Due to a variety of God-ordained circumstances, this year has been marked by a deep and fresh understanding of the book of Ephesians. God has an incredible purpose and plan for my life that is far better than anything I could have even dared to dream for myself. My hope and prayer is that the Lord will continue to draw me closer to Him by driving me to His word and His truth. I picked up the Warren Wiersbe Commentary on Ephesians: Gaining the Things That Money Can’t Buy and so appreciated his perspective on this rich text.
- Faith and grace go together, because the only way to experience grace is through faith.
- The theme for the book of Ephesians is the Christian’s riches in Christ. Paul examines the source of our blessings, the scope of our blessings, and the sphere of our blessings in this letter.
- Instead of spending it all, Jesus Christ paid it all. His death on the cross and His resurrection make possible our salvation.
- How do the two apparent contradictions of being chosen and choosing to believe create a mystery worth knowing? Why doesn’t God’s sovereignty negate man’s responsibility? Why are both essential?
- This means that you do not have to wait until you are an old saint before you can claim your riches in Christ.
- Sin is the great separator in this world. It has been dividing people since the very beginning of human history. When Adam and Eve sinned, they were separated from God. Before long, their sons were separated from each other and Cain killed Abel. The earth was filled with violence (Gen. 6:5–13), and the only remedy seemed to be judgment. But even after the flood, men sinned against God and each other, and even tried to build their own unity without God’s help. The result was another judgment that scattered the nations and confused the tongues. It was then that God called Abraham, and through the nation of Israel, Jesus Christ came to the world. It was His work on the cross that abolished the enmity between Jew and Gentile and between sinners and God. —Be Rich, page 68
- Jesus Christ died to make reconciliation possible. You and I must live to make the message of reconciliation personal. God has “given to us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18). We are His ambassadors of peace (2 Cor. 5:20). —Be Rich, page 75
- Meekness is not weakness. It is power under control. —Be Rich, page 107
- They are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1), while he has been raised from the dead and been given eternal life in Christ. —Be Rich, pages 119–20 7. What does Paul mean by walking as other Gentiles walk (4:17)? Give some examples. What specific warnings might Paul offer today to Christians who imitate the life of the unsaved? If Christians aren’t to walk like other Gentiles, how then should they walk? From the Commentary This was Paul’s argument—you no longer belong to the old corruption of sin; you belong to the new creation in Christ. Take off the graveclothes! How do we do this? “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph. 4:23). Conversion is a crisis that leads to a process. —Be Rich, page 122 8.
- This was Paul’s argument—you no longer belong to the old corruption of sin; you belong to the new creation in Christ. Take off the graveclothes! How do we do this? “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph. 4:23). Conversion is a crisis that leads to a process. —Be Rich, page 122
- How do believers renew the spirit of their minds? What is the process that conversion leads to? Why is this message about the post-conversion process important for new believers?
- Only a fool drifts with the wind and tide. A wise man marks out his course, sets his sails, and guides the rudder until he reaches his destination. When a man wants to build a house, he first draws his plans so he knows what he is doing. Yet, how many Christians plan their days so that they use their opportunities wisely? —Be Rich, pages 141–42
- What does a servant-leader do that differentiates him or her from other leaders? Respond to this comment: “The person who is not under authority has no right to exercise authority.”