One in Christ

Paula’s Blog for June 27, 2011---Ephesians 2:11-22

Have you ever been somewhere—a party, another country, college or someplace where folks were familiar with one another and their surroundings and you were not familiar with either? You could feel very out of place, separated, and estranged from the mutual interests of the group. I have heard from those who have had to move to another city or town that fitting in and making new friends was difficult, even uncomfortable and painful.

Exclusions and alienations are problems we will never have to encounter as Christians, as believers in Christ. Jesus through His blood has broken down and destroyed the dividing wall and reconciled us both Jew and Gentile and made us one body in Jesus by means of his Cross.

Once we were alienated, estranged, and separated from God living apart from Him with no hope and no citizen rights. This Scripture reading tells us that we were once Gentiles (heathen) separated, strangers with no share in the sacred compact, excluded from all part in Him, outlawed from the rights of Israel. We were in the world without God. (That’s the worst thing I can think of! I want to say, “Heaven forbid!”)

No matter who we are-male, female, Jew, Gentile or what our past has been-- a visible sinner or an invisible sinner (Don’t try to find that description in the Bible!), we now share citizenship with the saints of God and belong fully to the household of God. ( I thank Him, I thank Him and I thank Him.) This household is built upon the foundation with Jesus Himself as the chief Cornerstone. We have been given a unique, special, harmonious, and peaceful place in this big world as one of His own. I am deeply grateful and appreciative that He made a way to bring me near to Him and made me apart of His household and made me one of His.

Ephesians 2:1-10

There are not many English teachers that would give the Apostle Paul a very good grade on his grammar. He begins sentences but never seems to finish them. In the Greek, the first seven verses of chapter two are one long sentence. It is a one hundred twenty four word sentence with a subject that does not appear until verse 4 and the main verbs follow in verses 5-6. Some of the newer translations of the Bible have broken these verses into several sentences. We have to forgive Paul because he was writing from the heart.

In Ephesians 2:1-10, the apostle Paul sets before us the doctrine of justification, the driving force of the Reformation – sola gratia, sole fide, soli Deo Gloria- "by grace alone, through faith alone, to God alone be glory." Some scholars have called this passage the magna carta of God’s grace. Paul reminds the Ephesians of the great work God has done in their lives. He describes their state as being “dead in their transgressions and sins.” We, like the Ephesians, have walked in the ways of this world and not of God’s kingdom. Paul tells us that God has made us alive with Christ and raised us from the dead with Christ. (Eph. 2:4-6) It is by grace that you have been saved through faith—and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God—(9) it is not of works, therefore no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

We must not miss what verse 10 says, “We are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared in advance in order for us to walk in them.” It is true we are saved by faith, but “faith without works is dead”. (James 2:17) We are not saved to produce good works; we are saved to live by the good works that God by His Holy Spirit reproduces in us.

Many of you have seen the TV show Extreme Makeover. God sees you as his workmanship – his work of art. What does it mean for you that you are saved by grace not by your works? How has God done a makeover in you?

Ephesians 1:15-23

These passages are entitled "Thanksgiving and Prayer". Paul is showing his appreciation for the Ephesians that have come to know Jesus and his teachings. He is praising God for the work that is being done in His name. He also is praying for continued wisdom and revelations for the people so the Word can continue to be spread and more people will come to know the Lord. Paul talks of God's mighty power and strength for believers, specifically Jesus' death and Resurrection. He closes by reminding them that God appointed Jesus head over everything for the Church that serves as His body and fulfills him.

These words still have much meaning for us, as the Church, today. We still have a responsibility to study and know God's word, to learn from Jesus' teachings and examples, to spread the Word for Him and to serve Jesus as His body. I feel that sometimes we, as Methodists, have come under much scrutiny because we are not as verbal and visible with our faith as other denominations. Do we believe that we have a responsibility to know God and His Word? Do we believe that we are called to bring others to know God? Do we believe that we are the body of Christ? The answer is YES, we do believe all these things that Paul addressed in his writings. I think the criticism from the outside world comes because we are not always purposeful about how we show our faith. I believe that our faith is not any less meaningful than others, we just have a more intrinsic definition of "being faithful" means to us. I grew up in the Methodist Church and I freely admit to being very set in my beliefs, but after reading this passage I am trying to look at myself through Paul's eyes to see if he would be praising God for my life. I see a constant struggle to remove myself from my "comfort zone" and make my faith more apparent to others. Past experiences have made me a strong believer that God has a plan for my life, but can people see that on the outside? Do I live my life as an example of Christ's love to those around me? Am I being obedient to God in bringing others into my faith? Am I fulfilling Jesus as a member of His Church? I am going to challenge myself daily to be in prayer for myself and others to find new ways to show God's love to everyone in everything we do. I hope you will do the same. We are all here to do God's work and reap the ultimate benefit of eternal life in Heaven, don't we want everyone we know to be there too?

What do you think Paul would have to say about our church if he were here today?

Ephesians 1:1-14

Our journey begins as we look at Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus.  Many scholars now believe that the letter may have been written not to a church in Ephesus but as a general letter to believers anywhere.  That is why this book makes for a good study for us this summer.  We should look at it as if it were written directly to us, members of the body at FUMC Union City.  With that in mind, we'll look at the first 14 verses of chapter 1 this week.
Ephesians 1:1-14
After a standard opening greeting, Paul jumps right in with terms that prove troublesome for us.  Verse 4 says that "even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world" and in verse 5 "he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ."  This is one of those sticky terms that causes us to quarrel with our Calvanist friends.  So, are we predestined to be Christians?
The answer is yes.....and no.  Predestination as we often think of it states that God has chosen who will be saved and by default who will not be saved.  As Methodists, we see it a little differently.  God is all knowing, so He does know who will ultimately accept Christ as Lord.  But He doesn't chose them.  He predestines them to be saved by Christ and conformed to God's image through His sacrifice.  He predestines that when we come to follow Him, we will do so through Christ as our Savior and by no other means.  He doesn't choose the ones who will be allowed into heaven, but He chooses the route they will take to get there.
Paul begins to show us the full plan of God for man in verse 7 as he reminds us that we are redeemed and forgiven by the blood of Christ poured out by grace as part of the master plan of God to unite all things in Him.  The fall of man created the chasm between God and His creation (us).  The sacrifice of a man (Christ) sets into motion the plan to bring it all back together again.  This reminds us that we are a part of something much bigger than what we usually see. There is a plan for all mankind that we must take a role in.  Kinda helps us keep our complaints in check a bit, doesn't it?
Paul concludes by clearing up our inheritance rites.  Everyone who has called upon the sweet name of Jesus have been sealed with the promised Helper, the Holy Spirit, as a sign of our inheritance in Christ.  An inheritance is something bestowed upon another due to their connection or relationship.  This connection usually involves blood.  How fitting that we are heirs in Christ through His shedding of blood on our behalf!
The underlying message of this passage is one of unity with the Lord.  We belong to Him as was God's plan.  As His children, we have an identity in Him.  That makes us truly brothers and sisters one to another.  We once were abandoned and alone in a world that sought to destroy us and hold us captive.  Now we are adopted children of a loving God, set free to experience love and a sense of belonging.  And He had this planned out all along.
What feelings or experiences might you have that involve adoption?  What does it mean to you to be adopted into God's family and become an heir to His kingdom?  I look forward to your thoughts...