Ephesians WEEK 2
Monday
Today we are going to consider the importance of grace.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”
In the Christian tradition, we believe that salvation is by grace – plus nothing and minus nothing. It is the bedrock of our relationship with God and it is the fuel that sustains our life in Him.
Grace therefore is central to our view of God and ourselves. Grace creates a frame by which we see things more clearly. Yet, we know how difficult it is to receive grace.
Grace attacks humanity’s default understanding. In this world, we receive benefits based on our appearances, performance, or penance. But with God, we do not live faithfully so that God will love us, but we live faithfully because God already loves us. “For it is by grace you have been saved… It is the gift of God.”
Consider the following quote from author Dallas Willard. “The greatest saints are not those who need less grace, but those who consume the most grace, who indeed are most in need of grace – those who are saturated by grace in every dimension of their being. Grace to them is like breath.”
Spend time now in prayer and consider your relationship to grace. How much do you live in active dependence upon God’s grace. Do you mindfully require grace throughout your days? Pray for greater awareness and surrender to God’s grace.
Tuesday
Yesterday, we focused on the importance of grace. Today, we will consider faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Paul does not believe that grace is sufficient in itself. There is also the response of faith. Take a moment and consider – if someone asked you to define faith, how would you answer?
With that definition in mind, does your life consistently express that definition of faith?
Here is how some Christian authors describe faith.
“Faith is the courage to accept acceptance.” Brennan Manning
“Faith is the gaze of a soul on a loving God.” A W Tozer
“Faith is the word that describes the direction our feet start moving when we find that we are loved.” Frederick Buechner
Which of those definitions stand out to you?
Consider memorizing the line or jotting it down on a piece of paper to remind you throughout today as you seek to live with faith.
In closing, allow this blessing from Saint Teresa of Avila to send you into your day.
“May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing that you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love. It is there for each and every one of you.”
Wednesday
Paul is writing to a church that was situated in a divided and polarized community. Paul describes the power of a new life in Jesus, and then Paul shares a surprising effect: Not only does the Gospel remove barriers between us and God, but it also changes the divisions within humanity.
Read Ephesians 2:14-16 with this in mind.
“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.”
The work of God is that of union. This new union we have is not only with Christ but also to others. Spend your time praying for greater unity and peace in the following:
in the relationships in your life
in our church
in the churches of Austin
in our world.
After your time of prayer, go into your day noticing when division and angst are evident. Every time you see, feel, or experience angst or antagonism, use it as a prompt for prayer.
Thursday
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Visio Divina is the spiritual practice of using a piece of art to focus prayer and meditation.
Reread verse 10 and then spend time prayerfully meditating on that verse as look at this picture. Consider how God sees you as part of his masterpiece. What does that conjure in you? What is God trying to form in you today?
Friday
For those in the Jewish faith, God was present everywhere, but God was uniquely present in the temple. People would travel days and weeks to be in that presence to say their prayers, recite the psalms, and make their sacrifices. The temple was central to understanding one’s relationship with God.
This also would have been known to the church in Ephesus. But Paul is saying that God has done something new in Christ. The center of the Christian faith is located elsewhere. It is not in a place. It is in Christ himself.
With this in mind, read verses 19-22.
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
Spend time journalling about how these verses describe a transformation in people’s relationship with God. How does this form our view of the church? And what does it mean that Christ is himself the chief cornerstone?
Saturday
The first three verses of this second chapter seem quite bleak. Honestly, they might be frightening. But Paul makes a profound shift in verse 6.
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”
Like a jeweler laying down a black fabric before displaying a diamond, Paul is sharing the darkness of the human condition. Without reading further (“But because of his great love for us…”), we might be tempted to run from God, hide in shame, or doubt our acceptance in Christ. But that is not the full work of Christ in our life.
Today, read those first three verses again, but then set your heart on verses 4-5.