The humbled mind, the meekness, longsuffering and forbearance are the great keys to the worthy walk, and how our mind is humbled when we consider all these gracious endowments that our ours in Christ and because of grace.
It is one thing to protest that God's abilities are way beyond ours, that only God could really show exceeding riches of grace in kindness to others however, with those attitudes of faith we reviewed above and considered last lesson (Eph.4:2) and with our eyes on the ascended Lord and Head then perhaps we might see the reality of this great doxology;
Eph 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
Eph 3:21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, forever. Amen.
-Brian K, brian@biblicalfamilies.org
In Ephesians, that wonderful epistle of grace, Paul exhorts us to walk worthy of our calling
Eph 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the calling with which you are called,
Eph 4:2 with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love,
Walking worthy of our calling means to balance the wonderful continuing and dispensational truths revealed in Ephesians with a manner of life which reflects our acknowledgement of them. Some have the knowledge thereof but don't acknowledge them in a worthy walk.
Words alone don't constitute a worthy walk but words in an appropriate walk become incredibly powerful for ourselves and those the Lord brings into our sphere of influence. The personal benefits of walking worthy of our calling include peace and harmony with our Lord and His Word but also include an increase in knowledge. I love the cyclic nature of Col.1:9-10;
Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
Col 1:10 that you might walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing, being fruitful in every work and increasing in the knowledge of God,
The structure of this prayer for them and us today looks like this;
a. Paul prays they be filled with the knowledge of God's will.
b. (in order) that they would walk worthy of the Lord, all pleasing, fruitful
a. increasing in the knowledge of God.
Isn't it fascinating to see that when we apply the truths of our Father's will for us today, the walk is pleasing and fruitful but not only so, seeing our response to truth in appropriate actions the Father reveals more of it. Truth learnt then truth applied brings an increase in knowledge and understanding. How are we compared to where we were ten years ago? We pray Eph.4:14 is not the condition of any reader.
In Ephesians 1-3 we have already seen some incredible doctrines concerning the grace of our heavenly Father outpoured upon us in blessings, choice, purpose and inheritance all in and through our Lord Christ Jesus. The blessings, the choice, the adoption (to place as the heir) and the ascension of not only the Lord our Head but of us His Body, are all into the heavenly places or realms where Christ is seated at God's right.
Now let us throw some doctrine from chapters 1-3 over against the manner of life we are to employ in this great dispensation of the grace of God. Let us personally consider how well we have balanced the beam.
In chapter 1 we have the Father's will revealed in verses 3-5 and in verse 6 we find this written of our blessedness;
Eph 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace in which He favored us in the One having been loved,
All the Father's will was to the praise of the glory of His grace. With this in mind, what are our motivations when we consider these instructions?
Eph 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, having forgiven one another, even as also God forgave you in Christ.
Have we forgiven each other in ways which reflect the praise and glory of God's grace? Are we really practicing this;
Eph 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.
Husbands, is our love for our wife or wives self seeking or is it bringing praise to the glory of God's grace?
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it,
Wives, is your submission to your husband a result of coercion, a resignation to obligation
or a loving heart bringing praise to the glory of God's grace?
Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
Children, is your obedience to your parent, parents or guardians only the result of a promised reward or is it selfless, bringing praise to the glory of God's grace?
Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
One last thought for now. In chapter 2 we find an incredible hyperbole of a warm homely nature. Sweeping from what we were before our faith in Christ (2:2-3), our Heavenly Father quickens, raises and seats us together in the heavenly places as a direct result of His immeasurable grace. Not by works of righteousness which we have done (Titus 3:5) and by grace are the negative and positive ways of emphasizing just what motivated our Heavenly Father to treat us so wonderfully. Now let us look to the future purpose behind all this;
so that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Eph 2:7
Are our actions bringing forth a clear picture of our exceeding riches of grace in our kindness towards others? The humbled mind, the meekness, longsuffering and forbearance are the great keys to the worthy walk, and how our mind is humbled when we consider all these gracious endowments that our ours in Christ and because of grace.
It is one thing to protest that God's abilities are way beyond ours, that only God could really show exceeding riches of grace in kindness to others however, with those attitudes of faith we reviewed above and considered last lesson (Eph.4:2) and with our eyes on the ascended Lord and Head then perhaps we might see the reality of this great doxology;
Eph 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
Eph 3:21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, forever. Amen.
-Brian K, brian@biblicalfamilies.org